Estoc

Te XO zQ qt py lB ch Pl NK ca hB

A long European sword with a quadrangular section blade used for thrusting, often carried without a scabbard.

10 of History’s Most Terrifying Swords

Humans have always been cooking up brand new ways to slice, dice, hack, and stab. You definitely wouldn’t want to tangle with any of the historical swords in this gallery—especially the last one.

1. The Khopesh

Believed to have evolved from either battle axes or farm implements, this intimidating weapon was used in ancient Egypt. Only the outer edge of the curved blade was sharp. The weapon was a symbol of authority, and several Pharaohs owned Khopeshes—including Ramses II and Tutankhamun, who was entombed with his.

2. The Ulfbehrt Sword

Strong, lightweight, and flexible, Viking Ulfberht blades were forged with astonishingly pure metal called Crucible Steel. Even today’s best blacksmiths have had a hard time reproducing this material, which is much better than what's found in average medieval swords. How did Viking warriors develop such an advanced sword? The jury’s still out—though Middle Eastern trade might have helped them pick up a few technical pointers.

3. The Khanda

This weapon's tip was blunt, so it would have been bad at skewering your enemies. But India’s Khanda (introduced somewhere between 300 and 600 CE) didn’t need to: Its heavy construction made it a perfect chopping device, and some swordsmen upped the ante by giving the weapon serrated edges.

4. The Ngombe Executioner’s Sword

Back in the 19 th and 20 th centuries, European explorers made numerous sketches of tribal Congo residents decapitating prisoners with this ferocious-looking weapon. The extent to which their dramatizations reflect reality is debatable.

5. The Flammard

Wavy-bladed rapiers were a Renaissance staple. Flammard fanciers mistakenly believed that this undulating design could inflict deadlier wounds. The shape did provide one genuine dueling advantage, though: When an opponent’s sword ran across one, those curves would slow it down.

6. The Chinese Hook Sword

Double trouble! These weapons not only feature curved tips, but sharp, hand-protecting guards as well. The weapons were commonly handled in pairs, and, according to a 1985 issue of Black Belt magazine, "When put together, two hook swords could easily tear apart an opponent." Yikes.

7. The Kilij

The first Kilij appeared in Turkey around 400 CE. A perfect choice for horsemen, this style of saber went through several variations over the next 1400 years. In a skilled rider’s hands, this sword could mutilate those with their feet on the ground with devastating efficiency.

8. The Estoc

Armor doesn’t always guarantee safety. Renaissance swordsmen could split through the links with the estoc, a dull-edged thrusting sword designed specifically for this purpose.

9. The Zweihander

Zweihander means “two hand,” and these weapons were so large that swordsmen did indeed need two hands to wield them. According to one tale, the swords were so powerful that they could behead up to seven victims with a single stroke.

10. The Urumi

The best bladed weapons are at least somewhat flexible—but the urumi is downright floppy. When swung, it acts like a whip. A metal whip. A metal whip with two sharp edges. If that description doesn’t scare you, this demo reel should do the trick:

Invented during India’s Mauryan Dynasty (circa 350-150 BCE), urumis have undergone plenty of variations over the centuries. Today, several blades are often attached to the same grip for added effectiveness. The constant risk of accidentally slicing yourself up makes the urumi anything but user-friendly.

Estoc - Dark Souls

Estoc is a Weapon in Dark Souls and Dark Souls Remastered.

The largest of the thrusting swords. Can pierce an armored knight in one thrust."
"The blade is also sharp, allowing slicing as well."

How to Get / Where to Find the Estoc

Notes:

Give to Frampt to receive 50 souls.
Like all piercing swords, replaces your kick with a back-stepping horizontal slash.
The Estoc, like most piercing swords has the unique feature of allowing users to strike while still behind their shield, which gives enemies no chance to strike while your guard is down. While this attack doesn't deal large amounts of damage, it can, over time, whittle away the health of an enemy. In the hands of a patient player, the Estoc can be one of the most deadly weapons in the game. Enemies that take continuous damage from an Estoc, especially one wielded by a fast, mobile opponent, may open up more and rush their attacks, leaving them wide open.
The advantage of the Estoc over other piercing swords is the long reach. It has the longest reach of all piercing swords, and the one-handed r2 performs a sweep attack, and the two-handed r2 a long-ranged thrust. The Estoc also deals the most physical damage out of all piercing swords, assuming high dexterity.
The charging attack produces a double stab, which connect individually.
Demon's souls version: Different in apperance but similar in move set.

