The second installment of theacclaimedDark Soulsseriesis certainly the most divisive of the trilogy. While the game has its faults, there are many aspects of the game that many fans can appreciate. One of these is the weapon selection.Dark Souls 2has the largest choice of weapons in all three games and also introduced the power-stance mechanic.
Like allSoulsgames,DS2is tough, with enemies often waiting around dark corners, ready to cut players down. Choosing the right weapon to take on the land of Drangleic is a big choice and not every weapon is suitable for a first-time run. Many of the weapons take time and patience to master and are better suited to veterans of the series.
10Stone Soldier Spear
Dropped by Stone Soldiers around Drangleic Castle.
The Stone Soldier Spear has an excellent range and deals a good amount of damage for a dexterity-based weapon. The spear also scales well with strength, but it’s dex players that will get the most out of this fast attacking weapon.
On the surface, there is very little to master about the Stone Soldier Spear, as it uses a simple but effective thrust attack. Players will need to be precise when attacking, as many of the animations leave the player open. Enemies will need to be dispatched one at a time, which requires excellent timing and awareness.
9Whip
Found in Forest of Fallen Giants at the Soldiers' Rest Bonfire (Scholar of the First Sin).
This fast and long-ranged weapon deals a good amount of damage and has excellent dexterity scaling. The whip is perfect for lightweight and agile dex builds, with its quick animation and low weight.
The whip requires practice to use, as the attack hits only a single point. Players will need to be precise when taking down enemies, as larger mobs can quickly overwhelm them. This weapon isn’t ideal for new players and is best used for challenge runs or duel-wielded with a shorter blade-type weapon.
8Twin Blade
Found in The Lost Bastille in a chest or bought from Weaponsmith Ornifex.
The Twin Blade inDark Souls 2can be a highly effective weapon, dealing a lot of damage in a short amount of time. The weapon is reasonably light and fast attacking.Enemies’ health bar can be quickly whittledaway with multiple attacks.
Where the Twin Blade can fall short is when multiple enemies are attacking and the player mistimes an attack. The animation for the twin blade is quite long and players can get locked in the attack, which can leave them open to a counter-attack.
7Manikin Claws
Rare Drop by Claw Manikins in Harvest Valley.
The Manikin Claws offer adecent amount of damagefor their size and are great for causing bleeding to enemies. Although they are a rare drop, duel-wielding Manikin Claws will inflict a lot of damage over time, and with their lightweight, they are a great dex-build weapon.
Using the Manikin Claws as the main weapon for aDark Souls 2run takes confidence, as they have a short range and lower damage than larger swords. Defeating a boss will take longer and require more skill in dodging and timing.
6Great Scythe
Sold By Titchy Gren/Dropped By Parasite Spiders.
Primarily for dex builds, the Great Scythe has the longest reach in its class and is a solid weapon for higher-skilled players. Dealing 130 points of physical damage, the great scythe is an effective weapon and has B-class scaling with dexterity.
As one of the longest-reaching melee weapons in the game, only the blade does damage, meaning the great scythe requires a lot of room and skill to wield effectively.Players may struggle if mobbedby multiple enemies, but with its fast attack speed, mastering this weapon can mean killing off enemies before they can get too close.
5Parrying Dagger
Dropped by Parasite Spiders in Brightstone Cove Tseldora, Chest in The Lost Bastille.
With its low damage and short range, the Parrying Dagger isn’t effective as a main weapon. Duel-wielding Parrying Daggers are a little better but are best used by experienced players looking for a challenge run.
As a main weapon, they may fail. As an off-hand option, the Parrying Dagger comes into its own. They are one of the most effective parrying items in the game, above even many shields. New players will want to equip this weapon in their off-hand and use its heavy attack to practice the parrying mechanic on enemies.
4Dragon Tooth
Found in Belfry Luna near Vorgel, The Sinner Invasion spawn (Scholar of the First Sin).
The Dragon Tooth is one of the hardest-hitting weapons in the game and gives a colossal 313 damage before upgrading. It’s one of the go-to weapons for late-game strength builds but is most effectively used in new game plus.
The weapon requires a whooping 50 points in strength to use and, like all the largest weapons, has a slow attack that can eat away at a player’s stamina. Using the Dragon Tooth requires excellent timing and stamina management. When mastered, the weapon can makeshort work of almost every boss fightand gives players an additional 50 points of fire and magic defense.
3Caestus
Purchased for 1000 souls from Merchant Hag Melentia
The Caestus is one of only two fist weapons in the game and is best duel-wielded for maximum effectiveness. These weapons canstun enemies if power-stancedand are ideal options for challenge runs.
Using the Caestus will require players to be highly skilled at the game, as the damage inflicted is low and players will need to get up close and personal in boss fights. The scaling on the Caestus is one of the best in the game, with the strength and dex scaling starting at A and B respectively.
2Work Hook
Found in a Mimic Chest in Earthen Peak.
This lightweight weapon has low damage and a short reach, but is great for players who are looking for a challenge run or even a pirate-themed run. Best duel-wielded for maximum effect, the Work Hooks are not recommended for new players.
For players looking to build an effective dexterity build, the work hook can be a good way of increasing the stat they need. The weapon gives players +5 for dex but -3 for adaptability. With its low weight, the work hook can be easily equipped in an additional slot, giving players the stat boost they need for a more effective weapon.
1Sanctum Mace
Dropped by Sanctum Soldiers wielding hammers, on a corpse in Sanctum City.
Introduced in theDark Souls 2 DLC, Crown of The Sunken King, The Sanctum Mace is a weapon that can only be effectively used if players have decent resistance to poison.
The Sanctum Mace deals a large amount of damage, but like all larger weapons, has a longer attack time, meaning timing and spacing are important when used against multiple enemies. What makes the Sanctum Mace even more of a challenge to use is that it causes poison build-up on the user. This means you do not only damage enemies but yourself every time you attack.
