___           ___           ___           ___           ___
/\__\         /\  \         /\__\         /\__\         /\__\
/:/ _/_       _\:\  \       /:/ _/_       /:/ _/_       /:/ _/_
/:/ /\__\     /\ \:\  \     /:/ /\  \     /:/ /\__\     /:/ /\  \
/:/ /:/ _/_   _\:\ \:\  \   /:/ /::\  \   /:/ /:/  /    /:/ /::\  \
/:/_/:/ /\__\ /\ \:\ \:\__\ /:/__\/\:\__\ /:/_/:/  /    /:/_/:/\:\__\
\:\/:/ /:/  / \:\ \:\/:/  / \:\  \ /:/  / \:\/:/  /     \:\/:/ /:/  /
\::/_/:/  /   \:\ \::/  /   \:\  /:/  /   \::/__/       \::/ /:/  /
\:\/:/  /     \:\/:/  /     \:\/:/  /     \:\  \        \/_/:/  /
\::/  /       \::/  /       \::/  /       \:\__\         /:/  /
\/__/         \/__/         \/__/         \/__/         \/__/
_ .-') _     ('-.  _   .-')                     .-') _       .-')
( (  OO) )  _(  OO)( '.( OO )_                  ( OO ) ),--. ( OO ).
\     .'_ (,------.,--.   ,--.).-'),-----. ,--./ ,--,' \  |(_)---\_)
,`'--..._) |  .---'|   `.'   |( OO'  .-.  '|   \ |  |\  `-'/    _ |
|  |  \  ' |  |    |         |/   |  | |  ||    \|  | )    \  :` `.
|  |   ' |(|  '--. |  |'.'|  |\_) |  |\|  ||  .     |/      '..`''.)
|  |   / : |  .--' |  |   |  |  \ |  | |  ||  |\    |      .-._)   \
|  '--'  / |  `---.|  |   |  |   `'  '-'  '|  | \   |      \       /
`-------'  `------'`--'   `--'     `-----' `--'  `--'       `-----'
.-')                                         .-')
( OO ).                                      ( OO ).
(_)---\_) .-'),-----.  ,--. ,--.    ,--.     (_)---\_)
/    _ | ( OO'  .-.  ' |  | |  |    |  |.-') /    _ |
\  :` `. /   |  | |  | |  | | .-')  |  | OO )\  :` `.
'..`''.)\_) |  |\|  | |  |_|( OO ) |  |`-' | '..`''.)
.-._)   \  \ |  | |  | |  | | `-' /(|  '---.'.-._)   \
\       /   `'  '-'  '('  '-'(_.-'  |      | \       /
`-----'      `-----'   `-----'     `------'  `-----'
_  (`-')      (`-') _  (`-')
\-.(OO )     _(OO ) \-.(OO )
_.'    \,--.(_/,-.\ _.'    \
(_...--''\   \ / (_/(_...--''
|  |_.' | \   /   / |  |_.' |
|  .___.'_ \     /_)|  .___.'
|  |     \-'\   /   |  |
`--'         `-'    `--'
---------------------------------------------------
EWGF's Build, PvP, and Strategy Guide (version 1.4)
---------------------------------------------------
Versions Information
- Version 1.0:
Guide completed
- Version 1.1:
Small cosmetic changes
Some fixed errors
- Version 1.2:
Small cosmetic changes
Updated Legality (0099)
Updated "Stunlock" section with Claw/Knuckle push-lock (0009)
Small update on "Spears" (0030)
Small update on "Katanas" (0023)
Updated introduction to "Understanding Stats" (0001)
New section "PvP Morality" added (0098)
- Version 1.3
Small cosmetic changes
Large update on "Warding Versus Second Chance" (0016)
New Section "PvP Rings" added (00RG)
Added more ASCII art
- Version 1.4
Numerous minor updates and revisions
New Builds: 5-Slot Dexterity, 5-Slot Strength, Dragon/Makoto Gouge, Luckless
BBS, iCat Light Weapon MC
Legality Changes
Large BS section updates/revisions
Large Parrying in PvP section updates/revisions
New Section "Push Lock/Stun Breaking" (0018.i) added
New Section "Counter Hit" (00CH) added
New Section "Setup Parry Series" (0019.iv) added
New Section "PvP Casting" (0021) added
New Section "Cheating and You" added (CHEA)
"Community Tip Cup" coming soon (!) (0097)
Several Weapon section updates (Rapier Redux, BBS/Straight Sword Redux) and
minor updates added.
More people thanked, more ASCII art
---------
Contents:
---------
(0000) - Introduction, and about this guide
(0001) - Understanding Stats
Builds:
(0002) - Strength-Based Builds
Traditional Crushing Build
Dragonbone Smasher Variation
*****5-Slot Meta Variant (NEW)*****
*****NR Splash (NEW)*****
(0002.i) – Common Strength Weapons/Utilities
(0002.ii) - Strength Builds Explained
(0003) - Dexterity-Based Builds
Traditional Sharp build
*****5-Slot Meta Variant (NEW)*****
*****NR Splash (NEW)*****
(0003.i) – Common Dexterity Weapons/Utilities
(0003.ii) - Dexterity Builds Explained
(0004) - Faith-Based Builds
Standard Variable Faith build
(0004.i) – Common Faith Weapons/Utilities
(0004.iii) - Faith Builds Explained
(0005) - Blueblood Sword builds
Standard 2-handed build
Standard 1-handed build
*****Luckless BBS (NEW)*****
(0005.i) – Common BBS Weapons/Utilities
(0005.ii) - Blueblood Sword Builds Explained
(0006) – Northern Regalia Builds:
Northern Regalia Vitality Gouge
Northern Regalia Griefing Variant
*****Dragon/Makoto Gouge (NEW)*****
(0006.i) – Common NR Weapons/Utilities
(0006.ii) - Northern Regalia Builds Explained
(0007) - Standard Meat Cleaver Build
(0007.i) – Common Meat Cleaver Weapons/Utilities
(0007.ii) – Meat Cleaver Builds Explained
*****LIGHT WEAPON CLEAVER, HORAH! (NEW)******
(0008) – Magic-Based Builds: a variable primer
(0008.i) – Common Magic Weapons/Utilities
(0008.ii) - Magic Builds Explained... Somewhat
Non-Specific Build Information and Basics:
(0009) - What is “Stunlock”?
