Let's talk about Aquamarine Dagger (and its problems)

[Artek [General]]

Aquamarine Dagger is a weapon found in Ringed City DLC.
It can be found in literally 2-3 first minutes of playing the DLC, it just lies there.
Its a DEX+INT based dagger that at 40/40 of both and at +5 upgrade level has ~350 AR almost perfectly split into physical and magic (50/50).

As a dagger on its own - this thing is not exactly very good. While it deals pretty average damage for a dagger (considering that you have to invest into 2 stats instead of 1) it also lacks any critical damage bonus, making it unsutiable for critical attacks while any other sharp-infused dagger can be extremely lethal.

However, that's not the point of Aquamarine Dagger.
The main point is a unique WA - Crystal Blade, which turns the dagger into a straight sword with a moveset that resembles a slowed down version of a one-handed dagger with nice thrusting attacks as a bonus.
While in WA mode you also get bonus magic damage.
WA has almost a complete moveset including rolling and running attacks and can be combined and comboed with a normal dagger attacks for amazing utility.

However all the good things end here.

1) You can't do critical attacks while in WA, meaning you can't get the bonus magic damage from WA into a backstab or riposte, leaving them worthless with low AR easily overshadowed by any sharp-infused physical dagger.

2) The damage of WA is still not good enough, nor its range. Straight and curved swords are simply better at both.

3) The main and most disgusting thing about the weapon: stamina consumption while using WA is RIDICULOUS.
You can easily exhaust 179 stamina (from 40 endurance combined with RoF +3) in a very short period of time since stamina consumption is comparable to a GREATSWORD.

All of this combined makes a weapon that is slightly below average.
All the amazing utility and style is wasted on having crappy AR, low range and terrible stamina consumption while using WA.

Maybe its a good self-defense weapon for a mage, but is it really worth choosing over Moonlight GS or Crystal Rapier (which while has disgusting AR - at least has a very good attack range)?

For pure melee build though its pretty weak: requires intense stat investment while not providing enough to compensate for it.

I think the poor thing has to be buffed in one way or another.
Most importantly: greatsword-like stamina consumption MUST go, no matter what.
Secondly: AR could've been increased by ~10-15%. Either generally on in WA only.
And finally: a slight increase to critical damage would be welcome (at least 115). Its a dagger after all.

[[Jintoro]]

Maybe it's shortcomings are to due to the uniqueness of its weapon art. It's clear that from emphasizes on weapons with flashy weapon arts now. It's the first and only dagger with such a unique WA that can give range and unpredictability to its user so I'm guessing that's why it falls short on other categories. You paint it as a rather weak weapon though, I haven't used it myself to form an opinion about it.

[Hunubul]

1) Still one of the highest riposte damage within dagger category.
2) But this thing is faster. Instead of comparing it to curved or straight swords, compare it to daggers, like corvian dagger (longest dagger). With WA this is same speed but longer reach, bigger damage.
3) Don't spam, it won't get you enywhere anyway.

[META]

Yeah I thought it looked cool with the moveset and all but it's so useless. Such a shame.

[Marty]

It does hardly anything better than a crystal longsword. One-handed daggers suck overall and the fact you have to two-hand it or use a shield to use the weapon art does not exactly help mages either, as they'd prefer a staff ready in their off-hand.

And if you're going to go two-handing a dagger, then you want it to have quickstep and good counter damage.

If the weapon art would be a permanent switch to the other moveset or even a straightsword moveset, it would have a potential. Right now, it's just a great disappointment...

[Vinyltavia]

It's balls deep bad.
It's sad that such a pretty weapon got shafted this hard.

[Scraps]

While the Aquamarine Dagger remains one of my favorite weapons from the DLC, I certainly agree that the cost to use the WA is, as you say, disgusting.

I still find it a better alternative to the Farron Flashsword, but as a DEX/INT weapon, Friede's Great Scythe trumps the dagger in every way except for the stat requirements and weight.

[Sticky White Stuff]

It's a gimmicky weapon, like a lot of weapons in Dark Souls. The only problem i have is the stamina consumption. If you go 40/40, you can't get to perfect 40 END.

I still used it a lot in the arena, because it is fun and we don't have enough transformation weapon arts like in BB. So this one is golden when it comes to that.

It isn't nearly as bad as the Greatsword of Judgment.
The only good thing about that sword is how it looks on your back while you use the MLGS to get that Holy Moonlight theme.

[Artek [General]]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Marty:

If the weapon art would be a permanent switch to the other moveset or even a straightsword moveset, it would have a potential. Right now, it's just a great disappointment...

Actually yes, that. If they would just make WA a switch rather than press&hold - maybe then some shortcomings would've been fixed.

[Tiny serpent Shnissuvihr]

Better infuse an actual dagger with crystal and have something like quickstep or the attack that goes through shields.

[ck_masamune]

Ursprungligen skrivet av Ponion:

1) Still one of the highest riposte damage within dagger category.
2) But this thing is faster. Instead of comparing it to curved or straight swords, compare it to daggers, like corvian dagger (longest dagger). With WA this is same speed but longer reach, bigger damage.
3) Don't spam, it won't get you enywhere anyway.

1) The only dagger with lower reposte damage than in when crystal infused is the harpe.

2) It's WA attacks are noticably slower than normal dagger attacks. Yes, it gains some reach and damage, but not for all that it trades off.

3) Get out of here with that. It's a dagger with the stamina consumption of a greatsword. if an unupgraded knight shield can block every attack of a weapon from full stamina, there's something wrong there.

[Hunubul]

Ursprungligen skrivet av ck_masamune:

Ursprungligen skrivet av Ponion:

1) Still one of the highest riposte damage within dagger category.
2) But this thing is faster. Instead of comparing it to curved or straight swords, compare it to daggers, like corvian dagger (longest dagger). With WA this is same speed but longer reach, bigger damage.
3) Don't spam, it won't get you enywhere anyway.

1) The only dagger with lower reposte damage than in when crystal infused is the harpe.

2) It's WA attacks are noticably slower than normal dagger attacks. Yes, it gains some reach and damage, but not for all that it trades off.

3) Get out of here with that. It's a dagger with the stamina consumption of a greatsword. if an unupgraded knight shield can block every attack of a weapon from full stamina, there's something wrong there.

I mean you don't have to use WA for every situation? In that situation use the dagger moveset...