Flammeus Anima Blade | Dark Souls Wiki

Flammeus Anima Blade

This is a player-created Build for Dark Souls. If you want help making your own build, you can consult this useful page on how to make a build by Blaine.

A build that involves the use of sorcery, pyromancy and a melee weapon with scale on intelligence (preferably long-sword). This build focuses on dispatching weaker or unsafe enemies with the use of sorcery and/or pyromancy from long range distance while utilizing melee attacks to slay enemies in close quarters with specific overwhelming tactics; tactics which when used in PvP increase the chances of landing melee hits successfully on invaders that persistently employ rolling.
Please note that this build is done with just the first play-through of the game, no new game required or taken into account. Also use of bow is not utilized.

• Build Name: Flammeus Anima Blade
• Build Level:
• Build Focus: PvP
• Build Main Stats:
• Link to Dark Souls Calculator: Add link here.

Stat Build

Note: * SL stands for Soul Level.
SL 1-6: Distributed points so you can use the Claymore without penalty, this is the weapon primarily used with this build.
SL 6-35: Distributed points to increase health, stamina and magical damage for viability and maneuverability.
Note that by increasing your intelligence stat you increase your melee attack of your magical/enchanted Claymore used with this build.
SL 35-55: Add points to your "Attunement" stat first to increase the available slots.
SL 55-100: Distributed points to further increase health, stamina and magical damage and to "Attunement", thus increasing available slots for advanced pyromancy and sorcery. Also take note the added points to "Faith" serve as purpose to have the ability of using the miracles "Heal" as well the "Force"; "Force" miracle serves as auxiliary in your arsenal yet it is not utilized with this build.
Note that it is implied that you use the talisman Velka's Talisman which utilizes intelligence to increase the results of the miracle "Heal".
SL 100-??: The SL 100 is the end this build's scope, which is a good SL for PvPing. After SL 100 the player can either further increase intelligence resulting in greater potency of your magical arsenal as well and your sword damage or you can add points to "Attunement" to increase the available slots. What you do from here and how you advance this build further is up to you.

Equipment

Recommended choice of equipment for the final set of this build; also one of the best possible combinations of armor pieces aiming for less than 50% of equip burden while maintaining good defense at 25 Endurance.
It is advised to use equipment with similar properties until you find these.

Equipment Slot	Equipment Name		Equipment Burden
Right Weapon 1		Enchanted Claymore +5	6.0
Right Weapon 2		Logan's Catalyst	2.0
Left Weapon 1		Grass Crest Shield +15	3.0
Left Weapon 2		(Ascended) Pyromancy Flame +5	0.0
Helmet		Thief Mask +10	1.4
Armor		Sage Robe +5	4.0
Gloves		Black Iron Gauntlets +5	9.2
Legging		Elite Knight Leggings +10	6.9
Ring A		Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring	-
Ring B		Dark Wood Grain Ring	-
		Total Burden :	32.3

Note: The rings you can use with this set are up to you; the rings shown in this combination are not mandatory for this build.
Poise: This combination provides small poise (30; while light sets provide none) which prevents staggering from normal arrows and minor melee attacks.
Grass Crest Shield: Used for its bonus of faster stamina recovery to help the small amount of stamina that this build has.
Why Claymore: Claymore has a horizontal wide slash and a lunge / stab attack (which does not have any unnecessary moves after) as its standard attacks.
Getting Claymore early: First you need access to the bridge of Undead Burg, where the red dragon (Hellkite Wyvern) is situated. From the stairs at the midway of the bridge you fire an arrow to the dragon (for the sole purpose of aggravating him and making him take off and go to land on the bridge's midway) and then immediately run for the Claymore. Now you can either keep running to reach the other end of the bridge (below where the wyvern stood) where a bonfire lies (this results in the Wyvern leaving for now) or try to return back whence you came by foot or lastly use any other method to survive / leave this location.

Sorceries and Pyromancies

The selection of arsenal suggested here, is ideal for playing efficiently through an area while keeping in your disposal strong magic to dispatch the area boss or to engage in random PvP; all that without having to rest in-between, when you get accustomed enough with this build.