(0010) - Talisman of Beasts: the best item in Demon's Souls?
(0011) - Hijacking spells from Sage Freke
(00CT) - Character Tendency and You
*****(CHEA) - Cheating and You (NEW)*****
*****(CHEA.i) - The Sparkly Method (NEW)*****
*****(CHEA.ii) - The Primeval Method (NEW)*****
*****(CHEA.iii) - The Smurf Dupe (NEW)*****
*****(CHEA.iv) - Haagar Presents the Drop Dupe (NEW)*****
Comparisons:
(0012) - Shield Math (a brief comparison)
(0013) - Basic Shield Q&A (things you should know about shields)
(0014) - Weapon Buffs Part 1: Which is the best?
(0015) - Weapon Buffs Part 2: Light Weapon versus Curse Weapon: Which and Why?
(0015.i) - Results and Conclusions on Light Weapon vs. Curse Weapon
(0016) - Warding versus Second Chance: Which and Why?
(0017) - Negative Status (Plague vs. Poison vs. Bleed)
(0017.i) - Negative Status: When should I use it and Why?
*****(00DH) - Counter Hit (NEW)*****
Techniques:
(0018) - Off-hand Katana/dual wielding: broken as hell
*****(0018.i) - Push/Stun Breaking (NEW)*****
(0019) - Parrying in PvP: Setup Parries & Blind Parries: a brief primer
(0019.i) - Setup Parries & Notes
(0019.ii) - Blind Parries
(0019.iii) - A few final notes on parries
*****(0019.iv) - Setup Parry Series (NEW)*****
(0020) - Backstabs: a brief primer
(0020.i) - Pivot BS
(0020.ii) - Circular BS
(0020.iii) – Rolling BS
(0020.iv) – Counter BS
*****(0020.v) - Original Counter BS (BS Reversal) (NEW)*****
*****(0020.vi) - Engage/Running BS (NEW)*****
(0020.vii) - A few final notes on backstabs
*****(0021) - PvP Casting, by Team Umbasa All-Star, Nick1Nintendo (NEW)*****
*****(0021.i) - Soul Ray (NEW)*****
*****(0021.ii) - Fireball (NEW)*****
*****(0021.iii) - Ignite (NEW)*****
*****(0021.iv) - Homing Soul Arrow (NEW)*****
*****(0021.v) - Firestorm (NEW)*****
*****(0021.vi) - Fire Spray (NEW)*****
*****(0021.vii) - Clouds (NEW)*****
*****(0NIN) Stealth in PvP: a Brief Discussion (NEW)*****
Weapon Primers:
(0022) - Great Axes/Blunts
(0023) - Poles
(0024) - Katanas
(0025) - Asian Swords
(0026) - Large Swords
(with additional contribution on Claymore by theDeadsider)
(0027) - Rapiers, Estoc Redux
(0028) - 1-Handed Swords, BBS/Short Sword Redux by ggDoom
(0029) - Daggers
(0030) - 1-Handed Axes/1-Handed Blunts
(0031) - Spears
(0032) - Claws/Fist Weapons
(0033) - Great Swords
(with additional contribution on DBS by rhzkao, and Mo_Food)
(0098) - PvP Morality
(0099) - Guide FAQ & Legality & Other Stuff
___                       ___           ___
___          /__/\          ___        /  /\         /  /\
/  /\         \  \:\        /  /\      /  /::\       /  /::\
/  /:/          \  \:\      /  /:/     /  /:/\:\     /  /:/\:\
/__/::\      _____\__\:\    /  /:/     /  /:/~/:/    /  /:/  \:\
\__\/\:\__  /__/::::::::\  /  /::\    /__/:/ /:/___ /__/:/ \__\:\
\  \:\/\ \  \:\~~\~~\/ /__/:/\:\   \  \:\/:::::/ \  \:\ /  /:/
\__\::/  \  \:\  ~~~  \__\/  \:\   \  \::/~~~~   \  \:\  /:/
/__/:/    \  \:\           \  \:\   \  \:\        \  \:\/:/
\__\/      \  \:\           \__\/    \  \:\        \  \::/
\__\/                     \__\/         \__\/
-------------------------------------------------
===(0000) - Introduction, and about this guide===
-------------------------------------------------
"It is far harder to kill a Phantom than a Reality."
- Virginia Woolf, The Death of the Moth and Other Essays
Welcome to my guide! Here is a brief intro before we get started. Enjoy!
-------------------------------------------------------
Q: What is the purpose of this guide? How did it start?
-------------------------------------------------------
A: There is little consolidated PvP information out there in the world about
DS. There's some scant traces here and there, but seldom a large resource of
information. There was plenty of information is regards to PvP, but boy was it
ever faulty. It was clearly written by people who did nothing more the
occasional invasion, and that's it.
This guide IS NOT all-inclusive. There is a lot of information here, but it
does not include every facet of Demon's Souls PvP. What it can do however is
give you a very strong push in the right direction.
The original purpose of this guide was supposed to be a “Build Guide” of
sorts. It was tuned for PvP building, however a tight PvP build can carry you
through PvE, so I saw no reason to make any distinction (except for the big
“PVP” letters on top).
Originally, this was a compendium of my personal writings in regards to DS
PvP. Over time I just kept adding more and more material as new ideas were
discovered by others and myself.
It really started coming together when VarietyX (Damoene) posted on GameFAQs
his desire to make a sticky about the tightest builds, and some strategies. We
(along with long-time DS theorycrafter TMRaven) composed this guide over a
period of some time. In reality, this is the sixth or seventh version of the
guide if you include the original PvP discussions headed by Damoene, TMR, and
myself.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What should I know about Demon's Souls before reading this?
--------------------------------------------------------------
A: You should have a competent grasp on game mechanics. I explain most stuff
in some degree of depth, however, you should still know what a Parry is, or
what a Push is. You should know about Character Tendency, World Tendency, Eye
Stones, etc.
