Talk:Southern Ritual Band/@comment-68.63.225.156-20140731154914/@comment-68.63.225.156-20140803142406

Obviously the +2 is better, but the idea behind pure melee just isn't practical in DS2. In PvP it works, but in PvE you need an AoE and Warmth is one of the best spells in the entire game for it's sheer practicality.

The idea is you'd always have a fallback plan for when melee isn't going to be useful, or in situations where you'd be moderately outmatched. If nothing else farming up three castings of Warmth at the low levels and getting the Dark Pyromancy Flame will make a pure melee build much more survivable, and attuning them as you slowly upgrade the rings (which means taking on the Ruin Sentinels and Belfry Gargoyles ASAP, or trading with another player).

It's also very efficient on your SM to use this ring for healing spells instead of investing in Lifegems.