Weapon comparisons for Dark Souls 1 and 2

Send an ask with two weapons (Make sure to specify Dark Souls 1 or 2) and after checking sources, doing research and testing, I will post an unbiased response on the upsides and downsides of each, as well as my personal opinion. I have, at the time of writing this 1132 hours on Dark Souls 1 PC, maybe 100-200 on Dark Souls 1 PS3, and 643 hours on Dark Souls 2. Most of this time is PvP. I try to keep my opinions unbiased, and think of any and all possibilities for uses of weapons, and i'm using this blog as a way of voicing them to people, in the hopes of adding some diversity to weapons seen in PvP. Feel free to voice any disagreements on either my facts or my opinions, and I may change the posts if I agree! My main blog, where I post videos, announce streams and reblog random shit.

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i am tired as fuck and cant sleep so im actually gonna get some solid facts on asks out and add my opinions later. just want you guys to know im not dead yet

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fuck sorry a lot of shits been goin on for me and i forgot that i run this blog rofl

im gonna power through a bunch of asks and queue a bunch so it looks like im actually doing shit

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Just an addendum to the chariot lance vs grand lance thing, the chariot lance has the longest reach of any of the lances, which makes it ideal for more defensive who want to distance themselves.

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Fists (With Vanq.s Seal) Or Caestuses

(This one will not be in the exact same format as the vanquishers seal doesn't really have stats)

Caestus:

Requirements: 10 str, 7 dex

Weight: 0.5 units

Poise damage: 15

Counter Strength: 130

Base damage at max upgrade: 90 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: A in str, A in dex

Notes: Standard fist weapon

My opinion: The vanquishers seal is better. Pretty blunt, but the numbers back it up.

On my 40/40 quality build, the Caestus has an AR of 272, whereas the vanquishers seal fists have an AR of 340. They have the exact same moveset. Caestus weigh 0.5 each, meaning 1 unit for both of them, whereas the vanquishers seal weighs 0.2 units only.

It's rare for me to really say this, but the vanquishers seal is simply better than dual caestus. The only upside to the caestus is if you want to keep a ring slot open, though that's not much of a big deal, in my opinion.

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I wanna know for Dark Souls II, which is better? The Gyrm Great Hammer, or the Demon's Great Hammer / Drakekeeper Great Hammer?

Gyrm Great Hammer:

Requirements: 40 str, 4 dex

Weight: 20 units

Poise damage: 60

Counter Strength: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 430

Scaling at max upgrade: A in str

Notes: Standard Great Hammer. 

Demon's Great Hammer:

Requirements: 50 str, 8 dex

Weight: 26 units

Poise damage: 60

Counter Strength: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 450 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: A in str

Notes: Standard Great Hammer. Upgrades with Twinkling Titanite

Drakekeeper's Great Hammer:

Requirements: 50 str, 10 dex

Weight: 20 units

Poise damage: 60

Counter Strength: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 450 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: A in str

Notes: Standard Great Hammer.

My opinion: It honestly comes down to which moveset you prefer, the drakeeper / demon, or the gyrm greathammer.

For starters, the demons great hammer and drakekeeper's great hammer are almost identical. Maybe you put the / between them in the ask because you knew this but i figure i should cover it anyways. The only difference between them is the drakekeeper's has 2 higher dex requirement, but weighs 6 units less. The base damage is the same, and the scaling is the same. Their moveset is also the same. While it's very rare, of the two, the drakekeeper's great hammer is the smarter choice.

The gyrm great hammer also has the same scaling, getting +147 at 50 str, the only difference with it, is its moveset, base damage and requirements. It has a 10 less str requirement, 20 less base damage and a slightly different moveset. It will always hit lower than the other two due to the lower base and same scaling. The gyrm greathammers moveset isnt very different, but it's enough to make many people (including me) prefer it.

Overall, it just comes down to which moveset you prefer. Try them both out and see which one fits best for you and your build.

