The Reed Great Katana is a regular Great Katana that combines 158 base physical attack, 55 innate blood-loss buildup, long reach, and relatively low 11 Strength/16 Dexterity requirements. You can collect it from a corpse on the white mound immediately north of Fort Faroth in Caelid, beside the immobile Elder Dragon Greyoll. The route is available as soon as you have Torrent, but the weapon only appears when the Tarnished Pack content is installed. It upgrades with ordinary Smithing Stones to +25, accepts greases, and starts with Overhead Stance. Keep that skill for stance damage and aggressive PvE play, or replace it with Bloodhound’s Step when mobility and safer exploration matter more.
What is the Reed Great Katana?
The Reed Great Katana is a standard-upgrade Great Katana associated with warriors from the Land of Reeds. Its defining package is straightforward: high listed physical attack for its weapon class, a 10.0 weight, Great Katana reach, and innate bleed. The weapon page’s comparison table identifies it as having the highest physical attack among the Great Katanas listed there, while describing it as a Dexterity-friendly choice.
Its in-game description reads: “Large katana with a long, heavy blade. A weapon unique to warriors of the Land of Reeds. Designed for aggression, this armament requires the wielder to throw their entire body into swinging it. The slashing attacks of its honed edge incite blood loss.” That description accurately signals the weapon’s role: it rewards players who stay close enough to keep attacking rather than relying on a purely defensive katana style.
What are the Reed Great Katana’s stats and requirements?
These are the listed base values for the weapon before reinforcement or affinity changes.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Weapon class | Great Katana |
| Attack type | Slash / Pierce |
| Physical attack | 158 |
| Critical | 100 |
| Weight | 10.0 |
| Guard: physical | 57 |
| Guard: magic, fire, lightning, holy | 28 |
| Guard boost | 33 |
| Strength requirement | 11 |
| Dexterity requirement | 16 |
| Strength scaling | D |
| Dexterity scaling | D |
| Passive effect | Blood loss buildup (55) |
What do the requirements and scaling mean?
Eleven Strength and 16 Dexterity are the minimum attributes needed to wield the unmodified weapon effectively. A separate guide prints an 18 Strength figure in a summary table, but the weapon’s detailed listing gives 11 Strength and 16 Dexterity; use those detailed requirements when planning a character.
Both listed attributes begin at D scaling. The weapon is therefore accessible to Dexterity-leaning characters without demanding a large Strength investment, while still allowing a character that meets the minimums to use it as a bleed-focused sidearm. Scaling grades can change with an Ash of War affinity, so do not treat the base D/D grades as a prediction for every possible setup.
How much bleed does it have?
The Reed Great Katana has 55 innate blood-loss buildup. That is a passive property of the weapon, not a skill that must be activated. Buildup accumulates through successful attacks until an enemy’s hemorrhage threshold is reached; the exact amount of buildup required depends on the target. The number 55 should therefore be read as per-hit buildup potential in the weapon’s base listing, not as an instant status effect.
Where do you find the Reed Great Katana?
The corpse is on top of the large white or gray mound directly north of the Fort Faroth Site of Grace in Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow, Caelid. The mound sits beside the paralyzed Elder Dragon Greyoll, making the location easy to identify once you reach the grace.
- Travel to the Fort Faroth Site of Grace in Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow.
- Summon Torrent and ride toward the large white mound next to Greyoll.
- Climb the mound’s slope and circle to its highest point.
- Loot the seated corpse at the top. The Reed Great Katana is the pickup.
Do you have to fight Greyoll or clear Fort Faroth?
No. The pickup is outside the fort and does not require killing Greyoll, defeating a boss, or completing Fort Faroth. A current route guide describes the run as possible on a fresh file after you obtain Torrent, so the main practical requirement is reaching the Dragonbarrow grace alive and having enough equip load to carry a 10.0-weight weapon.
Why might the corpse not have the weapon?
The Reed Great Katana is tied to the Tarnished Pack content. If that content is not installed or your edition does not include it, the corpse will not provide the weapon even when you stand at the correct location. Check the game’s installed add-on or edition information before retracing the route.
Can you get the Reed Great Katana early?
Yes, in terms of map progression. You can ride to Fort Faroth and the mound as soon as Torrent is available, without first entering the Realm of Shadow. That makes this one of the Great Katanas obtainable in the Lands Between rather than a weapon reserved for a later area.
“Early” does not mean risk-free. Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow contains enemies that can kill a lightly equipped character quickly, and the ride crosses open terrain where stopping to fight is usually less efficient than keeping Torrent moving. Plan the trip as a retrieval run: mark the grace, approach the mound from open ground, take the item, and leave before optional enemies turn the pickup into a prolonged battle.
Which edition or add-on is required?