Youtube relevant videos:

Estoc Upgrade Table

Overview table for all Upgrades at regular, max and threshold levels. Click on the tabs to see individual upgrade paths in detail.
Use this table to quickly compare performance

Attack Values					Parameter Bonuses				Auxiliary Effects				Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Regular	75	0	0	0	100	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +5	112	0	0	0	100	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +10	150	0	0	0	100	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +14	180	0	0	0	100	D	B	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +15	187	0	0	0	100	D	B	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal	165	0	0	0	100	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal +4	195	0	0	0	100	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal +5	202	0	0	0	100	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Lightning	135	0	0	135	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Lightning +4	176	0	0	176	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	39.6	22
Lightning +5	187	0	0	187	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	42	22
Raw	129	0	0	0	100	E	C	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Raw +5	172	0	0	0	100	E	C	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic	84	91	0	0	100	E	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +5	112	122	0	0	100	E	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +9	134	146	0	0	100	E	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +10	140	152	0	0	100	E	D	C	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Enchanted	112	120	0	0	100	E	E	C	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Enchanted +4	129	134	0	0	100	E	E	A	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Enchanted +5	134	139	0	0	100	E	E	A	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Divine	76	93	0	0	100	E	D	-	C	-	-	110	-	45	10	30	30	22
Divine +5	102	124	0	0	100	E	D	-	C	-	-	110	-	45	10	30	30	22
Divine +9	122	148	0	0	100	E	D	-	C	-	-	110	-	45	10	30	30	22
Divine +10	127	155	0	0	100	E	D	-	C	-	-	110	-	45	10	30	30	22
Occult	104	112	0	0	100	E	D	-	B	-	-	-	110	45	10	30	30	22
Occult +4	128	134	0	0	100	E	D	-	B	-	-	-	110	45	10	30	30	22
Occult +5	135	140	0	0	100	E	D	-	B	-	-	-	110	45	10	30	30	22
Fire	97	0	97	0	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Fire +5	135	0	135	0	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	31.5	30	22
Fire +9	171	0	171	0	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	32.7	30	22
Fire +10	180	0	180	0	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	33	30	22
Chaos	117	0	135	0	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Chaos +4	143	0	165	0	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	32.4	30	22
Chaos +5	149	0	172	0	100	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	33	30	22

Regular Upgrades are performed by Andre of Astora at the Undead Parish.
Regular +6 requires a regular +5 weapon and to hand in the Large Ember. Regular +11 requires a regular +10 weapon and to hand in the Very Large Ember.
Regular Reinforcement Scales 22% for Strength and 70% for Dexterity to increase your AR.
To reach max, you need: 3,000 souls, 9 titanite shards to +5, 9 large titanite shards to +10, 7 titanite chunks to +14 and 1 titanite slab to +15

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Regular	75	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +1 (x1)	82	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +2 (x1)	90	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +3 (x2)	97	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +4 (x2)	105	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +5 (x3)	112	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +6 (x1)	120	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +7 (x1)	127	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +8 (x2)	135	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +9 (x2)	142	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +10 (x3)	150	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +11 (x1)	157	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +12 (x1)	165	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +13 (x2)	172	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +14 (x3)	180	-	-	-	D	B	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Regular +15 (x1)	187	-	-	-	D	B	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22

Crystal Upgrades are performed by the Giant Blacksmith at Anor Londo.
Crystal Upgrades require a regular +10 weapon and to hand in the Crystal Ember.
Crystal Reinforcement reduced weapon Durability, but increases base damage. It scales 22% for Strength and 70% for Dexterity to increase your AR.
To reach max, you need: 1,000 souls, 8 titanite chunks to +4 and 1 titanite slab to +5

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Crystal (x1)	165	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal +1 (x1)	172	-	-	-	D	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal +2 (x1)	180	-	-	-	D	B	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal +3 (x2)	187	-	-	-	D	B	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal +4 (x3)	195	-	-	-	D	B	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Crystal +5 (x1)	202	-	-	-	D	B	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22

