where to get blood tax elden ring

In the sprawling, unforgiving world of the Lands Between, the pursuit of power often leads Tarnished adventurers down dark and sanguine paths. Among the many obscure and potent resources, the Blood Tax stands out as a coveted treasure tied to the arcane arts of blood and vitality. This article serves as a comprehensive guide, detailing precisely where to get the Blood Tax in Elden Ring, exploring its significance, and providing strategic insights for its acquisition and use.

Table of Contents

Understanding the Blood Tax Ash of War
Primary Location: The Mountaintops of the Giants
Acquisition Strategy: Confronting the Sanguine Noble
Utility and Build Synergy: Unleashing Hemorrhage
Tactical Considerations and Advanced Applications
Conclusion: A Worthwhile Pursuit

Understanding the Blood Tax Ash of War

The Blood Tax is not a consumable item but a powerful Ash of War. This skill, when equipped to a compatible weapon, allows the user to perform a rapid, multi-hit thrusting maneuver that builds up the Hemorrhage status effect exceptionally quickly. Each thrust siphons a minuscule amount of health from the target, true to its name, and restores a small portion of the user's HP, offering both offensive pressure and sustained survivability. It is a quintessential tool for builds focusing on Dexterity and Arcane, particularly those wielding thrusting swords or other eligible armaments.

Its value lies in its ability to break enemy stances rapidly while applying one of the most potent status effects in the game. Against formidable foes and invading players alike, the relentless assault of the Blood Tax can turn the tide of battle, draining their life while bolstering your own. This dual nature of damage and healing encapsulates the ruthless economy of the Lands Between, where power is often paid for in blood.

Primary Location: The Mountaintops of the Giants

The journey to obtain the Blood Tax is a perilous one, reserved for the latter stages of the game. The Ash of War is held by a specific, non-respawning enemy known as the Sanguine Noble. This foe is found in the freezing, windswept region of the Mountaintops of the Giants. The precise location is southeast of the Freezing Lake site of grace, nestled within a relatively secluded area bordered by cliffs and sparse vegetation.

Navigating to this spot requires traversing treacherous terrain patrolled by formidable giants and other deadly creatures. From the Freezing Lake grace, head southeast, skirting the frozen lake itself and moving toward the mountainous cliffs. The Sanguine Noble typically patrols a small, open area near a few scattered trees and spectral jellyfish. His distinctive crimson attire makes him somewhat visible against the pale snow, but caution is advised as he is aggressive and mobile.

Acquisition Strategy: Confronting the Sanguine Noble

The Sanguine Noble is a dangerous opponent who utilizes blood-based incantations and swift, flurry attacks. He can close distance rapidly and his attacks also inflict bleed buildup. A prepared strategy is crucial for success. Ranged attacks or spells can be effective to whittle down his health from a safe distance, though he will aggressively pursue the player. Mounted combat on Torrent offers mobility to avoid his blood flurries and create openings for hit-and-run tactics.

For melee-focused Tarnished, patience and well-timed dodges are key. His attack chains are lengthy but have recovery periods. Blocking is less advisable due to the rapid succession of hits which can break guard and the bleed buildup that passes through shields. Summoning spirit ashes to draw his aggression can provide vital windows for healing and dealing damage. Once defeated, the Sanguine Noble will drop the Blood Tax Ash of War immediately, granting its power to the victorious player.

Utility and Build Synergy: Unleashing Hemorrhage

Equipping the Blood Tax Ash of War unlocks its true potential. It is best applied to weapons that naturally complement rapid hits, such as thrusting swords, rapiers, claws, or twinblades. When activated, the character performs a series of forward lunging thrusts, each hit contributing significantly to the target's Hemorrhage meter. The innate HP steal, though modest per hit, accumulates over the duration of the skill, providing meaningful sustain during extended encounters or invasions.

This Ash of War shines in builds that maximize Arcane, as this stat scales the Hemorrhage buildup when the weapon is infused with the Occult or Blood affinity. Pairing Blood Tax with a weapon like the Great Épée or a Godskin Sticker, and then infusing it with the Blood affinity, creates a devastating tool that can trigger bleed in a single skill use against many enemies. It becomes a centerpiece for dueling, boss fights, and dealing with high-health targets, as the percentage-based damage from Hemorrhage ignores defensive stats.

Tactical Considerations and Advanced Applications

While powerful, the Blood Tax skill has considerations. Its animation locks the player into a forward-moving sequence, leaving them vulnerable to well-timed attacks or parries from savvy opponents. It is less effective against enemies immune to bleed, though the raw damage and healing components remain. Strategic use involves identifying openings, such as after an enemy's heavy attack, to ensure the full flurry connects without interruption.

In player-versus-player scenarios, Blood Tax can be a potent surprise tool or a relentless pressure device. It can catch rolling opponents due to its forward momentum and multi-hit nature. Combining it with talismans like the Lord of Blood's Exultation (which boosts attack power after blood loss occurs nearby) and the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia (which increases attack power with successive hits) creates a synergistic power spike. The skill effectively turns the wielder into a vortex of bleeding damage, taxing the very lifeblood of their foes to empower themselves.

Conclusion: A Worthwhile Pursuit

The quest for where to get the Blood Tax in Elden Ring leads ambitious Tarnished to the frigid peaks of the Mountaintops of the Giants, challenging them with a formidable Sanguine Noble guardian. The reward, however, justifies the arduous hunt. This Ash of War is more than a simple skill; it is a transformative tool for specific builds, enabling a playstyle defined by aggressive sustain and rapid blood loss accumulation. Its unique mechanic of trading enemy vitality for personal fortification perfectly embodies the ruthless exchange that defines the world. For those who master its rhythm and integrate it into a refined build, the Blood Tax becomes a definitive instrument of power, a means to claim victory by literally taxing the blood of all who stand in their path to the Elden Throne.

DPRK says S. Korean military conducted "serious provocation"
Sri Lankan president pledges full state support for recovery from "worst" natural disaster
Britain recognizes "the State of Palestine": PM
At least 6 noncitizen university students detained across U.S.
California vows legal battle as U.S. Senate kills electric vehicle mandate