So I was thinking of making a build for Strength (with heavy armor; like Havel's) and I was wondering if anyone had any tips to give me for the weapon I'll be using. I want to use a Greataxe of sorts, but not a small one like a regular Greataxe.

I want to use a really heavy and powerful Greataxe, but I can't really think of one. I already thought of using a Dragon King Greataxe; but one of my friends told me it was a bad weapon since it has no scaling. I figured it balances itself out since it can be upgraded to +5 and it can be buffed with enchantments.. plus it's base damage is ludicrous. Anyway.. the point is.. I'm still skeptical about using it, since I was told it was a bad weapon. Can someone offer me any other ideas? Thanks for the help.

**This will NOT be a pvp build.

I like the Man-serpent's Greatsword, but I usually lose interest before I level up enough to use most of the heavier weapons, so there's definitely better options out there.

The regular Greataxe is a really great axe (AHAHAHA) once you get it to +15. If you want something that looks cooler and is semi-easy to come across, the Black Knight Greataxe has good base damage once you get it to +5 and good strength scaling. You can get it from the black knight that has a great axe (can't remember where he is...) or you can farm one such black knight right before you fight the final boss. (I think there's only like 4 actual Greataxes in the game, the one besides the three mentioned already being the Demon's Greataxe which has S scaling at +15 but has the lowest damage for a Greataxe. I think there may be a new Greataxe in the DLC that is coming/PC extra content.) Edit: Here's a link to the Black Knight Greataxe.

I just googled it actually and some people recommend the Demon King Greataxe which has an S for scaling in Strength, but only until it's +11. Hmm.. I still don't know what I'm going to be using. I think the base damage of the Dragon King is better, but doesn't have the highest scaling.

@Spoonman671 - No greatswords, only greataxes lol. I do acknowledge that the Man-Serpent Greatsword is pretty good though ;)

@xobballox - I tried the Greataxe+9 on my main character before, and I didn't really like it too much. The moveset just wasn't in my 'taste' I guess =/. The Black Knight Greataxe is good too, but I really need a good DPS or high-damage Greataxe. I'm sure there are more :L

@xobballox said:

The regular Greataxe is a really great axe (AHAHAHA) once you get it to +15. If you want something that looks cooler and is semi-easy to come across, the Black Knight Greataxe has good base damage once you get it to +5 and good strength scaling. You can get it from the black knight that has a great axe (can't remember where he is...) or you can farm one such black knight right before you fight the final boss.

This man knows what he speaks of.

Black Knight Greataxe is pretty boss. The Black Knight in the catacombs usually drops it.

@Maajin said:

@xobballox said:

The regular Greataxe is a really great axe (AHAHAHA) once you get it to +15. If you want something that looks cooler and is semi-easy to come across, the Black Knight Greataxe has good base damage once you get it to +5 and good strength scaling. You can get it from the black knight that has a great axe (can't remember where he is...) or you can farm one such black knight right before you fight the final boss.

This man knows what he speaks of.

Black Knight Greataxe is pretty boss. The Black Knight in the catacombs usually drops it.

Yeah, but it's base damage caps out pretty low, and it can only be upgraded to +5. I need something with more raw power.. not to imply the BKGA is bad, but I just want moar. :P

@Pieman51: It has similar damage to the other axes, so you're not going to find one that really does any more damage than it does. (Black Knight Great Axe has 343 base at +5, regular Great Axe has 350 at +15) The Dragon King Greataxe will possibly outdamage it at +5, but I'm not sure, just depends on how high your stats are but the BK Greataxe will definitely out-damage the DK one at some point. I have +50 Dex, +40something Str and my Black Knight Greataxe already outdamages the Dragon King one. Also, yeah, there's only 4 Greataxes in the console version right now. The fourth (Demon's Greataxe) is only going to be useful to you if you have mega-high Strength and very low dexterity, as it has very low base damage.

What are your stats? If they're high enough to use a Dragon King Greataxe (+50 str right?) you should be getting close to where your scaling would push the Black Knight Great Axe's Damage to be better than the Dragon King Greataxes I believe.

@xobballox - I haven't even created the build yet, but I'm probably going to devote every level-up to strength and some endurance here or there. Vitality shouldn't be too important.