Lightning Upgrades are performed by the Giant Blacksmith at Anor Londo.
Lightning Upgrades require a regular +10 weapon, but no special Ember is required.
Lightning Reinforcement removes all scaling but adds Lightning Damage.
To reach max, you need: 1,000 souls, 8 titanite chunks to +4 and 1 titanite slab to +5

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Lightning (x1)	135	-	-	135	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Lightning +1 (x1)	145	-	-	145	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	32.4	22
Lightning +2 (x1)	156	-	-	156	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	34.8	22
Lightning +3 (x2)	166	-	-	166	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	37.2	22
Lightning +4 (x3)	176	-	-	176	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	39.6	22
Lightning +5 (x1)	187	-	-	187	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	42	22

Raw Upgrades are performed by Andre of Astora at the Undead Parish.
Raw Upgrades require a regular +5 weapon and to hand in the Large Ember.
Raw Reinforcement increases base damage whilst reducing stat bonuses. Scales 17% for Strength and 53% for Dexterity to increase your AR.
To reach max, you need: 1,000 souls, 10 large titanite shards

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Raw (x1)	129	-	-	-	E	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Raw +1 (x1)	137	-	-	-	E	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Raw +2 (x1)	146	-	-	-	E	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Raw +3 (x2)	154	-	-	-	E	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Raw +4 (x2)	163	-	-	-	E	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Raw +5 (x3)	172	-	-	-	E	C	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22

Magic Upgrades are performed by Rickert of Vinheim, found in New Londo Ruins.
Magic Upgrade +1 requires a regular +5 weapon. Magic +6 requires a Magic +5 and to hand in the Large Magic Ember
Magic Reinforcement adds Magic Damage and an Intelligence bonus. The weapon can no longer be buffed with Magic Weapon. Scales 6% for Strength and 20% for Dexterity and 66% Intelligence to increase your AR.
To reach max, you need: 2,000 souls, 10 Green Titanite Shards to +5, 7 Blue Titanite Chunks to +14 and 1 Blue Titanite Slab to +15

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Magic (x1)	84	91	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +1 (x1)	88	97	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +2 (x1)	95	103	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +3 (x2)	100	109	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +4 (x2)	106	115	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +5 (x3)	112	122	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +6 (x1)	117	128	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +7 (x1)	123	134	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +8 (x2)	128	140	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +9 (x3)	134	146	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22
Magic +10 (x1)	140	152	-	-	E	D	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	22

Enchanted Upgrades are performed by Rickert of Vinheim, found in New Londo Ruins.
Enchanted Upgrade +1 requires a regular +5 weapon. Enchanted +6 requires a Enchanted +5 and to hand in the Large Magic Ember
Enchanted Reinforcement increases the Intelligence bonus at the cost of base magic damage. The weapon can no longer be buffed with Magic Weapon. Scales 4% for Strength and 14% for Dexterity and 65% Intelligence to increase your AR.
To reach max, you need: 1,000 souls, 8 Blue Titanite Chunks to +4 and 1 Blue Titanite Slab to +5

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Enchanted (x1)	112	120	-	-	E	E	C	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26
Enchanted +1 (x1)	116	123	-	-	E	E	B	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26
Enchanted +2 (x1)	120	127	-	-	E	E	B	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26
Enchanted +3 (x2)	125	130	-	-	E	E	B	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26
Enchanted +4 (x3)	129	134	-	-	E	E	A	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26
Enchanted +5 (x1)	134	139	-	-	E	E	A	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26

Divine Upgrades are performed by Andre of Astora at the Undead Parish.
Divine Upgrades require a regular +5 weapon and to hand in the Divine Ember. Divine +6 upgrades require a Divine Weapon +5 and to hand in the Large Divine Ember.
Divine Reinforcement adds Magic Damage and Faith scaling. Scales 8% for Strength and 27% for Dexterity and 66% Faith to increase your AR.
To reach max, you need: 2,000 souls, 10 Green Titanite Shards, 7 White Titanite Chunks and 1 White Titanite Slab

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Divine (x1)	76	93	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +1 (x1)	81	99	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +2 (x1)	86	105	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +3 (x2)	91	111	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +4 (x2)	96	117	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +5 (x3)	102	124	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +6 (x1)	107	130	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +7 (x1)	112	136	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +8 (x2)	117	142	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +9 (x3)	122	148	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26
Divine +10 (x1)	127	155	-	-	E	D	-	C	110	-	45	10	30	30	26

