Stance (Greatsword)

Stance is a skill in Dark Souls III.

Description
When held, the wielder will enter a stance with the sword at the ready to their left, pointed towards the opponent at shoulder height. A weak attack will bring the sword into a diagonal upward arc from left to right, inflicting heavy stamina damage on a raised shield. A strong attack will take a few steps toward the target while bringing the sword forward into a lunging upward thrust.

The weak attack of this skill costs 17 FP to use (13 FP with the Farron Ring equipped), while the strong attack costs 20 FP (15 FP with Farron Ring).

Single player
This skill operates similarly to the straight sword variant, but has several differences. As the weapon is larger, it inflicts a greater amount of stamina damage, allowing it to break open shields with even more ease. The strong attack, on the other hand, does not have as much forward momentum and reach as the straight sword variant, giving it less utility.

Online gameplay
As most players will wield a greatsword in both hands to take advantage of Poise, opponents are less likely to see through an attempt at using the guard breaking weak attack than with a straight sword. As well, the horizontal arc of the attack allows the wielder to hit multiple targets, which can be useful for either striking at multiple opponents (such as a Host of Embers and his phantom) or for spacing and positioning purposes.

Because the strong attack has less forward momentum and reach than the straight sword's lunging thrust, it is less useful for chasing down opponents or as a wake-up attack. However, unlike a straight sword it is capable of taking advantage of Hyper Armor, which allows the wielder to push through an enemy attack and use it to come out on top of a trade.

Weapons

 * Claymore
 * Drakeblood Greatsword
 * Flamberge
 * Hollowslayer Greatsword