If you happen to be playing Dark Souls 3 and you have the urge to swing behemoth blades, monster axes, and huge hammers then you should think about building a strength character. Strength builds are some of the most powerful in Dark Souls 3.
The style of strength builds, and strength weapons are often geared toward dealing a ton of damage in a single hit. Strength builds utilize timing, armored moves, greater range and applying pressure just from the presence of their bus sized swords.
Most of the greatest strength weapons utilize these traits to the fullest. They can be monsters in both PVE and PVP if used correctly. Strength weapons are also great for crowd control, so they make it harder for the player to get ganged up on in PVP scenarios or ganked.
So, if you're new to Dark Souls 3 or revising the game and somehow never tried a strength build here are some weapon suggestions for this playstyle.
For clarification I will not just be talking about pure strength weapons and but weapons that scale the best with strength. Although I’m giving more “points” for weapons that are pure strength and don’t need the player to put points into other places.
Honorable mentions: The Greatsword, Claymore, Mace, Black knight Greataxe, Ledo’s Hammer.
5. Spiked mace
The Spiked Mace was the weapon of choice for the evangelists of the Cathedral of the Deep. It makes sense that someone traveling the world of dark souls spreading the faith of the worshipers of Aldrich, devourer of gods, would need a weapon to defend themselves. Yet the Spiked Mace is a weapon known for its cruelty. Perhaps the threat of it or actually use of this weapon was used to convert hollows to the faith.
Why it’s good
- Great for crowd control
- Amazing combo derived from weapon art
- A scaling in strength with a heavy gem infusion.
- High poise
- Can be buffed with magic or items
Weapon details
To use this weapon the player needs 21 strength and 13 dexterity. The weapon art is spin bash. The player swings this weapon around hitting anything in reach.
With 60 strength the spike mace’s attack power hits 556 when one handing and it reaches 590 when two handed. I highly recommend two handing this weapon for the extra damage while buffing it with gold pine resin or magic. This weapon also has amazing reach and decent weapon swing speed for how long it is. It can also be used as a bleed weapon.
The real standout for this weapon is its weapon art. The weapon art paired with its poise makes it so that you can take a hit to get off an amazing combo. It works wonders in PVP.
How to get
The Spiked Mace is dropped by and the weapon of choice of Evangelists. The large women in big hat that throw slow swirly magic at you. They can be found in several locations very early in the game. Some are located at the Undead Settlement, which is the second area after the tutorial area. They can also be found in the Cathedral of the Deep. Be warned it’s not a common drop.
4. Dragonslayer Greataxe
Look out!
Explosion Lighting AxThe Dragonslayer Greataxe is the weapon of choice of the dragon slayer armor. Since dragons are vulnerable to lighting this weapon is infused with it allowing it to live up to its name as a dragon slayer. The original owner of this armor is highly debated. My favorite theories give it prior ownership to either Nameless King or Prince Lothric. Both of which discard the armor for one reason or another.
Why it’s good
- Amazing weapon art
- Amazing damage
- Has unparriable attacks (only when 2 handed)
- High poise
- Great PVP weapon
Weapon details
It is the heaviest great ax in the game. It requires 40 strength to wield which should not be a problem for strength builds. The weapon art falling bolt surrounds the player with lighting like Thor from the marvel movies.
The Dragonslayer Greataxe is not solely a strength weapon it is also a faith weapon. For a pure strength build it with 66 strength it hits with 559 physical damage in addition to the lighting damage. Since it does lightning damage it cannot be buffed with magic or items.
The playstyle of the Dragonslayer Greataxe is slow and patient. Expect to end the fight in a few swings of the blade. If you find yourself losing a fight or just feeling particularly aggressive the weapon art is usually a one hit kill. It’s a perfect move to trade with. Although it’s not the hardest move to dodge in PVP.
How to get.
You can get this weapon by transposing the Soul of Dragonslayer armor. How does armor even have a soul? This can be done by bringing the soul of Ludleth of Courland, the little guy that sits on one of the thrones in the Shrine bonfire. He can only do this after giving him the transposing Kiln which can be obtained by defeating the Curse-Rotted Greatwood boss in the Undead Settlement.
