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Balder Side Sword

The knights of the ancient kingdom of Balder wielded these rock-solid, long swords which are excellent for thrust attacks.

Balder was the home of Knight King Rendal, but the kingdom was reduced to ruins after a widespread outbreak of Undead.

Availability


Drop from side sword-wielding Balder Knight (1% drop rate)

General Information


The most efficient spot to farm Balder Knights (Side Sword) is in Sen's Fortress.
With 410 Item Discovery, rest at the bonfire, leave the bonfire area, head right from the top of the stairs, and kill the two Balder Knights there (previously guarding the Flame Stoneplate Ring). Homeward/Homeward Bone back to bonfire. Repeat until the sword drops.

Alternatively, one can start from the Sunlight Altar bonfire (near the Altar of Sunlight in Undead Parish). There are two Balder Knights wielding the Balder Side Sword guarding the entrance of the Undead Parish church, and a third one near the wooden plank bridge outside the church. This location is accessed earlier than Sen's Fortress.

This is an exceptional Straight Sword for DEX builds, as its scaling can reach an A bonus when fully upgraded. Its moveset is also great, with an incredibly powerful thrust strong attack that has great range and can be followed up.

Image Name Damage Critical
Bonus
Durability Weight Stats Needed
Stat Bonuses
Damage
Reduction %
Stability Frampt
Souls
Balder Side Sword 80/0/0/0

(Normal)
100 120 3.0 101/14/0/0

E/B/-/-
50/10/35/35 32 50

Move Set


1 Handed
R1 — R1 Right-to-left swipe into left-to-right swipe.  
R2 — R2 Thrust into thrust.  
Roll — R1 Uppercut.  
Backstep or Run — R1 Fast running horizontal slash.  
Forward + R1 Kick. Useful for breaking guard.
Forward + R2 Jumping stab attack.  
L1 (left hand) Guard.  
L2 (left hand) Heavy horizontal swipe.  


2 Handed  
R1 — R1 Alternating vertical swipes.  
R2 — R2 Thrust into thrust.  
Roll — R1 Thrust.  
Backstep or Run — R1 Heavy running overhead vertical chop.  
Forward + R1 Kick. Useful for breaking guard.
Forward + R2 Jumping stab attack.  
L1 or L2 Guard.  
  • Strong attacks (1-handed & 2-handed) are replaced by a thrust followed by a thrust.

Upgrades


Basic


Standard upgrade path.
Requires

  • Titanite Shard/Large Shard/Chunk/Slab

Ascended by Andre of Astora with Large Ember (+6) & Very Large Ember (+11).

13% STR, 85% DEX scaling.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Shard L. Shard Chunk Slab Souls
Balder Side Sword +0 80/0/0/0 E/B/-/-          
Balder Side Sword +1 88/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 1       200
Balder Side Sword +2 96/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 1       200
Balder Side Sword +3 104/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 2       200
Balder Side Sword +4 112/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 2       200
Balder Side Sword +5 120/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 3       200
Balder Side Sword +6 128/0/0/0 E/B/-/-   1     200
Balder Side Sword +7 136/0/0/0 E/B/-/-   1     200
Balder Side Sword +8 144/0/0/0 E/B/-/-   2     200
Balder Side Sword +9 152/0/0/0 E/B/-/-   2     200
Balder Side Sword +10 160/0/0/0 E/B/-/-   3     200
Balder Side Sword +11 168/0/0/0 E/B/-/-     1   200
Balder Side Sword +12 176/0/0/0 E/B/-/-     1   200
Balder Side Sword +13 184/0/0/0 E/B/-/-     2   200
Balder Side Sword +14 192/0/0/0 E/A/-/-     3   200
Balder Side Sword +15 200/0/0/0 E/A/-/-       1 200

Raw


Base damage increased. Stat bonuses reduced.
Requires

  • Balder Side Sword +5
  • Titanite

Ascended by Andre of Astora with Large Ember.

10% STR, 64% DEX scaling.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses L. Shard Souls
Raw Balder Side Sword +0 138/0/0/0 E/C/-/- 1 200
Raw Balder Side Sword +1 147/0/0/0 E/C/-/- 1 200
Raw Balder Side Sword +2 156/0/0/0 E/C/-/- 1 200
Raw Balder Side Sword +3 165/0/0/0 E/C/-/- 2 200
Raw Balder Side Sword +4 174/0/0/0 E/C/-/- 2 200
Raw Balder Side Sword +5 184/0/0/0 E/C/-/- 3 200

Crystal


Balder Side Sword durability reduced. Base damage increased. Cannot repair weapon (except through reinforcement).
Requires

  • Balder Side Sword +10
  • Titanite

Ascended by the Giant Blacksmith with Crystal Ember.

