Demon's Greataxe upgrade path

[Anatolius]

Which to go?
Don't have any int or fth, mainly for PvE

[ImHelping]

Demons' great axe is one of the hardest hitting weapons in the entire game, it does more damage than say, smough's hammer.

If there is anything with a higher Attack rating I can never remember what it is. I think Grant for example wins out, but you have to pump 30 Faith for that while Demon's Great Axe is busy crushing stuff with half the stat investment.

So regular if you want maximum smash. It will hit like a an angry truck even if you call it quits at 34 Strength (The STR for Black Iron Greatshield for example), which is just enough to two-hand it.

Just keep in mind that it's got a shorter range than it looks, and it's slow speed. PvE wise if you are not comfortable with the speed, you may find the Man Serpent Greatsword more user friendly for a "All you need it STR" weapon that can still curbstomp Artorias but is also fast enough to swat dogs.

[Zefar]

Because you need 46 Str for this weapon you should just go for Raw or a 15+.
Raw has A scaling and only need 5 upgrades and the 15+ one has S Scaling at the end.

[ImHelping]

Messaggio originale di Zefar:

Because you need 46 Str for this weapon you should just go for Raw or a 15+.
Raw has A scaling and only need 5 upgrades and the 15+ one has S Scaling at the end.

Even with Raw, you still need 31 strength (I'd suggest 34 minimum as that lets you two-hand everything but smough's hammer) to even two-handed the demon's greataxe in the first place.

According to the online builders.

31 Strength (the minimum to two-hand it)

+15 Regular: 654
+5 Raw: 496

Even if you half ass it to like, 34 STR and +12 you will be able to chop off the darkroot basin hydra heads in a single one handed R2 swing, and juuuuuuust exactly be able to Leaping R2 kill those giant dog skeletons in the tomb of giants in one hit.

Don't ever, EVER listen to anyone suggesting you use a Raw weapon in darksouls 1. Not without fact checking three times over.

[Anatolius]

So it's normal all the way i presume.
Thanks!

Also thanks for Serpent Greatsword suggestion, i'll loke into it

[ImHelping]

Messaggio originale di Purple Flame:

So it's normal all the way i presume.
Thanks!

Also thanks for Serpent Greatsword suggestion, i'll loke into it

No joke, the most nostalgic part of my replaying DS1 is that stupid sword.

Nothing else with the basterd sword moveset in the series seems to measure up to it's combo of "Rock solid" and "Normal weapon".

You generally gotta get into one per NG special snowflake weapons across the series for stuff that competes with plain old MSGS in the non-ultra category.

[Zefar]

Messaggio originale di ImHelping:

Don't ever, EVER listen to anyone suggesting you use a Raw weapon in darksouls 1. Not without fact checking three times over.

He could go Raw first and then go for 15+ because you can just revert upgrades at a blacksmith.

Also I suggested both versions because both of them will have respectable damage values.

[ImHelping]

Messaggio originale di Zefar:

Messaggio originale di ImHelping:

Don't ever, EVER listen to anyone suggesting you use a Raw weapon in darksouls 1. Not without fact checking three times over.

He could go Raw first and then go for 15+ because you can just revert upgrades at a blacksmith.

Also I suggested both versions because both of them will have respectable damage values.

That's sadly still "Raw for just the hell of it", which starts out "Why bother?" and gets worse from there.

Because again, RAW upgrades can't get around the fact you still need 31 STR minimum to use the demon greataxe in the first place.

Even with say, just 34 STR instead of the minimum 31. I threw my spare souls and materials into a fire to check.
When two-handing...

Regular:
+6: 402
+7: 427
+8: 452

RAW
+0: 374
+1: 399
+2: EDIT 424, still worse

For reference in case the OP is unaware. You can't turn a weapon into a +0 RAW, until you have first made it a +5 Regular. Hence the skewed looking +# listings.

OP I just blew all of my souls and large shard supply to inform you of this.

Demon great axe isn't the worst thing to turn RAW compared to a lot of weapons. But that doesn't make it a good idea to turn it raw, just not as terrible an idea as usual.

[Zefar]

If one is planning to use the Great Demon axe I'm sure he's already aiming for 46 str and it doesn't matter what the str req is.

A 5+ Raw only costs 10 large titanite and 4000 souls after you got a weapon to 5+. Which isn't a lot and easily gotten. Farming slugs at the swamp.

A 15+ weapon takes quite a bit more materials to make but you can always go for it later.

[ImHelping]

Messaggio originale di Zefar:

If one is planning to use the Great Demon axe I'm sure he's already aiming for 46 str and it doesn't matter what the str req is.