You should also know how to get stuff. I'm not including farming info, the
locations of weapons, or anything like that. That stuff is outside the
jurisdiction of this guide, and is readily available in quite a few places on
the web.
Also, all builds are aimed at the 120 level. This is where the sternest level
of PvP takes place. You can make proper adjustments to go higher or lower
depending on your needs.
As a side-note, generally if you plan on playing in body form, you can go
quite a bit higher and still keep your PvP steady. The same rules apply for a
Red Eye Stones. If invading, your SL likely shouldn't exceed 120 due to the
fact you can only invade players of a higher Soul Level. I play on SL 110
characters, and I can invade into 4-1 basically 24/7.
There are a several terms (Hyper Frames, Probing, Fishing, WR [while-rolling]
WD [while-dashing] DWR [delayed while-rolling]) that are not entirely
intuitive, and may require some investigation on your part. It doesn’t help
that there are no set terms for techniques/states in this game (unlike say
modern fighting games which DS does share some traits with)... which can make
things a little confusing when traversing forums and the web. Here’s an
example:
The R1 attack performed during a roll using a Large Blunt/Axe-style weapon in
two handed stance has several names.
- Ground Pound.
- Roll Spam.
- While-rolling 2-handed R1 (2H WR R1).
- Rolling R1.
- AOE (those familiar with this term will recognize Area-of-Effect... this is
because this particular attack does indeed have an AOE, one of the only ones).
I’m putting my faith in you to discover these terms on your own (generally
I’ll use the WR & WD descriptions in this guide).
----------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a quick refresher on some terms you'll see (note "some"):
----------------------------------------------------------------
1H = 1-handed stance
2H = 2-handed stance
WD = While-dashing
WR = while-rolling
DWR = Delayed While-Rolling
WB = While Blocking
KB = Knock-back. Generally, any normal strike that can send the opponent to the
ground (not BSes/Ripostes however).
f+R1 = The input "Forward and R1" at the same time, this is generally a push
aside from Rapier-types and Asian Sword-types in which it yields a special
attack.
Hyper Armor/Hyper Frames/Invincibility Swing, etc. = Any attack in which they
can't be interrupted.
">" = Any instant input. Generally, you'll see R1 > R1 > R1. This example would
note typical R1 combo mash.
"/" = Notes a "either or" situation, in which multiple different attacks are
possible. Generally used between two attacks like so; R1/R2.
CH = Counter Hit. Generally provides 40% more damage, and certain swings
provide some additional hit-stun on CH.
Wakeup = Any attacks performed after an opponent has risen from the ground due
to KB, or BS/Ripostes.
--------------------------------------------
Let's put it all together in a brief example
--------------------------------------------
Estoc has the following potential combo:
1H WD R1 (on CH promises) > WR R1 > f+R1/R1
So, we can glean from that line of gibberish that Estoc's 1-handed
While-Dashing R1 on Counter Hit can gattling into a While-Rolling 1-handed R1
and then finish with either a f+R1 special attack or a plain old R1.
It should be noted that putting the stance beyond the 1st hit is redundant,
and I'll never do it. Heck, sometimes I don't even bother to put the stance
at all (!).
-----------------------------------
Q: What has changed in version 1.4?
-----------------------------------
A: A lot. This is easily the biggest update I’ve performed. Many sections have
been removed, revised, and restored. For example... my old Spell section has
been entirely removed, and replaced by Nick1Nintendo’s work. My old Rapier
Section is basically gone, and replaced with a monstrous thesis on Estoc, and
the same could be said about BBS in regards to updates performed by ggDoom.
Hell, even some builds have been removed (I know!). This and tons of stuff has
been straight up added (new sections, builds, etc).
A lot of stuff has been updated to reflect the New Meta (not everything has
changed, as this remains an ongoing process). I’ve had people tell me they’ve
read this guide from end-to-end several times. Well, you might want to bust
out your reading glasses again if you have... because a lot of old stuff has
drastically changed. Not that everything has changed either... so some parts
of this guide remain hilariously out of date for now. Whether I’ll be
addressing those sections or not more-or-less remains to be seen.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: This guide is big. How the heck can I find what I want in this mess?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A: Ctrl +F
There's a table of contents, and almost everything is coded by a bracketed
number. Punch it into the search function to quickly and easily find what you
need.
)\.--.  .-,.-.,-.    /`-.   .-,.-.,-.   )\.--.
(   ._.' ) ,, ,. (  ,' _  \  ) ,, ,. (  (   ._.'
`-.`.   \( |(  )/ (  '-' (  \( |(  )/   `-.`.
,_ (  \     ) \     )   _  )    ) \     ,_ (  \
(  '.)  )    \ (    (  ,' ) \    \ (    (  '.)  )
'._,_.'      )/     )/    )/     )/     '._,_.'
----------------------------------
===(0001) - Understanding Stats===
----------------------------------
Stats are the most rudimentary thing in Demon's Souls after basic game play.
Knowing how to properly increase your stats will determine the quality of your
build. However, you can't really know what to increase and by what amount, if
you don't know what they do or where you should potentially stop.
-----------------
Diminishing Gains
-----------------
Stats at large govern the damage for spells, miracles, and almost all weapons.
However, all stats in Demon's Souls suffer from one thing: Diminishing Gains.
This means you get the biggest jumps in damage from your stats from 1-30.
31-50 will still provide decent growth, however 51-99 is god awful. So you'd
think this would encourage balanced builds right? Not at all. What this
instead means is you'll focus keenly on a few choice stats (always Vitality),
or find a series of “sweet spot” gains for utilizing particular setups
(BBS/Cleaver).
----------------
40 is the new 50
----------------
In recent testing I've concluded that 40 of a particular stat (Strength, Faith,
Dexterity, etc) is largely almost as good as 50 of said stat. You can still
shoot for 50 clearly... but, if you feel you can give up a little damage to
apply 10 points somewhere else, then do it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melee class? You don't always require 40 Endurance... yes, I'm Flip-Flopping
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, only sort of Flip-Flopping. I still don't think 40 Endurance is an
error (its not). But me (and others) are leaning towards sometimes slightly
less to tighten other aspects of more spread builds has become more prevalent.
