Dark Souls 2 Attack Rating Calculator

Calculate your exact attack rating based on weapon, stats, and infusions

Comprehensive Guide to Dark Souls 2 Attack Rating Calculation

Dark Souls 2 features one of the most complex weapon damage calculation systems in the Souls series. Understanding how attack ratings are determined can significantly improve your character builds and combat effectiveness. This guide explains the mechanics behind attack rating calculations, including base damage, stat scaling, infusions, and buffs.

1. Understanding Base Weapon Damage

Every weapon in Dark Souls 2 has inherent base damage values that serve as the foundation for all calculations. These values are typically divided into:

• Physical Damage – The primary damage type for most weapons
• Strike Damage – Effective against armored opponents (hammers, maces)
• Slash Damage – Common for swords and axes
• Thrust Damage – Effective against lightly armored foes (spears, rapiers)
• Elemental Damages – Magic, Fire, Lightning, and Dark (for infused weapons)

Base damage values can be found in the weapon’s status screen and are modified by:

1. Upgrade level (+0 to +10)
2. Infusion type (or lack thereof)
3. Character stats (STR, DEX, INT, FTH)
4. Two-handing the weapon
5. Temporary buffs (resins, spells)

2. Weapon Scaling and Stat Contributions

Dark Souls 2 uses a letter-grade system (S, A, B, C, D, E) to indicate how well a weapon scales with particular stats. The actual scaling values are hidden but follow these general principles:

Scaling Grade	STR Bonus	DEX Bonus	INT Bonus	FTH Bonus
S	0.75-0.85	0.75-0.85	0.75-0.85	0.75-0.85
A	0.65-0.75	0.65-0.75	0.65-0.75	0.65-0.75
B	0.50-0.60	0.50-0.60	0.50-0.60	0.50-0.60
C	0.35-0.45	0.35-0.45	0.35-0.45	0.35-0.45
D	0.20-0.30	0.20-0.30	0.20-0.30	0.20-0.30
E	0.05-0.15	0.05-0.15	0.05-0.15	0.05-0.15

Important notes about scaling:

• Two-handing a weapon effectively multiplies your STR by 1.5 for scaling calculations
• Diminishing returns apply to stat scaling – the benefit per point decreases after certain thresholds (typically 20, 40, and 60)
• Infusions change both the base damage and scaling properties of weapons
• Some weapons have unique scaling curves (e.g., Boss weapons often have different progression)

3. Infusion Effects on Attack Rating

Infusions fundamentally alter a weapon’s damage profile by:

1. Removing or reducing physical damage
2. Adding elemental damage types
3. Changing stat scaling priorities
4. Modifying base damage values

Infusion Type	Primary Scaling	Damage Type Added	Best For	Example Weapons
Fire	STR/DEX (reduced)	Fire	Early-game, PvE	Longsword, Mace
Lightning	DEX (reduced)	Lightning	Dragon enemies, PvE	Claymore, Greatsword
Magic	INT	Magic	Intelligence builds	Rapier, Scimitar
Dark	INT/FTH	Dark	Hexer builds	Caestus, Short Sword
Poison	None	Poison (DoT)	PvP, status builds	Dagger, Whip
Bleed	None	Bleed (DoT)	Fast weapons, PvP	Bandit Knife, Falchion
Raw	None	None	Low-stat characters	Any (early game)
Mundane	All stats equally	None	High-Soul-Memory builds	Any (late game)

Pro Tip: Infusions are generally most effective when:

• You have invested heavily in the corresponding stat (30+ for elemental infusions)
• The weapon has good base scaling in that stat
• You’re fighting enemies weak to that damage type
• You’re using it to enable specific buffs (e.g., Dark infusion for Dark Weapon)

4. Temporary Buffs and Their Impact

Temporary weapon buffs can dramatically increase your attack rating for a limited time. These come in two main forms:

Resins:

• Gold Pine Resin – Adds lightning damage (120 + 0.8×FTH)
• Charcoal Pine Resin – Adds fire damage (120 + 0.8×INT)
• Black Pine Resin – Adds dark damage (120 + 0.4×(INT+FTH))
• Divine Blessing – Adds magic damage (120 + 0.8×FTH)

Spell Buffs:

• Flame Weapon – Adds fire damage (scales with INT/FTH)
• Magic Weapon – Adds magic damage (scales with INT)
• Sunlight Blade – Adds lightning damage (scales with FTH)
• Dark Weapon – Adds dark damage (scales with INT/FTH)

Buff stacking rules:

• You cannot stack multiple buffs of the same type (e.g., two fire buffs)
• Resins and spell buffs of different types can be stacked (e.g., Gold Pine Resin + Magic Weapon)
• Buff duration is typically 60 seconds for resins and 90 seconds for spell buffs
• Buffed weapons cannot be infused (the infusion is temporarily overridden)

5. Two-Handing Mechanics

Two-handing a weapon provides several benefits:

1. Effective STR Increase: Your STR is multiplied by 1.5 for damage calculations (displayed STR doesn’t change)
2. Different Movesets: Many weapons gain new attacks when two-handed
3. Improved Poise Damage: Two-handed attacks often deal more poise damage
4. Access to Weapon Arts: Some weapons have special two-handed attacks

Important notes about two-handing:

• The STR bonus only affects damage calculations, not stat requirements
• DEX scaling is unaffected by two-handing
• Some weapons (like greatswords) are designed to be two-handed
• Two-handing reduces your ability to block with a shield

6. Attack Rating vs. Actual Damage

It’s crucial to understand that the attack rating (AR) displayed in your status screen is not the same as the damage you’ll deal to enemies. Actual damage is calculated by:

Damage Formula:

Final Damage = (Base AR × Counter Bonus × Attack Type Bonus) – (Enemy Defense × Defense Type Modifier)

Key factors that modify damage:

• Counter Damage – Attacking during/after an enemy attack (1.2× to 1.4× multiplier)
• Backstab/Riposte – Special animations with fixed multipliers
• Attack Type – Slash/Strike/Thrust bonuses (varies by enemy)
• Enemy Defenses – Physical and elemental resistance values
• Weapon Durability – Broken weapons deal 70% damage
• Ring Effects – Rings like Leo Ring (+12% counter damage) or Ring of Blades (+5% physical damage)

7. Optimizing Your Build for Maximum AR

To maximize your attack rating, follow these principles:

For Physical Builds:

• Choose weapons with high base damage and good scaling in your primary stat
• Two-hand weapons when possible for the STR bonus
• Use Raw infusion for low-STAT builds, Quality (no infusion) for balanced builds
• Consider Mundane infusion if you have high stats across the board (40+ in all)
• Use physical-enhancing rings (Ring of Blades, Flynn’s Ring)

For Elemental Builds:

• Focus on one elemental type (don’t split between magic/lightning/fire)
• Invest heavily in the corresponding stat (40+ INT for magic, 40+ FTH for lightning)
• Use weapons with innate elemental damage or good scaling for your chosen infusion
• Combine with appropriate buffs (e.g., Dark Weapon + Dark infusion)
• Use elemental-enhancing rings (Magic Clutch Ring, Fire Clutch Ring, etc.)

For Status Builds:

• Prioritize fast weapons with innate bleed/poison (or infuse for it)
• Bleed builds benefit from high DEX and the Red Rust Sword/Scorpion Stinger
• Poison builds work best with multiple fast hits (Dagger, Whip)
• Use rings that enhance status effects (Poisonbite Ring, Bleedbite Ring)
• Consider using resins to add status effects to non-infused weapons

8. Advanced Techniques for AR Calculation

For players looking to min-max their builds, consider these advanced techniques:

Soft Caps and Diminishing Returns:

Stat scaling in Dark Souls 2 follows a pattern of diminishing returns at specific thresholds:

• First Soft Cap: 20 in any stat (scaling drops by ~30%)
• Second Soft Cap: 40 in any stat (scaling drops by ~50% from previous)
• Third Soft Cap: 60 in any stat (scaling drops by ~70% from previous)
• Hard Cap: 99 in any stat (minimal gains beyond 60)

Weapon Tier Analysis:

Weapons in Dark Souls 2 are categorized into tiers based on their AR potential:

• S-Tier: Weapons that can achieve 600+ AR with proper builds (e.g., Fume Ultra Greatsword, Crypt Blacksword)
• A-Tier: Weapons that reach 500-600 AR (e.g., Claymore, Black Knight Greatsword)
• B-Tier: Weapons with 400-500 AR potential (e.g., Longsword, Mace)
• C-Tier: Weapons below 400 AR (e.g., Dagger, Hand Axe)

AR per Stamina (ARPS) Optimization:

A more advanced metric than raw AR is ARPS – Attack Rating per Stamina point spent. This helps identify the most efficient weapons:

ARPS Formula: (Total AR) / (Stamina Cost per Swing)

High ARPS weapons include:

• Rapier (excellent ARPS for thrust attacks)
• Estoc (high counter damage ARPS)
• Black Knight Greatsword (high AR with reasonable stamina cost)
• Whip (low stamina cost with decent AR)
• Curved Swords (good balance of speed and damage)

9. Common Mistakes in AR Calculation

Avoid these common pitfalls when calculating and optimizing your attack rating:

• Ignoring Enemy Defenses: High AR means nothing if the enemy resists that damage type
• Overvaluing Base AR: A weapon with 500 AR might deal less damage than one with 450 AR due to better moveset or counter damage
• Neglecting Stamina: A weapon you can’t swing is useless – balance AR with stamina efficiency
• Forgetting Buffs: Many players don’t account for temporary buffs in their AR calculations
• Misunderstanding Infusions: Infusing too early (before 30 in relevant stats) often reduces overall damage
• Ignoring Poise: High AR weapons with poor poise damage may get interrupted against armored foes
• Overleveling Single Stats: Going beyond 40 in a stat often provides minimal AR gains

10. PvP vs. PvE AR Optimization

The optimal AR strategy differs significantly between PvP and PvE:

PvE Optimization:

• Prioritize raw damage output
• Elemental infusions are more viable (enemies have varied weaknesses)
• Status effects (bleed/poison) are less effective against bosses
• Two-handing is often optimal for the STR bonus
• Stamina efficiency matters less (enemies don’t punish as hard)

PvP Optimization:

• Balance AR with speed and stamina efficiency
• Physical damage is generally more reliable than elemental
• Status effects (especially bleed) are powerful
• Counter damage and poise become critical
• Buff timing and management is crucial
• Weapon range and hitbox priority matter more than pure AR

11. Testing and Verifying Your AR

To accurately test your attack rating:

1. Use the in-game status screen to view your AR breakdown
2. Test against different enemy types to see actual damage
3. Compare two-handed vs. one-handed AR
4. Test with and without buffs
5. Use different attack types (R1, R2, running, jumping) to see variations
6. Record damage numbers against a consistent target
7. Use the Dark Souls 2 calculator tools (like this one) to verify your build

Remember that AR is just one component of effective combat. Factors like:

• Moveset and attack angles
• Stamina consumption
• Attack speed and recovery
• Range and hitbox size
• Poise damage
• Counter damage potential

…all play crucial roles in determining a weapon’s true effectiveness.

12. Patch History and AR Changes

Dark Souls 2 received several patches that affected attack rating calculations:

• 1.03 Patch: Adjusted scaling for several weapons and infusions
• 1.04 Patch: Nerfed Mundane infusion scaling at high Soul Memory
• 1.05 Patch: Fixed several weapon durability bugs affecting AR
• 1.07 Patch: Adjusted two-handed STR bonus calculation
• 1.09 Patch: Changed how elemental defenses interact with AR
• 1.10 Patch: Final balance pass on several weapons’ base AR values

These changes mean that older build guides may no longer be accurate. Always verify information against the current patch (1.10 as of 2023).

13. Community Resources for AR Optimization

For further study and build optimization, consider these community resources:

• Dark Souls 2 Wiki – Comprehensive weapon and stat data
• Souls Planner – Interactive build planning tool
• Reddit r/DarkSouls2 – Active community discussions
• Dark Souls 2 Speedrunning Community – Advanced optimization techniques
• YouTube Build Guides – Visual demonstrations of high-AR builds

Academic Resources on Game Balance Mechanics

University of Tübingen – Game AI Research (includes damage system studies) Yale Game Development – Game Balance Mechanics NIST – Gaming Technology Research (includes damage calculation standards)