Is Raw Infusion Worth It? A Dark Souls Deep Dive
The question of whether Raw infusion is worth it in the Dark Souls games is a complex one, deeply intertwined with your build, your playstyle, and even the specific weapon you’re wielding. The short answer is: it depends, but generally speaking, Raw infusion is a temporary, early-game crutch that becomes less useful as you progress and optimize your character.
Here’s why: Raw infusion dramatically increases a weapon’s base damage but significantly reduces, or even removes, its stat scaling. This can be attractive early on when your stats are low and your scaling bonuses are minimal anyway. The immediate damage boost lets you overcome early challenges more easily. However, as your Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Faith stats increase, the scaling bonuses from other infusions (like Heavy, Sharp, Refined, Crystal, or Lightning) will eventually surpass the base damage advantage of a Raw weapon. This makes Raw weapons less effective in the mid-to-late game and especially during PvP combat, where optimized builds are essential.
Think of it like this: Raw infusion is a sprint, while scaling infusions are a marathon. The Raw weapon gets off to a quick start, but the scaling weapon eventually overtakes it, becoming the stronger choice for the long haul.
Raw infusion can be a viable strategy for very specific builds, primarily those focused on low stat requirements and maximizing other attributes like Vitality (for health), Endurance (for stamina), or Attunement (for spell slots). These builds often aim to use weapons with minimal scaling requirements, relying on the Raw infusion to provide a decent attack rating without investing heavily in damage-dealing stats.
Ultimately, the decision to use Raw infusion depends on your character’s development and your preferred playstyle. If you’re struggling in the early game and need a temporary damage boost, it can be a helpful option. But, be prepared to re-infuse your weapon later on as your stats improve.
Understanding the Nuances of Raw Infusion
To fully understand the worth of Raw infusion, it’s crucial to delve into the mechanics and considerations that influence its effectiveness. This involves analyzing the weapon’s base damage, scaling properties, your character’s stats, and the overall game progression. Raw infusion significantly alters the core mechanics of weapon damage calculation. By emphasizing base damage, it minimizes the impact of stat scaling, which is typically determined by your character’s Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Faith attributes. This can be advantageous early on, particularly if you’re distributing stat points into other areas like Vitality or Endurance for improved survivability.
However, the long-term viability of Raw infusion is tied to the scaling coefficients of the weapon. Most weapons in Dark Souls possess inherent scaling factors for various attributes. A weapon with high Strength scaling, denoted as A or S, benefits greatly from investing points into Strength. Similarly, weapons with strong Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith scaling excel when used by characters with high values in those respective attributes. Raw infusion, in essence, diminishes these scaling benefits in favor of immediate, flat damage. As a result, while Raw-infused weapons might provide an initial advantage, they eventually fall behind as you invest further into scaling stats, making them less effective in the mid-to-late game.
Before deciding on Raw infusion, it is essential to consider the weapon’s base damage and its original scaling stats. Weapons with low initial base damage might not benefit significantly from Raw infusion, as the increase in flat damage might not outweigh the loss of potential scaling. Conversely, weapons with naturally high base damage but poor scaling could be ideal candidates for Raw infusion, allowing you to maintain competitive damage output without committing to specific stat builds. A player should weigh the potential damage output across the game timeline. Early benefits of Raw infusion might overshadow its eventual decline as you accumulate stats.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Raw Infusion
What exactly does Raw infusion do in Dark Souls?
Raw infusion increases a weapon’s base damage at the expense of reducing or eliminating its stat scaling. This means the weapon will deal more damage initially, but its damage won’t increase as much when you level up your stats.
When is Raw infusion a good choice?
Raw infusion is generally a good choice early in the game, when your stats are low and scaling bonuses are minimal. It can also be useful for builds that prioritize other stats over damage-dealing stats, allowing you to wield a weapon with decent damage without investing heavily in Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith.
What weapons are best suited for Raw infusion?
Weapons with naturally high base damage but poor scaling are the best candidates for Raw infusion. This is because the increase in base damage will be more significant, and the loss of scaling won’t be as detrimental.
Does Raw infusion completely remove stat scaling?
Not always. In some Dark Souls games, Raw infusion might reduce scaling significantly but not entirely eliminate it. Always check the weapon’s stats after infusion to understand its new scaling properties.
How do I reverse a Raw infusion?
You can reverse infusions by visiting a blacksmith and using a Pale Tongue, or a similar item depending on the game, to reset the infusion. This will revert the weapon to its previous upgrade path.
Is Raw infusion good for PvP (player vs. player) combat?
Generally, no. In PvP, optimized builds with strong scaling are crucial. Raw infusion’s lower damage potential in the late game makes it less effective against players with well-developed characters.
Does Raw infusion work on all weapons?
No, not all weapons can be infused with Raw. Check the weapon’s properties to see if it’s infusable. If it is, the blacksmith will offer the Raw infusion option.
How does Raw infusion compare to elemental infusions like Fire or Lightning?
Elemental infusions add elemental damage (like fire, lightning, or magic) to a weapon, often reducing physical damage in the process. Raw infusion, on the other hand, increases physical damage but reduces scaling. Elemental infusions can be useful for exploiting enemy weaknesses, while Raw infusion is focused on maximizing base physical damage.
Is Raw infusion viable for a quality build (equal Strength and Dexterity)?
No, a quality build (equal investment in Strength and Dexterity) benefits greatly from weapons with good scaling in both stats. Raw infusion undermines this advantage by reducing or removing that scaling. A Refined infusion is usually better for quality builds.
Can I buff a Raw-infused weapon with resins or spells?
Yes, Raw-infused weapons can typically be buffed with resins or spells. This can help offset the lack of scaling damage, but other infusions may still provide higher damage potential when buffed.
How does Raw infusion interact with bleed or poison build-up?
Raw infusion does not directly affect bleed or poison build-up on weapons. These effects are determined by the weapon’s base properties and any additional infusions that enhance them, such as Poison infusion or Blood infusion.
Will a Raw-infused weapon always deal more damage than a standard weapon in the early game?
Not necessarily. A standard weapon with good scaling might deal more damage even in the early game if you invest enough points into its scaling stats. However, a Raw-infused weapon will typically deal more damage than a standard weapon at very low stat levels.
Is Raw infusion worth it for a weapon I plan to use throughout the entire game?
Typically, no. As your stats increase, the damage potential of scaling infusions will eventually surpass the base damage advantage of Raw infusion. It’s generally better to transition to a scaling infusion once your stats are high enough.
How does Raw infusion affect critical attacks like backstabs and ripostes?
Raw infusion’s increased base damage will apply to critical attacks, potentially increasing their damage output. However, scaling infusions might still result in higher critical damage in the late game, depending on your stats and the weapon’s scaling properties.
Is there ever a reason to use Raw infusion in the late game?
In rare cases, a Raw infusion might be viable in the late game for very specific builds focused on minimal stat investment and maximum base damage. However, these builds are highly specialized and often less effective than optimized scaling builds. This would require extensive knowledge of the game’s mechanics.
Remember, the decision to use Raw infusion is highly dependent on your specific circumstances. Experiment with different infusions and find what works best for your build and playstyle. Consider the scaling stats, base damage, and overall weapon capabilities, to ensure that you achieve the maximum possible damage output for your character. More information on how people learn through gameplay can be found on the Games Learning Society website.