You need the relevant Tarnished Pack content for the weapon to appear. Bandai Namco’s version 1.17 notes, published on August 27, 2026, state that Tarnished Pack support was added and that the content is included by default in Elden Ring Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2. Players on other editions should verify that the pack is owned and installed; the location itself does not substitute for the content entitlement.
How do you upgrade the Reed Great Katana?
The weapon follows the normal Smithing Stone reinforcement path and can be upgraded through +25. It uses ordinary Smithing Stones at every tier rather than a special somber-weapon material. Because it is a standard weapon, plan your stone purchases around the same upgrade materials used by other regular armaments.
The weapon page also states that greases work on it. Temporary grease buffs can therefore supplement its built-in bleed when a particular enemy is vulnerable to another damage type or when you want additional status pressure. Grease effects are temporary, so they should be treated as a fight-specific tool rather than a permanent change to the weapon.
What happens when you change its Ash of War?
Overhead Stance is the default skill, but the page explicitly allows another Ash of War to replace it. Changing the skill can alter the weapon’s affinity and therefore its scaling and damage profile. Decide whether you want to preserve the weapon’s signature stance attack or tune it toward movement, range control, or another affinity before spending an Ash that you cannot easily replace.
What is the best Ash of War for the Reed Great Katana?
There is no single best choice for every character. The evidence directly supports two practical options: Overhead Stance for stance damage and Bloodhound’s Step for mobility and safety. Choose between them according to how you handle bosses and exploration rather than assuming one skill produces the highest damage in every situation.
Overhead Stance: best for stance pressure and the default moveset
Overhead Stance is the weapon’s starting Ash and the most distinctive reason to keep the default configuration. You can hold the stance without spending FP, then use it for a stepping downward slash. The strong attack from the stance performs a sequence of three downward slashes, with follow-up costs governed by the skill.
The accompanying build guidance keeps Overhead Stance for heavy stance damage on bosses. That makes it a sound general-purpose PvE choice when you are comfortable standing in front of an enemy long enough to commit to the stepping attack. The skill’s commitment is also its trade-off: mistiming the approach can leave you in range of a counterattack, especially against bosses with fast gap closers.
- Keep it when you want the weapon’s signature attack.
- Use the stance’s hold to choose your timing instead of immediately triggering the follow-up.
- Favor openings where a boss is recovering, turning, or locked in a long animation.
- Do not assume the three-hit follow-up is safe against every enemy; the sequence requires a real opening.
Bloodhound’s Step: best for mobility and safer exploration
Bloodhound’s Step is the cited alternative for players who value repositioning over a dedicated stance attack. A current guide calls it an easy recommendation for newer players because the dodge can improve survivability while exploring Caelid. The Reed Great Katana accepts a wide selection of Ashes of War, so this is a practical replacement rather than a workaround.
Choose Bloodhound’s Step when getting out of danger is the main problem: Dragonbarrow’s aggressive enemies, crowded groups, or bosses that punish long attack commitments. You give up Overhead Stance’s specialized downward sequence, but gain a movement option that can create space, pass through danger, and reset your position for the next katana strike.
How should you decide between the two?
| Priority | Recommended skill | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Boss stance damage and the weapon’s unique attack | Overhead Stance | Retains the stepping slash and three-slash strong follow-up. |
| Safer travel through Caelid and easier emergency dodges | Bloodhound’s Step | Adds a mobility-focused dodge recommended for survivability. |
| Learning the weapon’s default identity | Overhead Stance | No replacement is needed, and the skill is available immediately. |
Numerical damage rankings for every compatible Ash or affinity are not established by the available sources. Treat claims that one setup is universally strongest with caution unless they identify a patch, affinity, attributes, enemy, and test conditions.
How should you build around the Reed Great Katana?
Meet the minimum attributes first
Start with 11 Strength and 16 Dexterity so the weapon is usable. Those requirements are modest, which lets a new character spend early levels on vigor, endurance, or a preferred utility stat instead of forcing a high Strength investment.
Lean toward Dexterity for the weapon’s stated identity
The weapon listing describes the Reed Great Katana as Dexterity-friendly. With D scaling in both Strength and Dexterity at its base configuration, a Dexterity-leaning character is the natural fit, while a quality-style character can still meet both attributes. The exact payoff from further stat investment depends on reinforcement and affinity, so use the in-game attack-power preview after each upgrade rather than relying on the base letters alone.
Account for weight and attack commitment
At 10.0 weight, the Reed Great Katana is not a light sidearm. Check your total equipment load after adding armor, shield, talismans, and spare weapons. Staying within your preferred roll category is more important than carrying the weapon at the expense of mobility, particularly if you keep Overhead Stance and commit to its stepping attack.
