u/notime4dessert

As much as I love this weapon, I have to admit that it’s really just okay lol. It does have its strengths. But it seems like no matter the task at hand, there’s another weapon that can perform it better.  

PROS: 

• Weapon Skill (surprise, surprise...): The combo chain (L2>R1) makes light of some encounters. That includes NPCs and most enemies in the game, as they stagger very easily. It’s nice to be able to turn your brain off while doing pretty spins and twirls. The more staminerr, the better. The AOE (L2>R2) is nothing to sneeze at either. The damage is pretty good and it seems like the most reliable way to proc frost with this weapon. 
• Range: Not specific to this weapon but deserves a mention anyway. While the Great Corvian Scythe is the longest scythe, this one still allows to dish damage at a respectable distance.

  

CONS: 

• Poor DPS: Scythes in general are on the slower side. Adding to that, FGS has a unique and even slower two-handed moveset. I personally never played with it one handed because the lack of range was very noticeable.   
• Non-buffable: Wasn’t there a game that allowed you to buff boss weapons? Molar of the dustbin or something... Can’t remember. But yeah. No way to exploit boss weaknesses. 
• Building around it: The weapon scales mainly with dexterity and intelligence. Technically, it also scales (albeit, pretty poorly) with both strength and faith. Dexterity improves physical damage on the regular moveset, intelligence improves magic damage on the weapon skill. Having to invest in two stats rather than one is always a hindrance.

  

On the bosses side: 

As I said previously, FGS does okay against most of the boss roster. Though it did exceptionally well against the Abyss Watchers and Big Mama herself. Oceiros, the Consumed King and Nameless King’s first phase gave me the most trouble. This might’ve been a skill issue on my part, but it really felt like the scythe made these fights harder. 

So overall playing with this weapon really is a labor of love. Is it suboptimal? Yes. But does cosplaying as an evil ice nun more than make up for it? Indeed! FGS is loads of fun. It’s flashy and stylish. But it also rewards proper spacing and your ability to find openings. I definitely recommend trying this weapon!