From Software The Dark Souls II Megathread™

[Kanedias]

i don't get why they're nerfing syan's damage. the stunlock was the only problem

I don't agree, the damage on the 2h r1s is too high. I have used the weapon a lot, and the best tactic (which I almost never did because it's extremely boring) is just to play defensive, wait for them to roll or try to do an attack, and press r1. You do not even need to combo it into another attack or anything (its safer this way), and it will consistently win trades. The generous hitbox makes it very easy to hit rolls, too.

I have the Heide Greatlance in the same build and even though the Greatlance has great scaling because I have 50 faith, it doesn't do that much more damage than the Syan's Halberd, and the Syan's is significantly faster, unparryable and the 2h r1s have too little recovery making them very hard to punish. The only way you get punished usually is if you go for a stunlock, don't realize you whiffed the first attack, and whiff the followup as well.

Syan's Halberd is like a superior lance.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

Jester's adds some of that magic defense that havel's/ironclad lacks and frees a ring slot so you can still fastroll. Ruler's sword/Syan's Halberd require actual "work" to win while santier/avelyn or the helix combo are pure noob canons that deal insane damage. Roll parrying banana stick + mundane dagger on backup ensure that when your methods fail you can still ruin their day.

 

[Kanedias]

It sounds like they're removing the infinite stunlock, and if that's the only thing they change, it's going to be OP still. We'll have to see....the patch notes are not clear and From always does stealth changes anyways.

Doesn't matter. The tryhards will find a way. There will always be something better in games like this.

i don't get why they're nerfing syan's damage. the stunlock was the only problem, otherwise it's the only good stabby dex weapon with some reach (since spears are crap)

This makes no sense: you said "good" and "dex weapon".

I have a dex build and it's pretty good, I even kill overlevelled scum with it. Dex weapons are underrated, in my opinion. I use the Blacksteel Katana with the Warped Sword in the offhand (sometimes powerstanced) and an Alonne Greatbow. The Blacksteel Katana does decent damage and it has an excellent moveset.

I think people exaggerate the inferiority of physical weapons. I do not think they are that bad at all, and they let you switch around between various weapons without having to worry about losing the buff.

 

[DragoFireheart]

I have a dex build and it's pretty good, I even kill overlevelled scum with it. Dex weapons are underrated, in my opinion. I use the Blacksteel Katana with the Warped Sword in the offhand (sometimes powerstanced) and an Alonne Greatbow. The Blacksteel Katana does decent damage and it has an excellent moveset.

I think people exaggerate the inferiority of physical weapons. I do not think they are that bad at all, and they let you switch around between various weapons without having to worry about losing the buff.

But my goal is to be a tryhard. Maybe at some point I'll fashion souls and honor bow and shit, but for invading sinners I want hate email. The only way is to tryhard and enrage them.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

All of my PvP ranks are from invisible mundane avelyns. Surprise 1-2 shot FTW.

 

[DragoFireheart]

All of my PvP ranks are from invisible mundane avelyns. Surprise 1-2 shot FTW.

But Chameleon is cooler! (and easier to obtain for a has-a-life-scrub like me.)

 

[Shadenuat]

oh man.. the barbed club WTF

And same moveset and poise damage as mace. From cannot into normal weaponry. I'd understand if it had less damage but good bleed...

A true tryhard would wear Ironclad for even more defense.

Eh, Jester's probably allow more freedom in stat and rings allocation. And if you're wearing Jester's coat + best gauntlets/helm/boots and pop GMB it's not like you lack in defences.

This makes no sense: you said "good" and "dex weapon".

Syan's is a dex weapon

All of my PvP ranks are from invisible mundane avelyns. Surprise 1-2 shot FTW.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Eh, Jester's probably allow more freedom in stat and rings allocation.

But with 99 Vit what's the issue?

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

I still don't understand some "strike" weapons. Drakekeeper's warpick/King's UGS don't get that strange damage boost that most Hammer-class weapons do. This is what happens when you don't tie damage types directly to defense types.

Eh, Jester's probably allow more freedom in stat and rings allocation.

But with 99 Vit what's the issue?

I have 99 vit and it doesn't help that much. Without the weight rings you'll be fat-rolling in no time with some heavy armor/weapons.

 

[DragoFireheart]

I still don't understand some "strike" weapons. Drakekeeper's warpick/King's UGS don't get that strange damage boost that most Hammer-class weapons do. This is what happens when you don't tie damage types directly to defense types.

From has shitty programmers.

/END OF RHINE

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

A true tryhard would wear Ironclad for even more defense. Ironclad + Gyrm Greathelm + Havel pieces + a Syan's. If you're sufficiently levelled that build can be unbeatable by normal builds because you force them to do damage to you straight up, without criticals, and backstabs are the main weakness of Syan's Halberd. They can have a stupid amount of defense and just backpedal and press r1 from time to time and win fights.

At least the Helix Halberd stuff can be parried and if you're close to them and to the side you take significantly lower damage from it. I'd say Syan's is worse...which is a shame, because Syan's Halberd is one of my favorite weapons. It just gets really OP with anti-backstab defense and the inflated resistances that high levels have.

But will Syan's still be good after the patch?

I must become the best tryhard. Sinners must suffer.