Occult Upgrades are performed by Andre of Astora at the Undead Parish.
Occult Upgrades require a Divine+5 weapon and to hand in the Dark Ember.
Occult Reinforcement reduces the base damage but increases Faith scaling. Scales 8% for Strength and 25% for Dexterity and 77% Faith to increase your AR.
To reach max, you need: 1,000 souls, 7 White Titanite Chunks and 1 White Titanite Slab

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Occult (x1)	104	112	-	-	E	D	-	B	-	110	45	10	30	30	26
Occult +1 (x1)	110	117	-	-	E	D	-	B	-	110	45	10	30	30	26
Occult +2 (x1)	116	123	-	-	E	D	-	B	-	110	45	10	30	30	26
Occult +3 (x2)	122	128	-	-	E	D	-	B	-	110	45	10	30	30	26
Occult +4 (x3)	128	134	-	-	E	D	-	B	-	110	45	10	30	39.6	26
Occult +5 (x1)	135	140	-	-	E	D	-	B	-	110	45	10	30	42	26

Fire Upgrades are performed by Blacksmith Vamos in The Catacombs.
Fire Upgrades require a regular +5 weapon. Fire+6 requires a Fire+5 weapon and to hand in the Large Flame Ember.
Fire Reinforcement adds Fire Damage but removes all scaling bonuses from the weapon.
To reach max, you need: 2,000 souls, 10 Green Titanite Shards, 7 Red Titanite Chunks and 1 Red Titanite Slab

Attack Values				Parameter Bonus				Auxiliary		Damage Reduction (%)				Stability
Estoc
Fire (x1)	97	-	97	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26
Fire +1 (x1)	105	-	105	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30.3	30	26
Fire +2 (x1)	112	-	112	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30.6	30	26
Fire +3 (x2)	120	-	120	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30.9	30	26
Fire +4 (x2)	127	-	127	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	31.2	30	26
Fire +5 (x3)	135	-	135	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	31.5	30	26
Fire +6 (x1)	144	-	144	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	31.8	30	26
Fire +7 (x1)	153	-	153	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	32.1	30	26
Fire +8 (x2)	162	-	162	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	30	30	26
Fire +9 (x3)	171	-	171	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	32.7	30	26
Fire +10 (x1)	180	-	180	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	10	33	30	26

Chaos Upgrades are performed by Blacksmith Vamos in The Catacombs.
Chaos Upgrades require a Fire+5 weapon and to hand in the Chaos Flame Ember
Fire Reinforcement reduces Fire Damage but adds a bonus based on the Humanity you hold.
To reach max, you need: 1,000 souls, 7 Red Titanite Chunks and 1 Red Titanite Slab

16 Deadly Bladed Weapons in History

Men have been stabbing, cutting and slashing each other for thousands of years. In fact, it&rsquos believed that the first swords started to appear some 3,700 years ago. That is, as soon as man learned how to shape metal, he has been using that knowledge to kill. Over the centuries, swords became increasingly sophisticated &ndash and increasingly deadly.

Often, the design was adapted to counter advances in defenses, in particular the type of shield a soldier might carry on the field of battle or the style of armor he would wear. At some points in history, stabbing swords were in style. At other times, weapons better-suited to slash and cut were in fashion. And, of course, the style and design of swords was different the world over, even if their general purpose was the same &ndash to maim and kill as efficiently as possible.

So, from the sword that helped Rome conquer the known world to the Asian swords that were far more than simple tools or war, here we present 16 of the most important &ndash and most deadly &ndash handheld weapons of all time:

16. The Roman gladius was the gave us the word gladiator and was used to thrust and stab Rome&rsquos opponents to death for more than 800 years

According to the ancient historians Livy and Polybius, the gladius wasn&rsquot a Roman invention. Rather, the Roman Army decided to copy the swords used by the Celt mercenaries who fought for Hannibal.. Swordsmiths would fuse together stripes of low-carbon steel to produce the blade, with a channel down the middle to add to the strength. The grip was only big enough for one hand, and sometimes an ornate hilt or even an engraving was included. It&rsquos believed that the normal soldiers wore their gladii on one side, while their centurion wore it on the other to set him apart.

