As a Dark Souls 3 duelist with over 500 hours of invasion and arena PvP under my belt, I live for the excitement that comes from crushing opponents under the weight of an ultra greatsword. I can still remember my heart pounding as I wiped out a fight club of three phantoms with a single charged attack from the Cathedral Knight Greatsword!
Ultra greatswords epitomize the sheer sense of power that makes Strength builds so satisfying in DS3. Their insane damage and range let you demolish both PvE and PvP foes in just a few swings. In the right hands, an ultra can render bosses and gank squads helpless before its onslaught.
But what makes them truly special is the versatility they allow – their movesets, weapon arts, and infusions can suit many different playstyles. An ultra wielder must balance careful timing and spacing with relentless aggression to master their legendary potential.
In this guide, join me as we dig deep into the 5 most powerful ultra greatswords that DS3 has to offer. You‘ll learn how to unleash their full destructive force to carry you to victory against any foe!
The Allure of Ultra Weapons
Let‘s first look at why you can‘t go wrong by wielding one of these heavy hitters:
Devastating Damage
With 66 Strength and a Heavy infusion, an ultra greatsword can easily smash for 800+ damage per hit. And their long reach lets you land critical charged R2s and weapon skill attacks.
Poise for Days
Many ultra attacks have high poise damage AND hyper armor that prevents you from being interrupted. Use this to tank hits while slamming enemies with reckless abandon!
Mix Up Potential
Despite low swing speeds, ultras have diverse movesets allowing both vertical AND horizontal strikes. Make full use of the entire kit!
Parry Immunity
When two-handed, no attack from an ultra greatsword can be parried. Feel free to get aggressive against turtles!
Now let‘s get into breaking down the top 5 heavy hitters that put these massive strengths to full use:
#5 Astora Greatsword
Don‘t let its svelte frame fool you – the Astora Greatsword packs serious power behind its deceptively fast swings. Weighing in at just 8 units, it has one of the lowest Strength requirements at 16 and can even be wielded one-handed.
The real reward comes from mastering its Charged Heavy attack – time it correctly to smash foes even when they‘re mid swing at you thanks to its excellent hyper armor! To catch players off guard in PvP, lock-on and free aim this attack manually after a roll.
Veteran PvP legend ChaseTheBro demonstrates the terrifying damage potential of an optimized Charged Heavy Attack Astora Greatsword build [1]:
The Astora Greatsword also benefits immensely from Sharp and Heavy Infusions coupled with weapon buffs. And don‘t forget to equip the Leo Ring to amplify those brutal counter hits from the strong attack thrusts!
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical Damage | 132 |
| Scales With | Dexterity: D / Strength: D |
| Weight | 8.0 |
| Required Stats | 16 Strength & 18 Dexterity |
| Weapon Skill | Charge |
| Notes | Lowest strength requirement, Excellent hyper armor and range, Devastating buffed damage potential |
While raw damage trails heavier options on this list, the Astora Greatsword‘s versatility makes it deadly in the right hands. Both PvE and PvP players alike will quickly learn to respect its graceful but lethal strikes!
#4 Profaned Greatsword
This cursed ultra greatsword is forged from the soul of Pontiff Sulyvahn, featuring a broad moveset that boasts both vertical chops and wide horizontal arcs. Its devious weapon skill emulates the deadly swordsmanship of its original wielder – activate it to launch a wave of dark flames, catching unwary opponents off guard in PvP.
But the Profaned Greatsword‘s most valuable asset is undoubtedly its Riposte-proof strong attack. This long reaching stab cannot be parried, allowing you to grievously punish turtling cowards cowering behind their shields!
On a 66 Strength build with a Heavy Gem infusion, this sinister blade achieves an outstanding 734 AR – and that‘s not even including its substantial fire damage over time from the flames.
Witness community expert Prod test out the terrifying damage and range of the Profaned Greatsword in PvP:
Any host or invading phantom that faces you wielding this once-hallowed weapon is in for a nasty surprise!
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical Damage | 176 |
| Magic Damage | 0 |
| Fire Damage | 110 |
| Scales With | Strength: A |
| Weight | 15.5 |
| Required Stats | 26 Strength & 12 Dexterity |
| Weapon Skill | Flame Arc |
| Notes | Extreme physical and fire AR, Riposte-proof strong attack, Built-in weapon buff skill |
The Profaned Greatsword handsomely rewards an aggressive Strength-oriented playstyle – use its generous hyper armor and reach to relentlessly smash foes into oblivion!
#3 Lorian‘s Greatsword
Warped and molten after being exposed to the flames of Lothric‘s Prince Lorian, this charred greatsword leaves a trail of fire in its wake with every ponderous swing. Wielders can harness the skill "Crumble" to build fiery energy within the blade before slamming it down to launch an eruption of flame that engulfs anything caught within its blast radius.
On my 40/40 Refined build, I‘ve used this weapon skill to smash groups of PvE foes and one-shot entire gank squads in PvP – it‘s immensely satisfying to pull off and catches so many players unaware!
Here is veteran PvPer Fighter PL demonstrating some lethal combinations with the Lorian Greatsword in duels:
Chaos infusions can also unlock extreme damage potential from the Lorian Greatsword for players investing in both Strength and Int/Faith stats.
Just be ready to account for its hefty 21 unit weight requirement in your armor loadout to fully leverage its powerful reach and moveset!
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical Damage | 176 |
| Magic Damage | 88 |
| Fire Damage | 0 |
| Lightning Damage | 0 |
| Dark Damage | 0 |
| Scales With | Strength: C / Dexterity: A |
| Weight | 21.0 |
| Required Stats | 24 Strength & 18 Dexterity |
| Weapon Skill | Crumble |
| Notes | Unique fire trail visual effect, Homing weapon skill great for groups |
The Lorian‘s Greatsword rewards patient, spacing-focused play while offering fiery explosions to aggressively catch overly eager opponents. Master its moveset and the flames of Lothric will serve you well!
#2 Exile Greatsword
Formerly wielded by the Exile Watchdogs, the Exile Greatsword is now aimed at the enemies of its current masters. This massive curved slab of iron has become infamous thanks to its overwhelming capability to rapidly drain the life essence of anything caught at the receiving end of its crushing swings.
Veteran players especially favor this weapon for its lethal Charged Heavy Attack – anticipating enemy movement to manually aim this charging slash attack allows you to quickly dispatch multiple foes in PvE or entire groups hanging back in PvP.
The Exile Greatsword also packs colossal AR – it can reach an absolutely staggering 794 physical damage at 66 Strength with a Heavy infusion. Stand and face your enemies without fear, as few can endure more than a hit or two from this beast of a blade!
Here is community expert JeeNiNe demonstrating some particularly painful Exile Greatsword combos against Midir:
With the right timing, devastating damage potential and perseverance, the Exile Greatsword in the hands of a seasoned ultra wielder becomes an unstoppable force of nature – woe to those caught lacking stamina or the armor to weather its lethal blows!
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical Damage | 157 |
| Scales With | Strength: S / Dexterity: D |
| Weight | 17.5 |
| Required Stats | 50 Strength & 13 Dexterity |
| Weapon Skill | Spin Slash |
| Notes | Extreme AR when Heavy infused, Charged Heavy roll catches well |
If you‘re all-in on a Strength build, the Exile Greatsword will serve you loyally with enough raw power behind each swing to decisively end most fights in just a couple hits!
#1 Cathedral Knight Greatsword
The legendary weapon of choice for the venerable Knights of the Cathedral, this sanctified greatsword delivers absolution through destruction.
Boasting 130 base damage and an outstanding S/A scaling when Heavy Gem infused, the Cathedral Knight Greatsword achieves a positively divine AR rating of 838 at peak reinforcement.
The strong attack thrust in particular can roll catch with impunity – mastering manual aim to punish sloppy dodges and running attacks is instrumental to success.
Personally dispatching both the Nameless King and Sister Friede with my prized +10 Heavy Cathedral Knight Greatsword are memories I still cherish as a DS3 player. Apply Steady Chant weapon art for even more devastating trades!
Here is a demonstration of community expert TheGameconomist decisively crushing invading spirits in seconds with the Cathedral Knight Greatsword:
Wield the undisputed king of ultra greatswords to deliver divine retribution to the denizens of Lothric – no being can withstand its sanctified fury for long and live to tell the tale!
| Stats | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical Damage | 130 |
| Scales With | Strength: S / Dexterity: A |
| Weight | 20.0 |
| Required Stats | 28 Strength & 10 Dexterity |
| Weapon Skill | Steady Chant |
| Notes | Highest AR for ultras, Mix of vertical & thrust attacks |
There may be many pretender weapons that boast of power – but for players focused on Pure Strength builds, none can match the awesome damage potential of the legendary Cathedral Knight Greatsword.
Whether battling end game bosses like Gael and Midir or facing down ganks in Pontiff fight clubs, this sanctified blade will serve you nobly indeed.
Mastering Ultra Greatswords
Now that you‘re familiar with the top 5 best ultra greatswords, it‘s time to master the advanced skills needed to tactically apply their incredible strength:
Running/Roll Catching
Use manual aim and knowledge of hitboxes to smash opponents immediately after rolls – especially effective after baited whiffs!
Breaking Guards
Bring the rain with vertical chop attacks vs turtles to deplete stamina for a riposte. Especially devastating on weapons with natural lightning damage!
Parry Baiting
Two hand your ultra and use unpredictable charged heavy attacks to crush overeager parry spammers. But watch for setup parries on whiffed swings!
Hyper Armor Trading
Use charged strong attacks to tank hits from smaller weapons and strike back harder – just don‘t get greedy!
Mix Up Angles
Keep opponents guessing by changing horizontal/vertical attack orientations – and manually aim to catch panic rolls.
Now that you‘re armed with advanced knowledge and the best weapons, it‘s time to leave a wake of devastation across the land of Lothric! Whether you crave PvE glory or the thrill of PvP domination, these ultra greatswords will enable truly legendary Strength build achievements.
Now go forth, Ashen One, and let none stand before you unscathed…