3. Yhorm's Great Machete
Weapon of a giant
Yhorm’s Great Machete may look like a sword or a giant machete when wielded by the player but that’s only because we’re so small. Honestly every boss and most enemies stand taller than the player after a certain point in the game. It’s actually an ax type weapon. Yhorm once wielded this weapon with a shield but after becoming disillusioned with his own safety he ditched the shield and began two-handing the weapon.
Why it’s good
- Highest base damage weapon in the game
- Has a weapon art that boosts damage further
- Longest reach of any axe type weapon
- A scaling in strength
Weapon details
His weapon requires 38 strength to wield and 10 dexterity. Again, these numbers shouldn’t be an issue for a strength build. While you can’t buff it with magic or item the weapon art Warcry further increases damage to over 700.
Yhorm’s great Machete is a strength weapon pure and simple. There aren’t other builds for this weapon, just plain strength. At 66 strength the weapon gets 650 physical damage when one handed.
Like the Dragonslayer Greataxe the playstyle with this weapon is to be patient, strike where you can and trade to your advantage, which is any trade considering this weapon has the highest base damage in the game. Also use your weapons reach to your advantage. You can hit them with the tip or the base; it doesn’t matter.
How to get
You can get this weapon by transposing the Soul of Yhorm the giant
2. Vordt’s Hammer
The weapon of the first real boss is an amazing strength weapon. Vordt is an outrider knight likely under the leadership of Pontiff Sullivan. Damn lore in this game. I’m tired of saying likely or probably. The Dancer and a few other of his peers can be found scattered around the world of dark souls three. The Pontiff, sigh, likely, purposely put them in the player's way to prevent you from making it to him or Aldrich.
Why it’s good
- Of course, it has high damage
- Causes frost blight.
- Really good for low level PVP
- Get it really early
- Decent skill that increase poise
Weapon details
It requires 30 strength to use this weapon. The weapon art is perseverance. When you use perseverance, you get a boost to poise and reduce damage by 45% for six seconds.
Vordt’s Hammer like the rest of the strength weapons does huge damage. At 60 strength it does 552 damage in addition to the highest frostbite stat in the game. This weapon only has b scaling so there’s no reason to go past 60 strength when using it.
Frostbite is a scary thing to up against in PVP. It not only Inflicts damage but also lowers damage absorption and slows down stamina regeneration making it more difficult to fight back.
This weapon also destroys in PVE with the exception of fire enemies such as those in the molten lake. Once again, the playstyle for this weapon is to apply pressure, use patience, reach, and armored moves.
How to get
You can get this weapon by transposing the Soul of Boreal Valley Vordt.
1. Splitleaf Greatsword
Badass weapon is somehow named after a plant
While the Splitleaf Greatsword is poorly named it is still one of the best strength weapons in the game. Technically the blade of the weapon is the reason it’s called a leaf but it’s still not a sword. The Splitleaf Greatsword is a halberd type weapon.
What makes this weapon one of the best
- Great weapon art
- Really high damage
- Long range
- Poise
- S scaling with a heavy gem
Weapon Details
To use this weapon, you need 26 strength and 16 dexterity. The weapon art is wind wheel. the player swings this over there head around them hitting anything to close.
The only real weakness of this weapon is that when you two hand it, its attacks are vertical not horizontal which is an issue shared with other weapons on this list. Vertical attacks cover less space making it harder to hit multiple foes but whatever. You have the weapon art.
The same play style apples as with the previous one in addition to the playstyle of the Spiked Mace. In PVP your goal should be to hit your opponent with a combo weapon art or move set.
With this weapon you don’t have to use the weapon art to win. While it doesn’t deal as much damage as Yhorm's machete it still has high damage.
At 60 strength it does 546 damage while still being able to be buffed with magic or an item.
How to Get
The Splitleaf Great Blade is a DLC weapon that can be purchased from the Stone-humped Hag. So, this is a very late game weapon. She is located at the Dreg Heap Bonfire. Just walk down a flight of stairs and she will be there. She looks like one of the pilgrims whose corpses you likely found along the journey or Yoel of Londor.
Any of these strength weapons are a great choice. I recommend not committing fully to this list and just find what is comfortable for you.
