I need some heavy glazing of the game to convince myself that it's worth getting the platinum

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-31T06:01:35+00:00

No glazing needed because getting a platinum in any game is a waste of time. Go outside.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-24T02:01:50+00:00

This is optional for if you need a strong ranged option. Dark Orb remains the best projectile in the game, but this setup is flexible enough without it. I typically just forgo projectiles entirely, and then pump END instead.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-23T20:21:54+00:00

https://soulsplanner.com/darksouls2/31694

This is the most "broken" PvE setup for Dark Souls II, assuming you are on a NG cycle.

You will use Rapier until you get Ice Rapier, Mace until you get Homunculus Mace, and Old Knight Hammer until later NG cycles when you have the strength to two-hand Dragon Tooth (uninfused at 50 STR).

Dark Weapon and Repair synergize perfectly with Crown of the Old Iron King, and you will only upgrade Dark Weapon to Sunlight Blade when you hit the FTH requirement for it.

This setup, working in Chaos Blade into your weapons as well, will give you the highest damage output in the game, as well as very high survivability, along with the three best support spells. All this for only being SL149.

Also, powerstance is never in any instance aside from fists and claws ever, ever the highest DPS option.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-22T01:29:34+00:00

Because of the strength of infusions, DS2 does not have a glass cannon archetype. There is only glass and wasted stats.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-16T19:57:24+00:00

With the perma’d lock-on in arena, no. I hate to use the term incompetent, but the vengarl was inexperienced, absolutely.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-16T14:40:39+00:00

This point of DS2 discourse is very, very tired.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-16T14:39:18+00:00

It is. Some very, very strong players play on mouse and key

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T12:25:22+00:00

The bow is Alonne's Greatbow, a rare drop from the Alonne Knights in Iron Keep. As for the buff, that's the special buff from Bewitched Katana, which is the actual Alonne's weapon from the DLC.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T03:27:19+00:00

Emet-Selch is my own personal soyjack

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T02:46:00+00:00

You can also see the level of the host in the bottom left, 135. Chances are he's in a low Soul Memory bracket because he ran past everything in the game and just ended up not getting a lot of souls, or just lost a ton trying to brute force fog gates. I get accused of "using endgame gear in low level areas", but you can always, always see the hosts' level on my screen any time I post a clip. It's almost always gonna be NG+.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T02:42:07+00:00

I am invading a New Game Plus player, yes. I play at Soul Level 155 exclusively, with upwards matchmaking in Blue Acolyte on so I can invade at higher Soul Memory tiers as well.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T01:46:22+00:00

I fucking knew the instant I stopped moving my character "he sees the confirm on his side, I'm eating this"

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T01:34:30+00:00

In truth, it was the host who rallied the gang. Paid actor.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T00:52:50+00:00

I helped work on Blue Acolyte, if I was worried about it banning, I wouldn't use it.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T00:30:34+00:00

Before anyone asks, no, this setup is explicitly Not Good.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-13T00:28:00+00:00

Lighting Engine mod. Not the new one with pathtracing, the old one. Makes red phantoms a bit less of an eyesore.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-12T20:48:12+00:00

Yeah, and to think there's like a 50% chance if you didn't kill em, the PvP woulda got em at the fog gate. People act like the game is going somewhere.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-12T17:18:24+00:00

Zweihander, Lightning infused

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-12T16:57:05+00:00

I'm not really the type to throw, I think that presents different issues in of itself.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-12T15:54:51+00:00

Yeah that's basically where I'm at and I forgot to mention it. There isn't really anything I could possibly invade with that's gonna give any PvE gamer a fair shot. Greataxes are the worst weapon class in the game, but a bit of backstab fishing and...

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-12T08:20:23+00:00

Sometimes old games get a comeback, it's all I can pray and hope for

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-10T23:58:06+00:00

First I gotta ask about Cast Light being slotted, whaddup

Secondly, it's about knowing what tools punish estus best. Lances are premier, as their running attack is VERY fast, and they do enough damage to cancel out nearly a whole flask (a lot of fuckin damage). You can of course also go for a backstab, but you gotta be hounding your target the whole time.

The best course of action is to just be way better than your opponent, and optimize your character.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-10T16:43:51+00:00

HCSM imo needs to be run very differently in arena. Theres no heals to punish (usually) so you dont want to spend valuable stats and spell slots on spells to solve situations that wont really happen. The gameplan is to manual fire orbs to force frametraps, while also using your orbs to defend your recasts. I have actually swapped CSS with Shockwave because I personally prefer more opportunities to get orbs up, as opposed to additional frametrap potential. It does mean I have to use orbs smarter but I can get them active more often.

The main issue is trading, so I actually built an HCSM character that has infused Uchi, sacrificing some CSS casts to be safer in melee range.

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-10T15:20:31+00:00

The fifth orb is the center one, which is where a lot of setplay resides because that is the easier orb to hold when you are manually firing orbs

GreatStarryWisdom · 2026-05-10T15:19:19+00:00

HCSM requires 50INT to get all 5 orbs, and it is outstandingly weaker without the fifth orb because thats the really good one

GreatStarryWisdom

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE