Dark Souls 3 - Stats and SL Meta Explained

[@Brainhorn]

You're the only person I've ever heard call a quick roll an "ultra roll"

[@AmorphisBob]

Also the only person I've heard call dark spells "hexes"

[@A1Bunddyy]

Lol same

[@bruhv9817]

@@AmorphisBob ds3 virgin doesn’t understand ds2 chadness

[@AmorphisBob]

@@bruhv9817 DS1 Bruh. DS2 isn't the worst souls-like but it's definitely not on par with the legit Souls games. It's about the same level as Lords of the Fallen.

[@webuser-webloser]

@@AmorphisBob fax

[@madie2571]

The meta is R1. R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1 (accidental kick) R1 R1 R1 R1 x999999999 With the complete removal of Poise, 1h speed weapons are king. Hence why everyone uses the Estoc. (Scrubstoc)

[@pixelthis950]

Madison Nash parry then what's the problem

[@daedricmage2118]

parry is the best counter to R1 spam easy to time it

[@MediHusky]

Being an R1 spammer myself let me tell you that accidental kick is by no means accidental. I saw you press L1 for 12ms but then you let go before the kick was useful.

[@user-isntavailable]

I just wanna be able to kick when I want 😭

[@bigcat9558]

@@user-isntavailable I feel it homes there should be a different button for it the l1 and push forward at the exact same time

[@AnimeSimp234]

I'm not stopping till I have 99 in every stat! All I need is a couple ye- weeks, yes weeks!

[@Jeraldow]

Zachary Moore have you Done it?

[@brundain1]

Zachary Moore hows that journey boded?

[@AnimeSimp234]

brundain1 I'm not even close. My stats currently are: Vigor is 40. Attunement is 41. Endurance is 40. Vitality is 50. Strength is 42. Dexterity is 43. Intelligence is 16. Faith is 50. Luck is 12. I'm currently sl 242. In new game + 4 at the Anor Londo bonfire.

[@brundain1]

Zachary Moore not bad

[@TheDreamhulk]

Just farm the three winged knights over the grand archives with rapport and avarice equipped. At ng++++ it should be tremendous amount of soul the three of them

[@lendial]

Stay at 99 so you dont match vs 120 people. You do not need over 39 vigor. The difference between 39 and 50 vigor is a measly 100 health.

[@justdoutha806]

Luck also increases the chances to grant an estus flask when you kill an enemy which i think is important.

[@crescentjester]

+hamza baldi Seriously? I had no idea that's how it was affected lol.

[@aethelon4144]

+Brett Trance +hamza baldi You get a new estus everytime a phantom dies

[@justdoutha806]

Or when your message is rated or when you beat an invader or a mad phantom , but try it offline you'll still get them.

[@zheroxzone1682]

+hamza baldi Is there an ideal number for the Luck stat for this to happen?

[@justdoutha806]

i started with 14 on my theif and it happened too often to be unnoticed :) and i leveled it up to 20 and got 2 flasks back from the fat blue guy with the halberd in high wall of lothric , that's when i really was 100% sure about it. besides the luck stat would be too useless if it only increased your loot chances and bleed build up.

[@dertobio8114]

Never before heard anyone call a fastroll "ultraroll".

[@GwanSolo]

+Der Tobio I think its because the current mid-roll is basically the quick roll from previous games. The new below 30% roll works differently than previous games and probably needs that distinction.

[@captain5544]

+Der Tobio Fastroll is just under 70%. while Ultraroll is under 30%. (As i understand from what he said)

[@dertobio8114]

captain5544 Yeah I know the breakpoints. It's the term that made me raise an eyebrow.

[@Jrdotan]

no. under 70 is medium. under 30 the name is fastroll.

[@Prince_-vu4wu]

Darlan Dos Santos Oliveira Junior I call mid roll roll and than quick roll and fatty roll

[@kurtpraiseJesus]

I appreciate what you do for this community cowboy. Been watching you for years and totally opened my eyes on the greatness of the souls series!

[@juank9191]

I have 3 characters, 100 , 120 and 150.. And my fav is my 150.. Getting a lot of pvp and invasions too!

[@ciachofil]

What a fuckin surprise that your favourite is the one with highest level :D

[@giveme53y]

ciachofil it could be the build that he enjoys too. Like a faith build with 60 faith and 35 dex or something. You do hybrid builds more effectively at 150 imo. I’m not good at the game though.

[@lookItUp91]

Im 240 and i have no problem with online

[@plasticchair8535]

Youre mad cus ur brainwashed Same

[@4evermilkman]

i dont see a point in capping a character for a meta, pvp is different at each of the agreed meta caps. Like level 80 characters are very specific with hard strenghs and weaknesses, at 120 characters tend to be at the end of their specific builds, 150 most characters are either hybrids or capped in their class, and at 200 on you have almost straight up fusions of different kinds of characters, people should just stop where they like the fights the most, and without an arena or soul memory all players will have no problem finding fight clubs or invasions because ds3 has a massive player base

[@zachwalraven]

This.

[@notmyname93]

+Ray Inked yeah but the player base is ganna drop like 85% in a month

[@4evermilkman]

+adiofeet13 i wouldnt say that much, but you are right, the player base. The problem i feel is that this game makes characters in NG feel incomplete compared to the other DaS games, so i feel alot of player will be around 200ish because thats where these builds feel the most finished. Also the drop in playerbase will depend on Froms continued effort in repairing and adding to their game.

[@unfortunato]

+Ray Inked Yup. I'm level 160 and halfway through NG+ and I still level up for Faith and Int.

[@4evermilkman]

+MtheW yea, im working on a pyro type guy myself and hes about 70 and feels like he needs to be at least 150, assuming i dont take gigh stat required weapons

[@ecrowe21]

Such a great video, well done. Really helped me as a noob at DS to understand a lot of the lingo. Also, helped me better understand how i should further progress my character. I am currently at level 99 and loving this game. I couldn't get into DS2 but I stuck with DS3 and I am glad I did. Thanks again for the video

[@alexolson9526]

i dont understand the issue. the "cap" of 120 is just for community PvP. You can do whatever you want. If you want to do PvP, you'll find the most people doing it at 120 since thats what the community agreed upon, its enough levels to hit the soft caps of stats to complete certain builds, ie. strength, dex, etc. You wanna move on up? do it, yes there will be people to invade and co-op to do. This is a community PvP thing. chill out people. Level up your characters, no one cares

[@ThaLostVerse]

Can we all agree on 150? Please? Just to carry the heavy shit. Stupid weight carry stat, shoulda been scrapped.

