The Weaponmaster (SL 120)
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Build summary A build that allows you to use almost any weapon effectively - versatility is key!
Recommended starting class(es) Temple Knight
Recommended Soul Level 120

Recommended stats (Leave at default (**) if not raised)

Vitality 45
Will/Intelligence 18
Endurance 38
Strength 35
Dexterity 35
Magic 6 (Delevel from 10 after acquiring spells)
Faith 16
Luck 7
Recommended equipment

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The weaponmaster can use almost any weapon in the game (with BBS and Istarelle being the only two exceptions I can think of right now). But the ability to use every weapon does not mean that you should use all of them. Select your weapons with care. The best is to choose the most efficient weapon from each category. Featured below are some of the weapons that I use. For more information on the best (and worse) weapons from each category, I highly recommend that you visit EWGF's article:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps3/954345-demons-souls/faqs/59592

Weapons I use:

(Key: Weapon Name - Normal +10 / Sharp +5 / Crushing +5 / Quality +5)

Swords:
Knight's Sword - 267 / NA / 262 / 268
Claymore - 330 / NA / 324 / 331
Great Sword - 408 / NA / 400 / 410
Dragon Bone Smasher - 452 (514 if two-handed)
Meat Cleaver - 434 (458 if two-handed)

Asian:
Uchigatana - 298 / 305 / NA / 299
Shotel - 220 / 224 / NA / 221
Kilij - 282 / 289 / NA / 284
Hiltless - 321

Axes:
Crescent Axe - 361 / NA / 354 / 362
Great Axe - 408 / NA / 400 / 410
Guillotine Axe - 273 / NA / 268 / 274

Polearms:
Mirdan Hammer - 298 / NA / 293 / 299
War Scythe - 298 / 305 / NA / 299
Winged Spear - 267 / 273 / NA / 268
Scraping Spear - 206

Rapier:
Estoc - 251 / 257 / NA / 252

Dagger:
Secret Dagger - 220 / 227 / NA / 221

Shields:
Dark Silver Shield
Adjudicator's Shield

Because of the way your stats have been distributed, you will notice that whatever ore that you use - be they Normal, Sharp, Crushing or Quality, the ARs are pretty much the same. Weapon upgrading should not prove too difficult because these ores are easily attainable (except maybe for bladestones). You are therefore at liberty to mix and match when upgrading your weapons, depending on the availability of ores to you at any given point.

To maximise your damage output however, it is recommended to use Crushing ores to upgrade the weapons which you plan on two-handing, thereby taking greater advantage of the strength bonus.

Blessed, Moon and Crescent weapons are less effective, but still can be used if desired, especially against Turtles or Warders (although applying Curse Weapon to your Sharp Shotel +5 will be more deadly).

Dragon weapons go well with this build too,.

For bows, Sticky Compound Longbow +5 is marginally better than Quality +5 or Normal +10. Furthermore, the extra +5 bonus to range is nothing to sneeze at.

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Recommended spells/miracles

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Clouds
Curse Weapon
Warding
Second Chance
Cloak/Hidden Soul

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Gameplay tips and progression

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The Weaponmaster Build Explained:

Jack of all trades, master of none, the Weaponmaster's greatest strength lies in his/her versatility, being prepared for any possible match up. The ability of using virtually any weapon allows the weaponmaster to change tactics on the go, ensuring that he/she constantly maintains the upper hand over his/her opponent.

During PvP, weapon matchups can be a case of Rock/Paper/Scissors, with some weapons trumping some while falling prey to others. The Weaponmaster is thus prepared to handle any melee situation that an opponent should present to him/her.

This build also accommodates many interchangeable styles of play. One moment you may be smacking your foes with a Crushing Great Axe, suddenly switching to an Estoc Turtle or a dual katana stealh build to totally throw off your opponent. Alternatively, you can smoke your opponents with Acid Cloud and pelt him/her arrows while his/her version is obscured. The possibilities are endless.

While the damage output of all these weapons are not as impressive as many other builds, this can be compensated for by applying SWS or casting Curse Weapon.

The difficulty that this build presents is weapon-changing, especially since you only have four slots to mess around with. This means that during PvP, your character will be required to play a game of cat-and-mouse during the opening exchanges. Once you have roughly ascertained your opponent's modus operandi, you will the need to retreat to somewhere safe to quickly change into the weapon that you wish to use to counter him/her (assuming that the aforesaid weapon was not in your original 4). Sometimes in the heat of battle, this is just plain impossible to accomplish. Weapon changes must also be done quickly to prevent getting caught with your pants down. Cloak and smoke screens are you best friends in such cases.

This build is not for everyone. If you're the kind that enjoys the adrenaline rush of charging headlong into battle, this build will be much too slow for your personal tastes. However if you enjoy a good tactical game and have the patience to prolong your battles, the Weaponmaster build might just do the trick for you.

If you're just starting out the game, and are still new to the mechanics of PvP, you may wish to avoid this build for now. This build is meant for players who are somewhat familiar with the pros and cons of using different weapons, the various movesets that each weapon category possesses and how best to counter them.

Pros:

Versatile and flexible
Can use almost every weapon in the game
Constant access to many movesets
Keeps your opponents guessing
Fun to play

Cons:

Tedious to make all those weapons
Difficult to change weapons during battle
Damage not as high as "pure str/dex" builds

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That's about it for the Weaponmaster build. This is my first ever build I'm posting, so it may be a little rough on the edges. Constructive criticism very much appreciated.

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