How high can Sunlight Spear go?

[Jonathan]

So I was doing some messing around in DS3 build planner and I came across an interesting idea:

People generally dislike buffs because they don't last long enough, but in the DLC we have two 2 minute buffs that effect all damage. Additionally, SS already does a lot of damage and scales really well with percentage increases.

So the buffs:
Lothric War Banner = +15%
Morne's Ring = +12%
Ring of Sun's Firstborn = +20%
Lightning Clutch = +15% (PvE), +6% (PvP)
Red Tearstone = +20%
Rose of Ariendal = +20%
Power Within = +20%
Sacred Oath = +10% (PvE), +5% (PvP)

Breakdown:

30 sec @ everything active
- PvE: +132%
- PvP: +118%

45 sec @ everything but PW
- PvE: +112%
- PvP: +98%

2 min @ everything but PW and SO
- PvE: +100%
- PvP: +93%

That's insane for a spell that was able to already hit like a truck with only the original two rings and no clutch.

The best part is that 40% of that is 2 minute long buffs that stack and are unaffected by PvP. The Hypermode and PW and SO were just to see how high it could go, which might be helpful for bosses.

Anybody try this yet? Or think they can get it to go higher?

[Hunubul]

I tought only the skybox can stop Sunlight Spear form going higher.

[The Black Baron]

Originally posted by Jonathan:

So I was doing some messing around in DS3 build planner and I came across an interesting idea:

People generally dislike buffs because they don't last long enough, but in the DLC we have two 2 minute buffs that effect all damage. Additionally, SS already does a lot of damage and scales really well with percentage increases.

So the buffs:
Lothric War Banner = +15%
Morne's Ring = +12%
Ring of Sun's Firstborn = +20%
Lightning Clutch = +15% (PvE), +6% (PvP)
Red Tearstone = +20%
Rose of Ariendal = +20%
Power Within = +20%
Sacred Oath = +10% (PvE), +5% (PvP)

Breakdown:

30 sec @ everything active
- PvE: +132%
- PvP: +118%

45 sec @ everything but PW
- PvE: +112%
- PvP: +98%

2 min @ everything but PW and SO
- PvE: +100%
- PvP: +93%

That's insane for a spell that was able to already hit like a truck with only the original two rings and no clutch.

The best part is that 40% of that is 2 minute long buffs that stack and are unaffected by PvP. The Hypermode and PW and SO were just to see how high it could go, which might be helpful for bosses.

Anybody try this yet? Or think they can get it to go higher?

I tried to go higher , but I'm still 5'9.

[Herbalacious]

They used it to kill dragons so I'm guessing it goes pretty high..

[Velkhana's Summer]

Sun born is 25% or were both that and the witch's ring nerfed a while back to 20 instead? Also there is too much that goes into miracle one ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. Sorceries will always be stronger in raw dmg because they have headpiece modifiers

Edit: have you tried switching your casting item to morions blade as its in the air?

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by Solid Salad:

Sun born is 25% or were both that and the witch's ring nerfed a while back to 20 instead? Also there is too much that goes into miracle one ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. Sorceries will always be stronger in raw dmg because they have headpiece modifiers

Edit: have you tried switching your casting item to morions blade as its in the air?

A large portion of the damage comes from hitting a target point blank so I don't think Morions will work with this.

And I just grabbed the modifiers from the wiki. *shrug*

The point of this isn't to be the be all end all of spell damage, but that I find it semi hilarious that's spell that already was very powerful in PvP due to its high damage and poise casting with only two rings can still go higher still.

Miracles don't need more damage, but this is a nice "You haven't even seen my final form!" idea I had for when I take my FTH build into NG++ to finish ring collection and want to destroy the bosses. Also, 2 two minute long buffs are a bit ridiculous. You don't even have to use Rose as your catalyst for casting; you can activate the buff and then switch to something else. Unfortunately, as far as I'm aware, because you have to hold LWB, I can't see a way to switch to morion.

