BUILD OVERVIEW

Today we're diving into a rather interesting setup centered around the Twin Knight Sword with the Barbaric Roar Ash of War. If you're looking to optimize your build further, you might want to buy Elden Ring Runes to stock up on consumables and upgrade materials. This combination creates a devastating bleed build that excels at chasing down opponents and applying pressure through multi-hit attacks.

Why This Build Works

The Twin Knight Sword already features a very fast base moveset, making it genuinely hard for enemies to avoid fully. Its multi-hit attack patterns make it ideal for status buildup – when you land something like the running heavy or running light attack, you get multiple instances of bleed buildup from a single engagement.

· The Main Weakness: The weapon doesn't deal tremendous poise damage on all its hits. The first part of each hit has lower poise damage, so you won't always stun enemies. Plus, you don't naturally have access to hyper armor attacks.

· Enter Barbaric Roar: When activated, you gain a heavy attack combo that provides significant poise during the animation. Combined with a Blood infusion, that same combo delivers massive blood loss buildup. The strategy becomes: activate roar, apply pressure with your hyper armor combo, then chase them down with running attacks to trigger the bleed.

STAT DISTRIBUTION

This is a Strength/Arcane hybrid build:

· Arcane Investment: Increases your blood loss buildup

· Strength Investment: Greatly increases the weapon's damage output

EQUIPMENT LOADOUT

Weapons

· Right Hand: Twin Knight Sword with Barbaric Roar Ash of War, Blood infusion

· Left Hand: Highland Axe (held for the passive buff – it boosts all roar-based moves)

Armor

Fashion is always your choice, but the showcased setup features armor with:

· Excellent poison defense

· Aesthetic appeal that "actually looks really nice"

· Note: You can adjust your armor weight based on your talisman choices.

Talismans

The standard setup includes:

1. Roar Medallion – Buffs the heavy attack of Barbaric Roar

2. Two-Handed Sword Talisman – Buffs the overall moveset while two-handing

3. Erdtree's Favor +2 – Primarily for equip load support

4. Optimization Tip: If you want to maximize damage, consider lighter armor to equip the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia for even more attack power on successive hits.

Buffs

Two excellent options:

1. Boiled Crab – Increases defense for tougher engagements

2. Sacred Bloody Flesh – The ideal bleed build buff:

· Increases damage output

· Grants +10 Arcane

· Provides additional buffs when blood loss occurs in the vicinity

COMBAT STRATEGY

Core Gameplan

1. Apply Pressure with Base Moveset – The Twin Knight Sword's fast attacks chip away at opponents and build bleed

2. Activate Barbaric Roar when you need hyper armor or want to go on the offensive

3. Unleash the Heavy Attack Combo – This deals massive damage and bleed buildup with poise protection

4. Chase Down with Running Attacks – Both running light and running heavy are multi-hit moves perfect for catching runners and triggering that final bleed proc

Key Strengths

· Insane chase-down potential – The multi-hit running attacks are notoriously hard to avoid

· Bleed procs from partial connections – Even if you don't land a full combo, you're still building status

· Hyper armor option – Barbaric Roar gives you trading potential you normally lack

· Consistent chip damage – The fast moveset ensures you're always getting something

What to Watch Out For

· Low poise on early hits – You can get interrupted if you don't have roar active

· Colossal weapons – Trading without your hyper armor active is dangerous

· Wizards in open areas – As seen in the Limgrave bridge segment, casters can be problematic with limited cover

INVASION TACTICS

Area Awareness

The several key invasion principles:

1. The Caster Bridge (Limgrave):

· This area is "a nightmare" against wizards because the bridge offers almost no cover

· Use the one pot or structure as your saving grace

· Time dodges perfectly – the magic waves encompass almost the whole bridge

2. Crumbling Farum Azula:

· Vertical areas allow for isolation tactics

· Use ledges and elevation changes to separate hosts from their phantoms

· The environment can be your ally or your undoing

Target Priority

1. Isolate and eliminate – The name of the game is picking off one enemy at a time

2. Focus low-health targets first – Several invasions featured phantoms with surprisingly low HP

3. Watch for blues – Hunters are often wizards; pressure them before they can cast freely

Enemy-Specific Strategies

1. Against Shield Users:

· The bleed buildup works through shields

· "Will I bleed you through that very easily?" – Yes, yes you will

2. Against Mages:

· Close distance quickly using running attacks

· Watch for gravity magic – it's "a wizard's favorite" and hard to avoid from elevation

