Dressed to distress

Creating and dressing your character with the best weapons and armor is all a part of the Dark Souls charm. Getting the very best of weapons and armor however, is a craft and art in itself. Unlocking the potential of stats and bonuses is the mmaking of a great build. Here are some of the very best builds a player can use in Dark Souls, particularly in PvP online encounters. 

10. Pure Quality Build
 

The is an all round build for anyone looking for a quality PvP wrecking machine. The most vital stats are soft caps of 40 in Vitality, Endurance, Strength and Dexterity. This will open up the player to around 80% of the game's weapons, though this will exclude magic and intelligence based weaponry. When equipped with a pure quality build, modifying to a slower tank build or something more agile is all in the player’s hands.
 

What Pure Quality Build Excels In:

- Huge range of weapons available

- Accommodates many move sets

- Projectile attacks through pyro

- Fast rolling available

Pure Quality Build details: 

9. Obsidian Faith Build
 

A remarkable build that only requires a significant investment in one parameter requirement, faith. The player can reach an utterly overpowered position by building their faith to 50 and wielding one specific weapon. While more or less reliant on the Obsidian Greatsword’s special attack, it can deliver a one hit kill to many, many enemies. That being said, the Dark Moon Blade can also make mincemeat of PvP combatants.

What Obsidian Faith Build Excels In: 

- Faith at 50, the rest is easily attuned

- Achievable by level 60

- No ‘glass canon’ in spite of imbalance

- Power within and wrath of the gods are lethal

Obsidian Faith Build details: 

8. Paladin of Lightning Build
 

A hybrid build of strength and faith can grant a player with remarkable damage output in PvP. The Paladin of Lightning Build offers this and then some with all the multipliers and advantages of lightening effects and weaponry. Building Vitality and Endurance past 40, then investing in Strength and Faith is essential for this build. It’s ‘fashion’ includes a marvelous crown for magic bonuses and a great choice of jewelry for further devastating damage. 

What Paladin of Lightning Build Excels In:

- Ltng. Balder Side Sword… oh yes

- Great use of casts: lightning spear, wrath of the gods, etc

- High poise

- Huge compounding damage

Paladin of Lightning Build details: 

7. Pure Bleed Build
 

A build for a powerful melee based playstyle looking to stagger and make easy work of enemies fast. Its three most important stats to build are Vitality, Endurance and Dexterity all to be built past their soft cap of 40. Weaponry is key to this build and as one can witness in PvP, the ‘Gold Tracer’ is a favorite that brings the brutality out of this choice. For a build high in resistances, powerful in damage and a dark gothic appearance, this is the one for you.

What Pure Bleed Build Excels In:

- Fast rolling

- Bleeding out opponents highly likely

- Lifehunt Scythe/gold tracer – ultimate weapon alternates

- Bloodshield covers resistances well

Pure Bleed Build details: 

6. Pure Pyromancer/Dexterity (Ninja) Build
 

While not necessarily easy to master, for a player looking for fast, dynamic and ranging attacks in PvP, a mix of Pyro and Dexterity is the way to go. Soft capping Vitality and Dexterity are an absolute must, followed by considerable building of Endurance and Attunement. Fire damage will be a consistent method for damage and balancing between projectiles and melee damage will leave most enemies easy pickings.

What Pure Pyromancer/Dexterity (Ninja) Build Excels In:

- baiting enemies into huge damaging casts

- Fast moveset weapons, Flamberge, Quelaag's Furysword

- Range of fire spells for range of attacks

- Dynamic dodge and blocking from curved sword use

Pure Pyromancer/Dexterity (Ninja) Build details: 

5. Pure Sorcery Build
 

For a player looking to master the magic and casting available in Dark Souls, creating a build that relies heavily on intelligence and dexterity is highly important. A soft cap for both is necessary to make a build that can support such a play style, with Vitality, Endurance and Attunement not far behind. It shouldn’t surprise that 5 attunement slots are advised for the best of this build, and be sure to save a certain chap in the Lower Undead Burg, he’s got a marvelous ring to purchase. 

What Pure Sorcery Build Excels In:

- Magic buffs are incredibly powerful

- Logan/Tin Crystallization Catalysts very effective

- Bellowing Dragon Crest ring sends sorcery through the roof

- melee/sorcerer dual wield that works…

Pure Sorcery Build details: 

4. Pure Dexterity Build
 

Dexterity is the statistic in Dark Souls that opens up the majority of the games' differing weapons and combat styles. To create a build that will leave a player capable of mastering PVP encounters, soft capping Dexterity is must, but providing the build with high vitality and endurance is essential to bring out the most of it. Thrust, slash, stab, any move set can be made the most of in PVP with a pure dexterity build.

What Pure Dexterity Build Excels In:

- Brilliant range of weapons

- High poise with Wolf Ring

- High HP to take hits

- Move set changes mid encounter

Pure Dexterity Build details: 

 

3. Pure Strength Tank Build

The genius of Dark Soul’s is its customization and giving the player the choice to take on Lordran in whatever form they wish. However, the enemies are majority melee based, one on one combat encounters and a build that strengthens players to endure battles and dish out strong hits is only advisable. A strong 60 plus build of Vitality is a must followed by important soft caps of endurance and strength. This will tip the players poise over 80 and the bulky, hulking armor on top will only make them harder to stop.  

What Pure Strength Tank Build Excels In:

- High damage output

- Great shield turtle poking

- near impossible to stagger

- heaviest, hardest weapons are all yours

Pure Strength Tank Build details: 

2. GiantDad
 

An insanely popular build from the original debut of Dark Soul’s and its PVP game mode, Giant Dad is perhaps the birth of what a ‘build’ was meant to be – player customization taking their game experience to another level. The name comes from its armor output; mix the mask of the father with giant armor and you shall have the makings of GiantDad. This heavy set will take a lot of investment, in endurance, strength and vitality but its wielding of powerful weapons more than pays off.

What Giant Dad Excels In:

-  Brilliant poise

- Zweihander specialist

- Powerful damage output

- Huge equipment load capacity

Giant Dad details: 

1. HavelMom
 

Achievable before soul level 60, HavelMom is a build that promises great defense to a player as well as the use of damaging weapons and their move sets. As one may guess from the title, the name is from applying the Mask of the Mother with Havel’s Armor Set. High Endurance and Vitality are key to making HavelMom a workable build. Applying the Hornet and Dark Wood Grain rings can make it a powerful ‘dead angle’ specialist in PVP.

What HavelMom Excels In:

- Fast roll, despite heavy armor

- High poise and defense

- Earth shattering critical hits

- compliments powerful weapon use

HavelMom details: 

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