Weapon Damage Question

How crucial is putting points into a weapon's scaling trait for PvP?

Taking the Dark Knight Greataxe (a popular weapon) for example... It's required stats are 36 strength and 18 dex with strength having a B rated scaling. Considering even a 50 Vitality PvP build only has around 1500 health, how big a difference is having a 36 strength vs. say a 50 strength?

Same with a dex based backstabber like the Rapier. Does going from say a 30 dex to a 40 dex really make much of a difference?

Also, is there really an advantage in PvP from pumping up a stat scaling weapon vs. just going for the minimum required stats for an elemental weapon (lightning claymore for example) and just carrying a few varieties fire/lightning, and then dumping extra stat points into Vitality?

Any weapon with an A,B or S scaling will have an impact. elemental weapons get out damaged by regular scaling weapons at higher levels.

Higher levels? You mean Soul Levels? I didn't think that had anything to do with damage.

If it takes 4 hits with B scaling weapon, and a 50 in the scaling stat, to get a kill for instance, what will it take with a 30 in the same stat? 5 hits? 6? I'm just looking for a general idea.

https://sites.google.com/site/darksoulstats/dark-souls-calculators

Artorias wrote:https://sites.google.com/site/darksoulstats/dark-souls-calculators

This. Everything you need to know.

reim0027 wrote:

Artorias wrote:https://sites.google.com/site/darksoulstats/dark-souls-calculators

This. Everything you need to know.

Yes I've been looking at that stat calculator a lot, and it doesn't match up with what is being said. That's why I posted here. I was hoping to get insight from PvPers.

According to the above stat calculator let's look at two popular weapons, the Black Knight Greataxe and the Zweihander...

BKGA +5
36str/18dex: 582/620
46/18: 614/632
56/18: 622/644
66/18: 630/656
76/18: 638/656
40/40: 617/632

Zweihander +15
24str/10dex: 444/507
36/18: 536/565
40/40: 610/621

Zweihander +5 Lightning
24str/10dex: 721/721
36/18: 721/721
40/40: 721/721
any/any: 721/721

Zweihander +10 Fire
24str/10dex: 728/728
36/18: 728/728
40/40: 728/728


So, according to the stat calculator a scaling BKGA or Zweihander gets it's *** beat by a Lightning or Fire Zweihander (1 handed or 2 handed) as long as you meet the minimum requirements of 24 strength and 10 dex. It would outperform a +5 BKGA if you had a 99 strength and a 99 dex.

I keep reading that scaling weapons outperform elemental damage weapons eventually. It was said in this thread. The stats calculator says otherwise. I was hoping to find out the truth before I level a character to 120

Everyone has defenses in fire/magic/lightning so scaling would do better, it can also be buffed by magic

Elements split damage, so the swing must break 2 defences. using my defences and a zwiehander as an example.
621-356= 265.
721- 356-196= 259.
not a huge difference but the smaller the weapon/ the heavier the opponents armor, the bigger it gets. the + of elemental weapon is that ,untill rediculously high levels, their bs's and parry's do more damage because they have a higher base attack.
now + 4 lightning richards rapier.
192+192-356-196=-142
where as
270-356=-86
the rapier is doing a base % both times but you should see the pattern there. normal weapons can also be buffed where elemental weapons can't. i'm not showing the math for that because its already in the archives. Your choice can and should be based on the character build and wether you want the increased damage per swing or the increased bs damage.
However a build with 70ish vit, 60 ish end, heavy armor and an elemental weapon is both viable and devestatingly effective.
if you build that way (i have) expect hatemail.

^^ Very important to know, and often overlooked. Split damage hurts. You can't just look at the AR. It will also vary between armor. So, some elemental weapons will outdamage their +15 counterparts and vice versa. I tested my Zwei and GC. Admittedly, it was only against one person. Lightning Zwei hit slightly harder than a +15. But, for the GC, the reverse was true.

Thanks guys. That helps a lot

don't forget that most base upgrade paths can be enchanted as well, so it has the option of a spell or resin to further increase their AR while still doing decent damage w/o