Expect many builds to use 35 Endurance (yeah I know, not much of a dip really).
---------------------------------------
Get the knowledge... go with a homebrew
---------------------------------------
Although this guide is strongly dedicated to builds, there's no need to follow
any exact formulas I've outlined (some have leverage anyways, and although
these builds may be proven, doesn't mean you shouldn't consider homebrew
builds). If there's one section a new player can benefit from it's this one.
Even if you decide to ignore the build templates, you can it least get a good
idea about how to spend your stat points wisely, and make a tight build of
your own.
--------
Vitality
--------
=Effects=
- Maximum HP increases.
=Important breakpoints=
- 10 VITALITY = 572HP
- 20 VITALITY = 792HP (+220)
- 30 VITALITY = 1100HP (+308)
- 40 VITALITY = 1325HP (+225)
- 50 VITALITY = 1500HP (+175)
- 60 VITALITY = 1588HP (+88)
- 99 VITALITY = 1900HP (+312)
=Notes=
As you can see, Vitality falls off completely after 50. Beyond that, it's
largely a waste of points. It peaks in gains from 20-30, so, you should largely
consider taking it to it least 30. However even with it's decreasing gains,
it's still good very good up to 50. 40-50 is what most existing builds aim for.
------------
Intelligence
------------
=Effects=
- Maximum MP increases.
- Spell memory slots increase (the total number of magic spells you may equip).
=Important breakpoints=
- 14 INTELLIGENCE = 2 spell slots, 97MP
- 15 INTELLIGENCE = 100MP without accessories
- 18 INTELLIGENCE = 3 spell slots, 119MP
- 24 INTELLIGENCE = 4 spell slots, 157MP
- 30 INTELLIGENCE = 5 spell slots, 200MP
- 40 INTELLIGENCE = 6 spell slots, 280MP
=Notes=
As you can see the effectiveness of investing into Intelligence largely
tapers-off after 18. Between 15-18 should always be your goal, as you require
100MP to cast Second Chance, and some builds rely on Curse Weapon which
requires 3 spell slots.
Now obviously, there are clear exceptions to these "rules". A caster can
generally aim for 30+, however a new melee build I've created also requires
30 Intelligence. Odd world eh? I wouldn't be at all surprised if 24 and 30
Intelligence builds became more common.
---------
Endurance
---------
=Effects=
- Maximum stamina increases.
- Equip weight increases (you are able to wear increasingly heavy armor
without suffering movement penalties).
- Fire resistance increases.
- Poison resistance increases.
- Bleed resistance increases.
=Important breakpoints=
- 10 ENDURANCE = 91 stamina, 39 pounds equip weight
- 20 ENDURANCE = 110 stamina, 49 pounds of equip weight
- 30 ENDURANCE = 133 stamina, 59 pounds of equip weight
- 40 ENDURANCE = 160 stamina (maximum stamina), 69 pounds of equip weight
=Notes=
160 stamina is the maximum, and Endurance should never exceed 40 because of
this cap. A lot of people will debate continuously on the merits of slightly
less Endurance versus the full 40. Although their points are often valid, I do
not believe they are consistently correct (although you could make a case for
the various levels of stamina drains between weapons, 160 stamina is never a
build mistake). You actually get the best gains from 30-40 Endurance. With
stamina being the most precious resource in the game I see little need to
shave off any in favor of a paltry amount of life or damage, unless strongly
desired.
The only argument to the contrary would be Stealth and weapon-tuned builds.
These would more or less depend on solid backstabbing and less on needing
a bottomless well of stamina.
If your build and play-style does not require stunlocks, blocking, or
stamina-hungry weapons, you can probably take a small portion of your Endurance
allowance, and put it somewhere else. 35 has become exceedingly common place
in The New Meta.
--------
Strength
--------
=Effects=
- Physical damage increases on appropriate weapons. Please note this “damage
increase” is only applicable to bare-handed attacks, or to weapons that
receive a bonus according to Strength.
=Notes=
Strength breakpoints aren't relevant. You will always want the minimum
possible unless you are pumping Strength, or trying to use a certain weapon.
KEEP IN MIND that you can cut down on a third of a weapons Strength
requirement by 2-handing the weapon. This can save you points if you decide
your build/style is suited to a 2-handed style enough to abandon 1-handed use
altogether.
---------
Dexterity
---------
=Effects=
- Physical damage increases on appropriate weapons. Please note that again,
this increase is only relative to weapons that receive a bonus according to
Dexterity.
=Notes=
Dexterity, like Strength should not be invested into unless it's required for
your build. Yes, this largely means abandoning the use of a bow in PvM,
however if you are not ready for that commitment then you are not ready for
a perfectly tuned PvP build.
-----
Magic
-----
=Effects=
- Spell power increases (note that this is only spell power, and not miracle
power).
- Physical/magical damage increases on appropriate weapons. Please note that
again, this increase is only relative to weapons that receive a bonus
according to Magic.
=Important breakpoints=
- 6 MAGIC = Base Magic for a Temple Knight. If making a Strength or Dexterity
build, this should stay at 6 (unless hijacking spells).
- 10 MAGIC = required to learn spells from Sage Freke or his apprentice,
however note that Yuria DOES NOT require 10 Magic to teach spells (IE Cursed
Weapon). HOWEVER, you may level your Magic to 10, and then delevel it to base
6 Magic while still retaining all the spells you have learned (although to
remember them you will need to speak with Yuria).
- 12 MAGIC = effective use of Northern Regalia
- 16 MAGIC = effective use of the Insanity Catalyst
- 18 MAGIC = effective use of the Blueblood Sword
- 30+ MAGIC = beyond 30 Magic the dreaded Light Weapon + Insanity Catalyst
combo will begin to have diminishing returns on further points invested into
Magic. It would be considered wise to stop here if using this combination.
If you are pushing for increased damage, taking it slightly further would not
be completely unwarranted though.