Though it could cut off an enemy&rsquos limbs if it was sharp enough, the Roman gladius was largely a thrusting weapon. At the start of a battle, Rome&rsquos soldiers would throw their pointed javelins at their enemies. Only then would they advance. Once close enough, they would swing their shields and then try and stab an opponent with their gladius. Due to a lack of battlefield medicine, a simple stab in the abdomen almost always proved to be fatal, though Rome&rsquos soldiers weren&rsquot above striking a low blow by swinging their gladii beneath their enemies&rsquo shields and taking out their knees.

History

As armour improved, so did the methods of attacking the armour. It was quickly realized that cutting weapons were losing their effectiveness, so crushing weapons such as maces and axes were utilized. Thrusting weapons that could split the rings of mail, or find the joints and crevices of plate armour, were also employed. Long tapered swords could also be used as a lance once the lance was splintered. Thus was the estoc developed. The French word estoc translates to thrust. [4] Tuck is the abbreviated Anglicized version of the word. Many consider the estoc a forerunner of the rapier, but more likely it is a merging of the espada ropera, a civilian sword, with the effective, and lighter estoc, that produced the rapier. [ citation needed ] The long, straight blade was very rigid and could be thrust with one hand, or the second hand could be used to deliver an even more powerful thrust.

While there is nothing to stop an estoc being one-handed, most were two-handed, being used half-sword or two hands on the grip.

Short Swords & Cutlasses

Short swords have seen usage throughout history, from the Legionnaires to Renaissance squires and pirates. In ancient armies, short swords and large shields were a standard armament of the soldiers who fought against the long sarissa pikes of phalanxes. Limitations of copper, bronze, and iron regulated blade length at first. Later, the swords developed across many cultures leading to different types and shapes. After steel had become a common metal used to make bladed weapons, short swords stayed in use as with the Roman gladius which was an effective stabbing weapon.

Museum Replicas offers a range of classic short swords. From the most famous of all short swords, the Roman Gladius, to the iconic Iberian Falcata, as well as cutlasses spanning the Renaissance to the American Civil War. These include pirate, English, Scottish, and Civil War naval cutlasses. High carbon steel has been used for most of the blades in the selection, making our short swords robust and able to maintain a good edge.

The Dark Souls Weapons: The Estoc. A look at the history, properties and design of the ingame weapons and their IRL counterparts!

So, here's the second edition of this series on the historical weapons in the souls games, this time talking about the interesting and good looking Estoc. If you're interested, here's the previous thread about the Bastard Sword.

What is an Estoc? The Estoc, or Tuck, Stocco and Panzerstecher, is a two-handed thrusting sword, from the XVI and XVII centuries. It features no cutting edge and minimal to none cutting capacity, and is often mistaken and misrepresented because of looking similar to some longsword, rapier and even smallsword designs.

Its straight blade is very narrow and pointy, but substantially thick and rigid, opposed to the rapier blades which are thinner and, while still a rigid blade, flexible enough in order to be resistant and avoid breakage and bending. The estoc, however, circumvented the weakness of rigid blades by being incredibly thick, making it very hard to break or bend, even with heavy use. This is a perfect feature for an anti-armour weapon, but comes with a price, and the estoc had to pay it by sacrificing the cutting capacity.

The estoc is a very long weapon, with blade lengths ranging from 1-1.1m and grips of

20cm. But it's not a particularly light weapon. It's usually the same weight of a big longsword (1.4-1.5kg, ex. 1 2). There are some historical examples of lighter estocs (1kg), but it's not considered the norm.

It was mostly used as a two handed weapon, as it's too bulky for wielding with one hand, but also as a half-sword, which turns the sword into a kind of short and precise spear, against plate-armoured opponents.

The estoc also seems to have been used by cavalry on battlefields. This differs from the rapier, which was not considered a battlefield weapon. Edit: to expand on this, I wrote a bit of info here, and /u/WalrusJones did so as well here.

Its narrow and sturdy design makes it a great, maybe even the best, anti-armour sword. It can be both used to thrust against the gaps of plate armour, and to penetrate mail and padded armour.

It's not a very wearable sword, i.e. it's cumbersome to carry around, and wasn't a common one either - overshadowed by the lighter, very popular and fashionable rapier and the practical and classic arming and long swords. While the swords from the period started to present complex and developed guards, the estoc maintained the simple cross design, straight guard of a longsword. The quillons would be curved or wavy at the tip, but that's pretty much it.

