After tons and tons and tons of various build types and messing with every weapon / armor combo I could ever manage to come up with, I have determined that this right here is my absolute all time favorite build. Its really straight forward and is 100% melee focused. You have decent defense at 329 and are not wasting a ring spot on Havels ring. The iaito can be swapped out for any ughi and or a falchion if you prefer that play style and while right now the gold tracer is a bit over used it is one of the if not the best dex weapon in the game IN MY OPINION. The death blow of bleed is amazing. Also the Crest Shield is there to help with the massive amount of magic users in the forest. With 80% Magic resist it drives people nuts. Swap DWGR for Wolf if poise is your thing.
