Poise for PVE

[stan.klingenbart]

Hi,

what is the best level of poise one should maintain for PVE NG to have the easiest time? i know that not being hit is better than having poise, yet with all the weakling mobs staggering can become quite a problem (more than tanking a hit now and then)

is it like 30 or highter or what?

[Izalith Witch]

Why don't to use shield + spear combo then?

[stan.klingenbart]

Originally posted by Coup de grace:

Why don't to use shield + spear combo then?

that's not the question here. even when using them i would want to know hat the optimal poise level is

[Izalith Witch]

Originally posted by stan.klingenbart:

Originally posted by Coup de grace:

Why don't to use shield + spear combo then?

that's not the question here. even when using them i would want to know hat the optimal poise level is

I doubt is someone tested this, cause it's... negligible

[stan.klingenbart]

Originally posted by Coup de grace:

Originally posted by stan.klingenbart:

that's not the question here. even when using them i would want to know hat the optimal poise level is

I doubt is someone tested this, cause it's... negligible

is it though? As with the knight starting armor i could withstand arrows yet with the tseldora set i couldnt..

[Izalith Witch]

Originally posted by stan.klingenbart:

Originally posted by Coup de grace:

I doubt is someone tested this, cause it's... negligible

is it though? As with the knight starting armor i could withstand arrows yet with the tseldora set i couldnt..

There's simply no any numbers. The Poise just acting like your stamina bar: whenever you get a hit - your poise exhausted a bit. So, if you REALLY want to stay motionless, beneath multiple hits, you'll need as much as possible. But it's weird

[TrueArchery]

To my knowledge noone ever tested that for PvE. There's of course a very detailed spreadsheet for PvP[docs.google.com], but PvE probably follows different rules. It's quite safe to say though that 30 isn't enough for anything but arrows.

[TrueArchery]

Also, if you stay motionless you get staggered regardless of your Poise. You have to act to avoid staggers. Actually, it even depends on the action. Just running will make you flinch a bit, but you aren't staggered as badly as when you poise is broken. Rolling, attacking,... makes facetanking hits without any flinching possible.

[stan.klingenbart]

Originally posted by TrueArchery:

Also, if you stay motionless you get staggered regardless of your Poise. You have to act to avoid staggers. Actually, it even depends on the action. Just running will make you flinch a bit, but you aren't staggered as badly as when you poise is broken. Rolling, attacking,... makes facetanking hits without any flinching possible.

So would you say that wearing armor with higher poise is worth the investment in VItality and the lesser endurnce regen?

I'm pretty stuck between wearing full armor and leveling vitality, going full tseldora/robes with effects for their effects and no Vit investment or a combination of both as like only having Light leggings and Gloves and some armored helmet and chest and go like 14 VIT

(i dont really care about the flynn ring, as it comes so late in the game)

[TrueArchery]

It's personal preference. HP are way more important for tanking hits. Being able to take arrows is convenient, but they're pretty easy to avoid. If I'm using a heavy weapon I generally try to stack a bunch of Poise, with light weapons is matters less.

You can get Flynn's Ring really early though... jump down the Majula pit (~25 Vigor required when naked, less if you have fall dmg reduction gear and/or HP boosting gear), run through the poison stuff, kill the giants (really easy with arrows, especially poison ones) for their key, kill the rotten, grab the DLC key from the pit and just run to its location.

[stan.klingenbart]

Originally posted by TrueArchery:

It's personal preference. HP are way more important for tanking hits. Being able to take arrows is convenient, but they're pretty easy to avoid. If I'm using a heavy weapon I generally try to stack a bunch of Poise, with light weapons is matters less.

You can get Flynn's Ring really early though... jump down the Majula pit (~25 Vigor required when naked, less if you have fall dmg reduction gear and/or HP boosting gear), run through the poison stuff, kill the giants (really easy with arrows, especially poison ones) for their key, kill the rotten, grab the DLC key from the pit and just run to its location.

Yeah on my first legit playthrough i don't want to do such a sequence break, maybe in another playhthrough.


i Think i've decided on a set though:

Weapons: Basturd Sword/Claymore, Drangleic Shield, Dragonrider Bow

Royal Soldier/Swordsman Helmet (most fashionable)
Tseldora Robe (for +5 souls and looks like a Game of Thrones Kingsguard)
Jester Gloves (+10 % souls)
Knight Leggings (at least a little defensive protection)

with 14 Vit i'm at around 58 % Loadout and 26 Poise, maybe i can boost it with giants ring further.

Does that sound legitimate, as it at least is fashionable and gives more souls?

[Call Sign: Raven]

Poise is useful for accidental dings you may get in combat. Here's my take:

If part of your strategy invovles you getting hit, change your strategy. You should never make your character around poise, as that will lead to your doom. I tried it with various poise breakpoints, even exceeding 100 and it wasn't a good idea due to how damaging enemies are.

In Dark Souls 2, poise shouldn't be the main meal. It should be like a seasoning you put to add a little extra spice to the main course.

I recommend using poise between 30 and 50, because in my experience that has given me the best value for my buck, so to speak, when it comes to accidental dings and scratches against groups of mobs.

Stay in motion, as that means your poise is more active. You CAN be motionless and tank a hit, if you have something like 150 poise, but it's not worth it.