One of the things I absolutely hated about playing MUDs back in high school (and understanding what I do of MMOs, this is still an issue) is the idea that there is an optimal weapon/armor piece that everyone must have. What I love about Dark Souls (at least for now) is that this doesn't seem to be codified. Yes, there are some terrific weapons that you should go out of your way to get (the Drake Sword, for example) but they have their limits (like a lack of scaling or something.) Obviously, any time there's PvP in a game, there will be psychotic number crunchers that will come up with a sort of min/max build, but it still comes down to execution and your personal playstyle.

Still, I'm kinda poking around (harharhar) for an optimal spear to work with. I have a Winged Spear +10 and Demon's Spear +2 (thanks to some trades with Snuggly the Crow for Demon titanite.) However, under the "status" screen, the "damage" for the Winged Spear +10 is 240, while the Demon's Spear is over 300. Yet, the Winged Spear consistently hits for much higher damage than the Demon's Spear, enough that it's jacking stuff in one-two hits, while the Demon's Spear is 3-4. Anybody know why that is?

What about you cats? I heart the Zweihander is kinda standard for some really solid pvp action. I've seen some folks roll into the Darkroot Forest with Gravelord swords, Chaos Swords, etc.

Doesn't just have to be weapons, either. Armor, rings, etc.

winged spear is purely physical. demon spear has lightning damage which can be reduced (or amplified) dependent on weaknesses or strengths in armor. same with the winged spear, if they are strong against pierce, then it'll do less damage.

i'm using the silver knight spear +5, furysah-woard, and 2-handing halberds on my dex build.

I agree dude.

I used lightning spear +5 from Sens Fortress till the end of the game, no problem :p

Turn that +10 Winged Spear into a +5 Winged Lightning Spear.

On my first NG++ character I found that a DEX build, high bleed resistant heavy armour, and the bloodbite ring allowed me to make devastating PvE use of the Priscilla's Lifehunt Scythe.

On my NG+ STR character I have found great joy in using the Golem's Axe since I got it - its fast, hits real hard, and it has a secret weapon that has surprised many invaders who I guess just think I'm holding a Great Axe (which I have +15 and it is a berserk killing machine, but has a lot of recovery time and significant stamina drain even on my hella-END buffed, Ring of Divine Favor-wearing self).

It might be something you leave till the end of your playthough, but consider killing the Giant Blacksmith for his bitchin' hammer. It upgrades with twinkling, and like the Golem Axe it hits really hard (phys/lightning split) really fast for its reach and DMG - and it only weights 6! Way lighter than comparable blunt weapons that can deal that kinda DPS.

Also, if you haven't tried an upgraded great shield because of the weight, you really should give it a go - even if you get the fat-rolls, having an 84 stability Black Iron Shield is a game-changer if you've only used medium shields before.

@Stahlbrand: I still haven't really commited to any one weapon, and I'm around level 80. I have 24 Strength and 18 Dex, been putting most of my points into Endurance (40), which is nice combined with the Dark Wood Grain Ring and Divine FAP ring. So far I've been using a Lightning Scythe+5 with reasonable success in PVP, its strong attack hits in 360 degrees, twice if two-handing it, which many people don't see coming. Also been messing around with Chaos Dark Sword+4, but the damage is mediocre. Would be better if it were faster. Gravelord Sword+5 is also pretty decent, but it has crappy scaling. Pyromancy's been pretty good in PVP with a +15 hand though, Fire Surge in particular slays. Would you recommend I stay on the Strength path, upgrading that to 40ish? For gear I'm wearing Black Iron Armor+5, an Eagle Shield +2 which I should upgrade more, for its low strength requirement it's got great stability, Mask of the Child for stamina recovery and Dark Legs+gloves.

Eh, I use full Stone Armor and the Black Knight's Sword with the Spider Shield (I think that's what it's called?), but that's just me. The Black Knight's sword has a good attack area and reach for a sword that causes as much damage as it does. That's just me though, I'm a heavy weapons and armor kind of guy. Works good in PVP though. People in PVP are set off by my slow movement speed and huge, over-the-shoulder sword to think I'm fast enough to hit them. I get 'em with my wide sword swipe when they try to circle strafe me every time.

Currently using black iron armor +5's all around with grass crest shield on the back and two handing a lightning +3 axe. Works very well for my first playthough.

