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Dark Souls 1 is one of the earliest installments in the Soulsborne series, so naturally you’d think it’s more straightforward, right?
Well, no.
Whilst it may lack some of the surface-level depth that DS3 has thanks to its weapon skill system, DS1 still has extreme amounts of detail and intricacy when it comes to your builds and which weapons to use, thanks to their (often quite bizarre) scalings.
Don’t fancy the headache? Fear not! I’m a walking migraine and have crunched all the numbers for you.
20. Black Knight Greatsword
One of the early-game favorites – if you’re lucky enough to get it.
The black knight greatsword is an ultra greatsword that favors strength, ending with B scaling at +5!
But upgrading it is an issue, as it wants twinkling titanite, which is in very short supply early game.
It’s also very slow and leaves you open to attack should you miss, and its snail-pace swing speed makes it harder to land those devastating 2-hit combos.
How to get: Dropped by black knights wielding it.
19. Black Knight Greataxe
Sticking to the black knight gear, the greataxe is up next!
On paper, it seems better in virtually every way then the greatsword, boasting higher damage, better swing speed and fantastic range!
In exchange, it has slightly lower dex scaling, making it less useful on 40/40 builds and more of a pure strength contender.
Oh and its heavy attacks suck. They’re just awful. Don’t use them.
How to get: Also dropped by black knights wielding it!
18. Drake Sword
Moving away from black knights now, and onto the true god of the early-game!
The drake sword is absolutely fantastic. It has no scaling at all, but low requirements, and extremely high base damage for straight sword.
You can cheese the hellkite wyverns tail with a bow to get it super early in the game, and it will carry you until around Blighttown!
At which point you should change to a scaling weapon – just don’t lose your love and appreciation for this beautiful boy, and how far he took you.
How to get: Tail cut from the hellkite wyvern, on the undead burg bridge.
17. Zweihander
The giant dad special.
Another early-game god, the zweihander can be obtained the moment you set foot in Firelink!
It has high strength requirements but can be 2-handed quickly if you invest some stats, and in exchange you’ll get a fantastic ultra greatsword.
It scales well with strength and can be infused, meaning you can stick with it all game – if you can tolerate the slow swing speed.
How to get: In the graveyard next to Firelink.
16. Demon Great Machete
It may be covered in unattractive hair of unknown origin, but the demon great machete is a top-tier strength weapon contender.
It hits a beautiful A-scaling in strength at +15, has great base damage and, surprisingly, can be infused!
There are downsides, however – its very high strength requirement of 40 makes it unfriendly early-game, and it shares the same swing speed issues as the black knight greatsword.
How to get: Rare drop from Capra demons – both the boss and the ones in the demon ruins.
15. Quelaag’s Furysword
Our first boss weapon entry, Quelaag’s has a lot of built-in tricks!
It deals bonus damage scaling with held humanity, has a unique attack instead of a kick, and can be used to parry when held off-hand!
It has decent B-scaling in dex, too!
However, it’s slightly slower than other curved swords, and deals almost entirely fire damage, rendering it useless against some enemies.
How to get: Ascend any curved sword with Quelaag’s soul.
14. Moonlight Greatsword
The coveted moonlight greatsword is something of a staple for the Soulsborne series.
As usual, it’s an intelligence-scaling weapon- and one of the only ones to hit S-scaling!
It has its trademark flair, too, as heavy attacks fire blades of explosive magic at your foes, which will chunk hard but deplete durability fast!
Interestingly, it has no scaling in any other stat at all, and deals only magic damage – no physical – which makes it near worthless against high magic resist foes.
How to get: Tail cut of Seath the Scaleless.
13. Dragon King Greataxe
The last of the tail cuts to make the list, the dragon king greataxe is a hefty strength weapon.
Requiring a whopping 50 of the stuff, this weapon isn’t for the feeble, but has a number of benefits!
Equipping it grants a passive +20 magic and fire resist, it can be buffed, and (whilst having no scaling), hits an insane 570 base damage at +5!
To top it off, like all dragon weapons it possesses a unique heavy attack, this one being a ‘wrath of the gods’-style explosion around you!
How to get: Tail cut of the gaping dragon.
12. Ricard’s Rapier
The rapier class is infamous in DS1, single-handedly making players despise dex build players.
But come over to the dark side and you shall be rewarded – with incredibly hard to read, lightning-fast attacks, high dex scaling and the ability to be buffed, Ricard’s rapier is an absolute monster in PvE!
It’ll make mincemeat of most foes but just be careful in PvP, as its unique multi-stab heavy attack is very easy to parry.
How to get: Dropped by Ricard in Sen’s fortress.
11. Black Knight Sword
Aaand we’re back to the black knight weapons.
This time with my favorite, the sword – which is actually a greatsword. But not the black knight greatsword because that’s an ultra greatsword…
Confusion aside, the sword is fantastic. It has incredible damage, good swing speed, and is capable of stunlocking weaker enemies.
Its moveset is nothing to sniff at either – reliable, easy-to-learn and very effective.
It’s the easiest to get, too, as there are more sword knights and any other!
How to get: Dropped by black knights wielding it.
10. Lucerne
The lucerne is a sleeper-hit weapon with a very strong number of fans.
With high base damage, D/C scaling and a natural leo ring pairing, the damage this weapon can dish out is truly scary – but it is a bit easy to read.