- 50 MAGIC = the maximum Magic you should aim for with a caster build. Beyond
this gains are hilariously paltry.
-----
Faith
-----
=Effects=
- Miracle power increases (note that this is only miracle power, and not
spell power).
- Miracle memory slots increase (the total number of miracles you may equip).
- Magic damage resistance increases.
=Important breakpoints=
The one and only breakpoint required to know is 16 Faith to have 2 miracle
slots, and thus use of the mighty Second Chance. I cannot express how
important this is. Investments beyond 16 should be reserved for a Faith build
only. The sole argument to the contrary is with Meat Cleaver builds.
----
Luck
----
=Effects=
- Item drop rates. The frequency at which items drop increases. There is some
debate to what Luck actually does in terms of increasing drop rates... weather
it increases the total number of items dropped, or the quality.
- Disease resistance increases.
- Increases the damage of the Blueblood Sword.
=Important breakpoints notes=
Luck should never be increased for any reason. The only case to the contrary
would be if you're using the Blueblood Sword.
As for the gains associated with the Blueblood Sword, you get the highest
gains up to Luck 20, thus it would be wise to stop there if using that weapon.
Increasing it further is not a mistake if craving greater damage, however
anything beyond 30 may largely be a waste as the gains become rather paltry at
that point. Standard builds aim for 20-25.
------------
===Builds===
------------
"There is a Shadow under this red rock."
- T.s. Elliot, The Wasteland
Here we'll be going over several builds, and generally variations on each of
them. These builds represent the latest PvP climate in DS, and as such are
widely proven by both myself, and many other prominent PvP players.
.-.-. .-.-. .-.-. .-.-. .-.-. .-.-. .-.-. .-.-.
'. S )'. t )'. r )'. e )'. n )'. g )'. t )'. h )
).'   ).'   ).'   ).'   ).'   ).'   ).'   ).'
------------------------------------
===(0002) - Strength-Based Builds===
------------------------------------
--------------------------
Traditional Crushing Build
SL120 Temple Knight (1-16 point(s) remain)
------------------------------------------
Vit - 50
Int - 18
End - 35-40
Str - 40-50
Dex - 12
Mag – 6 (10, then delevel to 6 once Sage Freke's spell are obtained)
Faith - 16
Luck - 7
-----------------------------
Dragon Bone Smasher Variation
SL120 Temple Knight (0-5 points remain)
---------------------------------------
Vit - 67
Int - 18
End - 35-40
Str - 34
Dex - 12
Mag – 6 (10, then delevel to 6 once Sage Freke's spell are obtained)
Faith - 16
Luck – 7
--------------------------
Crushing 5-Slot Meta Build
SL121 Temple Knight (0-5 points remain)
---------------------------------------
Vit - 50
Int - 30
End - 35-40
Str - 40
Dex - 12
Mag – 6 (10, then delevel to 6 once Sage Freke's spell are obtained)
Faith - 16
Luck - 7
------------------
NR Strength Splash
SL120 Temple Knight (5-10 points remain)
----------------------------------------
Vit - 50
Int - 18
End - 35-40
Str - 40
Dex - 12
Mag – 12
Faith - 16
Luck - 7
--------------------------------------------
(0002.i) – Common Strength Weapons/Utilities
--------------------------------------------
- Common Strength Weapons Include the Following:
1) Dragonbone Smasher +5
2) Meat Cleaver
3) Brand (awesomeness/badness)
4) Baby's Nail +5 (backup)
5) Crushing +5 Weapons
5a) Best basic shells for “Crushing” include: Claymore, Great Axe, Crescent
Axe, Guillotine Axe, Knight's Sword, Mace, Mirdan Hammer.
6) (Special) Morion Blade & Clever Rat's Ring (as left hand weapon when
two-handing main weapon)
7) Northern Regalia... can you dig it?
-------------------------------------
(0002.ii) - Strength Builds Explained
-------------------------------------
1) The pros of this build play to its powerful 2-handed damage bonus,
knockdown on various weapons and its ability to crush blocks. All this in
addition to the absurd damage of its weapons. Of the 2 "pure melee" builds,
this one is the Hulk Smash build.
2) Strength builds have the benefit of using any shield at will (except
potentially a Tower Shield due to weight restrictions).
3) This build comes in 3 flavours: Regular, Dragonbone, and 5-Slot.
3a) A Drangonbone build is capped at 34 Strength to effectively maximize DBS's
2-handed bonus. It then gouges Vitality, thus taking advantage of DBS's
incredibly high static damage, and ignoring its diminishing gains while
being held in the 2-handed grip, and still maximizing it's 2-handed damage.
3b) The regular build sacrifices Vitality to access a much wider range of
weapons in the Crushing upgrade tree (including an even scarier DBS). More
diverse of the 2, but with the difference being as little as 6 Strength,
they're not far removed from one other.
3c) The 5-Slot build is a relatively new inclusion into this guide, but
something I (and potentially others) have been using for some time. It's a
meta build designed to gain access to both Warding and Curse in exchange for
10 or so Strength to better combat other Strength/Dex builds in a mirror
match. Although the star spread makes it slightly worse against every other
build essentially, I believe it to be the dominant of the 3 builds since my
current meta is loaded with Strength/Dexterity with Curse Weapon.
4) DBS and Cleaver get top marks for uniques and the dreaded Great Axe is top
dog from the Crushing tree. Most Crushing +5 weapons are still extremely tight
(notably Claymore, Crescent Axe, and of course the always mighty Mirdan
Hammer). Any of these are absolutely top shelf. Guillotine and Knight's Sword
take it for the smaller "stun-locky" weapons. Good backups.
5) The above stat-point distributions of both builds allow you to equip a
cracked Talisman of Beasts for use of the Second Chance miracle and the bugged
version of the Curse Weapon spell. Leveling Magic to 10 allows you to learn
Sage Freke's spells, then promptly deleveling it back to 6 allows you to keep
those points invested into Magic while still accessing the spells you've
learned (you will require Yuria however to remember spells).
Although you can learn Freke's spells, you'll probably still stick exclusively
with Yuria's Curse Weapon (in which case jumping hoops for leveling and
de-leveling Magic to learn Freke's spells can be considered avoidable).
