What is the Best Build for Beginners in Dark Souls Remastered?

As an avid Dark Souls fan with countless hours and over 7 NG+ cycles under my belt, I often get asked what the best starting build is for newcomers venturing into Lordran for the first time. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share specialized tips to craft a formidable beginner build focusing on the optimal starting class, leveling priorities, weapons, armor sets and key strategies to survive in Dark Souls Remastered.

Starting Class – Quality Builds for Flexible Foundations

When picking your inaugural class in Dark Souls, it‘s important to consider long-term build direction even as an unsure novice. Spending dozens of hours farming souls for stat reallocation can be quite tedious!

With this in mind, here is a comparison of popular beginner options weighing access to gear, attributes and item discovery:

Weighing these factors, I advocate leaning into a Quality focused build, evenly leveling Strength and Dexterity for the flexibility to specialize situationally after getting your footing in early game combat.

The Warrior provides the highest combined weapon stats to start with a balanced gear loadout. Alternatively, the Pyromancer‘s magic affinities can prove extremely powerful when learned despite lower base attributes.

Leveling Priorities – Health and Stamina First

When allocating those precious souls acquired from felling enemies, keep this ordered priority list based on statistical returns:

Vitality to 30 First – 1250+ HP keeps you alive longer to learn from mistakes. Survival is key.
Endurance to 40 Next – 120+ stamina enables sufficient attacking/dodging.
Strength & Dexterity Evenly to 40 – Keeps weapon damage on pace with areas.

Delaying damage stats tempers overconfidence. Surviving hits and managing stamina fuel steady progress far more than brute force in early game.

Weapons – Movesets Over Sheer Power

For beginners still learning combat systems, weapon moveset familiarity speeds reaction times in dangerous skirmishes.

These three options available early in Undead Burg shine for new players thanks to their flexibility and forgiving swing speeds:

Longsword / Broadsword – Crisp 1-handed and 2-handed light/heavy attacks, easy to upgrade to scale with your stats.

Battle Axe – 1-handed swings quickly stun enemies, devastating 2-handed heavy attacks.

Halberd – Sweeping long-ranged moves keep you safer. High base damage but avoid spamming strong attacks early on.

I recommend sticking with one or two weapons max in your first run instead of juggling a wide arsenal to imprint key movesets.

Armor for Beginners – Defense vs Weight

While it‘s tempting to wear fully decked out heavy knight sets early on for immense defense, their movement penalties can actually decrease survivability against ruthless bosses.

Until you‘ve increased Endurance, I suggest mixing and matching these obtainable combinations using armor optimizer tools:

Elite Knight Helm + Hard Leather Armor/Gauntlets + Elite Knight Leggings

Knight Helm + Chain Armor + Knight Gauntlets/Leggings

Black Leather Armor with Thief Mask

Shoot for high physical defense first, then balance elemental resistances against keeping your maximum equip load below 50% for a responsive quick roll.

Beginner Tips for Conquering Dark Souls

After preparing your build, adjusting your mindset and strategy can make overcoming Dark Souls‘ brutal learning curve much smoother:

Offense

• Observe new enemies cautiously from a distance at first
• Lead single enemies away from groups to avoid being overwhelmed
• Strike once or twice methodically, then allow stamina recovery time

Defense

• Maintain awareness of terrain, don‘t get cornered or backed off edges
• Keep your shield raised when maneuvering around environments
• Stand still while healing; don‘t panic and run!

Exploration

• Mark unfamiliar paths to revisit later if stuck
• Kindle bonfires to boost healing charges available
• Purchase the Residence Key to access valuable loot early

Farming

• Lure enemies toward bonfires for easy soul harvesting
• Defeat bosses solo for maximum soul rewards
• Join the Covenant of Champions to prevent despawns

With the right stat balance and battle tactics, these tips will steer even struggling newcomers toward seeing the main menu screen much less often!

Now kit out your customized Warrior or Pyromancer and begin your quest through the treacherous land of Lordran. I hope this comprehensive guide gives all you brave undead warriors a fighting chance at overcoming the formidable challenges lying in wait. Praise the sun and may your souls shine brightly!