[@BeAsTMoDE528]

casual

[@mrhObo9921]

havel butholes be like

[@unfortunato]

+Alex Cipollo Fucking DS elitists calling every player a casual, even when they are most likely just as good as they are. Unless you go into all bossfights with a broken sword and defeat em without taking damage, you're also a casual for me.

[@ThaLostVerse]

MtheW Thanks! Altho im casual cuz if im not casual that makes me a DS addict/nerd/douchebag. Ok i'll be casual, anyone hating on my ppl can be in the other category .

[@filthydaemonspawn1206]

No, you're not having 1 million stamina whilst being able to carry a plant with high gravity.

[@KBWrecker]

The meta as outlined here screws caster builds. Some sorceries require 50 int just to cast. Cowboy should show us a PVP build that can cast any sorcery in the game that is pvp viable at sl 120. And viable here having the meaning of working against more than just inexperienced players.

[@Marco14101997]

+FiGhTiNCoWBoY try playing pyromancy unlocked, takes some practice but if you're good at it you can destroy anyone

[@angerskarin9222]

+KeyboardWrecker I got a pvp caster who is lvl120 it quite easy to pvp with.

[@hurrdurrimaburr]

+KeyboardWrecker Every other meta is either 69,79, 80 or 99. SL120 is fine for caster builds.

[@WhirlwindHeatAndFlash]

+FiGhTiNCoWBoY so basically you pull some numbers out of your arse about 60 int faith being required without showing actual scaling OR damage numbers to demonstrate the "necessity" of that amount of overstating you admit that magic in general is garbage and that everything that isnt magic is pretty much doesnt need stats at 60 but still argue that SL Meta should be decided based on the viability of the aforementioned useless playstyles you have 40! Endurance and 40! Vigor (LMAO!) like WUT? how stupid can you get? gtfo of my game aidsboy

[@Marco14101997]

burr 40 end is overkill it only gives a really small amount of extra stamina, tell me when did you ever need 20 rolls or 12 swings with your weapon in a row. Exactly, never. In both pvp and pve 2 swings is enough cuz otherwise you just get slammed in the face by a boss or the enemy player simply rolls out because the stagger falls off and with 15 end you already have enough for 2 swings with huge weapons and you still have stamina to dodge attacks or get the hell outta there, better spend those 25 points on extra damage

[@darksavior1187]

Thanks FC for all the DS3 content. This video in particular with all the info on softcaps and stats is practically a game manual. Thanks again.

[@Kain42link]

66 for strength is also a good idea, when 2 handing it'll boost your strength to 99, so you're really getting the most out of your strength.

[@ILSCDF]

65 actually

[@stormlives6051]

Summon range is Covenant dependent. White phantoms and Sunbros are -20/+20 levels from the host. Watchdogs and Aldrich -10/+40. Regular invasions -10/+30.

[@Pledius]

+StormLives does that mean let's say i'm the host sl 120 then aldrich that invades me can be sl between 110-160?

[@stormlives6051]

+7Karma In the case of the host being SL 120 the Aldrich invader can be SL 80-130, giving the host good odds of survival.

[@SuperLPGaming]

@@stormlives6051 then you first messege didnt make sense.

[@lanji21]

Glad to see the Meta is settling at a solid level of 120. I have personally tried caster builds at earlier levels of invasions and unless I felt like going pure glass cannon it was not viable for the dueling environment I typically see. I hope more people go for that 120 meta to encourage more build flexibility and character choices. I myself starting to tune together a Strength/Faith setup for PVP as I've found hyper armor to be rather intriguing and I want to see how far I can push it.

[@FighterPL]

125 not 120

[@LightStorm.]

Fighter .PL it’s 120..

[@Telarius]

Nghtstorm161 Most streamerd are 125

[@scrubtastic13]

Meta hasn't been 120 since demon souls.

[@Dreadful_Deity]

Is it actually 125?

[@gammacaeles]

Meta was SL120 for Dark Souls 1.

[@BecomeAPrime]

I want to be a Havel Monster throwing out hexes like hotcakes and im gonna do it! xD

[@autismisuncontrollable4925]

+BecomeAPrime - GFX | Tech | Vlogs gross

[@thedankestengine2543]

+Reclaimer better than meta douches who go for three hit straight sword builds

[@gabrielsk80]

Havel Mage buttface

[@BecomeAPrime]

I hope you all understand that I have 2 characters. A 120 pure magic build and a 270 fun build. I do not intend to intentionally use my OP character to screw someones day.

[@Aljannnn]

+BecomeAPrime - GFX | Tech | Vlogs Thank you for that.

[@ImShyo]

I'm level 150 and I still see more the 10-15 red/purple signs after pontif. Screw the meta! 👍

[@Bl4ckH4nd]

+Agito FangK I think more people push up levels because the hard cap here is 60 where in previous games it was 50. Not 100% sure but that's what I think.

[@AtomPeulen]

That's because those players are just like you, playing the game into NG3 and beyond until your character is a god. I'm doing it, too. But the meta is basically for PVP only, not co-op. You'll always be able to find help on whatever level you are, but to have the biggest pool of opponents, you gotta stay meta. Besides, it's good to have a general idea of where someone has their stats placed when everyone has the same amount to work with.

[@TomBowling1307]

+Adam Peulen The only people that stay at meta are the vocal ones online. There are a shit load of people that push on to higher levels, and the pvp at 150 is just as prevalent. You have to go very high before you are a "god" and even then a simple mistake will still get you killed. I always test out the "meta" and then end up going higher because it just gets boring to me. Everyone uses the same gimmicks and optimized builds that they find online and it gets old quick. I'd much rather have the challenge of facing someone who can surprise me, as opposed to somebody trying the same 3 attack combos with the same weapon, over and over.