That’s why the most dedicated of lucerne users will use tactics like free-aiming and exploiting the weapons odd hitbox to catch enemies off-guard!
It’s got a high skill ceiling but can be one of the strongest weapons in the right hands!
How to get: In a room after the first bridge in the catacombs.
9. Claymore
I’ll say it – the claymore is better than the zweihander.
I can hear the keyboards of giant dad lovers clacking away already.
The claymore is one of my absolute favorite weapons – the first time I beat the game was with this beauty.
It’s available early, has C/C scaling, great base damage, and an absolutely fantastic, diverse moveset.
Gone are the days of clanging your sword on the walls of a tight corridor! This weapon has pokes, sweeps, and overheads – making it great for any situation you’re in.
How to get: Found on a corpse on the bridge guarded by the hellkite wyvern.
8. Demon’s Greataxe
Despite its… ugly appearance, this is one of the best strength weapons in the game.
The demon’s greataxe may have lower base damage when compared to something like the dragon king, but it’s the S-scaling in strength that really sets it apart.
On top of this, the range is straight-up crazy.
There are many people who love this axe and for good reason – if you enjoy hammering your foes to a pulp, look no further!
How to get: Dropped by Taurus demons – both the boss and the ones in the demon ruins.
7. Lifehunt Scythe
I’m allowed one bias choice per list, so I’m rocketing the lifehunt right up there.
Back in the day, this was my go-to PvP choice.
It has great range, B-scaling in dex, and a killer quick moveset, but you should be looking at the 500 auxiliary bleed!
This allows you to kill any bleed-able foe in just a few hits, however – it also bleeds you!
You’ll need the bloodbite ring if you plan to use it full-time, but I can’t recommend it more. The amount of angry Steam messages I would get is worth its weight in gold.
How to get: Ascend a scythe, whip, or halberd with the soul of Priscilla.
6. Gold Tracer
The only DLC weapon to make the list, the gold tracer is another dex-scaling bleed weapon.
It hits A in dex and naturally pairs fantastically with its counterpart, the dark silver tracer.
But if you don’t like dual-wielding, this blade is still seriously formidable on its own!
Its incredibly fast slashes leave your opponent’s little breathing room, and its high bleed will shred them once caught!
It’s got bonus points for style, too!
How to get: Acquired from Ciaran, either by trading her the soul of Artorias or killing her.
5. Man-Serpent Greatsword
The man-serpent is essentially a pure strength claymore, considered by many to be the best strength weapon in the game.
It boasts A-scaling at +15 and the greatsword families quick, high-damage swings that can stunlock low armored foes!
On top of this, it can be buffed and infused, making it great for hybrids!
It’s simple and reliable – you can’t go wrong with this choice.
How to get: 2% drop chance from the man-serpents in Sen’s fortress.
4. Estoc
The ‘bestoc’ is certainly a beast, and has an incredible cult following.
While I wouldn’t call it the best in the game, it’s up there for sure thanks to its high dex damage and incredibly long range!
The sprint attack is the best part – launching 2 separate pokes in quick succession, each hitting for full damage!
Buff or infuse this on a hybrid and sit back as the kills pile on. Just be ready for the salty messages!
How to get: Found in the lower section of Firelink, along the path to New Londo.
3. Chaos Blade
The chaos blade is one of the most popular and successful PvP choices for dex builds.
With good base damage, B-scaling in dex, fast swings with low recovery, and high bleed, it’s not hard to see why!
The trade-off for this level of power is losing 20 of your own HP for each landed hit – which can kill you.
20 HP might not seem like much but does add up – though it’s low enough to overlook in light of this weapons sheer effectiveness.
How to get: Ascend any katana with the soul of Quelaag.
2. Great Scythe
The revered great scythe is considered by most to be the best dex weapon available.
This monster of a weapon has A-scaling in dex, insane range, is light-weight and consumes very little stamina per swing.
Oh, and it has more base damage than most greatswords, and bleeds.
Coming across this in PvP is extremely intimidating. Its sheer size makes it so hard to read and you do not want to be caught in a combo.
How to get: Found in the catacombs – in an alcove accessed by jumping off the second bridge to the right.
1. Balder Side Sword
And, lastly, we have our number 1 pick.
The balder side sword is like the estoc’s well-respected older brother, and its effectiveness speaks for itself.
Like the great scythe, it consumes very little stamina per stab. It’s extremely low-weight, gets A-scaling in dex, tracks like a laser, and can be buffed and infused.
When infused, it maintains fantastic scaling – making this weapon viable on almost any build you want!
Thanks to this adaptability, it takes our number 1 slot. It seems there’s nothing it can’t do!…
Except for maybe exist, as it’s a soul-crushing 1% drop chance!
How to get:Very rare drop from the balder knights wielding it.
A game animator by trade, Tom’s insight into the game development world gives him a strong appreciation for the art form that is video games. Kicking off at the age of 3 with Spyro: Year of the Dragon on the PS1, Tom’s tastes in games has hardened over the 19 years he’s spent playing them. He now lives for the challenge that titles such as Monster Hunter, Dark Souls, Dead Cells, and many more offer him. Enjoying nothing more than a session of number-crunching game data and another platinum trophy on his PlayStation account, Tom is dedicated to leaving no stone unturned in even the most brutal of gaming content.