13% STR, 85% DEX scaling.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Chunk Slab Souls
Crystal Balder Side Sword +0 176/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 1   200
Crystal Balder Side Sword +1 184/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 1   200
Crystal Balder Side Sword +2 192/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 1   200
Crystal Balder Side Sword +3 200/0/0/0 E/B/-/- 2   200
Crystal Balder Side Sword +4 208/0/0/0 E/A/-/- 3   200
Crystal Balder Side Sword +5 216/0/0/0 E/A/-/-   1 200

Lightning


Adds lightning damage. All stat bonuses removed.
Requires

  • Balder Side Sword +10
  • Titanite

Ascended by the Giant Blacksmith.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Damage Reduction Titanite Chunk Titanite Slab Souls
Lightning Balder Side Sword +0 144/0/0/144 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/35 1   200
Lightning Balder Side Sword +1 155/0/0/155 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/37.8 1   200
Lightning Balder Side Sword +2 166/0/0/166 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/40.6 1   200
Lightning Balder Side Sword +3 177/0/0/177 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/43.4 2   200
Lightning Balder Side Sword +4 188/0/0/188 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/46.2 3   200
Lightning Balder Side Sword +5 200/0/0/200 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/49   1 200

Magic


Adds magic damage. Moderate damage bonus from intelligence.
Requires

  • Balder Side Sword +5
  • Green Titanite
  • Blue Titanite

Ascended by Rickert of Vinheim & with Large Magic Ember (+6).

4% STR, 24% DEX, 71% INT scaling.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Green Titanite Shard Blue Titanite Chunk Blue Titanite Slab Souls
Magic Balder Side Sword +0 90/97/0/0 E/D/C/- 1     200
Magic Balder Side Sword +1 96/104/0/0 E/D/C/- 1     200
Magic Balder Side Sword +2 102/110/0/0 E/D/C/- 1     200
Magic Balder Side Sword +3 108/117/0/0 E/D/C/- 2     200
Magic Balder Side Sword +4 114/123/0/0 E/D/C/- 2     200
Magic Balder Side Sword +5 120/130/0/0 E/D/C/- 3     200
Magic Balder Side Sword +6 125/136/0/0 E/D/B/-   1   200
Magic Balder Side Sword +7 132/143/0/0 E/D/B/-   1   200
Magic Balder Side Sword +8 138/149/0/0 E/D/B/-   2   200
Magic Balder Side Sword +9 144/156/0/0 E/D/B/-   3   200
Magic Balder Side Sword +10 150/162/0/0 E/D/B/-     1 200

Enchanted


Base damage reduced from magic upgrade path. Increased damage bonus from intelligence.
Requires

  • Magic Balder Side Sword +5
  • Blue Titanite

Ascended by Rickert of Vinheim with Enchanted Ember.

3% STR, 17% DEX, 69% INT scaling. Unknown additional amount of INT scaling.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Blue Titanite Chunk Blue Titanite Slab Souls
Enchanted Balder Side Sword +0 120/128/0/0 E/E/C/- 1   200
Enchanted Balder Side Sword +1 124/131/0/0 E/E/B/- 1   200
Enchanted Balder Side Sword +2 129/135/0/0 E/E/B/- 1   200
Enchanted Balder Side Sword +3 134/139/0/0 E/E/A/- 2   200
Enchanted Balder Side Sword +4 139/143/0/0 E/E/A/- 3   200
Enchanted Balder Side Sword +5 144/148/0/0 E/E/A/-   1 200

Divine


Adds magic damage. Moderate damage bonus from faith. Additional damage multiplier against unholy enemies.
Requires

  • Balder Side Sword +5
  • Green Titanite
  • White Titanite

Ascended by Andre of Astora with Divine Ember & Large Divine Ember (+6).

5% STR, 33% DEX, 70% FAI scaling. Additional damage multiplier against unholy enemies.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Aux Effects Green Titanite Shard White Titanite Chunk White Titanite Slab Souls
Divine Balder Side Sword +0 81/99/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/- 1     200
Divine Balder Side Sword +1 86/105/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/- 1     200
Divine Balder Side Sword +2 91/112/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/- 1     200
Divine Balder Side Sword +3 97/118/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/- 2     200
Divine Balder Side Sword +4 102/125/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/- 2     200
Divine Balder Side Sword +5 108/132/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/- 3     200
Divine Balder Side Sword +6 113/138/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/-   1   200
Divine Balder Side Sword +7 118/145/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/-   1   200
Divine Balder Side Sword +8 124/151/0/0 E/D/-/C 0/0/110/-   2   200
Divine Balder Side Sword +9 129/158/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/110/-   3   200
Divine Balder Side Sword +10 135/165/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/110/-     1 200

Occult


Base damage reduced from divine upgrade path. Increased damage bonus from faith. Additional damage multiplier against holy enemies.
Requires

  • Divine Balder Side Sword +5
  • White Titanite

Ascended by Andre of Astora with Dark Ember.