I went from the Drake Sword, to the Lightning Spear +5, to Quelaag's Furysword +5, and finally to Lightning Zweihander +5.

I personally think my favorite weapon is the Great Scythe. Throw a buff on it and it just rips guys apart in PvP.

I used the Zweihander +15 for the massive stamina damage it causes. It knocks almost every enemy over on NG+. It also hits pretty fucking hard and doesn't use too much stamina on strong attacks.

I haven't really decided on anything that I've stuck with for more than several hours except my current load: Full Darkwraith armor set at +5, Greatsheild of Artorias +5, Black Knight Greataxe +5, secondary moving between Quelana's Flame +5, Fire Avelyn +5 with lightning bolts, and Darkmoon catalyst for things like TWoP and WotG. Works phenomenal for clearing anything in game, and pretty decent for PvP, although changing the helm to Mask of the Child and legs to Smough's seems to work a little better in that respect. I really wish you could upgrade stuff like Smough's armor, being able to roll around like a ninja in full Smough's makes people really freaking nervous :)

@Geo7877 said:

Turn that +10 Winged Spear into a +5 Winged Lightning Spear.

Does upgrading to lightning reduce stat scaling?

@Stahlbrand said:

On my first NG++ character I found that a DEX build, high bleed resistant heavy armour, and the bloodbite ring allowed me to make devastating PvE use of the Priscilla's Lifehunt Scythe.

On my NG+ STR character I have found great joy in using the Golem's Axe since I got it - its fast, hits real hard, and it has a secret weapon that has surprised many invaders who I guess just think I'm holding a Great Axe (which I have +15 and it is a berserk killing machine, but has a lot of recovery time and significant stamina drain even on my hella-END buffed, Ring of Divine Favor-wearing self).

It might be something you leave till the end of your playthough, but consider killing the Giant Blacksmith for his bitchin' hammer. It upgrades with twinkling, and like the Golem Axe it hits really hard (phys/lightning split) really fast for its reach and DMG - and it only weights 6! Way lighter than comparable blunt weapons that can deal that kinda DPS.

Also, if you haven't tried an upgraded great shield because of the weight, you really should give it a go - even if you get the fat-rolls, having an 84 stability Black Iron Shield is a game-changer if you've only used medium shields before.

Good to know about that Giant Blacksmith. Though, given how much time I spend with that dude, I'd feel pretty awful.

Personally I just made the switch from Grass Crest shield to Eagle Shield, which isn't a greatshield, to the best of my knowledge. Still, the difference a higher stability shield makes is astounding.

@MrNeoshredder said:

Eh, I use full Stone Armor and the Black Knight's Sword with the Spider Shield (I think that's what it's called?), but that's just me. The Black Knight's sword has a good attack area and reach for a sword that causes as much damage as it does. That's just me though, I'm a heavy weapons and armor kind of guy. Works good in PVP though. People in PVP are set off by my slow movement speed and huge, over-the-shoulder sword to think I'm fast enough to hit them. I get 'em with my wide sword swipe when they try to circle strafe me every time.

I'm starting to see the use of the stone armor. It was invaluable against Sif. I actually just got a Black Knight's Sword. Considering using it a bit, but the slow swing speed has put me off a bit. I love the variety I see in nearly every PVP encounter I've come across.

----

Also, just found a Titanite Catch Hook the other night. I could totally get used to it.

@MuttersomeTaxicab said:

Does upgrading to lightning reduce stat scaling

It completely removes stat scaling.

Man, I don't think I could bring myself to kill the giant blacksmith. Few games manage to make me feel worse for killing NPC's that aren't hostile, or just plain mean dicks, to the player. Even if I'm gonna roll right into NG+, I felt AWFUL killing Reah and Sieglinde. I could never kill blacksmith dude, first he's all "no talk, just work" and then he's like "everyone's gone, no one talks, but you friend... you talk. Me smith, me happy." HOW CAN YOU KILL THAT YOU HEARTLESS MONSTERS!

Sorry, but man. Isn't it weird how a game with barely any narrative can make me care more about its characters than most story-driven games do? Felt bad killing sunbro too, even though he was attacking me due to the head parasite.