[@smalldarkworlds8102]

+TomBowling1307 I agree, they say it is mundane to have an over leveled character but there is way less variety with low stats.. I don't get it.

[@antongourman]

I think this is a really good video, man, and the way you explain and demonstrate scaling is one of the best one I've seen. However, I think you use the meta a little bit different. For most people, it won't refer to the SL at which things happen, but the predominant build paradigm. I'm not sure what it is yet, because the game is still fairly new (a month after euro release), but what I'm seing most at the moment in the meta is a lot of players going shield straight sword, and then a lot of the ultra type weapons. However, your SL120 comments are definitely spot on, and where as far as I know the community has been for 3 games now. The only other thing you probably could have mentioned is the new weapon level cap requirements, where your matching also depends on the + level of your weapon. I'm currently running at SL70 (just reached archives), but my rapier is at +9, and I'm definitely seeing MUCH less coop availability... Overall, thank you for the vids and keep up the good work!

[@yeetspageet5679]

"Soul level meta" - popular soul level for pvp

[@wtfisawohde3660]

+DisconnectedAG all 'meta' means is non-in-universe mechanics, it doesn't mean anything in particular it's just a word used when people begin discussing things from a purely gaming perspective

[@lincolnvance2350]

It seems to me that SL 150 works just as well if not better than 120. Casters/"Mages" will have a better chance against melee builds, you could have a lot more variety to your build, you could reach the limit with whatever build you have, and there seems to be plenty of pvp available still.

[@obk5112]

At sl 145. I can't take two steps without being invaded, or seeing a summon sign. Fuck the level cap.

[@ColeCrosman]

+Isaiah Woods same I'm at level 155 and harder to find sign. I hate to start over again with new character just for sl 120. more players...

[@MegaDudu1997]

+Vapor32 i started again because of that

[@alexolson9526]

nah, there is some algorithm range. it's a certain percentage plus 10. If youre 130 you'd still be matched consistently with SL120's.

[@BeyBladeKid838]

If you were sl 125 you'd still be fine. sl 130 would probably be pushing it but you should be alright, sl 140+ good luck...

[@nathanpickering6742]

+Rio Jay I get tons of summon signs at 155 so it shouldn't be a big deal

[@wimpyhobo4909]

Excellent video! Perfectly explains the Meta-Game and the reasons behind 120 being the agreed up on level to stop. You rock Cowboy!

[@yourestoned8643]

Dude, I just started my hollowing about 2 months ago and you have been nothing but helpful. I love your vids man. Thank you brother. Praise the sun

[@65infanteria]

I see a lot of people in the comment section complaining about how their great hammer/ katana wielding hexers cam totally need more than lvl120... totally missing the point of the meta argument.

[@TheEathans]

Fightcowboy vs Tetra Ninja in dark souls pvp who want to see that?

[@GuyFawkes051]

I thought myself that people would go higher than SL125 for a PvP meta considering the introduction to Vitality as the equip load stat-A complete stat seperate from endurance now- as well as the faith/int requirements of both pyromancies and dark spells. Since all of these stats are requirements for certain builds, for example a strength build would like a lot of vitality so as to be able to use heavier builds without fat rolling on top of strength vigor and endurance would probably come up to a build of around 100, so therefore a heavy-ish quality build would come up to around 130. Not to mention if you want to also use intelligence, faith or both, your level outcome would be even higher. Or am I wrong for thinking this?

[@olivergreer3690]

Dark Souls 2 was like that because of adaptability

[@GuyFawkes051]

Oliver Greer I never got Dark Souls 2 on account of hearing it wasn't as good as Dark Souls 1. What did adaptability do?

[@olivergreer3690]

It sped up and increased the i-frames of rolls. It also sped up all animations. Basically a stat that forced you to dump 25+ points towards it to be viable.

[@olivergreer3690]

The pain of rolling perfectly and still taking damage....

[@GuyFawkes051]

Oliver Greer Sounds weird. I found it pointless to add Luck as a stat in Dark Souls 3 since I didn't think anyone would put any points into it unless your going for a level 200+ build, since it's not even a stat that's very useful to anybody, unlike adaptability in which everybody would want it.But, back to my original point, I wonder if the average level will still be the 120 build like in DS1.

[@jasonjoyner1834]

Dude you have helped me understand this game so much better since I've started following your channel. Keep up the quality content!

[@rilvayn2577]

Short and easy for those coming back: SL80- invades and specific build pvp. This is a good level for a clean homebrew utilizing something specific. For invading most players are on their first play through at this range. SL120/125/130- generalist pvp. This is where most are at due to the varying range respec allows at this many soul levels. You’ll see specific builds at max utility and hybrid builds with unique techniques. Invades will be rough. Dedicated pvp will be the most “meta” SL150(+)- Complete warzone. Excellent homebrew builds will be here with more unique out of meta weapons or perfectly built middle Cap (60ish stat lines for attack based stats) builds. Ridiculous to try and invade as well as rare to connect level depending.

[@JustynHill-Hand]

Literally no one has ever referred to a fast roll as an "ultra roll" lol

[@gmatos123]

Your meta of 120 is optimized for melee and not accounting for casters since at 120 magic characters will not only be weaker in damage but also have less health and stamina than any melee counterpart. Its good to set something but unlike the previous games I don't think 120 is the golden META you make it out to be. If you truly want more variety other than melee 150 sounds like a better number to be.

[@invadersanonymous1727]

150 is a better metta. but chose what ever meta you want... im was 125 and there was a shit ton of activity now im 150 and theres still a shit ton of activity.

[@invadersanonymous1727]

+FiGhTiNCoWBoY Theres a big difference in rolls at

[@invadersanonymous1727]

+FiGhTiNCoWBoY true, but none the less theres alot of ppl deticated to 120meta and theres alot of ppl dedicate to 150... i see another split coming. unless everyone all agrees on 135 XD

[@JeckoPlays]

+Invaders Anonymous I agree with 150 cause I'm a pure caster int and faith

[@Scarletpimpanel73]

Personally I think 130 makes a more sensible meta as it allows for the full gamut of caster builds including melee caster hybrids but not without meaningful sacrifice. In practice (and admittedly anecdotal) I see closest evening out of win loss ratios between caster builds and melee builds happening at around the 130 SL mark. 120 SL seems to clearly favour Quality builds imo.

