Board Thread:Dark Souls/@comment-10209824-20130531173141/@comment-667748-20130601165745

Meh. My experience is that spears are not tank weapons. They don't hit very hard, nor inflict poise damage. They are really just "poke"/"hit & run" weapons, not tank. They work better in conjunction with a good shield, true, but don't warrant heavy armor. On the contrary, fast roll is better.

I've found the Halberds (especially the Halberd itself) to work much better for a greatshield based build: They hit hard and fast, without leaving you vulnerable too long. They bounce off shields less, and deal more poise damage. The Halberd is also thrust, which is good. That's how I deal with Kalameet BTW: Havel + Halberd (done on NG+4, so I can vouch it is viable).

For a *real* tank build, I find Greatswords are the perfect balance: They work well 1 or 2 hands. You can duel with your shield raised, but when you find that opening, then it's two-hands "bring the hurt" time: They dish out enough hurt, and poise damage to beat the crap out of almost anything, with you coming out on top.

Either that, or drop the shield completely, and bring out the great club. With good poise and armor, it's a scary powerful weapon.