Should I bother upgrading shield?

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

Playing as a Samurai and have the stupid long katana but also use a bronze (medium) shield. I've got the sword up to level 15 and I use the blood swipe ash thing on it. Would upgrading my shield actually do anything worthwhile with that set up?
If I was to dual wield what should I go with and I guess I can;t have ash on the off hand weapon as it would stop the ash working on my main right?
I am level 70

Vigor 37
mind 11
endurance 23
strength 32
dex 37
int 9
faith 12
arc 8

What attributes should I focus on?

[jasonbarron]

Цитата допису ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

You shouldn't even be using a shield.

Really? It saves me loads of times and i can get a special looking counter attack right after I block, is it not worth that?

Guard counters are okay, but nothing beats rolling through attacks and coming up swinging with either two weapons or 2-handing a big sword. The long term damage payoff is better than relying on guard counters

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

Цитата допису ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

Really? It saves me loads of times and i can get a special looking counter attack right after I block, is it not worth that?

Guard counters are okay, but nothing beats rolling through attacks and coming up swinging with either two weapons or 2-handing a big sword. The long term damage payoff is better than relying on guard counters

I'm a bit slow and new to this type of game so I'm only getting as far as I have so far with a shield to save my life so many times. I sometimes dual wield 2 swords if a boss just smashes through the shield but I was not sure if you are supposed to use a certain sword in one hand to boost the main sword.

[Calsetes]

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

Цитата допису ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠:

Really? It saves me loads of times and i can get a special looking counter attack right after I block, is it not worth that?

Guard counters are okay, but nothing beats rolling through attacks and coming up swinging with either two weapons or 2-handing a big sword. The long term damage payoff is better than relying on guard counters

There's been a few times a shield has come in really handy for me, personally. For the life of me I absolutely cannot dodge Malenia's initial divebomb from her second stage transformation, so a shield helps a lot with that. Even if it gets broken, you're still blocking at least that first or both hits from the divebomb and flower bloom, and that can be enough to not wipe you if you have lower HP than normal.

[ImHelping]

Guard counters swing wildly between "Overrated trap people hype up hoping you get killed trying to use them" and "So now that my stamina isn't trash, I guard countered the PVE knight's own guard counter. what an idiot!". And then back to "So your large club guard counter swung over the head of a stationary enemy, somehow?"

So it isn't really a case of "Git gud and don't use guard counters ever!", so much as the value of a guard counter being wildly arbitrary moment to moment be it plank shield and no stamina or greatshield and 40+ endurance with guard counter talisman.

Which leads to this strange reality where the best times to """""git gud""""" are when guard counters would be trash or outright self sabotage... But the best way to """"git gud""" at that is to admit this truth instead of buy into either "Guard counters always useless" or "Guard counters so OP!" sales pitch.

[ℬℓα⊂₭ ℙℜ¡ℵ₠]

Цитата допису Calsetes:

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

Guard counters are okay, but nothing beats rolling through attacks and coming up swinging with either two weapons or 2-handing a big sword. The long term damage payoff is better than relying on guard counters

There's been a few times a shield has come in really handy for me, personally. For the life of me I absolutely cannot dodge Malenia's initial divebomb from her second stage transformation, so a shield helps a lot with that. Even if it gets broken, you're still blocking at least that first or both hits from the divebomb and flower bloom, and that can be enough to not wipe you if you have lower HP than normal.

Agreed, for my skill level at the game right now I'm not good enough at dodging to duel wield most the time. I'll get better though. Probably.

[jasonbarron]

Oh, I'm not saying that a shield isn't useful here and there, but in general I'd either not use one, or at least certainly wouldn't waste precious upgrade materials on it. Your damage output is just better without it, thus allowing you to end fights much quicker. If you get into the shield style of play you'll always be standing there taking hits and needing a bazzilion points in Endurance

[Kyutaru]

Shield is worth it. On my playthrough I never upgraded my armor, stuck with Confessor's Armor the entire game. Since I got all the achievements that was a full run. The only reason having such low damage mitigation was possible, besides faith spells and ashes of war buffing, was because of my shield. The default starter Blue Crest Heater Shield which I upgraded to +25. Regardless of whether it nukes your stamina or not it's good to save you from a single blow for free. Even giant bosses that just pulverize your shields were getting blocked one time just long enough to not take 80% of my healthbar in damage instantly. There's only so many flasks you have and protecting your life points matters.

[ImHelping]

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

Oh, I'm not saying that a shield isn't useful here and there, but in general I'd either not use one, or at least certainly wouldn't waste precious upgrade materials on it. Your damage output is just better without it, thus allowing you to end fights much quicker. If you get into the shield style of play you'll always be standing there taking hits and needing a bazzilion points in Endurance

I mean. even when I ignore the shield you often need a big helping of endurance for anything that isn't R1 swings, and even more when you also need to chase down an enemy that keeps flying/jumping/teleporting away from you like a baby in spite of being able to potentially 2-3 shot you to death.

