Dark Souls II

[Tyler]

Afty, I felt the exact same way in my first 10 hours or so. It just wasn't clicking with me. Check my earlier posts where even I compared the movement to Demon's Souls soul form. But the good news is, it gets better, a lot better. Like I said before, I don't think each subsequent Souls game should be thought as an "improvement" over the previous. They're all different beasts and should be tackled in their own way. This involves a lot of unlearning and adapting.

[ProblemSmoker]

Hehe....got grym greatshield in doors of pharros (100% fire resistance) and Raped smelter demon in first go......got his armor also....amazing set..

[Tyler]

Nice!

 

The beauty of Dark Souls is that all other games fade in the background. Normally I should be really excited about Reaper Of Souls coming out on Tuesday (which I have on preorder) or thinking about buying a PS4 but here I am happily hacking and slashing and throwing badass spells in Drangleic.

[ProblemSmoker]

Dark souls 2 WORLD MAP::

 

 

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/2285/htkq.jpg

 

[The JACKAL]

Screw this. Im forced to do a looong 20 min fight with a boss and no matter how high your HP he's going to 1 hit you. And if it doesn't kill you he'll take 95% of your HP. Same could be said about blocking since it'll drain full stamina leaving u open and the next hit that follows is a 1 shot. Not a hard boss but when u do only 10-15 dmg and stuck there for that long you will take a hit. That and y gotta worry about weapon durability and applying bleed to reduce the time and again that animation for applying bleed will leave you vurnerable.

Edited March 24, 2014 by The JACKAL

[Aftrunner]

So I am going for a Quality build for the first run. Mostly so I can try out as many weapons as possible. Currently have 20 STR and 15 DEX and will probably end up with 30 STR and 20-25 DEX.

 

So I was thinking I could pump some points into Faith or Int. Is that viable? I will also have to spend points into ATT then. Lets say I wanna put in 20 points into it, which is more useful Faith or Int?

[aj21]

Lets say I wanna put in 20 points into it, which is more useful Faith or Int?

int

faith won't have good spells in these many points.

[Tyler]

So I am going for a Quality build for the first run. Mostly so I can try out as many weapons as possible. Currently have 20 STR and 15 DEX and will probably end up with 30 STR and 20-25 DEX.

 

So I was thinking I could pump some points into Faith or Int. Is that viable? I will also have to spend points into ATT then. Lets say I wanna put in 20 points into it, which is more useful Faith or Int?

 

Both are equally good. However to wield some of the staffs you need both. Also Hexes require both. I'm currently playing a 'battlemage' type of build with heavy investment in INT/ATT and just bare minimum in FTH (so I can use the staff I wanted). INT is serving me well so far. If you're going for a quality build I'd say don't go for magic at all. With the way leveling works in game you really need a good amount of investment in your chosen stats. You level up very fast but the bonuses you get for investing points are pretty low per point spent. Also magic really needs ATT as well (more for casting speed than slots) same as how melee builds need END/VIT/ADP. Just get a bow and buy a shitload of poison arrows/knives for your ranged needs.

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Also wow... Smelter Demon down in the very first attempt! Hooray for magic and Lucatiel!

Edited March 24, 2014 by Tyler

[The JACKAL]

Current gear and stats. lvl 178. Started NG+ ,Already used the bonfire astetic in sevral areas so now foes there will be ng++. Has to be said "Visions of despair" .

[Tyler]

I used the Ascetic on the last Brightstone Cove bonfire to get the Moonlight Greatsword. The enemies are easy but the damn boss is pretty much one-shotting me now. Wouldn't have been a problem if it wasn't was for the pesky spiders in the room.

[Aftrunner]

Mytha with Jester. ROFL. He pretty much solo'd the boss. I had summoned him for shits and giggles and then just watched awestruck as he completely wrecked her sh*t.

 

Edit @ Ty Yeah guess spellcasting is out then. Might dabble with Pyro since I have stopped leveling up now (at around SL 60).

Edited March 25, 2014 by Aftrunner

[Tyler]

Mytha with Jester. ROFL. He pretty much solo'd the boss. I had summoned him for shits and giggles and then just watched awestruck as he completely wrecked her sh*t.

 

Edit @ Ty Yeah guess spellcasting is out then. Might dabble with Pyro since I have stopped leveling up now (at around SL 60).

 

Pyro is just as strong as it was in DaS, but now even that scales with the magic stats. But I believe you should be able to get some mileage out of it by just upgrading the gloves.

 

And yeah Jester is probably the Iron Tarkus of DaS2.

 

In general the NPC summons are a lot better this time around. People like to give Lucatiel a lot of sh*t for her uselessness but she tanked Smelter Demon long enough for me to blast him to bits. Probably wouldn't have been able to beat him without her.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Tyler

[(A)Kira]

Roaming around Sinner's Rise, is there any good greatsword I could pick in that area or areas before that?

[Tyler]

Those two-handed sword knights in Lost Bastille sometimes drop their swords. Also I think a Greatsword is found in No Man's Wharf. There's also the Bastard Sword in Forest of Fallen Giants.

[meaNmachine]

* Vigor:
Points of Vigor:-----------| <20 | >=20 <50 | >=50 |
HP Gained per Point:----| 30 | 20 | 5 |

VGR is the primary source of HP in your stats. Other stats raise HP, but VGR adds the most HP per point spent. Additionally, VGR increases your resistance to Petrification.