The only case to the contrary is in a 5-slot build, where you will likely
choose to add Warding into your rotation.
6) The biggest flaw is that the 1-handed weapons are less than superb, which
hampers your ability to harass your opponents. You are left with 1-handed
Swords, 1-handed Axes, and 1-handed Blunts... all of which are less than
desirable (exceptions include Guillotine Axe and the Knight's Sword).
Because of this, Baby's Nail often starts to look really solid as a secondary
equip, thus the abundance of DBS/Nail combos in unison with Vitality gouging.
Knight's Sword I find personally to be slightly superior to Guillotine Axe do
to increased riposte/backstab damage. But, they're both scary with Curse
in a double grip regardless due to impressive stunlocks.
7) Again, you may be wondering why the DBS build only has 34 Strength.
Basically, since Strength weapons receive a 50% bonus in double grip 34
Strength is the equivalent of 50 Strength (34 x 1.5 = 50). After 34
Strength the gains slow quite a bit. Beyond 66 Strength, 2-handing a
weapon of his type no longer provides additional AR for added points
into Strength.
8) The NR build is another great twist on a Strength-based designed to provide
a solid answer to Warding (without running it yourself). Pretty much the same
as the Dexterity NR Splash, but with a improved stat spread. Still a great
alternative in a Warding-glutted meta. Not too bad for 6 points into Magic.
__           __   __      __
/\ \         /\ \ /_/\    /\ \
/  \ \____   /  \ \\ \ \   \ \_\
/ /\ \_____\ / /\ \ \\ \ \__/ / /
/ / /\/___  // / /\ \_\\ \__ \/_/
/ / /   / / // /_/_ \/_/ \/_/\__/\
/ / /   / / // /____/\     _/\/__\ \
/ / /   / / // /\____\/    / _/_/\ \ \
\ \ \__/ / // / /______   / / /   \ \ \
\ \___\/ // / /_______\ / / /    /_/ /
\/_____/ \/__________/ \/_/     \_\/
-------------------------------------
===(0003) - Dexterity-Based Builds===
-------------------------------------
--------------------
Standard Sharp Build
SL120 Temple Knight (0-19 points remain)
-------------------------------------
Vit - 45
Int - 18
End - 35-40
Str - 14-18
Dex - 40-50
Mag – 6 (10, then delevel to 6 once Sage Freke's spell are obtained)
Faith - 16
Luck - 7
-------------------
5-Slot Meta Variant
SL120 Temple Knight (0-9 points remain)
-------------------------------------
Vit - 43
Int - 30
End - 35-40
Str - 14-18
Dex - 40
Mag – 6 (10, then delevel to 6 once Sage Freke's spell are obtained)
Faith - 16
Luck - 7
-------------------
NR Dexterity Splash
SL120 Temple Knight (2-7 points remain)
-------------------------------------
Vit - 43
Int - 18
End - 35-40
Str - 18
Dex - 40
Mag – 12
Faith - 16
Luck - 7
---------------------------------------------
(0003.i) – Common Dexterity Weapons/Utilities
---------------------------------------------
- Common Dexterity Weapons Include the Following:
1) Gripless/Hiltless +5
2) Meat Cleaver
3) Blind +5
4) Baby's Nail +5 (backup)
5) Sharp +5 Weapons
5a) Best basic shells for “Sharp” include: Secret Dagger, Shotel, Kilij,
Uchigatana, Sais, Estoc, Winged Spear.
6) Tearing +5 Weapons (backup/gag)
7) Mercury +5 Weapons (backup/gag)
9) (special) Morion Blade & Clever Rat's Ring (as left hand weapon when
two-handing main attack)
10) Northern Regalia (who knew?)
--------------------------------------
(0003.ii) - Dexterity Builds Explained
--------------------------------------
1) Hiltless gets top marks as a main in PvP for the Dexterity build. A Katana
style weapon that does even more damage than the dreaded +5 Sharp Uchigatana.
Sais/War Scythe comes in at a close second with its Mirdan Hammer style of
attack and high damage. Meat Cleaver is surprisingly amazing. It's the only
S-Ranked Dexterity weapon that gives you a large benefit in the 2-handed
stance and effectively shield crushes. Sharp Kilij +5 is an incredibly strong
2-handed weapon, and an Estoc in the right hands can absolutely ruin people.
2) For harassing weapons you have a wide range to choose from: Secret Dagger,
Shotel, and Kilij are all particularly brutal as harassing weapons, also
providing the largest swing in tactics on offense (as the 1-handed Strength
weapons are not as quick, or nuanced as either a Shotel, Secret Dagger or
Kilij, thus providing less swing factor). Estoc is also brutal for harassment.
All in all... loads of choices.
3) In the same vein as the Secret Dagger/Shotel switch, you can use a
Estoc/Winged Spear switch in unison with a shield. This can present a series
of problems for certain opponents, and should not be ignored.
4) The above stat-point distributions of both builds allow you to equip a
cracked Talisman of Beasts for use of the Second Chance miracle and the bugged
version of the Curse Weapon spell. Leveling Magic to 10 allows you to learn
Sage Freke's spells, then promptly deleveling it back to 6 allows you to keep
those points invested into Magic while still accessing the spells you've
learned (you will require Yuria however to remember spells).
Unlike Strength, depending on your style you can largely get away without
using Curse Weapon, which opens up the door to things like Warding, Cloak and
clouds.
5) 18 Strength gives you access to the strongest Dexterity weapon:
Gripless/Hiltless. You can also equip a Dark Silver Shield, or if you feel
like something with a bit more hit resistance, Steel Shield is an incredible
alternative if you find yourself sucking up attacks with a shield a lot. Also,
if you find the HP drain of Hiltless to be a bit too much, you can always
counterbalance that with a +5 Adjudicator's Shield.
6) Base Strength on a Temple Knight lets you gouge 4 more points into
Vitality/Dexterity. The choice shield now becomes +10 Kite Shield with 14
Strength, still allowing you to use the dreaded Hiltless/Uchigatana
two-handed as well as the Sais/War Scythe.
