Stance (Straight Sword)

Stance is a skill in Dark Souls III.

Straight Sword =


 * -|Broken Straight Sword =

Description
When held, the wielder will enter a stance with the sword at the ready to their right, pointed towards the opponent at shoulder height. A weak attack will bring the sword into an upward swinging arc, inflicting heavy stamina damage on a raised shield. A strong attack will take several 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
The weak attack of this skill can be very useful in breaking the guards of shield-equipped opponents, allowing the player to follow up with an easy riposte. While it requires FP to perform unlike a kick, greatshield-wielding enemies will generally withstand a single kick unless the player is wearing the Horsehoof Ring. The strong attack allows the player to quickly close the distance with a distant foe, useful for preventing them from performing certain actions.

Online gameplay
The guard break of this skill is very useful against shield-wielding opponents as it is much faster than a kick, though it will only work if they have their shield raised; smart players will be cautious around an opponent holding their straight sword in both hands, and will either dodge the guard break attempt or simply put their shield down and take the attack rather than risk suffering a riposte.

The lunging thrust attack is useful for running down opponents after performing a successful riposte. As it has strong forward momentum, it can be used as a wake-up attack to catch players who attempt to roll away, giving the wielder a strong chance of killing their opponent before they can safely reach their Estus Flask.

Weapons

 * Anri's Straight Sword
 * Astora Straight Sword
 * Barbed Straight Sword
 * Broadsword
 * Broken Straight Sword
 * Irithyll Straight Sword
 * Long Sword
 * Lothric Knight Sword
 * Morion Blade
 * Shortsword