[@doomdimention9787]

Man I'm so glad that casting speed goes off of dex again. I mean really, having it tied to attunement? That just made to much sense.

[@angerskarin9222]

+doom dimention It pretty much shit because you need like 70 int and 50 atunnement to be a good mage..

[@doomdimention9787]

Well 60 int but yeah, and 50 dex to get the fastest casting speed, or using one of your ring slots which still sucks.

[@angerskarin9222]

doom dimention Peoples made test dex do nothing to spell you only see a slight diference at 99 dex so it pointless.

[@kiwilemonandlime]

+angers karin the difference in cast speed for the heavier spells like soul stream or firestorm is very noticable. If you don't want to level dex then the ring is an absolute must, otherwise casting is absolute ass

[@october9407]

Thanks dude. New to Dark Souls so this explained a lot. This video was also helpful in making builds in general.

[@hulimuli999]

Serioulsy, these are quality videos. Your dedication shows. Please keep it up.

[@AlexanderForsman]

You missed mention the softcap for FP at 35 Attunement

[@asdfghjkl266]

Bro this is dark souls, there's no way i'm going to restrict myself from leveling when there are these insane bosses and mobs that 1-3 hit you. Besides it looks like most of the people in the comments are already way pass 120 and are going fuck the meta so I guess the meta is barely existing. I'm going to go ahead and progress the game as normal :p

[@aBc3Dg]

okay mate have fun not getting any fights and when you do its just bullshit since your stats are so high

[@AlwaysSomethingHorrible]

+FiGhTiNCoWBoY Bravo. No one needs that sort of berating.

[@WrittenOffski]

+Dnax I'm almost at level 400 and I'm still getting plenty of invaders and red signs appearing.

[@aBc3Dg]

+DunDat how are the fights at that level ? Is it much different than 120

[@asdfghjkl266]

+Dnax fights I'm 189 ish and the fights are pretty much the same. I don't see any or much difference at all in the pvp battles. There's plenty of invasions and pvp in front of the Pontiff area

[@lelouche25]

Everyone here dong this meta stuff, here i am doing cosplay builds xD

[@bigcat9558]

I had a badass zuko pryo dex build

[@ToreOnYouTube]

Very helpful for a new player like me! I watched your walkthrough - awesome stuff. Keep up the good work!

[@TortleDude]

Really good to have some soft cap info. You just earned yourself another sub.

[@ChuckFinelyForever]

The meta is filled with 90% of gankers are, I spent a whole day getting summoned as a red to only get jumped so I tried invading only to find people using darkmoon washing poles so I tried being a blue sentinel only to find the host making friends to jump me so my final attempt was to white summon to avoid pvp and just blow off steam on a boss only to guess what! Get jumped by a red and two blues while the host had a circle jerk. I think I'll just stay at level 70. I can handle a washing pole, but not 3 darkmoon washing poles Lol

[@HUNTERXHUNTER440]

aww yes the washing pole invaders worst nightmare kill so many invaders with that weapon its ridiculous

[@ejinathan]

I hate that weapon. Too good at pursuing ppl and poking.

[@derhollander910]

You need to gid gud

[@updatedotexe]

What mean "jumped" and what means "washing pole"?

[@KillTheFuture42]

jumping means they attack without greeting/warning or they simply do a surprise attacks. the washing pole is the longest katana in the game

[@epicboyjesus2212]

For my "quality" build, I like to go 40 STR and 30 DEX. Especially since they put refined gems in this one. I feel having 40 DEX for your character might be a little much seeing as how most of the dex weapons take hardly any strength requirements. But having the extra strength gives that little bit of extra variety for the weapons

[@pripog7067]

what does the "+" mean between the weapon damage stats ? ? ? why is it 295 + 195 and not 490 ?

[@MetalReaper7]

Kinda late and you probably already know what it means, but, the first number is the base damage of the weapon itself. Upgrading or reinforcing the weapon increases that number. The + and number after, is the bonus damage you get from the attribute associated to that weapon. So lets say you have strength weapon. If you increase your strength attribute, you will gain more bonus damage for the weapon.

[@abdulelahalthour9370]

Absolute Zero This is also a bit late but thanks my dude.

[@joshrn4]

Great video Cowboy. Much needed for everyone to see. Thanks man.

[@thatmagicguy369]

Thank you so much for this. Solidifies my decision to take my Int build to 120 at 60 int. :)

[@justinArtorias]

Thats what I thought as well, 120 works great just like in dark souls 1.

[@Nomans_Nomen]

I prefer the level 80 SL meta. People have to actually make choices on their builds instead of everyone going quality or buff. The build diversity is through the roof. I haven't personally played SL 120 yet, but from what I have heard and seen, I don't want to get a character stuck in a meta I'm not going to like by leveling up. With how low the stat breakpoints are in this one, I would say SL 100 should be max.

[@Nomans_Nomen]

***** I consider that a good thing. I do see casters at SL80 though. They seem to do just fine.

[@gnamhcir]

Casters are terrible in this game Heretical and variety is good for the game. Unfortunately I think all spells need like a 40% flat cost reduction and possibly damage buff to go along with them to make them actually viable even at 120.. everytime I see a caster in a duel its a free win. The only ones that can semi compete are the ones that use it as complementary to fighting (like homing crystal + moonlight, which is still pretty terrible). The pvp is a lot of fun in this game (best balance out of the gate), but it is definitely a lot more stale than previous entries, which is definitely not a good thing.

[@Nomans_Nomen]

***** I can if I want to. I don't struggle with them, they are just generally boring to fight. I don't think you remember DS1 where casters were pretty much totally excluded from fight clubs. I'm pretty sure I can stick to SL80 if I want to. I have my bias for SL80, you have yours for SL120.

[@Nomans_Nomen]

***** I also have a video of a pure caster ending my killing spree with two casts, so they are flat out viable at SL 80. People have less vigor at this level.