Regardless.. I think I've ultimately made the decision to go with a Demon King Greataxe, but only until I have my strength at a high enough level. I have to use something beforehand though, but according to you the scaling on the BKGA gets better than the DKGA after what? 50 strength? Is it a little higher or not? Whatever the case, I might just go with DKGA since I think the moveset of the BKGA is horrible.. and plus it takes up like 30% of the screen =/. I guess it has good range though, but it's just so hard to decide. XD

@Pieman51: I'M GETTING CONFUSED OH GOD. So, Dragon King's Greataxe will possibly out-damage the BK Greataxe at the required Str stat if you do not level up Dex any. Eventually, the BK Greataxe will outdamage the Dragon King Greataxe because of the scaling (Though, if you don't level up Dex at all it may well be like 70 Str until it does, I don't really know since I have a Dex/Str hybrid build.) Then, at some point the Demon's Greataxe will probably do the most damage out of any of the axes for you since it has S scaling for Str. If you keep leveling up after you get to 99 Str and start leveling Dex, I imagine the Black Knight Greataxe will eventually out-damage the Demon's Greataxe since the Demon's only has Str scaling while the Black Knight's has Str and Dex scaling, though I'm not totally sure of this.

The Black Knight Greataxe was the only one I ever used that I thought was any good. The rest of them are all so god damned slow and their high damage doesn't offset their slow swing speed and lack of reach compared to the Black Knight Greataxe.

Alright, I'll give the BKGA a go.. but considering I won't have access to any half-decent strength weapons until the Depths or the Catacombs, what do you guys suggest I use in that time? A regular Great Axe? Something along those lines? I suppose I can live with that.

@Pieman51: Well, a Greataxe will be fine, but it actually has a 34 str requirement (which is just 2 less than the Black Knight Great Axe,) so at the beginning of the game you'll probably have to either use a 1-handed axe if you're dead-set on axes (such as the Battle Axe, which is quite a good weapon. (Bandits start out with one I think.)) Alternatively, a Greatsword would be good (Claymore/Bastard Sword.) There's also the Drake Sword which will out-damage pretty much anything I can think of until you get higher stats/upgrade your weapons.

I think I can stick with Greatswords instead for a little bit at least.. Is the Zweihander a good choice at all? As in, is it better than a Claymore or Bastard Sword? It's pretty easy to get early on so =/

@Pieman51: Zweihander's not bad, but it has a 24 Str requirement so you'll need something until then (won't take long though, obviously.) You may not like it though because it swings slower than turtles fucking. I would go with the Claymore or Bastard sword personally. Claymore is a piece of loot on the bridge that the Hellkite Dragon blows fire on, and you buy the Bastard Sword from the first blacksmith. Until then, I would start as the bandit and use the Battle Axe probably.

Think I'll go with the bastard sword. It can be upgraded 15 times the same as Claymore, and it has the same scaling but more base damage. Thanks a lot for the help. Looking forward to making this build :3

I'm playing a heavy weapon character for the first time since late 2011 (I prefer dex weapons now). My experience with strength weapons was pretty much limited to Black Knight weapons, Zweihander, Serpent G.Sword & Claymore. Everything else seemed too awkward to use.

But with this playthrough I'm really, really loving the Large Club from those giant undead in Blighttown (not the Great Club though it seems good too). The timing takes a little getting used to, but once I did I'm just wrecking everything. The dashing sweep has such weird timing that it actually catches enemies off-guard, and I can often follow it up with a 2nd sweep. The two-handed R2 slamdown attack is insane. Last night I took on silver knights with this attack and they would just explode into white light the second I hit them. I also hit that priest in the forest hunters and I smashed him right through the floor. So it's great. It also has a poison effect, which is a nice bonus.

@mason said:

I'm playing a heavy weapon character for the first time since late 2011 (I prefer dex weapons now). My experience with strength weapons was pretty much limited to Black Knight weapons, Zweihander, Serpent G.Sword & Claymore. Everything else seemed too awkward to use.

But with this playthrough I'm really, really loving the Large Club from those giant undead in Blighttown (not the Great Club though it seems good too). The timing takes a little getting used to, but once I did I'm just wrecking everything. The dashing sweep has such weird timing that it actually catches enemies off-guard, and I can often follow it up with a 2nd sweep. The two-handed R2 slamdown attack is insane. Last night I took on silver knights with this attack and they would just explode into white light the second I hit them. I also hit that priest in the forest hunters and I smashed him right through the floor. So it's great. It also has a poison effect, which is a nice bonus.

Get that to +10 fire and it KILLS. I use it to ridiculous effect

Just an extra question: Does anyone know where I can get the Greataxe from? I could've sworn Andre the Blacksmith sold it >_<

@Pieman51: From the Depths: Behind pile of boxes surrounded by rats OR Sen's Fortress: Sold by the crestfallen merchant.

i've got similar questions: what weapon would you recommend for a STR build focusing on swords? i tried out the zweihander and it seems alright, but the swing is really weird (huge arc = bad in corridors) and it is really slow. are all str swords like that? is it too late for me to respec to dex? i have 24 str and 15 dex. soul level 52 or smt.