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Dks2 giant warrior club vs. smelter hammer

Giant Warrior Club:

Requirements: 60 str, 6 dex

Weight: 30 units

Poise damage: 60

Counter Strength: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 520 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: A in str

Notes: Standard greathammer

Smelter Hammer:

Requirements: 70 str, 6 dex

Weight: 35 units

Poise damage: 60

Counter Strength: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 500 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: A in str

Notes: Has a very unique moveset. has the best attack of all time in place of the twohanded parry 

My opinion: Both incredibly hard hitting massive hammers, with one hitting slightly harder, and the other having a more unique moveset.

I was as surprised as anyone when i found out this fact: The giant warrior club will always outdamage the smelter hammer. They both have the same scaling, gaining +161 at 70 str, but the giant warrior club has a 20 higher base damage. It's not much, but the giant warrior club will always have a 20 higher ar. It also has a more normal greathammer moveset, lower weight and requirements.

The smelter hammer, or as the community has named it, "The chicken drumstick" or "The cheeto" is one of the most interesting weapons to come out recently. It has a completely unique greathammer moveset, and can be surprisingly unpredictable to fight. The r2s are overhead slams that have surprisingly long range, the running attacks are a running jump that stuns enemies as you jump, then crushes them with the sheer weight of the hammer, the rolling attacks actually hit twice, once infront of you and once behind you, and the r1s are also very unique. The onehanded r1 is a slow right to left slash, like an ultragreatsword, but the followup is an overheat greathammer hit that can be steered very well. The twohanded r1 is a normal greathammer hit, but the followup is the two hit spin attack. The most hilarious / unique thing about the cheeto's smelter hammer's moveset is the twohanded parry. It is a 4 hit spin, where you then jump and let the weapons weight carry you. It consumes an incredible amount of stamina and has a very long recovery, so be careful using this one. Click this text to see an example of it.

Overall, they're both ridiculous masses of crushing weight. The main deciding factor between them is if you want to hit slightly higher, or SPIN AND FLIP YOURSELF OFF OF CLIFFS.

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Dks2 Crypt Blacksword vs Greatsword (UGS)

Crypt Blacksword:

Requirements: 40 str, 10 dex, 12 int, 12 fth

Weight: 24 units

Poise damage: 60

Counter Strength: 130

Base damage at max upgrade: 370 physical, 130 dark

Scaling at max upgrade: C in str, D in dex, A in dark

Notes: Made from the Old Dead One soul. Upgrades with petrified dragon bones. Classified as an ultragreatsword but has the moveset of a greataxe. Twohanded r1s, r2s and rolling attacks cannot be parried.

Greatsword:

Requirements: 28 str, 10 dex

Weight: 22 units

Poise damage: 50

Counter Strength: 130

Base damage at max upgrade: 400 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: S in str, D in dex

Notes: Standard Ultra Greatsword. Twohanded r1s and r2s cannot be parried.

My opinion: Both incredibly powerful weapons, though much different in the builds they require.

The greatsword deals pure physical damage, and a lot of damage at that. On a 40/40 quality build, it has an AR of 575. It has the ultra greatsword moveset where onehanded swings are horizontal, but twohanded are overhead chops. The fairly diverse moveset makes it useful for PvE and PvP. side note, i actually used this weapon for my entire first playthrough, as did many people from what i've seen.

The crypt blacksword is an incredibly hard hitting weapon for hex characters. As you have to level strength, int, faith to use this weapon AND vitality to be able to roll decently with it, it can be hard to integrate into a SL150 hex pvp build, so twohanding it at 20 str can be a better way of keeping levels low. At 40/40/12/12 str/dex/int/fth, the weapon has an incredible AR of 645. Considering its low dex and str scalings, and the A in dark, that high of an AR with only 12/12 means this weapon can get significantly stronger than that aswell. The only downside is, as i mentioned the difficulty integrating it onto a build, aswell as its somewhat clunky moveset, being that of a greataxe.