[@Nomans_Nomen]

gnamhcir I thought the same thing at first. But after getting some of these movesets down pat, and trying the more exotic weapons this is just behind Ds1 for me. I'm loving the shit out of it the more I learn. I'm noticing a weapon triangle match up where certain weapons have an advantage over others. Hyper armor weapons beats fast weapons, spear/halberd weapons beat hyper armor, fast weapons beat spears. I'd go more into detail, but I gotta go to work. I think the meta will wind up with everyone sacrificing armor to have a weapon for each side of the triangle.

[@RomanowRomanow1]

what about ng+ up to ng+7? 120 build seems very squishy , underlevelled and low dmg against pve environment

[@camiloprieto3814]

RomanowRomanow Aleksiej SL 120 is a meta for PvP. If you're going full PvE it doesn't matter if you go higher.

[@iceythecube]

FPTH that so bulshit there are just as much as 150 as 120 i play both plus casters are not even good tell past 150, 120 sucks

[@camiloprieto3814]

Chronic Icey According to Mugenmonkey, you'd be wrong. There are 33715 SL 120 builds, 16478 SL 125 builds, while there are only 2471 SL 150 builds. mugenmonkey.com/darksouls3/stats#levels

[@RomanowRomanow1]

it only proves that majority of people are too lazy to sit on their asses and level up

[@camiloprieto3814]

RomanowRomanow Aleksiej Noup, they are too busy PvPing instead of unnecesarily leveling up.

[@marcoscaldaferri5663]

This video is very nice; thanks you for having made it😄.

[@spiff2268]

Good video. I've been playing this game off and on since it came out and still didn't have a firm grasp on soft caps, and all that other stuff. Thanks for making it easy to understand.

[@bobbybrown8281]

Couldn't the meta just agree upon a singular password to use so anyone can play together?

[@lth_lch]

I think there's a limit to how many people can be under one password.

[@TheGvidzix]

Let it be 125, as it has already worked before, but even so 80-100 can work too for lower lvl pvp.

[@sergeimed6426]

Int is not viable at 120 comparing to quality at same level. Pure str or dex is OP at 120. I did some testings and in my opinion 55 INT 30 ATT 30 DEX is a bare minimum. That doesn't leave enough points for END VIG and VIT. Considering specific ring combination and Estus allocation MAGIC SUCK in DS3. I am trying to get to 150 on NG+ and then I'll do some more testings. Mage is still playable in PVE even on lower levels but it is not easy or fun. My goal was 32 int on NG for soul spear but after 20 minutes of soul spearing:) trash mob I went to Rosaria. I honestly still don't know what to do about soul spear DMG. Should i lough or should i cry.

[@hectorwilson663]

+Sergei Med get crystal soul spear :)

[@sergeimed6426]

+Hector Wilson I have it:) So what? INT 48 and even stupid NPC can dodge it. I am not saying you can't have functional PVE caster at 120 sl but comparing to pure str or dex or quality caster can't not do enough DMG to offset low survivability. Don't get me started on chugging ash estus in the middle of the fight.

[@hectorwilson663]

Sergei Med no, true I have the same problems. Even with the best spells in the game, casters are just so much harder to play in DS3 right now. Seriously. Chugging both estus, swapping spells, changing consumables, weapons...it's tough.

[@sergeimed6426]

Hector Wilson True that. Int need too much micromanagementt to be comfortable. I"ll try at 150 again just to see actual spell dmg but probably stick with my current quality build. Int is just not worth it in this game. In DS1 on NG+ and higher caster was crazy OP in original DS2 i went through the game without melee weapon. DS3 is not a hard game especially if you have previos experience but for someone playing pure caster it can be brutal.

[@hectorwilson663]

Sergei Med Yeah. As well, I've had to just put points into being a hybrid purely just to be able to progress through some points in the game.

[@theoldone3485]

Thanks so much for this. Extremely helpful.

[@lafe5]

Nice, easy to understand explanation! Thanks, man! Very helpful!

[@HegotREDEyEZ]

um passowrd has no effect on your levels or gear idk where your getting yout info from but the 10 lv cap still applies even with set passwrd

[@Rathalios]

nope I'm about 80 my friend is 110 and we can still join each other

[@HegotREDEyEZ]

+Rathalios yea but that within 30lvz Dude plus sunbro increases range ... he said the password let's anyone summon anyone regardless of level which is incorrect

+JazthePurp "Password Matching (as seen in Bloodborne Online) is a feature and disregards the aforementioned soul level and weapon upgrade level matchmaking in lieu of a normalizing adjustment to phantom attack power." from dark souls wiki. Also seems to mention that even with sunbros the range is +-20

[@HegotREDEyEZ]

what are your wepon levels i wonder why it doest work for my friends and i . ive played alot of souls and was stoked to here the password would function similar to bloodborne it just never has for me,, also since the patch that just happends we are unable to log into the online servers

[@0c00l]

can confirm my level 99 friend has been playing with my level 50 character all day today

[@zerphase]

I'm at 216, and have no problems finding pvp. I get summoned by Aldrich Faithful all the time.

[@jackelsdon4217]

120 is because you won't be op but still powerful at your level you'll be able to use everything which is a bit overkill for pvp but obviously you don't have to stop and loads of players are going to go above that but personally for me and a lot of other players it kind of ruins variety because you don't just focus on 1 or 2 things but play how you like

[@Hyper20xx]

120 meta should not exist is this game anymore. This level is based on the "confortable functional level" of PREVIOUS GAMES! Dark Souls 3 is different. Hell, we don't even have classic Poise anymore. And invaders still lose 30% of their health '-'. I doubt that Miyazaki thought about this when he fucked up magic... or we fucked up magic with this meta... Anyways, the way the game is right now, we are just making things hader for ourselfs.