@Atta: Nah, you can totally go Dex now if you want. I was like 30 str and decided I wanted to go Dex and I did absolutely fine (I'm now hybrid which works very well for my favorite weapons. I'm using Murakumo +15, Washing Pole +15, Black Bow of Pharis +15, and Greatlord Greatsword +5.) Anyways, the Black Knight Greatsword is pretty good stat-wise but I didn't really like the move set personally (It's the same or at least similar to the Zweihander.) Man-serpent Greatsword is probably going to be your best bet for a Str scaling greatsword that's easy to acquire semi-early in the game. Regular Black Knight Sword (not geatsword) is actually a greatsword (The Black Knight Greatsword is an ultra-greatsword) and it seems to have pretty good stats. I've been using the Greatlord Greatsword and love it but you can't get it until NG+ as far as I know. Man-serpent greatsword drops from the dudes in Sen's Fortress (that's where you go after beating Blighttown) and you can get a chance at getting the Black Knight Sword from going back to Undead Asylum (google that if you don't know how) and the Black Knight with the swords will be there somewhere. Alternatively you can farm for one right before the final boss. You could also go with the Gravelord Greatsword (google how to get it, complicated to explain) and upgrade it. It's scaling isn't good but it has very high base damage, has a move-set I like, and looks bad-ass.

You can look up how to get this stuff in more detail (and just look at a list of all the weapons if you want) here.

@mason said:

@Pieman51: From the Depths: Behind pile of boxes surrounded by rats OR Sen's Fortress: Sold by the crestfallen merchant.

Thanks for the tip. Forgot to update after I got it though. Just breezed through Anor Londo with it at +13 (I spedrun New Londo for the Very Large Ember ^ ^)

I have another question though.. and this is for anyone.. but how do I go about getting Shiva to sell me the Demon's King Greataxe? Do I just talk to him, and then go to the swamp in Blighttown? Or do I have to defeat Sif and etc. first?

@Pieman51: If you've joined the Forest Hunter Covenant (which I assume you have if you've talked to him) then you just have to talk to him outside where the demonic ugly cat thing is then go meet him in Blighttown. Pretty sure that's all you have to do.

Black Knight Great Axe is pretty standard for a strength build.

Black Knight Great Axe has become known as the best strength build weapon. It pretty much reaches the maximum in what you can hit.

@xobballox said:

@Pieman51: If you've joined the Forest Hunter Covenant (which I assume you have if you've talked to him) then you just have to talk to him outside where the demonic ugly cat thing is then go meet him in Blighttown. Pretty sure that's all you have to do.

Wow, that's it? o_o. Awesome.

@j0lter - Yeah, I know how good the BKGA is, but honestly, since Demon King Greataxe has an S scaling in strength and can go to +15, it will likely outmatch any other strength weapon I can think of. =/

@xobballox:thanks! dex seems the way to go. I like the samurai swords and the way curved swords work. also..spears.

the strength weapons seem very sluggish and till now, every one I have has a weird attack pattern. i'm screwed with the black knight weapons i'm afraid. killed all of them except for the kiln and anor londo i believe. as for the serpents: i've been killing them for a while now without any luck. will try later on. their weapons and the gravelord greatsword I've pinned as the last acceptable swords for a str build.

the reason why I asked about respecing is because of the positively ridiculous ammounts of souls i need for a single level. I've spent the earnings of almost the entire sen's fortress on a level, which is crazy

thanks for the pointers duder!

Just a little update:

So, I have a Greataxe+15 and a Demon's Greataxe+15. Problem is, the Demon's Greataxe has LOWER base damage than the greataxe, but a higher + number next to the base damage (probably due to the scaling). Can someone inform me whether or not this still makes the Demon's Greataxe better than the Greataxe? I honestly can't determine.

Just a little update:

So, I have a Greataxe+15 and a Demon's Greataxe+15. Problem is, the Demon's Greataxe has LOWER base damage than the greataxe, but a higher + number next to the base damage (probably due to the scaling). Can someone inform me whether or not this still makes the Demon's Greataxe better than the Greataxe? I honestly can't determine.

@xobballox:thanks! dex seems the way to go. I like the samurai swords and the way curved swords work. also..spears.

the strength weapons seem very sluggish and till now, every one I have has a weird attack pattern. i'm screwed with the black knight weapons i'm afraid. killed all of them except for the kiln and anor londo i believe. as for the serpents: i've been killing them for a while now without any luck. will try later on. their weapons and the gravelord greatsword I've pinned as the last acceptable swords for a str build.

the reason why I asked about respecing is because of the positively ridiculous ammounts of souls i need for a single level. I've spent the earnings of almost the entire sen's fortress on a level, which is crazy

thanks for the pointers duder!