Regardless of its minimal use and popularity, the estoc is a very effective and deadly design. The very long and incredibly pointy blade, and lack of guard embellishments, sends a formidable impression of a rough, no-bullshit killing weapon.

There isn't much to say, really. It's historically accurate and looks pretty much spot on. It even has a diamond cross section, which is the most common blade design when it comes to estocs. However, there's a blatant issue with it: it has cutting attacks. Real estocs have no cutting edge and are awful and even unable to cut, so there's no point in swinging it around. This is specially weird considering how there are cut-and-thrust swords in game that can't cut/thrust, while this thrust-only sword is able to do both.

But other than that, the ingame Estoc is tanouttatan.

As a bonus, let's identify what is and what isn't an estoc, as it's something that causes a lot of confusion.

This is an estoc. This and this are not, but rather types of longsword common in Italy.

Hope you guys have enjoyed! I'll try to be faster with the next chapters, aiming at one per week.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The Estoc is found in the top floor of Olrox's Quarters. It is in the corridor-like room which connects the two main sections of the stage, and is in an orange pot on a ledge directly left of the room. It is a large two-handed sword, and instead of slashing, its attack is a forward thrust.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

The Estoc is more powerful than a Rapier, but is otherwise exactly the same in this game. It can be purchased from Hammer after you defeat the Headhunter. It can be obtained from a Dead Crusader, which has an incredible guard and can only be found in the Underground Reservoir.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

The Estoc is the most powerful non-whip Rapier in the game. It is otherwise the same as any other Rapier. It can only be found in the Condemned Tower in a room with a Skeleton Ape and Great Axe Armor in it. You can evolve it into a Whip Sword by adding a White Dragon soul (you could also evolve the slightly less powerful Small Sword in the same way).

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

This is the quickest, strongest, and most evolved fencing-style sword found in the game. Adding the rare Angel Halo to a Colichemarde (along with some other more common materials) will extend that sword's combo chain by one attack as well as add a special finishing move available after six attacks. In this move, Hector traces out a symbol in front of him with the blade (reminiscent of Soma's sealing spell found in the opening sequence of Dawn of Sorrow) and then shatters the symbol with the blade, releasing seven mystical attack beams.

The evolutionary chain of this weapon is Short Sword -> Foil -> Rapier -> Colichemarde -> Estoc. To create one from scratch, you will need the following materials:

The earliest you can create this weapon would be if an Amduscias to drop an Angel Halo (rare) in the Infinite Corridor. An Angel Halo can also be found in the boss chamber of the Mortvia Aqueduct once the water drains. The Angel Halo is also used to create the most advanced and fast two-handed sword, the Feather Sword (as well a Cross Helmet or Maximillian Armor), so deciding to create an Estoc may be difficult. The Estoc thankfully is not used in creating any other items.

Biography [ edit | edit source ]

Stationed on Kethmandi [ edit | edit source ]

Estoc aboard a 20-T Railcrawler conveyex transport moving prisoners.

At some point, Estoc was stationed on the planet Kethmandi. During her time there, she was transporting prisoners on a 20-T Railcrawler conveyex transport to a Imperial prison on Kethmandi. Two prisoners, Chewbacca and Lena Freemaker, tried to escape. Lena managed to escape but Chewbacca did not. Lena later made her way to the prison to find a way off the planet. ΐ]

When she was trying to escape, Lena ran right into Pace who was trying to hide from Graballa the Hutt because he owed a Delta-7B Aethersprite-class light interceptor to him. Then a stormtrooper and Dengar spotted the two. Lena and Pace took off on a speeder and later escaped them. The two eventually reached an Imperial transport which was heading to the planet Vandor. ΐ]

Tracking the fugitives [ edit | edit source ]

Estoc aboard her Y-45 armored transport hauler.