[@Laoruperteen18]

Little point to make, your FP gain in attunement softcaps at 35, so if you want the most out of your FP, then 35 is the stopping point, but if you want 1 more slot then hit 40. Vitality continues to increase normally, im not sure if there is any diminishing returns, ive gone to 50 Vitality on one character and he got 1 point of carry weight for every point, but i havent gone past 50, my assumption is that there is no diminishing returns on Vitality, so just get enough vitality to get below 25% or 70% respectively to make your build work. If you have a weapon that has a B or A scaling, 40 points in the respected stats is where youll get most benefit, however, A or S scaling benefits more from 50 in said stat, between 40-50 for A and S, and 30 for C-B scaling. (except for strength weapons with A or S scaling which benefit from stats as high as 60 strength before diminishing returns take full effect.) If something has less than a C scaling at maximum upgrade, there is little point going any higher in a stat to increase power, past the minimum requirements to use that item, except for rare cases, i found Crystal Chime to be the ideal talisman for an intel/faith hybrid at 30/30, and not the Sunless Talisman which is an A/A scaling talisman, so some experimenting is still in order. (this DOES NOT mean that you should use Crystal Chime simply because 'its the best hurrhurr' it is build specific, not for pure sorcery or pure faith.) As for luck, do NOT put points in it, unless you are hellbent on using a bleed build, or you temporarily want to use 99 luck for grinding rare items, poison builds DO NOT WORK in meta pvp, doing 2dps just isnt worth doing, so use bleed resins with a 20-30-40 luck build on a fast weapon, or any weapon with bleed that does multiple successive hits during a combo, and that works just great. I hope this helps fill in some gaps that this video didnt have the time to break down in more detail.

[@mikeydubs_tv]

Sick video this is what I was looking for as I am lost with all the stats! Thanks!

[@CrissAssasin7]

Seriously 120 SL isnt enough when youre using a hybrid build (which I am using), but at the same time Im at 130 (+/-) and everything is still working fine (online wise) so I guess it really doesnt matter what level you are

[@CrissAssasin7]

+FiGhTiNCoWBoY really id love advice if wouldnt mind

[@CrissAssasin7]

Seems interesting. Im running a dex/faith build right now, but I might try a different one.

[@troy3400]

Meta is supposed to be based on soft caps 27+40+40+40+=147 if you look at dark the caps are 27+40+45+45=157. This is the range the meta should be mathematically. 150 should be meta just like ds2

[@troy3400]

no i's based on 2 main vit and end, and 2 att such as str, dex, fth, or int

[@troy3400]

making a dark build sucks at 120. i was thinking about making one today since ive done everything but dex, luck mage (which also sucks) and dark.....and i suck with most dex weapons

[@kadehuddleston]

screw the meta, I hate Invaders anyways.

[@42shini56]

Decided to level too 120 from 110 and now there's barely any signs at the fight place outside of pontiff sulyvhan..... used to be filled with red soap stone signs and all the youtubers still get a shit load of invasions and summons.

[@Dante_S550_Turbo]

+FuckOmni yeah fk 120slvl. i had less freedom at slvl120 in dks1 than i do with my slvl 100 quality build. also seems like most players / seen most summon signs/ invaded most is slvl80-100.

[@42shini56]

yup, lower levels seem more popular

[@joshharris7339]

+FuckOmni I'm level 140 and there were signs everywhere there. Does your character have any hollowing? The more hollowed your character is the fewer signs you will see.

[@ethanperkola4243]

+Josh Harris in DS3, hollowing doesn't affect summoning signs and such like in Previous souls games.

[@42shini56]

Josh Harris might be it idk, decided to make a whole new character for my luck and hollow build.

[@Antonioiturbides]

Oh wow thanks a lot man. The way leveling worked for faith is strange. I have been thinking it sucked this whole time, but looks like I have to keep leveling faith up lol. Great vid btw.

[@Antonioiturbides]

Bad puns are always appreciated lmao

[@alexebrahim8861]

A good starting point is knowing what kind of build you're going for from the beginning starting classes very important so you don't have any wasted stats

[@ohheytarzan]

110 sounds perfect. You get the 100s and the 120s lol

[@SevWildfang]

120 is a meme meta. SL 80 is where it's at.

[@qinoga]

Yeah I agree. 70-80 is the best range to me in these games. Once you get to 120 or higher everyone is casting multiple buffs and can use nearly every weapon.

[@BlackLizardPlanet]

+Mr Elbows Agreed. I see much more focused builds at SL 80.

[@BelphegorXVI]

I would love to see a video of any of you using the Morne's Great Hammer at level 80... and winning against other lvl 80, that's important.

[@BlackLizardPlanet]

It's a good point, Morne's hammer is an exception though, it's got crazy requirements. I tested it out though and you can do it. Its not the easiest build to work with admittedly, an extra 10 points for stamina or a few vigor wouldn't go amiss. 1v1 was fine, cause when it connects it does huge damage, and I'd stun most shielded players and then deal massive critical damage. If the host had a summon though it was a bit more of a problem, the weapon skill was great for that with the huge AOE damage, but stamina was more of an issue where i was outnumbered.

[@wallabror]

+Mr Elbows I like 90, I liked it in ds1 and I like it here.

[@TheCrappyComputer]

The soul level meta is not 120. The only reason it was 120 in Darksouls 1 was because equip load was tied to the stamina stat. The meta will be closer to 130-140. This range allows for hybrid builds to not suck ass and allows other builds to not have 0 fucking equip load and decent attunement for non hybrid builds so they can battle art more than once. Also magic in DS3 is not effective until the stat is at 40 as opposed to 30 from DS1. Common sense basic math. Learn them.

[@Sangheilitat117]

+Danny Sciple You forget that most of the players coming from DS 1 and 2 are comfortable and used to the 120 meta, so most of them will generally stay at that range just for tradition's sake. 120 is perfectly fine for dex and strength builds, which is what the majority of DS3 players do anyway.

[@TheCrappyComputer]

+Sangheilitat117 Yea it's fine for strength and dex builds but not anything else soo... It's not a meta and its not perfectly fine

[@Sangheilitat117]

No, it's definitely the meta right now. Do you realize that all everyone does is strength and dex builds? The few sorcerer and pyro people realized pretty quickly that they were absolute shit in pvp against anyone who knew how to roll.