Attunement Slot	Sorceries & Pyromancies
Attunement Slot 1		Homing Soulmass / Homing Crystal Soulmass
Attunement Slot 2		Combustion / Great Combustion
Attunement Slot 3		Soul Spear / Crystal Soul Spear
Attunement Slot 4		Great Fireball / Great Chaos Fireball (requires 2 slots)
Attunement Slot 5		Heal or Great Chaos Fireball (from previous slot)
Attunement Slot 6		Soul Arrow / Great Soul Arrow
Attunement Slot 7		Soul Arrow / Great Soul Arrow

Note1: Two instances of the same magic result in the appearance of only one instance, in your current magic slot, with twice the amount of uses.
Note2: First magic in every cell is the low level of that magic and is put here to show that you can use that until you find and can use the advanced level.
Note3: The first 3 slots are mandatory for PvP tactics described later.
Heal: Miracle "Heal" is not mandatory for this build, yet it helps when playing in party to heal at will. Requires Velka's Talisman.

Build Strategy

Advantages

• High Intelligence thus higher damage with sorcery.
• Access to advanced sorcery and pyromancy resulting in a rich magic arsenal.
• High melee attack prowess due to the effects of high intelligence on magical/enchanted weapon.
• Versatility in combat. You can utilize magic for long and mid range while using sword in close quarters.
• Can fight in confined spaces with either magic or melee.
• This build can be used exclusively for pure PvP starting from SL 75.

Weaknesses

• Low Vitality (health).
• Medium Endurance (stamina).
• Cannot wear heavier armor pieces.
• Non very long range combat (bow).

Starting Class
Pyromancer class.Best choice due to the excellent point distribution, starts at SL 1. Using a different starting class will result in achieving this build at a later SL because of the misused points and the lack of pyromancy at early SLs.
Starting GiftMaster Key gift.If you haven't chose this item as a starting gift it can be bought from a merchant(as of patch 1.05) named Domhnall of Zena for 5.000 souls.

Battle Tactics and Strategies

Here are described the advised tactics to use with this build.
Please note these few things

• These tactics do not guarantee you win
• We do not guarantee you that they will always work
• The outcome is purely based on your potential, your skills as a gamer and judgement

Player versus Enemy (PvE)

Each and any Arrow magic attuned is to be considered as your main attack; thus the requirement of a high number of casts.
Avoid engaging group of enemies
This means that you save your melee for situations of forced close-range or magic-saving playing.
Close-range melee combat
Melee attacks should be used sparingly and in a manner of hit and run due to your low stamina.
Boss combat tactic
Always stay mid-range (exceptions are telegraphed long-range atacks) and use your heavy arsenal to dish-out damage, also utilizing any soulmass class sorcery will prove very helpful. Melee plays a small role and it is suggested only when you do not have enough time to cast yet you have enough to land a hit and retreat.
Miracle Heal?!
This miracle is not mandatory but it is suggested when you prefer playing in party. Main reason is so you can heal at will and not rely on your host; the secondary reason is to save your Estus Flask. So basically you are advised to use it when you are in a safe spot, so you can equip your talisman temporarily just for a cast.

Player versus Player (PvP)

When engaging combat with another player you will use the magic attuned in your first three slots; thus it is suggested to unequip the rest when going only for PvP to cycle between slots faster.

Three step assault
It is necessary to have your opponent locked-on.

1. Quickly switch to your catalyst and cast Soulmass class sorcery, then switch-back to Claymore and start closing to mid-range.
   • Possible End: You can utilize either Arrow class or Spear class sorcery to complicate the evasion maneuvers your opponents needs. This might result in your soulmass firing away; it is mandatory that you have soulmass already activated to continue to step 2.
2. Upon reaching mid-range switch your shield with Pyromancy Flame and have prepared your attuned Combustion class pyromancy.
3. The moment the soulmass begins to leave (you should understand this requires ocular experience), immediately cast combustion and prepare for a single melee hit.Immediately retreat (with roll if close) while switching to your shield, regroup to repeat this tactic.
   • Branch A: Combustion hits and opponent is equipped with light armor thus staggers from combustion.
     • Follow combustion with a single horizontal slash immediately.
   • Branch B: Combustion hits and opponent is equipped with medium / heavy armor thus does not stagger from combustion.
     • React as Step4 suggests. (Since opponent will try to punish you)
   • Branch C: Evades combustion with roll. Reaction depends on destination of opponent.
     • Rolls away from you. Follow combustion with a single stab immediately.
     • Rolls near / towards you. React as Step4 suggests. (Since opponents closes-in to punish you)

Defensive maneuver (utilize against heavy weapons)
First roll sideways to avoid the hit while maintaining close-range then immediately counter with your Combustion class pyromancy and lastly roll again to avoid being punished.

1. ^

Children of Sea group members 
KyokuRyu (Teresa) 
Brogettenks (Ashura) 
Pirate_Hirako / Hajigr (Hirako)