Notes from author
This is my signature build that has been 2 years in the making. I have been working at this for a while and I have finally hit a critical-mass of near-perfection. With the advent of my learning toggle escapes, I do not necessarily require more than 31 poise. I can relatively easily toggle out of the first swing of my opponent on most weapons that would stun this build on the first swing and have practiced much on parrying timings. I prefer to play this build with either a Rapier or Velka's Rapier. However, alternate weapons include weapons of both enchanted and non-enchanted variants of the following weapons: Shortsword, Longsword, Balder Side Sword, Bandit's Knife, Dagger, Notched Whip, Falchion, Scimitar, and Shotel. If more equip load is needed, the Lord's Blade Waistcloth and Black Iron Gauntlets can be traded out for the Balder Gauntlets and Black Iron Leggings. With this, the build can now two-hand the following weapons: Uchigatana, Claymore, Bastard Sword, Flamberge, and many other weapons. The Black Bow of Pharis is my bow of choice due to the reticule being far more accurate to where the arrow actually flies, but an Enchanted Composite Bow has the same weight and will deal slightly more damage. In the event I come across a person that chooses to use divine blessings, I like to keep the Tin Crystallization Catalyst, the Crown of Dusk, and the Bellowing Dragon Crest Rings close at hand. I don't use them very often, but using them all for a quick one-shot dark bead can be useful to overcome a save-edited opponent with relative ease without having to stoop to their level and use something outside the game's normal mechanics.