7) Dexterity without a doubt features the largest array of tactics and very
promising equips:
- Fatal Secret Dagger/Estoc for those adept at backstabs/ripostes.
- Dual Katana style
- A Mirdan Hammer style switch in the form of War Scythe.
- Turtle combos with Estoc/Winged Spear.
- Meat Cleaver
- Shield evasion with Blind & Shotel (it should be noted that Shotel is
superior).
- Shield combos nicely with the arguably finest 1-handed weapon: Kilij.
The widest array of melee tactics in the game by far. There is always a new
and interesting way to fight. If you decide to “steal” Freke's spells, then a
trip to Yuria and a few equip changes are the only difference between a
Dexterity and a Stealth build.
8) The 5-Slot build is a relatively new inclusion into this guide, but
something I (and potentially others) have been using for some time. It's a
meta build designed to gain access to both Warding and Curse in exchange for
10 or so Dexterity to better combat other Strength/Dex builds in a mirror
match. Altough the stat spread makes it slightly worse against every other
build essentially, I believe it to be the dominant of the 3 builds.
This version starts to suffer from a wide spread (unlike the Strength build
at 120). It may not be unwise to go to SL 125 to sink a few points into
Vitality.
9) The NR build is another great twist on Dexterity designed to provide a
solid answer to Warding (without running it yourself). Pretty much the same
as the Strength NR Splash, but with a worse stat spread. Still a great
alternative in a Warding-glutted meta. Not too bad for 6 points into Magic.
.--.           .
_.._         |__|         .'|
.' .._|        .--.     .| <  |
| '       __   |  |   .' |_ | |
__| |__  .:--.'. |  | .'     || | .'''-.
|__   __|/ |   \ ||  |'--.  .-'| |/.'''. \
| |   `" __ | ||  |   |  |  |  /    | |
| |    .'.''| ||__|   |  |  | |     | |
| |   / /   | |_      |  '.'| |     | |
| |   \ \._,\ '/      |   / | '.    | '.
|_|    `--'  `"       `'-'  '---'   '---'
---------------------------------
===(0004) - Faith-Based Builds===
---------------------------------
-----------------------
Standard Variable Build
SL120 Temple Knight
-------------------
Vit - 47-50+
Int – 15 (18 if wishing for a 3 spell slot variant)
End - 40
Str - 14-18 (14 Base allows for Mirdan Hammer use, 18 allows 2-handed Great
Axe use)
Dex - 12
Mag – 6 (10, then delevel to 6 once Sage Freke's spell are obtained)
Faith - 40-50
Luck – 7
Note on allotments: Depending on your desired Strength/Intelligence you could
go a few ways. Some people strongly prefer the use of 1-handed Guillotine Axe,
although I personally would choose a Knight's Sword due to increased
riposte/backstab damage. However, if I were to make a fresh Faith build
tomorrow I would almost certainly have 18 Strength for 2-handing a Great Axe.
If you choose both 18 Strength and 18 Intelligence you will need to make a
1-point sacrifice of either Vitality or Faith. Largely, since 2 slots are all
I'd want (Warding), I'd probably keep Intelligence at 15. The only other
1-slot spell of note would be Poison Cloud.
Also, with the advent of 40 Faith still being very PvP viable, Faith can start
to look oddly close to a Gouge build of sorts. Very keen.
-----------------------------------------
(0004.i) – Common Faith Weapons/Utilities
-----------------------------------------
- Common Faith Weapons Include the Following:
1) Large Sword of Moonlight
2) Blessed +5 weapons
2a) Best basic shells for “Blessed” include: Mirdan Hammer (of course),
Crescent Axe, Great Axe, Knight Sword, Guillotine Axe, Claymore, Great Sword.
3) Baby's Nail (backup)
4) Morion Blade & Clever Rat's Ring (as left hand weapon when two-handing
main weapons)
5) Scraping Spear
6) Istarelle
--------------------------------
(0004.ii) Faith Builds Explained
--------------------------------
1) Faith is without a doubt the finest beginner's build in Demon's Souls. You
do not require enchants, you have lots of life, great HP regeneration, a large
bonus to magic defence, free spell slots, a neat little AOE you can send
people sailing off a cliff with and the stifling Anti-Magic Field. There is no
end to how good this build is.
2) +5 “Blessed” weapons get top marks, with the ever-powerful Mirdan Hammer
and terrifying Great Axe leading the pack (followed by the mighty Claymore and
the Crescent Axe). Closely trailing is the awesome Large Sword of Moonlight,
which CANNOT BE BLOCKED. This thing can tear apart turtles with relative ease.
Istarelle is greatly overlooked due to high Dexterity requirement. However,
since the physical damage is almost non-existent you can use it with Ability
Shortage, and it still works great. An interesting choice for Faith builds
if you're into form over function.
3) You are given virtually every advantage over most other builds. With the
15 Intelligence required to access Second Chance mana (100MP) you are given
two spell slots to do with what you will. This opens up the doors to things
like Cloak and Poison Cloud, and the ever-present Warding (pick Warding).
4) Almost every build has to make sacrifices that a Faith build does not have
to make, providing Faith users with a distinct advantage. For Strength/Dex
builds you sacrifice life for damage. For gouging builds like NR/DBS you
sacrifice versatility in favor of Vitality gouging. Blueblood sacrifices HP
and versatility and even the use of a shield in favor of pure damage output.
All the melee builds aside from NR sacrifice spell slots in favor of Cursed
Weapon/Light Weapon. All other builds do not benefit from the notable magic
defence provided in a Faith build.
5) Regaining 18HP per second with the Adjudicator's Shield, Regenerator's Ring
and a +5 Blessed Weapon is nothing to laugh at. This puts time clearly on your
side in battles of attrition. Every time your opponent can't kill you, you
rapidly begin to regain life. HP regeneration is only good if you have a lot
of it, and Faith builds have the most.
