LKLS | Reinventing "Spears" in… 2024 (DS3 Commentary)
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Published 2024-05-02
The Lothric Knight Longspear has always met a mixed reception. It got some praise for being a pretty, if unoriginal, “spear-like”. But it was always followed with ire: mocked for being a poise-antenna in a poiseless game, and failing to perform where spears often could. Perhaps unsurprisingly, few people ever understood the wonderful weirdness under the hood – the qualities that turn this simple pokey stick into Fromsoft’s crown jewel.
So, join me on a final, feverish rant as I explain everything you never wanted to know about my favorite weapon in Souls history.
FAQs:
- Q: 40 minutes wasn’t enough for me. Do you have anything else to share?
- A: Yup! Here is the “Longspear Bible”. In it, you can find the Poise Calculator I wrote for easier buildmaking, all my poise/hyperarmor testing data, and a list of combos/pseudocombos. Enjoy! docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YTQM-dCxyOlmVbVJQs…
- Q: I wanna try the Longspear. What build should I make?
- A: There are a lot of options! Dex is best, but you’ll also want Endurance. The Longspear is a combo-based weapon, and depriving yourself of stamina means your combo game… finishes early. And nobody likes that.
Below meta, I would never go over 40 Dex – put the spare points in Endurance. My SL 90 build actually has 36 (!!!) Endurance for endless combos (also optimal for my beloved Valorheart). At meta I get 70-75 Dex for those post-60 Dex damage returns.
At 90 and meta, I’d also consider a Quality build (for weapon variety, plus guardbreaking options like offhand Demon Fist) or an elemental build (for shield chip and hybrid spellcasting).
- Q: So what IS the deal with the Pike?
- A: Think of the Pike as a weaker, shorter version of LKLS. It shares all the same properties, aside from the extra poise. It is worse on its optimal build (Dex) but its stat reqs make sense for Raw and elemental builds (which are often stat-starved). In fact, it is competitive damage-wise with LKLS on raw and elemental infusions, specifically! So if you can’t spare the stats, go with the Pike, baby.
- Q: Uh, why 2024?
- A: Sorry for the wait!! I crunched really hard in 2022 to get this video out before ER, but I stopped because it was compromising quality (and my sanity). Then ER took over for a while. It’s fine though, because revisiting DS3 in 2023/2024 gave me a lot of good clips and a different perspective.
- Q: Is this really your last video?
- A: Probably not! But it will be the last thing I make of this scale. ER isn’t the best game for this type of content (imo), and I can’t just make DS3 videos for the rest of my life. So I’ll have to wait and see what Fromsoft will cook up next.
- Q: Why do you call it the Longspear and not Long Spear lmao
- A: Longspears are a thing! And “Lothric Knight Long Spear” just looks wrong man, it totally violates the rules of adjective order. It’s DOSA-SCOMP, not DOOSA-SCMP! (Three people understood that and even fewer cared.)
Chapters and Music:
— PART 1: INTRODUCTION —
0:00 The Intro
🎵Colin Stetson – “All the Colors Bleached to White”
🎵Death Grips – “Death Grips (Next Grips)”
2:37 The Comparison
🎵Raffy Bushman – “First Man”
— PART 2: MOVESET —
4:59 The R2
🎵Asturias – “Reincarnation”
🎵Louie Zong – “Turnstile Hop“
8:47 The R1
🎵Okvsho – “Kamala’s Danz”
🎵Caldera – “Guanacaste”
🎵Coolio – “Gangsta’s Paradise”
🎵Louie Zong – “A Statue’s Lament”
🎵Louie Zong – “Power Line Boogie”
🎵Unknown Artist – “Nine Monks”
12:44 The Charge
🎵Marcos Valle Azimuth – “LP O Fabuloso Fittipaldi”
17:10 The… Other Charge
🎵“Attack on Vah Ruta” from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild OST
🎵“4 Minutes Before Death (Variation)” from the Ghost Trick OST
— PART 3: TACTICS —
19:47 The Advantage
🎵Indigo Jam Unit – “Danza Eterna”
🎵Tom Jobim – “Chega De Saudade”
🎵Mark Lockheart – “Jagdish”
23:13 The Fisha
🎵Asturias – “Soul Trees”
🎵Piero Umiliani – “Crepusculo sul mare”
— PART 4: SUBVERSION —
27:23 The Pain
🎵Aldo – “Random Jam 48”
🎵“Molduga Battle” from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild OST
🎥(Credit to Miles John for his animation “MBMBAM Animated: Guy Another Day”)
31:47 The Counter
🎵Norio Maeda Meets Tin Pan Alley – “Laia Ladaia”
🎵Laurence Mason – “Golden Brown” (Cover in the style of Dave Brubeck)
🎵“Kitsch” from the Smash Ultimate OST
🎵The Fearless Flyers – “Vespa”
— PART 5: FINALE —
38:24 The Point
🎵Aldo – “Random Jam 46”
🎵Ray Charles – “What’d I Say”
Cheers to @Ziggylata, @heyitstig6559, and @TheGameconomist for being the early LKLS champions.
Thanks to Prynne, Pinco, and everyone else for the coinvasions and testing help. Hugs to the Gyrm’s Respite for always supporting my enthusiasm for these games. And most of all, my love to RAB for her endless support as I played/worked too long to complete this project.