Before they nerf Santier's you should really try the avelyn combo. 1H roll R1 stunlock of doom then followed by a quick L1 volley of bolts. Just watch out for people that can parry and anyone who's been pwnd by this move. Almost all havel monsters do this exclusively. Try with stone ring if the stunlock doesn't work.

 

[Kanedias]

I got to max rank in 2 perfectly balanced characters and I'm in the second-to-last rank in all my other characters (except the dex build because its recent and I'm focused on grinding for Great Chaos Fireball on my pyromancer build first).

Bring it on, scrubs. Get good.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

Yeah well it only took me a few days to get to rank 3 in BoB. I could never suffer through that with a proper "build"

 

[Murk]

I'm at a wall with this guy. Havels set + gyrm great helm (guess he is the ultimate tryhard) powerstancing helix halberd and santier's spear with gower's ring + GMB. I just have no clue wtf to do. He hits like a brick, hits fast, and has so much goddamn defense I can't do shit about it.

 

[DragoFireheart]

I got to max rank in 2 perfectly balanced characters and I'm in the second-to-last rank in all my other characters (except the dex build because its recent and I'm focused on grinding for Great Chaos Fireball on my pyromancer build first).

Bring it on, scrubs. Get good.

/toobusywithlife

Give me a scrub build and I'll git gud later.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

I'm at a wall with this guy. Havels set + gyrm great helm (guess he is the ultimate tryhard) powerstancing helix halberd and santier's spear with gower's ring + GMB. I just have no clue wtf to do. He hits like a brick, hits fast, and has so much goddamn defense I can't do shit about it.

This is pretty much the majority of my blue orb invasions. Even avelyns do baby damage here. Magic banana parry stick + mundane dagger to the rescue. I once did a 1k dagger riposte (all stats ~50) to a havel monster...

 

[Surf Solar]

I just played a match against someone I saw from far away wielding avelyns. I got caught in his burst fire and it did... nothing? Is the patch already in effect? Or did he forget to infuse that stuff? I am wearing full Alonne Captains and usually cast all the faith buffs before a match.

 

[Murk]

Ugh, now I have to farm for a m scimitar? oh fuck this, i'm going to go back to co-oping =((((

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

Ugh, now I have to farm for a m scimitar? oh fuck this, i'm going to go back to co-oping =((((

You mean triple-havelyn-monster ganking at the iron keep bridge co-op?

 

[Murk]

Your version of this game is grossssss

 

[Shadenuat]

Playing with Bandit's Axe. Cool weapon, fast, good reach and poise damage, adequate damage (for a fast one-handed weapon), cool running and jumping attacks with decent tracking.
Plus, you know
IT'S AN AX
I AX PEOPLE
Two-handed moveset is trash though. R1 is just a slash attack from right to left and back with poor reach, you can spam it sure, but it's hard to catch anyone with those slashes. R2 is like flourish and then... some random attack from opposite side... this is what I hate about two-handing axes in this game, it's so banal and uninspired. It's a heavy chunk of metal on long handle, you can do large swipes, you can stab with it like hammer, you can let it go for a while and swipe with one hand before catching it again with both and continue hitting. Yet all axes in this game have either weird flourishes or just hit the ground. Or just copy greatsword moveset.

But at least I'm satisfied with one-handed, fine. I use Target Shield with it like with estoc. A combination of diagonal and horizontal slashes with powerful vertical strikes works nicely. The fact that I finally rebinded a few keys and can do guard breaks and jumping attack helps a lot. And riposte/backstab with this lovely piece of engraved metal on a wood handle hurts like a bitch. Certanly more than an estoc, lol.

edit: found use for 2-handed moveset - since it's so fast, costs little stamina and is 180 degrees, and tracks enemies and you can attack in any direction, it's great at punishing dagger builds/backstab-fishers.

 

[Gay-Lussac]

Just gave up on the company of champions. I liked the fact that it removed Co-op faggotry from the game, which is akin to cheating IMO, but boss fights were a bit too brutal. That dual sentry dude on the boat kicked my ass one too many times, even though on my third try I died with just one hit left to finish him (tried going full rambo on him when I noticed he was low, always a terrible idea with bosses). Without the covenant I killed him on the "first" try.

That, coupled with the fact that you're not getting shit for being in the covenant, no better drop rates or souls, and it's not like I'm going to farm awestones - these things should just drop from every boss fight and when you go through all of them you should already be max rank in the covenant - made me just quit it. Probably gonna join the blue sentinels next, even though I'm hearing you almost never get summoned. Do I really need to have the ring equipped for that?

 

[Shadenuat]

The key to win Dual Sentinel is to bait his mace side. I'm not sure about CoP, but on NG+ there are also 2 more mobs with him, did you get those because of the covenant?

Blue Sentinels suck. You need Blue Eye orbs to do anything there. Join Bellkeepers while you can. Then try Blood bros.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

Double estoc stunlock rape just looks ridiculous. L1/R1/L1/R1 etc...

 

[Murk]

Company of Champions doesn't spawn the extra enemies; it's not like NG+ it's just bigger numbers. The Vanq seal is pretty tight tho mang, if you plan to punch shit.

As a Blue Sentinel you can just invade people and not build up sin; it's like the safer version of the Brotherhood of Blood. You can play guardian and equip the ring, or you can just use blue eye orbs. Those are easy as fuck to farm off of Old Knights.