6) The only clear disadvantage is reduced damage when compared to virtually
ever other build. However, the damage is still enough to claim kills on all
but the most Vitality-gouged opponents. If somebody is really whoring the
grass munching bust out Baby's Nail to put the battle back on your side. Since
most Faith builds don't have the insane killing capability of
Strength/Dexterity/BBS builds, you will find yourself reaching for your Nail
a bit more then you'd like (a necessary evil). Again, this is where the free
spell slots come in handy. Dropping a Cloud post backstab as I had mentioned
previously is a great strategy, and doesn't mess with your tempo.
7) Due to the large amount of magic damage on weapons, you will have improved
results against Warding, and casters with lowered magic defense. Yet another
bonus as Warding has once again return to dominance in the new meta.
,---,.     ,---,.   .--.--.
,'  .'  \  ,'  .'  \ /  /    '.
,---.' .' |,---.' .' ||  :  /`. /
|   |  |: ||   |  |: |;  |  |--`
:   :  :  /:   :  :  /|  :  ;_
:   |    ; :   |    ;  \  \    `.
|   :     \|   :     \  `----.   \
|   |   . ||   |   . |  __ \  \  |
'   :  '; |'   :  '; | /  /`--'  /
|   |  | ; |   |  | ; '--'.     /
|   :   /  |   :   /    `--'---'
|   | ,'   |   | ,'
`----'     `----'
-------------------------------------
===(0005) - Blueblood Sword Builds===
-------------------------------------
-------------------------
Standard 2-Hand BBS Build
SL120 Royal (2-7 points remain)
-------------------------------
Vit - 40-45
Int - 15
End - 35-40
Str - 12
Dex - 18
Mag - 30
Faith - 18
Luck - 20-25
-------------------------
Standard 1-Hand BBS Build
SL120 Royal (1-6 points remain)
-------------------------------
Vit - 40
Int - 15
End - 35-40
Str - 18
Dex - 18
Mag - 30
Faith - 18
Luck - 20
------------
Luckless BBS
SL120 Royal (14-19 points remain)
---------------------------------
Vit - 40
Int - 15
End - 35-40
Str - 18
Dex - 18
Mag - 30
Faith - 18
Luck - 7
---------------------------------------
(0005.i) – Common BBS Weapons/Utilities
---------------------------------------
- Common BBS Weapons Include the Following:
1) Blueblood Sword
2) Insanity Catalyst
3) Dark Silver Shield (or low Strength required shields)
4) (special) Morion Blade & Clever Rat's Ring (as left hand weapon when
two-handing main attack)
--------------------------------------------
(0005.ii) – Blueblood Sword Builds Explained
--------------------------------------------
1) This build's biggest strength is also its largest weakness. Since stats are
spread thin to equip the BBS, Vitality is well under the standard 50, which is
something to consider if you value gouged HP.
2) While the BBS is a crucial part of the build, the spell Light Weapon when
cast with an Insanity Catalyst is where a large portion of your damage comes
from. Try to keep this spell active at all times. Opponents familiar with the
build may seem passive at first, but often they're simply stalling before they
mount an assault, or it least waiting for you to become overly aggressive and
make a potentially fatal error. You can expect experienced duelers to really
begin to apply pressure once Light Weapon wears off.
3) When a BBS is wielded in both hands, like all Short Swords, it can stunlock
the opponent with a series of fast R1 attacks in succession. This can kill a
large chunk of the general Demon's Souls PvP populace within seconds. The only
build that will seemingly resist a swift death is Faith builds with gouged
Vitality wearing a DSS on their backs to further increase their passive magic
resistance. But even this “resistance” is relative, as a proper BBS user can
bring even the mightiest Faith builds to its knees if they are given
opportunity.
It's also a melee build that doesn't fully require 40 Endurance due to absurd
combo damage (2-3 swings will almost always crack a SC in phantom vs phantom
combat), and BBS itself isn't a stamina-hungry weapon. This is good seeing as
the spread is incredibly wide... 5 points can mean a lot potentially some place
else.
4) The build variants are hardly different, and the more players will
generally opt towards the one with more damage and no shield, while people
trying a BBS build for the first time should use the secondary one.
Considering 2-handed “better” is relatively mixed here. If you're good with
parries, you could make a convincing case in favor of a 1-handed BBS build,
adding a more varied selection of strategies to your bag, mixing 1-handed and
2-handed use.
It should also be noted since almost all the damage from a BBS build is magic,
and not physical, it can be used quite well in one hand even if requirements
for Strength are not met. This also makes it basically immune to Scrape
tactics.
5) Turtles with DSS +5 can become a problem too. While they can't withstand a
full stamina bar of attacks, it's not uncommon for them to be able to make a
few calculated blocks and escape with a well-timed roll while you whiff on
your last swing... as they eagerly countdown towards the end of your Light
Weapon buff.
6) Continuing with push, it's a particularly strong move in the hands of a
skilled BBS player. First off, it deals damage with Light Weapon. Secondly, it
guarantees the following swing, and said swing will do additional Direct
Damage. Finally, since it sets up a swing, it can setup a brief stunlock
(hampered only by range). Truly a brutal technique for very little stamina
investment if you whiff.
7) Due to extreme magic damage, BBS annihilates Warding. Also, since casters
take extra damage from magic due to reduced magic defense, BBS can put them
away quickly with even probing swipes (see: 1-handed running R1).
8) Experts with both larger and longer weapons can present two notable
problems (Claymore users can be particularly hard to handle on the range
front, followed quickly by polearm users). They can either a) poke you outside
of your active range, or b) swing into your combos with uninterruptible
attacks, and crush you. Try to make them whiff on a swing or two first before
attacking (which is a solid tactic anyways).
GA/CA/MC will 1-2-3 swing into your combos with this vital piece of knowledge
at their disposal: they will eat one BBS hit and cancel your R1 string, while
you will eat 1-3 Great Axe hits. Since you're swinging, it's likely to be all
3 hits. Effective attack crushing at its finest.
Poles are slightly different. Often firing ranged pokes at first until finally
trying to line you up for a R1 string as you approach for a R1 string of your
own.
9) Luckless BBS is a new build aimed at players who focus more on combos and
harassing strikes then BSes/ripostes. The damage per hit with base Luck