Trying Out A Ruin's Greatsword Guard Counter Build On Malenia (NG+2)

I like this weapon and I want to make a build that doesn't focus on guard countering! This was an incredibly fun but impractical idea to test out. Colossals have high stability/guard boost that's comparable to medium shields while also giving these slow weapons a means to counterattack rather than being a purely reactive weapon class. I tried a bunch and the two I liked the most were the Ruin's Greatsword and the Beastman's Cleaver.

Ruin's has 61 guard boost while also having access to a bunch of utility in the charged R2 and skill. The Cleaver has 62 guard boost at +25 standard while having fast swings in comparison to other large weapons. I ultimately chose Ruin's because I didn't need to keep reapplying Cragblade and it has S scaling in STR and utility. Make no mistake, a standard infusion Cleaver still hits hard without Cragblade and the skill was mainly there to boost stance damage. The greatest flaw with the Cleaver was the lack of range.

In terms of the build synergy, I stacked high defense armour and used Opaline Hardtear to boost negation so that the chip damage from guarding is minimal and can be healed from a riposte with the Crimson Dagger talisman. Extra stamina and stamina regen are there to provide a safety net so that I have a bit of extra stamina for a dodge or two after attacking.