Is it worth making a Quality Build?

[Worobones]

I've recently picked up SOTFS and wanted to play around with pvp. I haven't played a lot of the original Dark Souls 2, so I was fairly new to some of the new concepts introduced in it and figured I'd go with a safe quality build.

This is where I started to research some weapons I could get that would be good for the build, and I started to find a lot of results talking about quality builds in the original DS2. I mostly read things that said that having 40/40 was not as optimal as infusing the weapon and having minimal stats for it with scaling based off of the infusion.

I came across quite a few to warrant further investigation, and haven't really found much that was current, or even from SOTFS. So I guess what I'm mainly asking is whether or not these cases are still the same? Did they change anything with these scalings in SOTFS? Is it still more effective to infuse and scale accordingly? Maybe what I read was just people trying to build as optimally as possible. So what I should be asking is whether or not making a quality build is viable or if finding a weapon I like, infusng it and allocating points accordingly is the way to go.

If there is something else I am missing or maybe something I've gotten wrong, let me know so I can better understand the way it works and hopefully come up with a plan for my progression through the game.

[TrueArchery]

A quality build doesn't rely on buffs like infused weapons do. A quality build doesn't require you to level attunement, intelligence and faith, but you can use basically every (physical damage type) weapon with a 40/40 quality build.

Infused and buffed weapons are usually stronger for the time of the buff. As soon as it runs out, it'll be weaker. Infusing physical STR or DEX weapons usually kills the scaling, regardless of what the scaling-letter says. It's at least halved. It adds a small amount of elemental scaling, but the only real reason to infuse a weapon is to use it in cumbination with a buff due to the way buffs work (your weapon's elemenal damage AR increases by 50 and is multiplied by 1.1x-1.3, depending on the used buff).

I recommend leveling attunement to 10 for 1 slot regardless of the build: For Warmth. It'll heal you and everyone who's standing in its range as a phantom or as a host. It's a fast cast, you just need a pyro flame (upgrade level doesn't matter) in one of your weapon slots.

So yeah, I strongly recommend a quality build. It's good for learning. But if you just want easy wins which don't require skill, pick an ice rapier, infuse it with magic, buff it with crystal magic weapon, equip old leo, sorcery clutch and flynns ring and se the world burn. Alternatively you can use a Dark chaos Blade with Dark Weapon, you'll 2-3 shot most players. But that's SO boring. Really. Please.. don't be one of the super-tryhards.

[Smug Kot]

Quality builds works wonder at low soul memory where hybrids still being squishy with low physical defense.

even at 150 in bloodarena with all the tryhards, quality build still viable if you take advantage of weapon switch.

So get a fast, hard hitter and a long range weapons to cover everything also you can unlock the badass powers of caestus/bone fist.

[Worobones]

Originally posted by TrueArchery:

So yeah, I strongly recommend a quality build. It's good for learning. But if you just want easy wins which don't require skill, pick an ice rapier, infuse it with magic, buff it with crystal magic weapon, equip old leo, sorcery clutch and flynns ring and se the world burn. Alternatively you can use a Dark chaos Blade with Dark Weapon, you'll 2-3 shot most players. But that's SO boring. Really. Please.. don't be one of the super-tryhards.

Yeah, I'm familiar with ice rapier. I don't consider myself much of a tryhard, so I can't see myself using it any time soon, maybe eventually just for the sake of trying it, but as a regular build, probably not.

[Hatrix_]

Usually in a quality build, you want to use weapons that compliment each other and have good STR and/or DEX scaling. One of my favourite combinations is Shotel / Spear, try out it for yourself and experiment what weapons compliment other weapons movesets.

[Worobones]

I think I'll stick with a quality build for now, since I'm essentially starting fresh with not a lot of knowledge of the base game. It would also give me a fair idea of what weapons I really like or what I might want to try later. I'll still look back for any other input, but allow me to also ask what I should focus on for early levels? Should I get my weapon requirments out of the saw as fast as possible then work solely on Vigor and Endurance until about 20, maybe keep going till 40? or alternate between Strength and Dexterity until they are both at 40? Any input is appreciated :)

[Hatrix_]

Originally posted by Chloe:

I think I'll stick with a quality build for now, since I'm essentially starting fresh with not a lot of knowledge of the base game. It would also give me a fair idea of what weapons I really like or what I might want to try later. I'll still look back for any other input, but allow me to also ask what I should focus on for early levels? Should I get my weapon requirments out of the saw as fast as possible then work solely on Vigor and Endurance until about 20, maybe keep going till 40? or alternate between Strength and Dexterity until they are both at 40? Any input is appreciated :)

The most important stat in every single build is stamina. Do with that what you will.

[YORGOS]

Short Answer: Yes