As one of the most versatile greatswords in the game, the Claymore can be an excellent weapon choice for almost any melee build. There are a ton of armaments to choose from in Dark Souls 3, which makes it even more impressive to note that the Claymore is one of the most commonly used, especially for new players.
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Sufficiently wide horizontal slashes combined with penetrating thrusts grant this greatsword a moveset that allows its wielder to have an attack for every situation. However, its innately high stats and potential when fully upgraded make it truly deadly in the right hands.
The Claymore can be found on the High Wall of Lothric in the area that gets doused in flames by a nearby dragon if the player gets too close. Most will be familiar with this area due to the description alone, however, here are the steps to finding the spot from the nearest Bonfire for those who are having trouble.
- Start from the High Wall of Lothric Bonfire
- Head down the stairs and past the passive praying hollows
- Quickly go through the stairway entrance at the other end to avoid dealing with the bell-ringing enemy
- Go down the ladder just left of the entrance to the room
- Proceed straight through the open metal gate and then go left out of the stone archway to find a split path
- Take the stairs on the left of the splitting path to reach the area that gets burned by a triggered dragon attack
- The Claymore will be in the corner of the open area on a ledge
- The only way to get onto this ledge are the few stairs in the middle of the area
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The dragon just above this spot will make collecting the Claymore tough, as the initial fire attack will deal a lot of damage, and the flames that linger afterward stagger those who try to walk through them, severely hindering progress. The best method for low-level players is very counterintuitive but undeniably effective. Players should take off all of their armor so that they get knocked down by the dragon's initial attack.
This will allow players to remain invulnerable while getting up in the flames that linger, which, if timed properly, should allow one to amble to the Claymore fast enough to pick it up. However, this method very often results in death, so be sure to not attempt this collection method while in the possession of a large bundle of souls, as it would be incredibly tedious to recover from his spot.
A safer method of picking up the Claymore is to use items or spells that allow the player to become invisible, such as the Obscuring Ring (a Rank 1 reward from the Rosaria's Fingers covenant) or the Hidden Body spell (which can be purchased from Orbeck of Vinheim for 3,000 souls after one gives him the Golden Scroll).
As a greatsword, players will understandably have access to the horizontal and vertical slashes that are typical of this weapon type, however, the Claymore also comes with some excellent thrusting moves that offer a great range, thrust-type damage (which are very good for landing counterattack hits for higher damage), and more versatility in battle. To unleash these thrusting attacks, players will need to hold the Claymore with two hands and use strong attacks.
The Stance weapon skill is a common one on many weapons, but it is greatly usable, especially on a blade as versatile as the Claymore. When using Stance, players can use light attacks to unleash a diagonal slash that will break the guard of foes who are blocking, while heavy attacks allow the player to lunge upward with a powerful thrust attack.
- Strength needed: 16
- Dexterity needed: 13
While there is no truly wrong way to upgrade the Claymore, as it will get excellent scaling and stats with most infusions (with the exception of Blood, Poison, and Hollow infusions). Though, with that said, Strength builds, Dexterity builds, and quality builds can make use of this weapon the best in most cases.
When infused with a Heavy Gem, the Claymore gets 255 physical attack at +10 and A-tier scaling with Strength, while when infused with a Shap Gem, it will also get 255 physical attack, though with A-tier scaling with Dexterity and E-tier scaling with strength, which technically makes the Claymore have higher damage potential on the latter path.
In regards to being infused with a Refined Gem, this greatsword receives 248 physical attack, but also gains C-tier scaling with both the Strength and Dexterity stats, meaning that it can develop a higher attack rating than either of the other upgrade paths mentioned once its wielder reaches a high enough level.
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