A 5+ Raw only costs 10 large titanite and 4000 souls after you got a weapon to 5+. Which isn't a lot and easily gotten. Farming slugs at the swamp.

A 15+ weapon takes quite a bit more materials to make but you can always go for it later.

Yeah see that's the other thing. The same material costs of "All you need are large shards!" you are talking up for Raw... is where Regular still beats Raw anyways.

Gonna crush some warrior souls so I can get screenshots for the sake of the OP.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1413184149

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1413188946

Friend's don't let friends buy into "Raw is totally a good idea! Trust me, guy with no numbers to back that up". Even with the minimal requirement of 31 STR, you'd have the same situation.

You don't save materials trying for raw on the Demon great axe. You're wasting them.

Demon great axe also hits S scale at only +11 Regular, so you don't even need to worry about +15 unless you are trying for some kind of MLG killcam video.

Just a single semi-common titanite chunk skyrockets the comparison from "Wow, even with just large shards Raw is so much worse" to "Oh, wooooooow".

Forgoing sleep to make sure the newbies are not mislead. It's not the best life choice. But it's one you can feel good about.

[Zefar]

It's just a 2+ raw demon axe. Where as the other is an 8+.

I'd upgrade a demon axe to 5+ raw just to show the damage but I need to leave soon. I can do it later as these resources are easily gotten for me.

[ImHelping]

Messaggio originale di Zefar:

It's just a 2+ raw demon axe. Where as the other is an 8+.

I'd upgrade a demon axe to 5+ raw just to show the damage but I need to leave soon. I can do it later as these resources are easily gotten for me.

A +8 regular is the equivalent of a +2 RAW though. After all, you can't even MAKE a Raw weapon, until you've made it a +5 regular first.

You would need a +10 Regular to contrast to a +5 Raw legitimately.

More screenshots time!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1413198906

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1413198906

+5 RAW: 499 damage.

+10 Regular: 503.

Large shards only.

Now. Before rolling in with "See! Totally saves the materials, just revert later!"

I was harshly reminded, that reverting a +5 RAW weapon... Bumps you back down to +5 Regular. Whoops!

So first after spending 10 large shards, max Raw will eventually.... Still be worse than regular.

Then it turns out you threw all those large shards into a garbage fire for "Just revert and use regular upgrades later!" and you need to spend an extra 10 large shards you never would have had to, if you had just stuck with regular.

I'm honestly baffled at why the doubling down so hard on "No, really. RAW demon axe is great.". Particularly with the reminder that it does the opposite of save materials, it makes you need twice the materials.

[Anatolius]

wow, that's quite dedication, thanks again.
I already know about weird upgrade path system - http://darksouls.wikidot.com/upgrade
I have 36 STR, 66 level, i also invested alot into weight, so i can fastroll with +5 BKGA in Crimson set.
46 STR isn't a problem, titanite is also not too much of a problem, i alredy pumped my DGA to +10 before even seeing how upgrade paths go, lol
Though at +10 it's not as good as BKGA, so it'll wait until +15, i also don't have very large amber from ruins

[ImHelping]

Messaggio originale di Purple Flame:

wow, that's quite dedication, thanks again.
I already know about weird upgrade path system - http://darksouls.wikidot.com/upgrade
I have 36 STR, 66 level, i also invested alot into weight, so i can fastroll with +5 BKGA in Crimson set.
46 STR isn't a problem, titanite is also not too much of a problem, i alredy pumped my DGA to +10 before even seeing how upgrade paths go, lol
Though at +10 it's not as good as BKGA, so it'll wait until +15, i also don't have very large amber from ruins

Happy to help.

Even just +11 starts up the S scaling for Demon axe, so if you have a spare titanite chunk (not that hard, and even drops from the giant knights in the hall leading to O&S) check out how that looks damage wise.

It is a common trap mindset to want to "Wait for max upgrade", and sometimes the results of +11 to +14 can be a pleasant surprise.

I'm also having the sudden horrific realization that I've been going full "Here is the evidence to the contrary, your honor.." to a moderator.

I probably would have left you to your fate of throwing 10 large shards in the garbage for worse damage even if you had only the minimum strength required, had I picked up on that sooner.

[Zefar]

Messaggio originale di ImHelping:

I'm also having the sudden horrific realization that I've been going full "Here is the evidence to the contrary, your honor.." to a moderator.

Exactly what have I said that have been wrong? Both Raw at 5+ and a normal 15+ Great Demon axe does a lot of damage. I have never stated that the Raw does more damage, just that it's cheaper to get to.

Also by the time you can upgrade to 15+ weapons large titanite shouldn't be an issue because farming those slugs. DS1 is very forgiving with upgrade materials.