@Pieman51 said:

I think I can stick with Greatswords instead for a little bit at least.. Is the Zweihander a good choice at all? As in, is it better than a Claymore or Bastard Sword? It's pretty easy to get early on so =/

I know you've already decided on Bastard Sword, but snag the Zweihander too and test it a bit. It's very easy to get at the start of the game, doesn't take that much strength to wield, and has a fantastic R2 attack that leaves enemies flattened on the ground+great reach. It's slow, but if you time the hits right that won't be a problem for the most part.

Comedy option: Pick the Black Fire Bomb gift, kill the first boss with them before you get your weapon, and put all points into strength. Then use his weapon once you get the requirements.

EDIT: Never mind, you're already well past the point any of this matters.

@Turambar said:

@Pieman51 said:

Just a little update:

So, I have a Greataxe+15 and a Demon's Greataxe+15. Problem is, the Demon's Greataxe has LOWER base damage than the greataxe, but a higher + number next to the base damage (probably due to the scaling). Can someone inform me whether or not this still makes the Demon's Greataxe better than the Greataxe? I honestly can't determine.

Well, if you add the two numbers up, which one is bigger? I'd also be testing the swing speed, range, and moveset of the two weapons before going with one or the other.

I don't mind speed, since I knew I'd have to deal with slow weapons when I made the strength build. I can almost gurantee the DGA has more range than the Greataxe, since I've been using the Greataxe since Blighttown (now in Catacombs). The moveset on the other hand.. I don't expect it to be much different from the Greataxe since axes in general only have one attacking animation for light AND heavy attacks. The only different attack animation with an axe would be the backstab/riposte'. Oh well.

Also, what did you mean by add both numbers up? The base and + number damage? I don't know if that would make me feel any better. When I do the comparison in my inventory (comparing Greataxe to Demon's Greataxe) I get a red base damage number, but a blue + number next to the base damage. I'm skeptical on whether or not the scaling damage for the weapon outclasses the base damage of the Greataxe.

Oh, Great axe, not Black Knight Great Axe.  (The latter has a unique R2 animation iirc).  Also a quick look at the wiki, the Demon's Great Axe has S scaling while Great Axe only has B, with only a 26 in Base difference favoring the great axe.  Since you're dumping in Str, go with the Demon's Greataxe.
 
Edit: Wait, disregard what I said at the end.  That's a 65 difference in base, not 26.  Just do a subtraction on the (+) damage and see if it counterbalances, or at least lets the Demon's Great Axe come real close.  S scaling is ultimately far, far better than B so if its close and you're lvling still, Demon's Greataxe is gonna come out on top.

@xobballox said:

@Pieman51 said:

@Turambar said:

@Pieman51 said:

Just a little update:

So, I have a Greataxe+15 and a Demon's Greataxe+15. Problem is, the Demon's Greataxe has LOWER base damage than the greataxe, but a higher + number next to the base damage (probably due to the scaling). Can someone inform me whether or not this still makes the Demon's Greataxe better than the Greataxe? I honestly can't determine.

Well, if you add the two numbers up, which one is bigger? I'd also be testing the swing speed, range, and moveset of the two weapons before going with one or the other.

I don't mind speed, since I knew I'd have to deal with slow weapons when I made the strength build. I can almost gurantee the DGA has more range than the Greataxe, since I've been using the Greataxe since Blighttown (now in Catacombs). The moveset on the other hand.. I don't expect it to be much different from the Greataxe since axes in general only have one attacking animation for light AND heavy attacks. The only different attack animation with an axe would be the backstab/riposte'. Oh well.

Also, what did you mean by add both numbers up? The base and + number damage? I don't know if that would make me feel any better. When I do the comparison in my inventory (comparing Greataxe to Demon's Greataxe) I get a red base damage number, but a blue + number next to the base damage. I'm skeptical on whether or not the scaling damage for the weapon outclasses the base damage of the Greataxe.

Either add the scaling and base damage of each weapon and compare it that way or you can just press triangle (or Y) while comparing them and the total damage comparison will be in the right side of the screen where your stats are usually displayed. If the number shows up red, the weapon you have equipped has more damage and if it shows up blue the weapon you are hovering over has more damage.

Oh, so there's a total damage bonus on the far right? I didn't notice that before. Thanks for the advice.

Use the Black Knight Halberd my friend. Pair it up with a high stability great shield and you can tank any boss with not much of a problem.