· Use cover when available; create space when it's not

3. Against Colossal Weapons:

· Be cautious about trading – you can't trade into them very easily

· Use your speed advantage and bleed pressure

· Wait for openings rather than forcing trades

4. Against the "Teleporting Host":

· Laggy opponents with colossal weapons are terrifying

· If they teleport while wielding a greatsword, you get stunned without seeing it coming

· Stay mobile and unpredictable

Environmental Tactics

· Use enemies to your advantage – The Crucible Knight in Farum Azula became an unexpected ally

· Fog walls – Smart hosts can retreat behind them, but they can also trap themselves

· Boulders and traps – The boulder in Farum Azula repeatedly hit "Sir Douglas" to great effect

· Warming stones – Be a "kind invader" and heal enemies fighting the host (or use them strategically)

SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTS

Invasion 1: The Caster Bridge

A prime spawn turns into a cover shooter situation. The key takeaway? When wizards control the bridge, find cover immediately. One moment of hesitation and you're eating magic from across the map. The host eventually dies to... something, and a blue gets caught in the crossfire.

Invasion 2: Fingerprint Shield Encounter

A shield user thinks they're safe. They're not. The bleed buildup works through even the sturdiest defenses. Gravity magic from elevation creates a challenge, but hyper armor from Endure (or Barbaric Roar) lets you power through. One touch is all it takes.

Invasion 3: The Gank Squad Tunnel

Tree Sentinel set with a colossal weapon, Ruin Greatsword, and a blue waiting to pounce. The key here was using the environment (a boulder) to hit the backline and isolating "Randy" away from the group while they fought a Crucible Knight. The invader even helped kill the knight – "Don't say invaders never help."

Invasion 4: The Jump Attack Squad

A trifecta of threats: colossal user, jump attack enthusiast, and a wizard. The vertical area made fighting tricky, so the invader relocated to flat ground. The running heavy kept bleed buildup consistent, and the Bleed stun opened up a critical opportunity. Even with a laggy wizard, the chip damage from the twinblade proved devastating.

Invasion 5: The Teleporter

A host using what appeared to be instant transmission with a colossal sword created one of the scariest encounters. "Did you guys see that? He just covered so much ground." The strategy: use the fog wall to separate the phantom, then handle the teleporter in a more controlled space. The bleed finally caught up to him.

Invasion 6: The One-Shot Phantom

Sometimes, everything comes together perfectly. A well-placed attack completely erased a phantom in a single hit. The host tried to hide behind a fog wall, but not far enough. The potential spike ceiling is real with this build.

PRO TIPS

1. The Sword Dance Follow-up – Most people forget Sword Dance has a follow-up attack because "no one does it." Use this knowledge to catch opponents off guard.

2. Running Heavy into Bleed – You can almost get the full bleed from the running heavy alone. The weapon's chase-down potential is so strong that the bleed often procs right after the attack lands.

3. Madness Proc Dodging – You can actually dodge a madness proc with a critical attack. "I dodged the madness proc with the crit. That's sick. I've never done that before."

4. Buff Management – Be aware of when your R2 buff expires. "Oh, I don't have the R2 buffed anymore. That's my bad entirely." A full combo without the buff is significantly less effective.

5. Chip Damage Accumulation – "This thing is a monster. You just always get chip hits in if you get the timing right. And with the bleed, that makes it so scary."

6. Elevation Awareness – Fighting on uneven ground causes weird hit detection. Relocate to flat ground whenever possible.

FINAL BUILD SUMMARY

1. Weapons:

· Twin Knight Sword + Barbaric Roar (Blood infusion)

· Highland Axe (off-hand for roar buff)

· Stats: Strength/Arcane hybrid

2. Talismans:

· Roar Medallion

· Two-Handed Sword Talisman

· Erdtree's Favor +2

· (Optional: Rotten Winged Sword Insignia with lighter armor)

· Buffs: Sacred Bloody Flesh (preferred) or Boiled Crab

CLOSING THOUGHTS

This build absolutely delivers. The Twin Knight Sword provides great chase-down potential, Barbaric Roar gives you that crucial hyper armor option, and the blood infusion ensures massive damage when your combos land. If you want to replicate this setup without the grind, you can buy cheap Elden Ring Items from MMOEXP to quickly obtain the Twin Knight Sword, Highland Axe, and all necessary upgrade materials. The strategy is simple but effective: activate roar, apply pressure with your heavy combo, then chase them down with running attacks to trigger the bleed. The weapon's multi-hit nature means you're constantly building bleed status, even when you only partially connect. And when that bleed procs? It's often enough to finish fights outright.