Phantom poise damage?

I noticed this a couple days ago when I was using this build (http://mmdks.com/44v9) in oolacile. I believe it happened twice in different fights but I'm only sure about the second one since I was watching for it.

He's using a claymore, running 2h r1 but I dodge it. Then he hits me with a 2h r1 and I was staggered by it. I know it was the first hit on me because my health was full before the 2h r1, but it somehow staggered me even with 61 poise.

So do phantom hits sometimes register poise damage? Or do they always and I just haven't noticed it?

They do register poise damage. I'm not sure if they do it 100% of the time, but I notice it enough to guess that it does poise damage almost all the time.

poise is managed in the same way as bleed and poison are. you roll through, don't get hit but are still affected by the ailment. that's another reason i love the large club/offhand jaggend ghost blade combo: they roll the 1hR2 but get staggered by the L1 afterwards.

That is really annoying, I don't know how I didn't notice it until now. Just got 3 shot with 1H R1s from a DMB BSS, second hit staggered my 61 poise due to this.