#LKLS #ds3tube #invasions
All Comments (21)
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When a man and a weapon love each other veeery much… If you liked this video, feel free to share it around with anyone who cares - with a small channel like mine, I really can’t depend on the YT algorithm to help me out. 😅 And if you want more LKLS goodness, here is the “Longspear Bible”. In it, you can find the Poise Calculator I wrote for easier buildmaking, all my poise/hyperarmor testing data, and a list of combos/pseudocombos. Enjoy! docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YTQM-dCxyOlmVbVJQs… (Also see the video description above for FAQs, thanks/credits, music, and other info. Cheers
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Just what 2024 called for; DS3 content. Beautiful.
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No fucking way… sometimes you see a video that just makes you think “maybe the Souls community is okay” you know? This is fucking great, Fel
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holy shit ??? like what the actual fuck ??? What amazing production value ! What great pacing, soundtrack, editing, everything ! This is truly a video for the ages ! I hope you're proud of yourself for that one, chief, cause you deserve it !!
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Well, you made possible the impossible: made me watch a 40 minutes video of Dark Souls 3, a game that I haven’t touched in 4 years (basically) and I have all the intention to keep it that way. I have too many hours on it, and I can’t stomach the PvP again. BUT. It seems that are plenty of things I didn’t try or even know yet, which is the sign of two things: From Software knows its stuff and that you are a great player/creator. And WHAT A GREAT EDITING, man. Never in the way, always entertaining, always bits and effects of good taste. Very well done. This kind of video took ages to make, I know that for sure. Also, that fucking RARE Death Grips intro? Jesus Christ. 10/10
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This is essentially a dangitjm video. Might as well be called "The underrated LKLS". I mean this as the highest praise I can give a DS3 video. This is wonderfully done. Earned a sub.
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"guardian ape yacht club" fuckin lol
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Man if I had a nickel for every ds3 weapon that had a surprising amount of nuance I'd have like a dollar lol
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lkls my beloved...
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After I've been burnt out of Elden Ring PVP, I've been watching old videos of iamamish, saint riot and dangitjm on DS3 PVP, which I've never participated in. I was kind of surprised when this video came up on my home page because of when it came out (youtube was keen on what I was watching I guess) but I'm glad this video was recommended to me. I'll finally give DS3 PVP a try. Thanks for making this video, I bet it took a long time to make.
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I can so not believe what I'm learning that I had to stop the video to comment. I have like a gazillion hours in DS3 pvp, how are some of these news to me? I'm a simple str guy who loves his R1+R1 into R2+R2 pseudo Partizan combo but LKL, which I always overlooked, apparently has some great potential. It was only after I stopped playing DS3 that I became a Leo Ring enthusiast though, so I forgive myself lest Ornstein does not.
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You can't do this to me Fel! Not only is it almost Exam season, I also have WAY too many warhammer models still left to paint to go back to DS3... but the sirens song is so tempting!
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great vid fel. i had no idea about the better hitstun towards the handle of the spear
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i can't believe how well made this video is, this is a huge gift to souls pvp content
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Beautiful video Fel ❤ You have this very nice ability to not only breakdown every dusty, cobweb filled nook and cranny of a weapon or setup and its potential, but also show what makes it fun (THAT R2 TRACKING X.X ). It instantly creates the desire to discover that same fun for yourself after watching and that is the true magic of a well done (and extremely well edited) video. Worth the wait 👍🏼 (shoutout to the Prynne cameo at the end)
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Fel you bastard! This is the best thing I've seen all year!! I did not think there was any room in my ash-filled shriveled up heart for more DS3, but this might just change my mind! Funny, insightful, and stylish as hell. Glorious, glorious work!!
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I was resisting the urge to go back to DS3 and use this weapon the entire time until you pulled up that picture of the 1handed goddamn hitbox and it made me realize that I needed return IMMEDIATELY to use this thing. This whole time you've been singing this spear's praises but it was only now that it all clicked in the way only a Fel can make it click. HELL YES this was an amazing video, I'm gonna rewatch it again once I get off work
I get it -
Not only does Fel use Columbo clips in 2024, they use clips from some of the greatest columbo episodes ever filmed. Oh Algo Gods, how ye have blessed me this day.
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Man I love being obsessed with the intricacies of dark souls weapons and I’m glad others are too
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I gotta say Fel, I really appreciate and respect you decided to finish this video despite life getting in the way for a while. Believe me, I understand the circumstance lol. It goes without saying, but you did a great video showcasing this spear. Personally, I dabbled with the LKLS a couple of times and I enjoyed it a lot back in the day but couldnt really understand why I did outside the R2. The video not only explained why I did, but also taught additional info (like that 1H Hitbox difference/additional combos like GEEZ). Interesting that the Charged R2 on the LKLS loses the perfect tracking just like the BKG's Charged R2. That was a property I assumed was exclusive to BKG but I was mistaken! This video is the best counterpoint to the poise antenna notion. On another note, I missed this type of content/analysis from you and the landscape on YT. I know people say that rose tinted glasses elevate feelings, but Elden Ring does not have this type of intricacy in combat. I could say a whole dialogue, but I'd break the character limit on here so I'll digress. I hope to see another form of analysis/commentary from you in the future. You're very skilled in commentary/video making (You wont convince me otherwise!). I hope life treats you well and that it lets up to allow you more free time. Until next time Fel!
