User:LaChoseNouvelle/Ad placement test Weapons control | Dark Souls 3

Weapons in Dark Souls 3 are listed on this page. Players may equip up to 3 in the slots for each hand. When developing a build, the player should try to find the weapon that mixes the right amount of damage, bonuses and moveset, alongside stamina consumption and Skills. Weapon classes do not necessarily share the same skills so check each individual weapon page to see its specific skill. If you would like to learn more about each weapon, visit their page, or check out the Combat page for specific explanations on how to master the game. You can use this Equipment & Spell Checklist to keep track of what you have

How to choose a weapon in Dark Souls?

Players create builds around specific weapons that have good movesets, deal significant damage, or are easily obtained. Some players choose weapons for their cosmetic appearance, but in most cases it is advisable to refer to the scaling and upgrading path of weapons to determine if the output is beneficial to the character in pve, pvp or both. The following categories of weapons have details on their base damage, and all individual pages feature infusion charts, with some extending to full moveset videos.

Weapon Categories

Weapons List

Show Ashes of Ariandel Weapons Only Show The Ringed City Weapons Only

Daggers

Straight Swords

Greatswords

Ultra Greatswords

Curved Swords

Curved Greatswords

Katanas

Thrusting Swords

Axes

Greataxes

Hammers

Great Hammers

Fist & Claws

Spears & Pikes

Halberds

Reapers

Whips & Flails

Bows

Greatbows

Crossbows

Staves

Flames, Talismans & Chimes

General Weapons Notes and Tips in Dark Souls 3

• Weapon Level Matchmaking (WL): When upgrading weapons, players must consider their multiplayer matchmaking bracket. In Dark Souls 3, your ability to interact with others is done via the White Sign Soapstone is dictated by both your Soul Level and your highest upgraded weapon. If you upgrade a weapon significantly higher than the average level of the area you are in, the engine will permanently lock you out of matching with lower-level players. This tracking is permanent, discarding or storing your highest-level weapon will not reset your matchmaking tier.
• Direct Hit Modifiers: When wielding polearms, specifically Halberds, Reapers, and certain Greataxes. Players must manage their physical spacing to maximize damage output. These weapon models feature dual hitboxes. As noted in the standard Halberd description, "hitting with the hilt does nominal damage." If you stand too close to an enemy and strike them with the wooden shaft of the weapon, you will incur a severe damage penalty and consume extra stamina. To achieve the weapon's listed Attack Rating (AR), you must space your attacks so that only the bladed tip of the weapon connects with the target.
• Shield-Piercing Weapons: When evaluating weapons, raw Attack Rating (AR) does not tell the whole story. Certain weapons possess inherent shield-piercing geometry that allows their physical damage to bypass enemy guards. Weapons like the Shotel or the katana Darkdrift will inflict significant chip damage through 100% physical block shields. This makes them invaluable sidearms for PvP encounters or when fighting heavily defensive PvE enemies, such as the Lothric Knights, where standard weapons would simply bounce off.
• Paired Weapons vs. Off-Hand Wielding: Dark Souls 3 does not feature the free-form "power-stancing" system found in other titles. Equipping two separate weapons will not grant a dual-wielding combo; the left hand will simply perform block or isolated heavy strikes. To access true dual-wielding movesets, players must acquire specific Paired Weapons, such as the Sellsword Twinblades. For these specific weapons, pressing the two-hand input dictates that "the user brandishes one in each hand," unlocking the L1 / LB flurry combos.