[Velkhana's Summer]

While sunlight spear is in air try switching to morions, and whats the point of a spell when it can only one shot upclose. Try the morion trick then relay the data. If you add morion to that the modifiers would make it effectively hitting as hard as it would at melee but now at range. Only if the morion dmg adds to it though before it hits target. Also to get the highest faith spell buff you actually also need intenlligence and use sunless talisman from siris. I had like 242 spell buff on it.

[Velkhana's Summer]

Originally posted by Herbalacious:

They used it to kill dragons so I'm guessing it goes pretty high..

this is by far the best comment though

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by Solid Salad:

While sunlight spear is in air try switching to morions, and whats the point of a spell when it can only one shot upclose. Try the morion trick then relay the data. If you add morion to that the modifiers would make it effectively hitting as hard as it would at melee but now at range. Only if the morion dmg adds to it though before it hits target. Also to get the highest faith spell buff you actually also need intenlligence and use sunless talisman from siris. I had like 242 spell buff on it.

The poise casting is what makes it useful for PvP and such.
Will try though; would be interesting if nothing else. Highest spell buff is 247 with Yorshka though. No point in tsunless talisman since it's poise is twrrible

[Xengre]

There was a youtube video using this to basically 1-shot the first phase of Nameless King.
Morion would be stronger but only slightly, tho less upkeep if already using RTSR. Lothric Banner's effect vanishes if you swap it out or 2h something else (it in offhand sheathed). This isn't counting the dragon buff, either, though I would say it really isn't worth it due to how brief it is.

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by Xengre:

There was a youtube video using this to basically 1-shot the first phase of Nameless King.
Morion would be stronger but only slightly, tho less upkeep if already using RTSR. Lothric Banner's effect vanishes if you swap it out or 2h something else (it in offhand sheathed). This isn't counting the dragon buff, either, though I would say it really isn't worth it due to how brief it is.

Lothric vanishes but you only need onehand for the catalyst (preferably the offhand so you can poise cast with a quick L2). And yeah , it's beacuse of how crazy the damage would already get that I'm interested in how the new buffs effect things. Especially for PvP purposes.

I tried incorporating the Dragon Buff but it doesn't seem to effect spell damage.

[ardoon]

Hm. If this is a troll build go for it. But if you want to do it for real just search up "DS3 the most overbuffed build" by InfernoPlus
''Tis the future of thy build

[Xengre]

Originally posted by Jonathan:

Originally posted by Xengre:

There was a youtube video using this to basically 1-shot the first phase of Nameless King.
Morion would be stronger but only slightly, tho less upkeep if already using RTSR. Lothric Banner's effect vanishes if you swap it out or 2h something else (it in offhand sheathed). This isn't counting the dragon buff, either, though I would say it really isn't worth it due to how brief it is.

Lothric vanishes but you only need onehand for the catalyst (preferably the offhand so you can poise cast with a quick L2). And yeah , it's beacuse of how crazy the damage would already get that I'm interested in how the new buffs effect things. Especially for PvP purposes.

I tried incorporating the Dragon Buff but it doesn't seem to effect spell damage.

Yup. The Dragon Buff affects it but only lasts like 5 seconds which may have been the issue you were running into and the main reason dragon buff kinda sucks... It has to be cast literally last the moment before the attack.
Check this video and thread out: https://www.reddit.com/r/darksouls3/comments/5lhxel/1hko_challenge_can_you_1shot_nameless_kings_dragon/
For PvP... I believe (can't confirmed tho tried finding confirmation of it but haven't been able to only speculation) that there is some type of % damage reduction automatically applied in PvP to reduce odds of one-shotting and you can get lighting resistance quite high. The dragon in the video is weak to lightning as well so got to factor in that when comparing what is possible. Since you are interested in Pvp use primarily keep in mind that some things may not be worth it as they are nerfed in PvP like Lightning Clutch Ring. That said, maybe at melee range against majority of players you could one-shot despite all this with enough buffs stacked. You would have to still avoid the charm that strips buffs and actually hit at point blank and not miss/die in the process. These ideas are fun to toy with tho. Let us know the results when you try it.