Overall, both are very great weapons, though they require a very different build to use to their full power.

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i am return for another weapon differentials asking? Grand Lance vs. Chariot Lance DkSII

Grand Lance:

Requirements: 22 str, 18 dex

Weight: 12 units

Poise damage: 35

Counter Strength: 160

Base damage at max upgrade: 340 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: C in str, C in dex

Notes: Standard lance

Chariot Lance:

Requirements: 30 str, 18 dex

Weight: 16 units

Poise damage: 35

Counter Strength: 160

Base damage at max upgrade: 310 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: A in str, E in dex

Notes: Made from the Executioner's Chariot soul. Upgrades with petrified dragon bones

My opinion: The grand lance is a smarter choice, except in a small few situations.

The grand lance has a higher AR on a 40/40 quality build at 445, vs the chariot lances 436. On top of that, it weighs less, is easier to get, has lower requirements and upgrades with normal titanite. All lances have the same moveset, so there's nothing to compare there. The only downside is the grand lance is more fit for a quality build, whereas the chariot lance is more for strength builds.

Another (very situational) upside is the chariot lances bleed buildup. It has a base 100 in bleed, and on my 40/40 it gets +69 to bleed. This often wont do much as lances can be difficult to connect multiple hits without just killing the opponent, so youre unlikely to actually bleed someone with this. One use i could see though, is constant running attacks against someone who is turtling to bleed them out and make breaking their guard easier. It could also be mentioned that at 40 str and 18 dex, the chariot lance does actually have a higher AR than the grand lance... though only by 1 point.

Overall, i think the grand lance is just a better choice on any build due to it being easier to upgrade, lighter, having lower requirements and higher damage, though the chariot lance could be an interesting addition to a bleed-themed build if used correctly.

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Strongest spear in dark souls2?

Difficult to say, as it would depend on the build you're using, aswell as your playstyle. Silverblack is the best for hexers, dragonslayers is the best for faith builds, gargoyle bident is the best for strength builds, and the others can all be debated based on their abilities. Plus, all the pure physical ones can benefit greatly from the old leo ring. I don't think there truly is a "strongest" anything in dark souls 2, merely things that work better for different players, playstyles and builds.

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Blue Flame vs Pilgrims Spontoon c:

Blue Flame:

Requirements: 13 str, 15 dex, 12 int

Weight: 3 units

Poise damage: 20

Counter Strength: 110

Cast speed: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 130 physical, 180 magic

Scaling at max upgrade: E in str, D in dex, C in int

Notes: Strong attack replaced by the ability to cast sorcery

Pilgrim's Spontoon:

Requirements: 11 str, 12 dex, 30 int, 30 faith

Weight: 3.5 units

Poise damage: 15

Counter Strength: 130

Cast speed: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 180 magic, 180 dark

Scaling at max upgrade: C in int, C in dark

Notes: Strong attack replaced by the ability to cast sorcery and staff hexes

My opinion: Both rather unique weapons, though one is more suited to pure sorcery builds, whereas the other is better for hexers.

The blue flame is a smarter choice for pure sorcery builds, as you can easily integrate spells into normal fighting. Its inability to cast hexes also reinforces its use as a pure sorcery weapon. It does have a base in physical and magic, so Great Magic Barrier will reduce its damage, but not make it worthless.

The spontoon is an interesting choice for hex builds. Its high stat requirements in fth and int make it clear that it is to be used on hex builds. It could be a great weapon for keeping an enemy at range, as not only can it cast sorcery and hexes, but spears are already good at keeping people far away. It only has a base in magic and dark though, so GMB will make it inflict almost no damage.

Overall, both interesting spellcasting tools for casting builds, though the spontoon is better for hexers, and the blue flame is better for sorcerers.