[@tre177]

Fallen Knight Helm Assassin Armor (Or Black Hand Armor) Fallen Knight Gauntlets (I don't know the leggings/boots, please tell me if you know) Grass Crest Shield (Weed Shield) Yhorm's Great Machete The set looks sick, I might try this setup out.

[@cristiang6227]

Your information is very well put together. Although I didn't learn anything new I definitely like the video, thanks for making it.

[@NvTeddy]

@fightincowboy We have a password option. You should seriously make a video and help spread the word of people using the password ( pve ) for pve. If everyone uses it, it wont leave out the people who like to level up and the people who like to challenge themselves. It scales anyway. People in pvp it scales 20+ 20- 60% ( 40% bloodborne people ) of the community does not heal in pvp just because people started saying so. SPREAD THE WORD!!! PASSWORD pve WHEN YOU WANT TO PVE!!

[@bloodredroses88]

You can still be invaded with a password though.

[@davidmcdevitt7583]

Great, now if I see a password I will guess PvE, so I can fuck up some poor PvP players

[@WrittenOffski]

Honestly, I'm Lvl 259 at the moment, and there's still plenty of people invading me, I say just go as blood mad as you like. (I'm currently a fast rolling havel with the FUGS and Soul Stream with Yhorm's Greatshield)

[@yakuzashibe]

Cancer.

[@WrittenOffski]

+Some Guy Literally what I call myself in an ironic way. it's fucking great.

[@yakuzashibe]

Lel XD On DS2 for a joke I would use ice rapier havels Helm Gloves and Legs with Jester Robes. I Had a small leather shield but I never parried XD

[@XXavierSin-XXs]

The great shield is honestly the only thing that would concern me.

[@WrittenOffski]

+XXavierSin Since I've commented this I'm level 356 and my play style went from what I mentioned to using the super roll with ranged poking weapons. 99 Strength and 99 Dexterity. It's scary stuff.

[@UrsusMarior]

120 was the sweet spot in Demon

[@albdruck2575]

Also in DkS 1

[@raadalba6al]

Needed this video. Thanks a lot!!

[@AdamBarkerThe]

great video, btw very helpful.

[@Capta1nAsh]

i like my meta. Beef up the levels, play with friends and don't play pvp because phantom range is at it's worse

[@Bl4ckH4nd]

+Capt Ash (OLD, UNSUCCESSFUL) I just push stats as far as I can. Can't do PvP because of lag and we don't have a local server. Wish I could do the PvP, looks fun but the lag is insane xD

[@AuraFailure]

+Capt Ash (OLD, UNSUCCESSFUL) I dont understand what this lag you guys are talking about. Ive done plenty of PvP and i have yet to see any phantom range that was worse then Dark Souls 2.

[@Bl4ckH4nd]

Asu I live in South-Africa. Nearest server is in the UK and I only have a 10mb line as anything more than that is insanely expensive. I can do 200ms on FPS games on MMO's but in a game like this it's a problem, especially since 200ms latency is when I'm lucky.

[@AuraFailure]

Unfortunate.

[@Capta1nAsh]

i'm on Wifi. Even my friend who lives 30 minutes away phantom ranges me. PvP has never been fun for me, can't learn from mistakes when you're taking damage without being hit.

[@sour93]

Meta isn't real.... I have charters at SL 24-200+ and my matchmaking is never hindered. Fighting people at SL 200 is just as fun as fighting at SL 40 smfh

[@RapTapTap]

I think SL 120 is a good place of stop I'm still going to stop at 125 though for those extra 5 stats. I would prefer a little higher so it would be easier to deal with the 4 man gangs squads all running the stun lock weapons, but fuck it I guess.

[@frengain3827]

+MonomaniacalNeedToKill I feel like it would be good at..... 140

[@angerskarin9222]

+MonomaniacalNeedToKill Think about it if you have higher stats they do to so it the same.

[@RapTapTap]

angers karin Yeah, but I have skill on my side. If I could get 25 more stats that's more stamina and poise I could use.

[@CheeseDBD]

MonomaniacalNeedToKill wait would it be good to go to 130 since ill still be matched with meta players 120??

[@FrenziedMadness25]

Excellent video, my good sir 👍

[@vaeden121578]

A big THANK YOU for being so informative. Great job man. 👍

[@Takazatara]

The question now is, since we do now have passworded matchmaking and people now get downleveled to the lowest. Why even bother having a meta level and just have a community password that everyone uses?

[@dappernarwhal2177]

+The Canadian Tea Bagger I'd be all for that, but wouldn't having a set community password that ALL of the meta PvPers know and agree upon really be that easy? I guess if the major Souls community influencers (like Brandon or maybe Iron Pineapple at this point) spread the word it might be a little more possible, but I dunno.

[@dappernarwhal2177]

Supahuman79 You get leveled down to match the host. That way, people can level as high as they want and not worry about being OP.

[@dappernarwhal2177]

Supahuman79 I'm pretty damn sure I've been leveled down in PvP too. My health and stamina bars have been reduced by a LOT, at least that's what I could tell from eyeballing it. I'm pretty sure the reinforcement level applies to everything still. From my experience, the password only nullifies SL, not reinforcement. You still have to use fairly-reinforced weapons. The most important detail is you would be PvPing via RED SIGNS. REOs don't have any relation to passwords. If you don't want to risk fighting big scary 799s (assuming they aren't scaled down), just don't summon. A SL meta works, but I think there should also be a meta password for people who don't really care if they go against big kids.

[@dappernarwhal2177]

Supahuman79 If a poorly-equipped person wants to play with the big kids, that's their choice. Anyone who's engaged in the community enough to know what the meta password is would be smart enough to know not to use it unless you are properly equipped.

[@dappernarwhal2177]

Supahuman79 A nonmeta meta.

[@brscic]

I capped at 125 ( because I needed a trophy for usurper ending,.. had to level up 5 extra times,... ng++)

[@fabianhasanaj327]

i play at 150 and still find enough pvp and pve^^

[@千匚乇-s5c]

155 and still finding ppl, fuck this shitty shit mate

[@aguahero9]

keep in mind this was 7 months ago

[@千匚乇-s5c]

SpiffyBard i actually started playing with a new character and stopped at sl 80, and oh boy, i invade almost instantly

[@kngfstgaming]

Thanks for this! First video I personally seen that breaks down what meta really is and all the stats.🙌🏽👍🏽

[@MrLeBaws]

If a single weapon scales in both Strength and Dex I think the diminishing returns occur earlier as a combined number of the two. For example Anri's Straight Sword scales in both Str and Dex but having Dex 38~ and Strength 16 gives the highest AR and diminishing returns occur earlier in Strength.

