Build advice

So I plan on making a pure PvE character in order to play through the game a few times and collect everything there is to get so I can achieve 1000/1000g. I'm gonna write down the list of everything I need for the achievements, and I want to do it in such a way as to avoid PvP while still leveling up in the Gravelord and Darkmoon for their respective miracles.

What I would like to know, is what would you guys call an extremely effective PvE build. Effective weapons, shields, armor, anything.

I must admit, I've always wanted to use the Gravelord sword.

you are going to need to narrow it down some. what is an "extremely effective" for one player will be different for another.

speed or power?
magic, pyromancy or miracles?
hybrid or dedicated character?

there are so many directions you can take this. have you used the character creator?

http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/

a terrific tool for figuring out your builds: stats, eqp loadouts, spells and weapon damage.

Great shields for one are very effective against bosses and heavy striking enemys.

the Resist stat is also very effective against damage recieved from enemys.

use a weapon that can stagger easy. 45Vit and Ring of favor and protection

if you want it to be easy level up your magic to 50 as soon as you can and get 4 or 5 att slots, the first time i made a sorcerer build i found the game to be so easy.

djgq42 wrote:you are going to need to narrow it down some. what is an "extremely effective" for one player will be different for another.

speed or power?
magic, pyromancy or miracles?
hybrid or dedicated character?

there are so many directions you can take this. have you used the character creator?

http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/

a terrific tool for figuring out your builds: stats, eqp loadouts, spells and weapon damage.

I just want something that will get me through NG, NG+ and half of NG++ stupid easy. I'm open to anything though I'm partial to warriors.

I agree with Rant on the magic suggestion. Crystal Soul Spears tear bosses apart, no matter your NG+#. I'd recommend 45 Int and Logan's catalyst; 34 Att is a good number.

For melee weapons, personally I find the Katanas make PvE the easiest. They're fast, deal a lot of damage, have decent range, and bleed. Can't ask for more than that! Or, if you don't mind the weapon, you could go Str instead and use the BKGA--that also makes PvE a joke. As for shields... learn to play without them! Save your left hand for your catalyst and for parrying, and switch between 1-handing and 2-handing your main-hand weapon depending on the situation. Don't need shields in this game.


Edit: I'd recommend you do this first:

http://tinyurl.com/6rtye3m (Your choice of armor)

Then move to this:

http://tinyurl.com/73r2ry3 (Your choice of armor and spells)

You can easily get the first done in NG and the second in NG+, without farming for either. Don't forget to buy all the spells in each playthrough, so you can attune multiples. This'll easily get you through any NG+. After that, you can just keep pumping Vit to 50 and End to 40, and finally raise Str to 40 also so you can wield whatever you fancy.

BLA1NE wrote:I agree with Rant on the magic suggestion. Crystal Soul Spears tear bosses apart, no matter your NG+#. I'd recommend 45 Int and Logan's catalyst; 34 Att is a good number.

For melee weapons, personally I find the Katanas make PvE the easiest. They're fast, deal a lot of damage, have decent range, and bleed. Can't ask for more than that! Or, if you don't mind the weapon, you could go Str instead and use the BKGA--that also makes PvE a joke. As for shields... learn to play without them! Save your left hand for your catalyst and for parrying, and switch between 1-handing and 2-handing your main-hand weapon depending on the situation. Don't need shields in this game.


Edit: I'd recommend you do this first:

http://tinyurl.com/6rtye3m (Your choice of armor)

Then move to this:

http://tinyurl.com/73r2ry3 (Your choice of armor and spells)

You can easily get the first done in NG and the second in NG+, without farming for either. Don't forget to buy all the spells in each playthrough, so you can attune multiples. This'll easily get you through any NG+. After that, you can just keep pumping Vit to 50 and End to 40, and finally raise Str to 40 also so you can wield whatever you fancy.

With such a high Int, I could make a very deadly magic weapon, maybe a Zweihander?

EDIT: Or even better, a a Magic/Enchanted Uchigatana/Iaito! If I go for the Uchigatana I just have to make sure I get a Bow and Arrows from him first, so I can get the Drake Sword. (I'm trying to get everything besides the boss soul weapons on my first run through so I don't have to worry about it when the game is harder)

DON'T KILL THE UNDEAD MERCHANT.

I HATE THAT EVERYONE KILLS THAT POOR GUY FOR HIS UCHI.

:x

Seriously, he sells very good, underrated wares. Warrior's Round Shield, cheap arrows, lloyd's talismans, residence key, chain set, etc. He's worth much more alive than dead, no doubt. Especially since you can just by all the Uchis you want from Shiva. It's a complete and utter waste to kill the Undead Merchant. I don't know where everyone's getting this idea that they have to kill him from, but it really gets me riled up. That poor guy!

Also, with all that Dex, you should be using a normally upgraded Uchi. So use CMW on that and it'll wreck everything. You could of course go the Str path instead of Dex, if you prefer. I mainly just proposed Dex because I prefer it over Str (I'll take a Katana over a Zwei anyday... hell I'll take my Painting Guardian Sword over a Zwei!).

BLA1NE wrote:DON'T KILL THE UNDEAD MERCHANT.

I HATE THAT EVERYONE KILLS THAT POOR GUY FOR HIS UCHI.

:x

Seriously, he sells very good, underrated wares. Warrior's Round Shield, cheap arrows, lloyd's talismans, residence key, chain set, etc. He's worth much more alive than dead, no doubt. Especially since you can just by all the Uchis you want from Shiva. It's a complete and utter waste to kill the Undead Merchant. I don't know where everyone's getting this idea that they have to kill him from, but it really gets me riled up. That poor guy!

Also, with all that Dex, you should be using a normally upgraded Uchi. So use CMW on that and it'll wreck everything. You could of course go the Str path instead of Dex, if you prefer. I mainly just proposed Dex because I prefer it over Str (I'll take a Katana over a Zwei anyday... hell I'll take my Painting Guardian Sword over a Zwei!).

Well it's a little late for that I'm afraid, I bought everything I wanted from him and then killed him.

I'm making my way through Undead Parish now, I have 60 stacks of Soul Arrow (which is admittedly a little weaker than I thought)

Also, you keep suggesting all these things I can't get until the second half of the game! What am I supposed to do until then? XD

That's because I don't count NG... In all honesty, when you can beat the game in a few hours, "first half" doesn't have the same meaning anymore. You can use pretty much anything to beat the Bell Gargs, Quelaag, and the Iron Golem, and then you're in Anor Londo and you've got access to almost everything you could want. After that, all that stands between you and almost every remaining piece of gear in the game, is Ornstein and Smough. That's the hurdle for most players, but once you're able to beat them easily, that's when you kind of lose touch with the "order" in which you're supposed to acquire gear. That's why I throw them all together like they can be acquired right away...

And you're not even listening to me anyway! The Uchi was supposed to carry you through NG, then you'd use the uchi and magic for NG+. What do you need soul arrows for when you have an Uchi?! Just be sure to get all the Soul Spears and the Crystal spells in each playthrough, as well as the pyro, if you like. But mostly the soul spears and crystal spells, because they're going to be your strongest weapons against bosses in the next playthroughs.

And I'm very upset that you've murdered that poor, innocent, defenseless merchant who only lives to please.

I suppose you're right, I'm just a little impatient and want things to go quickly considering there's a lot of stuff I have to do in a specific way to get all Pyromancys/Miracles/Spells.

Edit: Oh and if it makes you feel any better, I've died to the Bell Gargoyles about 5-6 times now.