[Jonathan]

So, I'm back after finally getting the rose, Sunlight spear, and banner.

I lack motion and red tearstone ring....probably ran past them by accident.

So, results:

*Tested on hollows at High Wall
*Activated buffs:
- lightning clutch
- morne's
- ring of sun...
- rose
- banner
- power within

Throwing the SS from distance
- using Talisman: 1600+
- using Yorshka Chime: 1800+

*Tan into issue where I couldn't get the extra damage from upclose to activate reliably at all....I'm starting to think that there's some cap I'm hitting.

*Tested in PvP
- same rings
- rose

Throwing from distance on roll catch:
- using Talisman respectable ~600

*guy was about half hp and this finished him off

Away from game currently, but this is pretty funny. Testing confirms attacks won't stop rose from doing its full activation sequence, but you can be stunned out of using the banner.

Using Rose when an invader runs at you with figs to attack actually left me with just enough health to activate red tears if I'd had it. You won't be caught stunned coming out of the WA, so it's like them helping activate your own buffs.

After messing around with SS cast speed, there doesn't seem to be any appreciable reason to have sage rings. Techinically, you should be getting a sec shaved off, but it's not noticeable in combat at all and can actually hurt your timing. When someone see you activate the cast and goes for the roll, having that small delay lets you sometimes catch them coming out of it.

Using both buffs 2 min long is doable and well worth it for bosses. Activating all three buffs I had on me.

The only issue is that activating all the buffs takes a bit, requires doing it in the right order, uses up quite a bit of FP.

So far, my conclusion is:
- situationally very useful both PvE and PvP wise since the buffs last long enough to bet started up early
- power within is actually pretty handy if you only activate it mid combat when needed since pyro flam costs nothing and parting flame lets you recoup estus
- using the buffs actually negates the feeling of lost damage from spamming spears from a distance

Will try more testing later with motion and tearstone

[Shard of Manus]

Welp, against Soul of Cinder you (I) can go above 4000 damage. PvE the build is great, I use it all the time against SoC, Twin Princes, Champion Gundyr and Oceiros when I'm helping people in co-op.

In PvP the build is useless. SS is so easily dodged, and you put yourself at risk of one to two shots (if using ToD - but that cancels Sacred Oath).

Aside from that... Sunlight SS WA uses less FP but has a slightly higher damage and defence boost than Sacred Oath (though lasts 45 seconds instead of 60).

Next is... you can't get the full 30 seconds of Power Within to boost with RTSR and Morion's, as it will kill you. You'll have to cast it before proccing RTSR to avoid dying (unless you have HP regen - but you can only have HP regen if you off-set some of the other buffs... not worth it).

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by Shard of Manus:

Welp, against Soul of Cinder you (I) can go above 4000 damage. PvE the build is great, I use it all the time against SoC, Twin Princes, Champion Gundyr and Oceiros when I'm helping people in co-op.

In PvP the build is useless. SS is so easily dodged, and you put yourself at risk of one to two shots (if using ToD - but that cancels Sacred Oath).

Aside from that... Sunlight SS WA uses less FP but has a slightly higher damage and defence boost than Sacred Oath (though lasts 45 seconds instead of 60).

Next is... you can't get the full 30 seconds of Power Within to boost with RTSR and Morion's, as it will kill you. You'll have to cast it before proccing RTSR to avoid dying (unless you have HP regen - but you can only have HP regen if you off-set some of the other buffs... not worth it).

The hypermode glass cannon is purely for testing purposes.

I've seen how high damage looks on videos, but I need to narrow down why the second hit up close isn't proving reliably as numbers go up.

I have no idea who you play with cause I've been using SS reliably to kill people in PvP since the game came out. It just takes practice, timing, and learning how to bait and/or getting familiar with the swing speed of your opponents weapon. Was out of practice since I put down DS3 for a while, but getting there again.

Catachjng people with SS at a distance though? That's a pain. Really have to time or get lucky with that.