Strike (damage type)

Strike is a damage type that can be inflicted in Dark Souls.

General Information
Strike Damage is one of four physical damage types. It is dealt by most Hammers, Great Hammers, Gauntlets, Catalysts and all Talismans. Strike as a damage type is unique from the other physical damage types in that no weapon that deals it has the potential to inflict an additional type with a different attack from its moveset.

When compared to the other physical damage types, most armor sets have lower Strike Defense. This is especially true for medium and heavy armor sets.

Defense
To lower Strike Damage, it is necessary to raise the Strike Defense stat.

Stats
At lower levels, increasing any stat while leveling up will raise Strike Defense to some degree, however, Resistance will raise it more than any other.

Armor
As a general rule, the heavier an armor piece is, the higher its defense against Physical damage it will be.

Of the starting armor sets, the Knight Set offers the highest Strike Defense.

Light armor sets are not the best choice to reduce Strike Damage. However, the Xanthous Set has unusually high Strike Defense while its headpiece, Xanthous Crown, offers the highest Strike Defense of any headpiece. Alternative armor sets with lower weight are the fully upgraded Bandit Set and Big Hat's Set.

Within medium armor sets, the fully upgraded Cleric Set and Steel Set are good choices for Strike Defense. Ornstein's Set does not need to be upgraded and offers a good alternative.

Heavy armor sets offer the best choices when raising Physical defenses. The fully upgraded Giant Set offers the highest Strike Defense of any armor set. Smough's Set and the Guardian Set offer good alternatives and do not require upgrading.

Rings
The Ring of Steel Protection raises all forms of Physical Defense.

Shields
Unlike armor, shields modify damage based on a percentage and all forms of Physical Damage are affected by its single modifier. Many standard shields and greatshields protect against 100% of Physical Damage; the Crest Shield, Havel's Greatshield and Balder Shield are examples of these.

Weapons
In addition to the following weapons, every shield, with the exception of the Pierce Shield, causes Strike Damage when used to bash or when wielded in the right hand. {| style="width:100%;"
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Catalysts

 * Beatrice's Catalyst
 * Izalith Catalyst
 * Logan's Catalyst
 * Manus Catalyst
 * Oolacile Catalyst
 * Oolacile Ivory Catalyst
 * Sorcerer's Catalyst
 * Tin Darkmoon Catalyst

Gauntlets

 * Caestus
 * Dark Hand
 * Dragon Bone Fist
 * Fists
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Hammers

 * Blacksmith Hammer
 * Blacksmith Giant Hammer *
 * Club
 * Hammer of Vamos *
 * Mace
 * Morning Star
 * Reinforced Club

Great Hammers

 * Demon's Great Hammer
 * Dragon Tooth
 * Grant *
 * Great Club
 * Large Club
 * Smough's Hammer
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Talismans

 * Canvas Talisman
 * Darkmoon Talisman
 * Ivory Talisman
 * Sunlight Talisman
 * Talisman
 * Thorolund Talisman
 * Velka's Talisman

Flame

 * Pyromancy Flame *
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Asterisks ( * ) denote weapons that also inflict Elemental Damage.

Enemies
The following is a list of characters, enemies and bosses that inflict Strike Damage by one or more of their attacks. {| style="width:100%;"
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Characters

 * Andre of Astora
 * Crystal General
 * Forest Hunter Cleric
 * Giant Blacksmith
 * Hawkeye Gough
 * Havel the Rock
 * Marvelous Chester
 * Paladin Leeroy
 * Petrus of Thorolund
 * Vamos
 * Vince of Thorolund
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Enemies

 * Bone Tower
 * Bloathead
 * Burrowing Rockworm
 * Bonewheel Skeleton
 * Chaos Eater
 * Darkwraith
 * Engorged Zombie
 * Giant Clam
 * Infested Barbarian
 * Infested Ghoul
 * Mushroom Child
 * Mushroom Parent
 * Phalanx
 * Pisaca
 * Serpent Soldier
 * Silver Knight
 * Skeletal Beast
 * Slime
 * Snow Rat
 * Undead Rat
 * Wooden Scarecrow
 * Zombie (Fists)
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Mini-bosses

 * Berenike Knight (Mace)
 * Black Knight
 * Bounding Demon of Izalith
 * Fang Boar
 * Giant
 * Hellkite Dragon
 * Mass of Souls
 * Mimic
 * Undead Dragon

Bosses

 * Asylum Demon
 * Ceaseless Discharge
 * Centipede Demon
 * Demon Firesage
 * Executioner Smough
 * Gwyn, Lord of Cinder
 * Stray Demon
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