Pace and Lena landed on the planet Vandor. Later they entered a bar with several individuals one of them, Lando Calrissian, made a deal that included the capture of corusca gems from a corusca gem comet. During their discussion about this task, a male Narquois named Pru Sweevant, who worked for Graballa, reported Pace Lena to the Hutt. When Graballa found out that Estoc was searching for Lena, he contacted Estoc about the fugitive. Α]

When Pace, Lena, Calrissian and L3-37 reached the comet, they started to obtain the gems, but Graballa and Estoc arrived. They caught Calrissian's ship, the Millennium Falcon, into a tractor beam. Pace and Lena hid behind the comet with the chance to escape with the gems but stayed. They released the gems onto Graballa's ship and Estoc's Y-45 armored transport hauler, disabling both vessels and allowing Pace, Lena, Calrissian and L3-37 to escape. Α]

Tracking Leia and Luke [ edit | edit source ]

Estoc investigating the Freemaker Salvage and Repair shop.

After the Rebel Alliance leaders Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker fled aboard The Wheel, Estoc gave a hologram report warning the residents about the presence of the rebels. Estoc then led a squad of stormtroopers to search Freemaker Salvage and Repair in the Middle Ring for any signs of the rebel fugitives. Ώ]

Kordi and Zander Freemaker hid Princess Leia inside a trash box before Lieutenant Estoc and her troopers could enter the garage. Kordi and Zander claimed not to have seen the rebels but allowed the Imperials to search their business. When Estoc noticed the absence of the starship StarScavenger, Kordi claimed that the ship had departed on a salvage mission. In reality, Luke, Rowan Freemaker, and the battle droid R0-GR had taken the ship on an accidental trip. Kordi and Zander then tried to push out the trash box but Estoc followed and pointed out that they had missed the trash incinerator. Kordi denied hiding rebels inside the box but dumped Leia and the contents inside the trash incinerator to escape Estoc's inquisitiveness. Satisfied, Estoc and her troopers left while Kordi and Zander rescued Leia. Ώ]

Following a pursuit throughout the Wheel, Lieutenant Estoc and her stormtroopers cornered Kordi and Leia at a diner in the Middle Ring. While searching the diner, her troopers found Kordi hiding inside a pot. Unable to find Leia, Estoc ordered her troopers to send Kordi to a dreary prison planet. At that moment, Leia resurfaced from hiding inside an alien's hair and used a plate to knock out the stormtroopers. Leia kicked Estoc out of the diner and the Imperial officer was sucked up by a passing garbage truck. Ώ]

After reuniting with Zander, the Freemakers and Leia returned to the Freemaker Garage where they sent out the rebels' Y-wing into space. The starfighter was promptly destroyed by two Imperial TIE fighters. Shortly later, Estoc and her stormtroopers entered the Freemaker Garage to confront Kordi and Zander. When the siblings claimed that Leia had forced them to help at gunpoint, Estoc realised they were lying but left them alone because she believed that Luke and Leia were dead. Believing this would boost her career, she and the stormtroopers went to celebrate. In her absence, the Freemakers helped Leia and her brother Luke, who had just returned from an adventure to Felucia, to escape by selling them a Z-wing at a much reduced price. Ώ]

Attack of the Arrowhead [ edit | edit source ]

After the Freemakers attacked Imperial forces on Kashyyyk, Commander Estoc was assigned with picking up the surviving AT-AT commander and his men. Estoc then traveled with the AT-AT commander aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Desolator to an Imperial repair facility near Alzoc III, which was orbited by several Star Destroyers. Estoc complained that the Imperial bureaucracy had overbooked the repair yards. Β]

Shortly later, a squadron of X-wing starfighters known as Blue Squadron exited hyperspace. Believing that the fighters did not pose a threat, Estoc ordered the Imperials to switch off the proximity alarms. Before Imperial forces could shoot down the fighters, the Freemakers' starship Arrowhead exited hyperspace. The AT-AT commander panicked, recognizing the ship that had devastated his forces on Kashyyyk. Β]

Zander used the Arrowhead ' s embersteel blade to slice off the bridge of a Star Destroyer before devastating the docked Star Destroyers. The AT-AT commander tried to convince Estoc to retreat but she ordered the Star Destroyers to open fire. The Arrowhead sliced through a second Star Destroyer before flying through several more warships, causing them to explode. Β]

Seeking to curry the Empire's favor, Estoc tried to trap the Arrowhead with her Star Destroyer's tractor beam projector. However, Zander got Blue Squadron's leader Lieutenant Valeria to disable the projector, allowing the Arrowhead to slice the Desolator in half. While the AT-AT commander confirmed that the Arrowhead was indeed the ship his men had encountered, Estoc frowned in humiliation. Β]

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