Drakeblood Knight (Dark Souls III)

Drakeblood Knights are enemies in Dark Souls III.

Description
Drakeblood Knights make a return from their appearance in Dark Souls II: Crown of the Sunken King. They are clad in the Drakeblood Set and come armed with the Drakeblood Greatsword and the Spirit Tree Crest Shield. Their greatsword deals both Magic and Lightning damage, so they can still inflict some damage through shields. They boast a vast amount of vitality, but their combat tactics are quite predictable and easily avoided.

They appear exclusively as summons by the first Serpent-man Summoner in Archdragon Peak and their appearance in Lothric is not given much explanation other than they were worshippers of dragons and Archdragon Peak is a sanctuary for that cult.

Location
Found in Archdragon Peak only as summons from the first Serpent-man Summoner in the Dragon-Kin Mausoleum. The summoner can call in Drakeblood Knights infinitely, although only one at a time. Once the summoner is dead, the last knight summoned will remain and he can then be killed permanently.

Lore
An order of knights who venerate dragon blood. The blade of their swords is engraved with script symbolizing dragon blood. Drakeblood Knights were worshippers of the blood of dragons and the red cloth that decorates their garments is said to symbolize their yearning for blood.

It is said that dragon worship has captured the hearts and minds of warriors across the lands for many ages.

Strategy
Even when Drakeblood Knights don't have the same rolling penalty they had in Dark Souls II, they are much easier to defeat this time around. They boast a very high amount of health and can inflict both Magic and Lightning damage through shields, however, so they should not be overestimated.

They come armed with the Spirit Tree Crest Shield, which grants them high defense against lightning-based attacks, although they rarely use it and instead prefer to hold their greatswords with both hands. Their attacks are slow and amply telegraphed, and they usually don't chain more than three swings, which allow the player to counterattack without taking too much risk once they finish a combo.

They frequently attempt to use the Stance skill with their weapons, which the player can use to their advantage by luring them into swinging and missing in order to score some hits.

Farming
Since Drakeblood Knights spawn infinitely and yield a base amount of 4,000 souls, they can be used for farming. By equipping the Symbol of Avarice, the Shield of Want, the Hornet Ring, the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring and the Covetous Silver Serpent Ring (and perhaps also Aldrich's Ruby to alleviate some of the HP drain produced by the Symbol of Avarice), the player can maximize the amount of souls acquired for each knight killed.

The player just needs to stand behind their spawning spot and receive them with a backstab, the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring will ensure they don't turn hostile prematurely and the Hornet Ring will increase notoriously the damage dealt, allowing to kill them with only one or two more hits. Each knight defeated will yield 7,000+ souls in the normal campaign and the process can be repeated as many times as necessary.

Caution must be taken if the summoner summons Havel, though, in which case it is best recommended to make haste to the nearby bonfire and try again. If the true Havel at the top of the building has already been defeated, then the summoner will only be able to summon Drakeblood Knights, allowing the farming process to continue without interruptions.