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dks2, yogurt spear v. santiers spear

Yorgh's Spear:

Requirements: 30 str, 25 dex

Weight: 19 units

Poise damage: 20

Counter Strength: 130

Base damage at max upgrade: 300 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: B in str, B in dex

Notes: Classified as a spear, though has a very diverse moveset. Made from the soul of Sinh, the slumbering dragon. Upgrades with petrified dragon bones. Lowers magic, fire, lightning and dark defences when equipped, but increases poison bleed petrify and curse resists.

Santier's Spear:

Requirements: 20 str, 22 dex

Weight: 12 units

Poise damage: 35

Counter Strength: 120

Base damage at max upgrade: 350 physical

Scaling at max upgrade: N/A

Notes: Classified as a halberd, but has an incredibly diverse moveset. When first obtained, has a rock on the end of it and a normal halberd moveset. When the weapon is broken it gets the new moveset, and doesn't have the be repaired. Upgrades with twinkling titanite.

My opinion: Both of these weapons are very strange, and can be very unpredictable if you are unaware of their movesets.

Yorgh's spear is the highest hitting, but it has a much slower moveset. The r1s when onehanded and twohanded, aswell as the onehanded roll attack and the twohanded run attack are that of the lance class weapons, which are fairly slow and easy to dodge. However, the 2nd followup r1 when twohanded is a very fast multi-hitting attack that can do a fair bit of damage if you stun them with the first hit. Yorgh's spear is definitely more suited to a quality build, due to its B/B scaling and higher requirements.

The santier's spear hits lower, but has an incredibly strange and diverse moveset. It somehow combines a spear, a halberd, a twinblade and a curved sword into a strange incredible mess of a weapon. It can take some getting used to to figure out what attacks do what when one or twohanded, but once you understand it, it can be incredibly difficult to predict and hard to fight. though most people just buff it and 2h r1 spam and are incredibly predictable. This weapon fits well onto any build that can use it, as it has no scaling and benefits greatly from the raw path, which boosts its base damage from 350 to 385.

Overall, both of these weapons are very strange and hard to predict. Learning their movesets can be very good not only to using them, but also to fighting them.

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Sorry for the lack of posts lately, work is getting busy and i'm streaming more. I'm live right now, come to the chat if you want some live commentary on things!

http://twitch.tv/thelonepyro

[thelonepyro]

gonna stream some invasions on my new build

http://twitch.tv/thelonepyro

[thelonepyro]

hey people i’m gonna do a stream where chat picks my weapon loadout

i also just got my follower thing working so you guys can see when you follow me

pls come watch it’ll be fucking lame super cool

http://www.twitch.tv/thelonepyro

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this is the dumbest thing in the game and nobody can tell me otherwise

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Sanctum Shield vs Disc Chime?

Sanctum Shield:

Requirements: 6 str, 7 dex, 18 int, 18 fth

Weight: 2 units

Poise damage: 10

Counter Strength: 100

Cast speed: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 180 magic, 120 lightning, 180 dark

Scaling at max upgrade: C in int, C in lightning, C in dark

Notes: Parry replaced by ability to cast any spell except pyromancy.

Disc chime:

Requirements: 18 fth

Weight: 2 units

Poise damage: 15

Counter Strength: 110

Cast speed: 100

Base damage at max upgrade: 180 lightning, 180 dark

Scaling at max upgrade: A in lightning, E in dark

Notes: Parry replaced by ability to cast miracles and chime hexes.

My opinion: Sanctum shield is better for hexers, disc chime is better for pure faith builds, and SOME hexes.

The sanctum shield can cast sorcery and staff hexes, which the disc chime cannot. It will also have stronger damage on hexes due to the C scaling in dark.

The disc chime has a higher base and scaling for lightning though, so for pure miracle builds, it will be the superior casting shield. Hexes however, will be very weak as it has an E in dark, though buffs like dark weapon or resonant flesh will not have much of a loss (i believe)

Overall, it just depends on the build you have for which will be more useful.

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How bout sun sword vs drake keeper sword? (I dual-wield them both on my pure melee character, and they're both pretty solid.)

See here.