Don't get tricked into blaming shields for stamina use/burn, for things that still apply for one handed no blocking. two-handed, or power stance gameplay. I'm cranking my stamina past 25 not for shield use, but keeping up with offensive needs primarily. "Can also use a shield good instead of ♥♥♥♥ guard broken by a soldier with a 2.5 weight war pick" is a distant 4th to "welp all those R1/power stance/jumping/charged strong attacks STILL didn't quite kill them. need to swing at least one more time-oops that would take more stamina" life.

[jasonbarron]

Цитата допису ImHelping:

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

Oh, I'm not saying that a shield isn't useful here and there, but in general I'd either not use one, or at least certainly wouldn't waste precious upgrade materials on it. Your damage output is just better without it, thus allowing you to end fights much quicker. If you get into the shield style of play you'll always be standing there taking hits and needing a bazzilion points in Endurance

I mean. even when I ignore the shield you often need a bazzlion points of endurance for anything that isn't R1 swings, and even more when you also need to chase down an enemy that keeps flying/jumping/teleporting away from you like a baby in spite of being able to potentially 2-3 shot you to death.

I don't want anyone thinking I'm belittling their playstyle, I just don't like relying on the shield style. I got my main up to 20 points on End and just left it there, gives me as many rolls as I need to avoid attacks and still come up with two handed murder. Pure offence seems to work best, at least for me.

[Sabaithal]

Generally small shields are only really useful for emergencies, abilities or parrying (as they, allegedly, get slightly longer parry windows).

If you want a shield that protects you, go medium or greatshield.

With that being said, ignore these "you shouldn't be using a shield skrub" elitists ♥♥♥♥♥. Use whatever tools you feel works to win, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

At the same time, if you don't want to use a shield, then just toss it. Its a game, play however you want.

[ImHelping]

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

Цитата допису ImHelping:

I mean. even when I ignore the shield you often need a bazzlion points of endurance for anything that isn't R1 swings, and even more when you also need to chase down an enemy that keeps flying/jumping/teleporting away from you like a baby in spite of being able to potentially 2-3 shot you to death.

I don't want anyone thinking I'm belittling their playstyle, I just don't like relying on the shield style. I got my main up to 20 points on End and just left it there, gives me as many rolls as I need to avoid attacks and still come up with two handed murder. Pure offence seems to work best, at least for me.

Yeah, part of why I am trying to highlight "Even if you ignore shields, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I wish there was a talisman that refilled stamina on crits because of "time you impaled someone for four didgit damage and they still didn't quite die. while surrounded by enemies, and that riposte cost the last bit of your stamina" idiocy. while everyone else is too busy complaining having I-frames during a riposte animation is casual.

Even if you love big attack life, back pocket shield capacity is still great utility. Even as I will still turn around and ♥♥♥♥ talk guard counters as nowhere near as strong as other people claim they are either. While then turning around to point out then "But that guy? Works on that guy real good."

Because it isn't even down to "Difference in playstyle". It is down to a bunch of playstyles being overhyped to the point where you will survive better if you lower your expectations for "but MY way is way more optimal anyways" regardless of which one you like more.

[Calsetes]

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

Цитата допису ImHelping:

I mean. even when I ignore the shield you often need a bazzlion points of endurance for anything that isn't R1 swings, and even more when you also need to chase down an enemy that keeps flying/jumping/teleporting away from you like a baby in spite of being able to potentially 2-3 shot you to death.

I don't want anyone thinking I'm belittling their playstyle, I just don't like relying on the shield style. I got my main up to 20 points on End and just left it there, gives me as many rolls as I need to avoid attacks and still come up with two handed murder. Pure offence seems to work best, at least for me.

Oh, for sure, I don't think anyone is seeing it as "shields are trash, never use them ever!" Just like how someone said I could dodge that one move from Malenia, while it's certainly possible to do so, I just can't. Give me 100 tries to do it, and I might do it once. Shield's just far easier for me to block it.

Different playstyles for different people, and they're all effective to help people play the game and finish it.

[yannypr]

It's better with a shield, but since a lot of people may not know this, you can also guard counter if you block with your weapon.

[jasonbarron]

Цитата допису Calsetes:

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

I don't want anyone thinking I'm belittling their playstyle, I just don't like relying on the shield style. I got my main up to 20 points on End and just left it there, gives me as many rolls as I need to avoid attacks and still come up with two handed murder. Pure offence seems to work best, at least for me.

Oh, for sure, I don't think anyone is seeing it as "shields are trash, never use them ever!" Just like how someone said I could dodge that one move from Malenia, while it's certainly possible to do so, I just can't. Give me 100 tries to do it, and I might do it once. Shield's just far easier for me to block it.

Different playstyles for different people, and they're all effective to help people play the game and finish it.

I'm working my way down the branches of the Haligtree as we speak. We'll see if I change my tune after I get to her haha

[Pisaro]

Цитата допису jasonbarron:

You shouldn't even be using a shield.

Why? Shield is a god Item.