[@CiaphasKirby]

+MrLeBaws That would be because Anri's Straight Sword primarily scales off luck.

[@gucciano5137]

I'm level 522 I wish I could pvp

[@anguineus_vir]

lol

[@raulacosta4205]

KingGuwop make a new character

[@saltin9525]

why couldnt you??

[@advena688]

@@saltin9525 Because he can only pvp with people around his level, and very few people are at that level

[@MyWilliamjunior]

Fuck the meta bullshit, I'm going 150.

[@Kerwell]

I'm 150 and I still get a shiiiiit ton pvp

[@MyWilliamjunior]

Exactly! THE META IS A LIE!!!

[@TheRealJonster]

+Snipz Damn straight! Going 150 too, maybe more. Do whatever the FUCK you wanna do!

[@realdragonaspect]

#SL250 THE NEW META.

[@RhizometricReality]

+Dragon Aspect Always. we must me monolithic gods fighting epic battles, not tiny undead unkindled fraility at sl80. ds2 sotfs pvp was most fun at the 250-300 range

[@Garl_Vinland]

But yeah, I understand why there is a "meta cap" on PvP. You want to see as much build variety as possi-Oh wait.... There is none at low levels. It's Dark Sword, Rapier or Katana meta or go home...

[@112523]

+Garl Vinland i have encountered but a few people who would use the weapons you mentioned. the last katana user was kind of a fun guy. but stood no chance. as the katana attacks are actually really easy to parry/ same goes for dark sword. rapier is total bs however. cant stand that weapon. luckily i have only encoutered it 3 times

[@dragonheart967]

+Garl Vinland Tried the Farron Greatsword on a group before they got to the Abyss Watchers, man they had no idea what to do.

[@Garl_Vinland]

***** I don't use bucklers, and I can say with some certainty, that failing a parry is a live or die situation. There is NO POISE, the one thing that would send these weapons into the graveyard of balance. That's what we need. And the average PvPer shouldn't need to gear up for Oboro levels of skill to beat them. dragonheart967 And yes, smurfing seems to be the only extend that medium sized greatswords are viable now.

[@TomBowling1307]

The "meta" is always the most boring range to play at. Way too filled with whatever the flavor of the month weapon is.

[@Benkkuful]

+Garl Vinland You are a scrub. Plain and simple. Never before has dealing with longswords rapiers and katanas been easier and ur still complaining about them. ps. git gud

[@Quantomize]

you are THE BEST dark souls youtuber

[@ryanregan00]

ENB is my favorite. Cowboys alright. He isnt really into the series like others.

[@MARSLOCUST]

Great stuff bro! Keep up the cool posts!

[@sloth1667]

are there any community passwords?

[@alexven92]

I think the meta will be lvl 100 because that's around the time when you finish NG if you explored every area.

[@omgIoIwtf]

FYI the majority of the fan base completes the game around level 65. if that.

[@alexven92]

***** Ok, I should have said it would've been a possibilty because in any case I value your judgement over mine. But it can be said to be a possibility since people finish NG and are ready to pvp and they also have only 5 respecs which after that they can either play the game untill Rosaria in NG+ or they make a new char just to play NG for fun times (as example).

[@alexven92]

Rafael Cordero How do you know that? Just yesterday I did finished another playthrough at exactly SL 100 and in no way have I been farming or even dying a lot for that matter since I beat every boss within 2 attempts (don't mean to brag though ;)

[@omgIoIwtf]

+MisterDeadGuy trust me you aren't bragging, beating ng on level 100 isn't bragging. and because you can't do it, or excuse me, haven't done it, doesn't mean the rest of us aren't. welcome to dark souls

[@alexven92]

Rafael Cordero Alright sure brah I don't blame you because I too don't trust people's anecdotes on the internet.

[@mrhenrik7472]

They should really add some way to comunicate with ppl in dark souls :P Dont understand why its not in the game...

[@Exendu761]

+MrHenrik747 there's a voice chat option you can turn on and off, you will be able to chat with anyone who has a mic and they will hear yours if the world host has the voice chat allowed. alternatively, play with friends, set a password, and get a teamspeak acct.

[@trollsxnation9278]

Ty so much this and your walkthrough really helps

[@bylligoat]

Excellent video. Subscribed.

[@AuraFailure]

Meta < Just progressing

[@Littlejacobh]

^^^ game just came out and people are already putting out the "meta"

[@Bryntwulf]

What's the point in progressing to higher levels when it just leads to the death of creativity in competitive play?

[@AuraFailure]

The Death of creativity in competitive play? You are talking about everyone having the same SL, the Meta. With more SL, I usually found more creativity because people had more to work with. Having a meta isn't a bad thing I guess, but I it most certainly not something that should be so controversial and isn't something needed.

[@KidoO7g]

im stopping at 125.

[@highestqualitypigiron]

what is the extra 5 for?

[@sloanguitar4862]

+videocadet Damn No HTML Bro?

[@sour93]

I feel the need to say this again... META IS CRAP. Level your character as high as you want.... My main account having 170+ hours played and SL 200 on NG+++, shit literally doesn't matter, you'll find matches no matter what.

[@ryanregan00]

Yes. In Demons Souls it was viable cuz no one knew shit. Now after 4-5 games we have an understanding. More people play this game than the others. More players equals more people to match up with. When the Director of the game, Miyazaki, says that SL Meta is useless and not advised you know its bullshit. Its pussy ass gamers who want others to do things their way. The types who want bowing and no estus on invasions.

[@OldKingSorrow]

Sl120 goes back to the Demon Souls days. Certain builds after 120 received a large advantage. The blueblood sword that scaled with everything became the only real weapon to pick at sl150.

[@jondonom]

Great vid and very informative.