Use bleed as pressure, not as your only plan
Innate buildup of 55 gives every successful hit a blood-loss component, but enemies differ in resistance and required thresholds. Keep ordinary physical attacks and your chosen Ash useful even when a target is resistant to hemorrhage. Greases can add temporary damage or status utility for a specific encounter without changing the weapon permanently.
How do the guard and attack values affect play?
The listing gives 158 physical attack and a 100 critical value, while the defensive panel shows 57 physical guard, 28 guard against magic, fire, lightning, and holy damage, and 33 guard boost. These are weapon guard statistics, not a replacement for a dedicated shield. They matter when you block with the katana, but the weapon’s main role remains aggressive two-handed or single-handed striking supported by movement.
The Slash/Pierce attack types also matter when an enemy’s defenses favor one damage type over another. The Reed Great Katana’s long blade can reach targets at the edge of melee range, but reach does not remove the need to stand in the correct position for each attack animation.
How does it compare with other Great Katanas?
The available comparison identifies the Reed Great Katana as the highest-physical-attack entry in its Great Katana table, but a useful choice depends on more than the first attack number. When comparing another Great Katana, check the following axes:
- Base physical attack: Reed lists 158 before upgrades.
- Requirements and scaling: It asks for 11 Strength and 16 Dexterity and starts at D/D.
- Passive status: It has 55 innate blood-loss buildup.
- Weight and reach: Its listed weight is 10.0, with the class’s long-blade range.
- Default skill: It begins with Overhead Stance.
- Ash flexibility: The page says another Ash can replace the default and that a wide selection is accepted.
- Upgrade material: It uses ordinary Smithing Stones to +25.
- Access timing: It can be collected in Caelid before entering the Realm of Shadow, provided the Tarnished Pack content is present.
Its central trade-off is therefore unusual: the map location is early, but access is gated by edition or add-on ownership. A different Great Katana may be available through another progression path, while the Reed Great Katana offers an early Lands Between pickup with high listed physical attack and built-in bleed.
What changed in the current patch context?
Bandai Namco’s version 1.17 notes from August 27, 2026 introduced support for the Tarnished Pack. The latest official notes checked for this guide are version 1.17.2, published October 20, 2026. Those notes list bug fixes only and no additional content; they identify App Ver. 1.17.2 and Regulation Ver. 1.17.3.
That distinction matters when troubleshooting. If your game is current but the item is absent, updating alone may not grant the Tarnished Pack; confirm the content entitlement and installation separately. Conversely, a player with the correct pack should still use the Fort Faroth mound route rather than searching for the weapon in the Realm of Shadow.
What should you do if the pickup is missing?
- Confirm the grace: Make sure you are at Fort Faroth in Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow, not another Caelid grace with a similar route.
- Identify the landmark: The corpse is on the white or gray mound beside the immobile Greyoll, not inside the fort.
- Check the highest point: Ride Torrent up the mound and inspect the seated corpse at the top.
- Verify content ownership: The Tarnished Pack is required for the item to appear.
- Check version and installation: Version 1.17.2 is the latest official note set cited here, but the pack entitlement remains a separate requirement.
If all of those conditions are satisfied and the corpse still does not provide the weapon, restart the game after confirming the add-on is installed and revisit the site. Do not assume that defeating Greyoll or clearing Fort Faroth will unlock an item that is actually gated by content ownership.
Is the Reed Great Katana worth using?
It is a strong fit for a player who wants an early Great Katana with 158 physical attack, innate 55 bleed, modest requirements, and a standard +25 upgrade path. Overhead Stance gives it a clear PvE identity, while Bloodhound’s Step offers a cited mobility alternative for players who find Caelid or committed attacks too dangerous. The main limitation is not its location or upgrade cost; it is the requirement for Tarnished Pack content, including the pack bundled with the Nintendo Switch 2 Tarnished Edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 55 blood-loss buildup trigger hemorrhage on every hit?
No. The value is buildup applied by successful attacks, while each enemy has its own hemorrhage threshold and resistance. Several hits may be required, and some targets make the passive less effective.
Can I use the Reed Great Katana without investing heavily in Strength?
Yes. The detailed weapon listing requires 11 Strength and 16 Dexterity, and its base scaling is D in both attributes. That leaves room to make Dexterity your primary offensive investment while keeping Strength near the requirement.
Is the Reed Great Katana a somber weapon?
No. It follows the regular Smithing Stone route and can reach +25. This means its upgrade materials come from the ordinary Smithing Stone progression rather than the somber series used by unique armaments.
Why does my current game version not show the weapon?
A current application version is not sufficient by itself. The pickup requires the Tarnished Pack content, so verify that the pack is owned and installed for your edition before checking the corpse again.