The Ultimate Faith Weapon Guide for Dark Souls 1: Unleashing Divine Power

The question of the best weapon for a faith build in Dark Souls 1 is one that plagues many a cleric and paladin venturing into Lordran. Unlike some of its successors, Dark Souls 1 doesn’t feature as many weapons that inherently scale with faith. However, with careful planning and understanding of game mechanics, players can build incredibly potent faith-based characters. So, let’s cut to the chase: While no single weapon is definitively “the best” for every situation, the Divine Claymore and Divine Great Scythe stand out as exceptional choices when fully upgraded.

The key element to consider when picking your faith-based weapon in Dark Souls 1 is the Divine upgrade path. This path, available at Andre the Blacksmith, alters a weapon by:

• Adding magic damage to its attacks.
• Adding a Divine auxiliary effect, which prevents skeletons from reviving.
• Adding faith scaling and reducing strength and dexterity scaling.

This modification makes weapons that are otherwise unsuited to a faith build into viable tools. It’s important to remember that Divine weapons do not scale well with strength and dexterity. Therefore, to maximize their output, invest heavily in Faith and keep your Strength and Dexterity at or slightly above the minimum requirements for wielding the chosen weapon.

While the Claymore’s versatile moveset and the Great Scythe’s potent damage at the cost of a more difficult to master moveset make them ideal examples, many other weapons can be viable, it’s all dependent on your playstyle and preferences.

Diving Deeper: Why Divine Weapons are Key

It’s critical to understand that the Divine upgrade path isn’t just about adding a little magic damage. It’s about fundamentally altering a weapon’s scaling attributes. Without it, weapons that don’t naturally scale with faith will only ever be as powerful as your base stats. The scaling you get from your Faith stat on a Divine weapon is how you’ll dramatically increase the damage output, making it a necessity for a dedicated faith build.

Remember that Divine weapons won’t replace traditional miracles, but they do act as a way to maintain good offensive output while using faith buffs and utility.

Divine Claymore: Versatile Powerhouse

The Claymore, a longsword known for its balanced move set, is a fantastic option when infused with the Divine upgrade path. Its moveset consists of quick slashing attacks, powerful two-handed slams, and effective poke attacks, which allows it to be effective in a variety of scenarios. Its versatility is perfect for players who like to be able to adapt to many different scenarios.

Divine Great Scythe: Risky Rewards

The Great Scythe is another excellent option. When infused with Divine, it can be one of the highest-damaging faith weapons available. However, it is harder to learn and use than a greatsword or straight sword. Its sweeping attacks have great range, but can leave you exposed if used incorrectly.

Other Viable Options

While the Claymore and Great Scythe shine brightest, many weapons can be made viable via the divine upgrade path. This includes:

• Longsword: A very straightforward, reliable weapon that can be found early in the game.
• Halberds: While the Black Knight Halberd is often touted as the best halberd, it doesn’t scale with Faith. However, standard halberds benefit greatly from the Divine upgrade path.
• Straight Swords: There are many viable straight swords, all of which make decent Divine weapons if they have a moveset that suits your playstyle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Faith Weapons in Dark Souls 1

1. Do Divine weapons scale solely with Faith?

Divine weapons scale primarily with faith, with a small amount of scaling from Strength and Dexterity (before upgrading them to divine) that gets significantly reduced after. Investing heavily in Faith is vital to maximize their damage output.

2. Can I use a Lightning weapon for a faith build?

Lightning weapons do not scale with Faith. They are a separate upgrade path and scale with neither Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence nor Faith. Instead, they do lightning damage and have a set amount of damage output which won’t change.

3. How do I get a Divine weapon?

You must take a standard weapon to Andre the Blacksmith and upgrade it using the appropriate Divine Embers and souls.

4. Does upgrading Faith increase weapon damage on normal weapons?

No, increasing Faith only affects normal weapons if they are upgraded on the Divine path. For weapons that scale with Faith without upgrading to the Divine Path, the increase in damage would come directly from the Faith stat. However, most weapons don’t do this naturally, which is why the Divine upgrade path is so important.

5. Which Divine Embers are there?

There are 2 Divine Embers to find in the game. One is located in the Catacombs, and the second is located in the Tomb of Giants. You must give them to Andre in order to use the divine upgrade path.

6. Is the Astora’s Straight Sword good for faith?

The Astora’s Straight Sword has inherent faith scaling. However, it does not gain as much scaling as Divine weapons when you get to mid to late game. It is good in the early game for those who may struggle to get access to the Divine upgrade path. It’s damage output does not scale very well in comparison to Divine weapons.

7. What about Occult weapons?

Occult weapons scale with Faith, but also deal magic damage. However, they do not have the bonus effect on skeletons that Divine weapons do. Occult weapons are best against those with high magic defense.

8. Can I buff a Divine weapon?

Yes, you can buff a Divine weapon with spells or items that increase damage. However, you should note that you can’t use regular weapon upgrade resins on weapons infused with Divine, Fire, or Lightning.

9. What are the best faith-based spells to pair with Divine weapons?

Wrath of the Gods, Great Magic Barrier, and Emit Force are all great faith-based spells that can help faith users.

10. Is a high faith build good for new players?

A high faith build can be challenging for new players, because faith scales slower than strength, dex, or magic. However, it is extremely rewarding and powerful once you get it going, with great healing and damage output potential.

11. Do Divine weapons do more damage to undead enemies?

Divine weapons have the unique effect of preventing skeletons from resurrecting, which is extremely helpful in early areas and the Catacombs. They deal the same damage to undead that a regular weapon would unless the enemy is weak to magic.

12. What’s the difference between a Divine and Occult weapon?

The main difference is the skeleton-preventing effect of the Divine path. Both scale with faith, but Divine focuses on damage scaling and general magic damage, while Occult is better against specific enemies weak to magic.

13. Are there any weapons that naturally scale with Faith, besides Astora’s Straight Sword?

The Silver Knight Spear is another viable option. It has inherent faith scaling, but is best used when focused on dexterity as well.

14. How does poise work with a faith build?

Like any character build, poise is valuable for a faith build, especially if using heavier weapons. Heavy armor can be used to reduce knock-backs and staggers during attacks, allowing for a more uninterrupted offensive.

15. What stats should I focus on other than Faith?

After getting your Faith stat to the desired level, focus on Vitality for health and Endurance for stamina. Also, consider your weapons strength and dexterity requirements and upgrade these stats accordingly.

Final Thoughts

Building a faith-based character in Dark Souls 1 requires planning and commitment. By utilizing the Divine upgrade path on a reliable weapon such as the Claymore or the Great Scythe, players can create incredibly powerful and versatile builds. Remember to invest heavily in Faith, understand the nuances of scaling, and always experiment to find what best suits your playstyle. With the right knowledge and a bit of perseverance, you can become a true master of the divine arts in Lordran.