In theDark Soulsseries, there are many different weapon types that you can choose, and how effective they are is based on what statistic they scale with. Since the game can be difficult and a bit intimidating for new players, it is important to choose a weapon that works for you and the build you want to go for.
Generally, weapons will scale with either Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence or Faith. Some weapons even scale well with multiple stats at once. The easiest and most directly powerful weapons are ones that scale with Strength, so which are the best strength-based weapons?
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As simple a weapon as there ever was. The Great Club is what it says on the tin: a big, great club made of wood, perfect for bashing in heads.
This is a great strength weapon because of its simplicity. Simply pump points into your Strength stat, upgrade the weapon at a Blacksmith, and watch the damage numbers go up. It may not look fancy, or do any unique weapon art attacks, but it will serve you reliably for an entire playthrough.
How to Get
The Great Club can be found at the bottom of Blighttown, close to the entrance to the Quelaag boss door. It will be on the ground near two boulder-throwing Barbarians.
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The Mace may look like a normal, unassuming weapon. And this would be correct. However, that is part of what makes it a very good Strength weapon. It has a very low barrier of entry, only requiring 12 Strength and no other stats, and can be gotten immediately if the Cleric is your starting class.
When upgraded, the Mace also has B scaling, which is nothing to scoff at. It also has a very useful hidden ability: it causes skeletons to shatter and rebuild themselves, essentially stun-locking them and preventing them from attacking you. Combined with how early you can acquire it, the Mace is an amazing Strength weapon for beginners.
The Mace is the starting weapon of the Cleric class. It can also be found on a corpse in the Catacombs, below Firelink Shrine.
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The Claymore is a classic weapon of Medieval and Fantasy settings, and the Souls series is no exception. While not strictly a strength-only weapon, it scales more with Strength than Dexterity, and boasts solid scaling.
The moveset of the Claymore is simple but very effective, boasting a good slashing moveset on light attacks, and a thrust on heavy attacks. It is the perfect weapon for someone that wants to roleplay as a classic knight while dipping their toe in the world of larger swords.
The Claymore can be gotten quite early on within the Undead Burg. On the bridge where the dragon resides, it is on the ground near the end of the bridge. Simply wait for the dragon to jump down onto the bridge, and sprint across to get the Claymore, as well as unlocking a bonfire and a shortcut.
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Grant is the first unique weapon on our list, being a large hammer with a unique design wielded by the NPC Paladin Leeroy. It is great for playing a paladin character, and even has the Wrath of the Gods miracle as the weapon art, which makes for high damage in a large AOE around the caster.
However, there are a lot of caveats with this weapon, which is why it is lower on our list. It has one of the highest strength requirements in the game, as well as a high faith requirement, so you will really only be making use of the weapon on a faith-based character. Finally, getting the weapon takes a while, and can be easily lost, overall making this a great strength weapon, as long as the circumstances align.
Grant is used by an NPC invader named Paladin Leeroy. Leeroy will invade the player as long as they are in human form, along the end of the Tomb of the Giants, leading to Gravelord Nito. The main thing to worry about is the precariousness of the invasion zone. Make sure that Leeroy doesn’t fall off the edge, as you will lose the ability to get the weapon (as well as his shield, Sanctus).
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The Murakumo is a curved greatsword in Dark Souls, and is the heaviest of its class in the game. Not only does it look really cool, but it has a unique moveset and deals heavy damage when upgraded, specifically poise damage.
Poise damage allows you to stagger enemies, which is great for heavy weapons as you can deal massive damage on top of stopping the enemy from reacting, even if they are heavily armored.
The Murakumo can be obtained in one of two ways. You can kill Shiva, an NPC in the forest, but this is not ideal. Alternatively, the Murakumo can be dropped from large skeletons, located in both the Firelink Shrine cemetery and the catacombs. Kill these skeletons, and you will eventually earn yourself a brand new Murakumo.
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The Black Knight weapons are basically upgraded versions of preexisting weapons. In this case, the Black Knight Sword is an upgrade to the Claymore. It uses the same reliable moveset, and exchanges the lunge of the Claymore with an effective upward slice, as well as doing a heft amount of damage once upgraded.
Like all Black Knight weapons, the main downside is the randomness with which the weapon is acquired; however, out of all the Black Knight weapons, it is the easiest to acquire, and the most common.
The Black Knight Sword is acquired by a random drop from Black Knights, which are enemies spread throughout the game, as well as respawning in the Kiln of the First Flame.
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As its name states, the Butcher Knife is a large, two-handed Butcher Knife. This weapon is great because, even though it is Strength-based, it swings faster than you would expect.
The Butcher Knife also has the added benefit of restoring a small amount of health when landing a successful hit. It also has a unique heavy attack, slamming it on the ground with both hands.
The Butcher Knife is acquired by defeating Maneater Mildred, an NPC invader at the bottom of Blighttown. Simply reverse your hollowing at the bonfire, and you will be invaded near to it.
The creator of the Dark Souls series, Hidetaka Miyazaki, is a huge fan of theBerserkmanga series. This can be seen with many references throughout the series, and the most notable is the Greatsword weapon. Those familiar with Berserk will notice that the Dark Souls iteration bears a striking resemblance to Guts' sword in the Golden Age arc.
The Greatsword is not just a nice reference, however. It is a fantastic Strength weapon, boasting great scaling and a high damage output. The size and weight of the weapon may be intimidating, as it is a Colossal Greatsword, meaning the moveset is slow, and leaves little room for error. However, the health and poise damage it outputs far outweigh these concerns.
The Greatsword is acquired in one of three ways. It is a rare drop from Berenike Knights, but the easiest way to acquire it is either to buy it from the merchant in Sen’s Fortress, or on the body of Black Iron Tarkus in Anor Londo, right next to the giant painting that leads to the Painted World.
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The Dragon Tooth is the signature weapon of Havel the Rock, an NPC boasting massive armor, a shield, and this bad boy. The stat requirement is high, but the damage output is worth the investment.
Not only do you get a great Strength weapon, but a unique, awesome-looking weapon to use for your playthrough. It is made from the tooth of a dragon, and you will be facing a few dragons on your journey, among many other monstrosities.
The Dragon Tooth is acquired by opening a chest in Anor Londo, behind a hidden wall.
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The Black Knight Greatsword is arguably the best strength weapon in the game, for the same reasons the normal Greatsword, as well as the other Black Knight weapons. It combines the best aspects of all of those weapons. The only downside is that it is a rare drop from even rarer enemies, but this can be remedied by using Humanity.
Boasting amazing scaling, incredible damage output, and a simple but effective moveset, there will be very little the game will throw at you that cannot be answered with the Black Knight Greatsword.
This weapon is a random drop from Black Knights that wield the weapon. There is one on top of the tower in Undead Burg, as well as respawning Black Knights at the end of the game in the Kiln of the First Flame. A tip for farming is to use humanity, as the more humanity on your character (the number in the top left), the higher drop chances are.