5% STR, 31% DEX, 82% FAI scaling. Additional damage multiplier against unholy enemies.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Aux Effects White Titanite Chunk White Titanite Slab Souls
Occult Balder Side Sword +0 110/120/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/-/110 1   200
Occult Balder Side Sword +1 116/125/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/-/110 1   200
Occult Balder Side Sword +2 123/132/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/-/110 1   200
Occult Balder Side Sword +3 129/138/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/-/110 2   200
Occult Balder Side Sword +4 136/144/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/-/110 3   200
Occult Balder Side Sword +5 143/150/0/0 E/D/-/B 0/0/-/110   1 200

Fire


Fire damage added. All stat bonuses removed
Requires

  • Balder Side Sword +5
  • Green Titanite
  • Red Titanite

Ascended by Vamos & with Large Flame Ember (+6).

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Damage Reduction Green Titanite Shard Red Titanite Chunk Red Titanite Slab Souls
Fire Balder Side Sword +0 104/0/104/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/35 1     200
Fire Balder Side Sword +1 112/0/112/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/35.4/35 1     200
Fire Balder Side Sword +2 120/0/120/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/35.7/35 1     200
Fire Balder Side Sword +3 128/0/128/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/36/35 2     200
Fire Balder Side Sword +4 136/0/136/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/36.4/35 2     200
Fire Balder Side Sword +5 144/0/144/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/36.7/35 3     200
Fire Balder Side Sword +6 153/0/153/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/37.1/35   1   200
Fire Balder Side Sword +7 163/0/163/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/37.5/35   1   200
Fire Balder Side Sword +8 172/0/172/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/37.8/35   2   200
Fire Balder Side Sword +9 182/0/182/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/38.2/35   3   200
Fire Balder Side Sword +10 192/0/192/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/38.5/35     1 200

Chaos


Base damage reduced from fire upgrade path. Damage bonus from humanity, up to 10 soft Humanity.
Requires

  • Fire Balder Side Sword +5
  • Red Titanite

Ascended by Vamos with Chaos Flame Ember.

Name Damage Stat Bonuses Damage Reduction Red Titanite Chunk Red Titanite Slab Souls
Chaos Balder Side Sword +0 126/0/144/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/35/35 1   200
Chaos Balder Side Sword +1 133/0/152/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/35.7/35 1   200
Chaos Balder Side Sword +2 140/0/160/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/36.4/35 1   200
Chaos Balder Side Sword +3 147/0/168/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/37.1/35 2   200
Chaos Balder Side Sword +4 154/0/176/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/37.8/35 3   200
Chaos Balder Side Sword +5 161/0/184/0 -/-/-/- 50/10/38.5/35   1 200

Key


Damage:

The Damage stat dictates how much damage the weapon does. The Damage stats for a weapon are W / X / Y / Z:

  • W is Physical Damage
  • X is Magical Damage
  • Y is Fire Damage
  • Z is Lightning Damage

Each weapon has one or more physical damage types:

  • Normal
  • Striking
  • Slashing
  • Thrusting

Certain enemies are weak or strong against different types of damage types.

Critical: One of the multipliers (in percent) for the bonus damage on criticals, such as backstabs and ripostes.
Durability: The health of the weapon. The effectiveness of the weapon will severely deteriorate when the durability falls below 30%.
Weight: The weight of the weapon. Note that carrying over 50% of a character's Equip Burden will reduce the speed of their rolls, while going over 100% will reduce their regular speed to walking and attempts to roll or backstep will leave them momentarily stunned.
Stats Needed:

The Stats Needed determines how high various Stats must be in order to wield the weapon effectively. The Requirement stats for a weapon are W / X / Y / Z:

  • W is the Strength required
  • X is the Dexterity required
  • Y is the Intelligence required
  • Z is the Faith required

Wielding a weapon without the required Strength and/or Dexterity will incur a penalty to the Physical damage of the weapon, while lower-than-required Magic and/or Faith will reduce the Magic damage of the weapon.

Also keep in mind that a character gains a 50% bonus to Strength by wielding a weapon with both hands, thus reducing the actual Strength required.
For example, a character with 18 Strength can wield a Large Club (Requires 26 Strength) properly if the weapon is held with both hands.
(18 x 1.5 = 27)

Damage Reduction %:

The Damage Reduction stat dictates the percentage of damage reduced while blocking. The Damage Reduction stats for a weapon are W / X / Y / Z:

  • W is the Physical Damage Reduction
  • X is the Magical Damage Reduction
  • Y is the Fire Damage Reduction
  • Z is the Lightning Damage Reduction
Stability: The stability of the weapon. The higher this value, the less stamina is consumed when blocking attacks.
Frampt Souls: This is the amount of souls players will receive if they feed the item to Kingseeker Frampt.

Footnotes

  1. When two-handing this weapon, only 7 Strength is required.