@Oni said:

Man, I don't think I could bring myself to kill the giant blacksmith. Few games manage to make me feel worse for killing NPC's that aren't hostile, or just plain mean dicks, to the player. Even if I'm gonna roll right into NG+, I felt AWFUL killing Reah and Sieglinde. I could never kill blacksmith dude, first he's all "no talk, just work" and then he's like "everyone's gone, no one talks, but you friend... you talk. Me smith, me happy." HOW CAN YOU KILL THAT YOU HEARTLESS MONSTERS!

Sorry, but man. Isn't it weird how a game with barely any narrative can make me care more about its characters than most story-driven games do? Felt bad killing sunbro too, even though he was attacking me due to the head parasite.

That's the power of projection, and it's why people have soft spots for characters like Samus Aran and the Master Chief. It has little to do with how they behave, or how they appear, and more to do with the fact that, in a lack of a defined personality, you project one onto them. It's pretty cool that games can do this so well.

@Oni: Whenever I put a hollowed npc out of it's misery I always gave a little bow to show some respect; or in the case of poor Laurentius, whom I inadvertently sent off to his doom, a 'pray'.

After finishing the game the first time I became less picky of whom I off'ed, I betrayed the forest covenant because I wanted to try out the grain ring and the male undead merchant because I wanted early access to a katana. But other than those I haven't been able to bring myself to kill anyone that I didn't deem "deserved it". Lautrec (sometimes preemptively, sometimes with sweet revengeance) Patches (Kicked him off the ledge one time for some poetic justice, he attacked me the other when I said I was a cleric) and Petrus (also preemptively) were the only other ones.

I've been considering Priscilla, but really haven't wanted that schyte, or that bossfight, enough.

@Oldirtybearon: As someone who laves to wax about videogames, I'm smacking myself for not really making that link. It's a powerful tool to be sure. Part of it is also that almost everything in Dark Souls wants to kill you, and a lot of the NPC's are just assholes. But even them I'm slightly hesitant to kill, because there are so few people to even talk to in the world. Somehow didn't feel bad for killing Shiva and his bro for the flip ring though, that thing's just too good not to have.

The thing that gets me every time is having to kill Sif, though. Seeing him limp like that, and knowing he's just a pup defending his old master's grave, it feels so wrong. I've kind of gotten used to it, but there's still a twang of remorse every time.

I never used the lightning spear nor any spear as a matter of fact.. I only used I believe the black knight halbred and the Black knight great axe with quee'lags furysword for when i need to use a quick weapon.. Never really bothered to look at others as these 2 items themselves would drop people in pvp in 2-3 hits..

@Oni said:

Man, I don't think I could bring myself to kill the giant blacksmith. Few games manage to make me feel worse for killing NPC's that aren't hostile, or just plain mean dicks, to the player. Even if I'm gonna roll right into NG+, I felt AWFUL killing Reah and Sieglinde. I could never kill blacksmith dude, first he's all "no talk, just work" and then he's like "everyone's gone, no one talks, but you friend... you talk. Me smith, me happy." HOW CAN YOU KILL THAT YOU HEARTLESS MONSTERS!

Sorry, but man. Isn't it weird how a game with barely any narrative can make me care more about its characters than most story-driven games do? Felt bad killing sunbro too, even though he was attacking me due to the head parasite.

I understand this, but I've beaten the game several times now, and at this point I just really wanted a cool hammer - all the 'normal' ones you can buy and find are shit, and I love hitting people with hammers, so when I made a pure STR character I knew it was time to find out how the blacksmith hammers handled. I wouldn't have put down a non hostile NPC in my first few runs at the game either, so I know what you're saying.

FWIW, don't bother killing Vamos, his hammer looks okay in a very sledge-hammer way, but its fully upgraded performance is a snore with no bright spots. Andre's is the only one that can be upgraded to +15 in the normal fashion, and it is okay, I guess, but its speed/DMG/vulnerability ratio isn't top-tier in my opinion, and by the time you've got the Very Large Ember in NG+, you will have and need better weapons. The giant's hammer is the clear winner, with great speed and low weight for its high DPS and split physical/lightning damage. That said I've mostly been keeping the Golem Axe and the Great Axe +15 w/ resin in my right hand recently. With my STR character I've gotten used to almost never rolling, which is quite different from the DEX-based knight I beat the game as the first time.