As a seasoned Dark Souls 3 player with over 500 hours across multiple playthroughs, I‘ve tried my hand at just about every weapon type the game has to offer. And without a doubt, spears stand out for their versatility and well-rounded movesets suitable for both offense and defense.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll be ranking and reviewing the 12 spears available in Dark Souls 3 from best to worst, factoring in damage output, scaling, weapon arts, and performance across PvE and PvP.
What Makes a Good Spear?
Before jumping into the rankings, it‘s important to understand what makes a spear effective in Dark Souls 3. Here are some key traits I evaluated for each spear:
- Damage Output: The attack rating and damage types (Standard, Thrust, Strike). Higher is better.
- Scaling: How well the weapon scales with player stats. The higher the letter grade, the better.
- Moveset: The full repertoire of standard and strong attacks. Diverse movesets with both slashes and thrusts are most effective.
- Weapon Art: Special skills that consume FP. Potent weapon arts can turn the tide of battle.
- Utility: How well the weapon performs in PvE and PvP combat across different builds.
With these criteria in mind, let‘s get to ranking the 12 spears of Dark Souls 3 from best to worst!
Dragonslayer Swordspear
Without question, the Dragonslayer Swordspear stands at the top of the pack, offering stellar damage on top of a diverse, halberd-like moveset with long-reaching thrusts and wide slashes.
The Swordspear transforms Ornstein‘s iconic Dragonslayer Spear into a hybrid spear-halberd weapon, blending range, speed, and damage seamlessly.
WithSTR/DEX/FAI requirements of 16/22/18 and Scaling of D/D/B, it suits quality builds nicely. The innate Lightning damage pairs exceptionally well with the Falling Bolt weapon art for destructive, armor-shredding combos.
In PvE, the Swordspear excels at crowd control and taking down bosses quickly with its wide swings and mighty charge attacks. And in PvP, its mix of thrusting and swinging attacks can outpace slower ultra weapons. An elite choice worthy of its namesake.
Verdict: S-Tier, the #1 Spear in Dark Souls 3
Gargoyle Flame Spear
If you‘re running a quality Pyromancer build, look no further than the Gargoyle Flame Spear. This fiery insectoid spear packs quite a punch with its pure physical and fire damage combo.
It boasts STR/DEX/INT/FTH requirements of 18/15/9/9 alongside D/D/E/E scaling, catering nicely to Pyromancer hybrid builds. And the Kindled Charge skill accentuates its flames with combos that utterly melt foes.
In PvE, the Gargoyle Flame Spear decimates most enemies and bosses with its Fire damage. And in PvP, its deceptive reach and projectile attacks pressure opponents. Any Pyromancer build benefits greatly from this immolating spear of magma and fury.
Verdict: A-Tier, the #1 choice for Pyromancers
Ringed Knight Spear
Hailing from The Ringed City DLC, the Ringed Knight Spear stands its ground as one of the most powerful and stylish spears around.
With D/D/E/E scaling across STR/DEX/INT/FTH and requirements of 15/17/7/7, it caters to quality builds nicely. And its threatening length accentuates an already superb moveset of long-reaching thrusts and forceful slashes.
The Ember weapon art truly sets it apart — temporarily boosting damage, range, and access to unique lunging rapid thrusts that apply serious pressure. It cleaves through PvE content with ease and remains lethal and unpredictable in PvP.
Verdict: A-Tier among the most lethal and stylish spears
Saint‘s Bident
A deadly spear befitting of the Church‘s highest rank, the Saint‘s Bident brings holy fury to Faith builds with superb Dexterity scaling and a potent Charge skill.
With 12/12/X/16 STR/DEX/INT/FTH requirements and D/E/X/C scaling, it rewards heavy Faith investment. And at over 8 ft. long, its already stellar reach becomes truly oppressive.
The Saint‘s Bident shreds evil with mighty sweeps in PvE, augmented further by Lightning Blade, Darkmoon Blade, or Blessed Weapon. And in PvP, its speed and length can poke less agile foes to death with trickery.
A holy blessing for any spear-wielding Faith build.
Verdict: A-Tier for Faith builds
Lothric Knight Long Spear
The storied Lothric Knight Long Spear lives up to its heritage with a beautifully balanced moveset consisting of graceful slashes, potent thrusts, and stoic persistence thanks to the skill Perseverance.
With 16/18/X/12 requirements and C/D/X/D scaling across STR/DEX/INT/FTH, it also rewards investment beyond a standard quality build. Infusions open up many paths to power here as well.
In PvE, the Long Spear‘s significant range and damage enable excellent crowd control and boss slaying. And in PvP, the Perseverance skill aids remarkably in outlasting quicksteppers and parry spammers. A true knight‘s weapon — noble, versatile, and unrelenting.
Verdict: A-Tier among the most well-balanced spears
Yorshka‘s Spear
Yorshka‘s Spear remains criminally underused considering its outstanding moveset shared with fan-favorites like the Ringed Knight Spear.
With 18/14/X/12 requirements and D/D/X/D scaling across STR/DEX/INT/FTH, it plays nicely into quality builds. And along with swifter spear thrusts, it sports highly effective horizontal slashes as well.
Its soothing weapon skill Pacify can also catch casters off guard in PvP by draining their FP.
All-in-all, the versatility, power, and utility make Yorshka‘s Spear a slept-on winner, great for both PvE and PvP.
Verdict: A-Tier
Partizan
The humble Partizan spear often gets overlooked. But any serious spear connoisseur knows of its excellence thanks to a diverse moveset with horizontal swings paired with lethal thrusting attacks.
Alongside its gracefully fluid style, it only requires 14/12 STR/DEX with scalings of D/D — easy to fit into most builds. And its spinning sweep strong attack helps control crowds effectively.
In PvE, few enemies can endure the Partizan‘s versatile assault for long. And in PvP, its varied moveset enables excellent mix-ups to throw off turtling opponents. For just 600 souls from Greirat, the Partizan delivers exceptional value and entertainment.
Verdict: A-Tier
Winged Spear
Few starting weapons in Dark Souls 3 compete with the humble Winged Spear. Available from the very start, this quality spear delivers on all fronts with solid damage, nice reach, and versatile Strong attacks usable with and without a shield.
For such an easily obtained weapon, it scales remarkably well with STR and DEX thanks to C/C scaling alongside 12/14 requirements. And it only gets stronger with infusions and buffs.
The Winged Spear carries many newcomers through early PvE with its solid moveset. And in skilled hands, it remains deadly in late-game PvE and PvP as well.
Verdict: B-Tier, remarkable starter spear
Follower Javelin
Hailing from the Ashes of Ariandel DLC, the Follower Javelin brings devastating power to Intelligence builds with its tremendous sorcery scaling and projectile weapon skill.
With paltry requirements of 12/12 STR/DEX alongside C/E/X scaling across STR/DEX/INT, it dishes out mighty poke damage with standard spear thrusts augmented heavily by Magic Weapon, Crystal Magic Weapon, or Great Magic Weapon.
And the Hurl Spear skill transforms it into a terrifying ranged spear of arcane fury to shred distant foes or finish weakened PvP combatants. A true gem for sorcerers.
Verdict: B-Tier for Intelligence builds
Dragonslayer Spear
I can still hear the screams of fallen dragons as I plunge Ornstein‘s legendary Dragonslayer Spear into their scaly hides. I may not have the illustrious Knight‘s power, but I still wreck house with this iconic spear and its devastating Lightning Storm skill.
With 20/20 STR/DEX prerequisites and D/C/D scaling, it caters to quality builds well as long as you grab the spell Lightning Blade to amplify the already-imposing innate Lightning damage.
In PvE, few foes withstand the Dragonslayer Spear‘s relentless assault for long. And in PvP, its long reach enables oppressive spacing tactics that spell doom for less agile foes or Strength builds easily outranged.
Praise the sun — and plunge this spear into evil!
Verdict: B-Tier, an iconic spear for quality builds
Drang Twinspears
If you truly wish to embrace your inner dark spear hunter, the Drang Twinspears enable ruthless aggression with their paired spears moveset full of rapid slashes culminating in powerful charge thrusts augmented by the skill Charge.
With 14/20 STR/DEX and D/D scaling, they mesh nicely with quality builds. And few foes withstand the Twinspears‘ relentless assault for long as you aggressively leap between swipes and forward lunges.
These paired spears excel in locking down beasts and hunters alike in PvE thanks to their combo potential. And the style meter goes through the roof in PvP where you aggressively pursue prey for the kill shot. Embody the hunt!
Verdict: B-Tier for aggressive spear builds
Spear
The humble Spear serves reliably as a newcomer-friendly quality spear thanks to modest 11/10 STR/DEX requirements with respectable D/C scaling and infantry-piercing moveset.
Its Thrust-focused style enables safe play from range while also dishing out solid poke damage. And the unique Shield Splitter skill helps deplete stamina and guard break turtles in PvP.
While the mundane Spear only costs 600 souls, its well-balanced style, attack speed, damage, and reach facilitate progress through early PvE nicely. And as skills develop, it remains a perfectly viable sidearm choice as well for more advanced builds.
Verdict: B-Tier, beginner-friendly
Astora Straight Sword
I remain puzzled by FromSoftware‘s choice to classify the Astora Straight Sword as a spear. This strange erroneous labeling aside, the Astora functions wonderfully as a mobile quality straight sword with solid range, damage, and a diverse moveset shared with the standard longsword.
While its lack of thrust attacks hinder its viability compared to proper spears, this holy sword still delivers quality sweeping strikes and effective crowd control long before players gain access to more advanced weapons.
So while it rates low as a "spear," any Faith build benefits from giving this sanctified sword a swing in the early hours of Dark Souls 3.
Verdict: C-Tier spear, B-Tier straight sword
And those complete my Dark Souls 3 spear rankings! Let me know which one is your favorite down below. Praise the Sun! \`[-|-]/