* Endurance:
Points of Endurance:--------| <20 | >=20 |
Stamina gained per Point:--| 2 | 1 |

END increases slightly your physical defense. Additionally, END increases Poise along with ADP. According to the guide, the guide, increasing the lower of the two stats increases your poise by an equivalent amount (i.e.: 12 END 10 ADP -> 12 END 12 ADP = +2 POISE).

* Vitality:
Points of Vitality:------------------| <29 | >=30 <49 | >=50 <70 | >=70 <98 | =98 |
Equip Load gained per Point:--| 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 per 2 | 0.5 |

VIT now increases equip load.

* Attunement:
Points of Attunement:-|<10|10-12|13-15|16-19|20-24|25-29|30-39|40-49|50-59|60-74|75-99|
Total Spell Slots:-------|..0..|...1...|....2....|....3....|...4...|....5....|....6....|...7...|....8....|....9....|..10..|

ATT increases your Spell Slots. It also is the best way to increase your Casting Speed. Additionally, ATTunement slightly increases Curse Resistance and Agility. Finally, an unstated effect of ATTunement is that it increases the number of uses each spell has before being exhausted. This increase varies from spell to spell.

* Strength:
Points of Strength:------| 1 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 99 |
Total Attack: Strength:-| 50 | 57 | 80 | 102 | 140 | 155 | 162 | 170 | 185 | 192 | 200 |

STR increases your Total Attack with strength weapons. Total Attack is multiplied by your weapon's scaling value. STR is primarily used to allow your character to wield stronger weapons. You can two-hand a weapon to double your strength value for the purposes of wielding weapons (i.e.: Longsword: 10 STR; you: 5 STR. 2-Hand the weapon to wield it effectively). Furthermore, STR increases Physical Defense.

* Dexterity:
Points of Dexterity:------| 1 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 99 |
Total Attack: Dexterity:-| 50 | 57 | 80 | 102 | 140 | 155 | 162 | 170 | 185 | 192 | 200 |

DEX is much like STR. It increases Physical Defense as a secondary boost. However, where STR and DEX differ is that Dexterity adds to your Bleed BNS and Poison BNS (BNS stands for Bonus) stats, that is, it makes those effects stronger on weapons with Poison or Bleed added properties.

 

* Adaptability:
Primary Increase: Agility
Secondary Increases: HP, Poison BNS, Poison RES, Bleed RES, Petrify RES, Curse RES.
Poise Increase with Endurance

ADP does a little to a lot. By increasing Agility, ADP reduces the time it takes to perform most actions such as drinking from your Estus Flask. Apparently, with max agility, the time it takes to drink from your Flask is reduced by almost half a second. Of note is the fact that ADP does not increase Parry Speed.

ADP and END have a synergistic effect on each other in that raising the lower of the two stats increases Poise by a point per stat point spent.

* Intelligence:
Points of Intelligence:---| 1 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 99 |
Magic Bonus:-------------| 50 | 57 | 80 | 102 | 140 | 155 | 162 | 170 | 185 | 192 | 200 |

INT is the primary stat for Sorceries. Intelligence and Faith both contribute to your Fire Bonus stat. This is not like Poise with END and ADP; you can raise both stats and get the same bonus from each. INT also increases your Magic, Fire, and Dark RES stats. To raise Dark Bonus, you must raise both INT and FTH, much as you would have to to raise Poise with END and ADP. Finally, INT also increases Casting Speed slightly.

* Faith:
Points of Faith:-------------| 1 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 99 |
Total Lightning Bonus:----| 50 | 57 | 80 | 102 | 140 | 155 | 162 | 170 | 185 | 192 | 200 |

FTH is the primary stat for increasing the power of Miracles and Lightning. ATT, INT, and FTH also increase the amount of castings you have access to for each spell, though this bonus varies from spell to spell. FTH provides Fire Bonus. FTH boosts Fire, Lightning, and Dark RES, as well as Bleed Bonus. Finally, both FTH and INT are required to raise Dark Bonus.

 

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/693331-dark-souls-ii/68745726

[Aftrunner]

Bastard Sword is so good. Its what I am using. Even at +5 its just completely tearing everything apart. R1 has a wide swing that can hit multiple enemies. R2 is a downward chop thats perfect for narrow corridors. And it stunlocks almost everything. Its faster than ultra greatswords. And its got a really good range.

 

Unless I find a Balder Side Sword thats gonna be my game finishing weapon.

[Tyler]

I don't think the BSS is in the game, or at least I haven't come across one yet.

 

I lack the strength for the Bastard Sword (though it's not a very high req. I can probably grind out those points), but it will definitely be the starter weapon for my melee build.

[Aftrunner]

Yeah AFAIK no Baller swag sword in this one. RIP.

 

Bastard sword is probably the best weapon you can get early for a melee build if you are going to focus on STR. The DEX requirements are not super high. The move set is fantastic. And most importantly you can get it really early. Like right after you beat the first boss.

 

I might switch it out at some point since I now have like 25 STR and get a weapon that scales better with that stat but I doubt think I will do that. Pure STR weapons are always better two handed. And honestly for me two handing in this game is ridiculously tough because of the nerf to dodging.

 

Initially was gonna go for the Halbred but its got a really poor moveset for PvE IMO. Unless you are two handing it in PvP in which case it destroys.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Aftrunner

[(A)Kira]

Ok, the bastard sword it is. Where is it found?

[Tyler]

Ok, the bastard sword it is. Where is it found?

Forest of Fallen Giants. Forgot exactly where though. IIRC it's in the area opened by the soldier key to the left of the ladder from the second bonfire. The area with the turtle warriors.