🧱 Weapon System Basics
🛠️ Weapon Scaling
Weapons scale with your character's stats — the better the scaling letter (S > A > B > C > D > E), the more damage it gains from the associated stat.

Scaling Stat Best For
Strength Heavy weapons, colossal swords/hammers
Dexterity Fast weapons, katanas, rapiers
Intelligence Magic-infused weapons, staves
Faith Holy damage, incantation weapons
Arcane Bleed weapons, status buildup weapons

🗡️ Weapon Types & Playstyles
Weapon Type Description & Best Uses
Straight Swords Balanced, fast, good for all builds. Great for PvE.
Greatswords High damage, good stagger, viable for PvE & PvP.
Katanas Fast, bleed build-up, great for Dex/Arcane hybrid.
Twinblades Rapid hits and status application. Stylish and deadly.
Colossal Weapons Slow but massive damage. Best with Strength builds.
Curved Swords Agile and aggressive. Ideal for dex builds and dual-wielding.
Spears/Polearms Good reach and poking. Defensive and strong with shields.
Fists/Claws Extremely fast, short-range, bleed-heavy.
Whips Unblockable, good for poison/bleed. Niche but stylish.
Magic Melee Weapons Scale with INT/FAI (e.g., Sword of Night and Flame).
Ranged (Bows/Crossbows) Great for pulling enemies or support damage.
Unique/Legendary Weapons Often scale with multiple stats and have custom Ashes of War.

🔥 Weapon Infusion & Ashes of War
Ashes of War let you change a weapon’s special attack and scaling.

Example: Applying a Heavy infusion changes a sword to scale primarily with Strength.

Sacred/Flame infusions add Holy/Fire damage and scale with Faith.

Some weapons (Legendary/Unique) cannot be infused, but have strong built-in skills.

🧪 Status Effects & Builds
Effect Causes Best Stat to Scale Meta Weapons
Bleed % health loss Arcane Rivers of Blood, Reduvia, Eleonora’s Poleblade
Poison Slow damage over time Arcane/Dex Serpentbone Blade, Venomous Fang
Frost Burst damage + slow INT Dark Moon Greatsword, Icerind Hatchet
Rot High DoT Arcane/Faith Rotten Crystal Spear, Scorpion’s Stinger
Sleep Sleep state Arcane Sword of St. Trina, St. Trina’s Torch

⚔️ Top Weapons by Build Type
💪 Strength Builds
Weapon Notes
Great Club Pure Strength monster; massive stagger
Ruins Greatsword Legendary weapon, scales with Str & Int
Dragon Slayer's Cragblade (DLC) S-tier colossal weapon with huge poise damage

🗡️ Dexterity Builds
Weapon Notes
Uchigatana / Nagakiba Bleed, fast, and long range
Godskin Stitcher Great thrusting sword with high Dex scaling
Bloodhound’s Fang Curve greatsword, strong early-to-late game

🧙 Intelligence Builds
Weapon Notes
Moonveil Katana Bleed + magic beam; meta for INT builds
Dark Moon Greatsword Signature INT weapon with frost/moonlight
Bastard’s Stars (DLC) INT-scaling flail with fun projectile skill

✝️ Faith Builds
Weapon Notes
Blasphemous Blade Lifesteal on kill; top-tier PvE weapon
Coded Sword Pure Holy damage, ignores shields
Erdtree Greatsword Big AoE weapon with strong Faith scaling

🧛 Arcane Builds
Weapon Notes
Rivers of Blood Bleed katana with ranged special attack
Reduvia Bleed dagger with projectile blood blade
Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear AoE bleed explosions; power stance friendly

🏆 Best Early Game Weapons
Weapon Location Why It’s Good
Uchigatana Samurai starting weapon Bleed, fast, and viable long term
Bloodhound’s Fang Forlorn Hound Evergaol (Limgrave) Huge damage, early carry weapon
Claymore Castle Morne Great Strength/Dex scaling, versatile
Morning Star Chest in Weeping Peninsula Built-in bleed, early game beast
Reduvia Defeat Bloody Finger Nerijus Arcane dagger with strong skill

🎯 Weapon Tips
Dual wielding = power stance = faster combo chains and bonus damage.

Buffs matter: Use Flame, Grant Me Strength, or Bloodflame Blade for major boosts.

Don’t neglect Ash of War synergy — weapon skills often carry builds.

Two-handing a weapon boosts Strength scaling by 50% (effective for soft cap reach).

Upgrade your weapon at Smithing Tables and Smithing Masters (Iji, Hewg) — it matters more than leveling early on.