for a backstab, you basically walk up bhind quietly, press and HOLD R1 and you'll get it, when fighting, you want to riposte. to riposte, use L2 at the right time to DEFLECT the attack with your shield then quickly tap R1 and you'll get a huge damage bonus and a slowdown attack animation. for regular enemies, once you master riposte you can fly thru levels, I used to run naked thru worlds in For Dark Souls on the Xbox 360, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "Can you backstab with 2H weapons?". Two handed would put my greatclub at 40 strength. I always deal over 1000 damage on backstabs no matter armor and on havels mom usually around 1200-1300. Normally i would have just looked at my damages but the hud was off. haarlem1982 6 years ago #6. I stand corrected about the 400 defense thing. Well, you're kinda right but it will make folks mix up playstyles. I mean, if someone has a shield on back, you will need to come up with a different strat than looking for a backstab. It will add some variety to PvE too, provided they add more backstabbing enemies. For Dark Souls on the PlayStation 3, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "Ultra Greatsword Backstab Question". For Dark Souls on the PlayStation 3, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "Ring of Anti-Backstab?". A good place to practice backstabs is on the Black Knights in Anor Londo. Lock on, circle their weapon side, and attempt to backstab. Once you practice on these guys, you'll notice the window for a backstab isn't really to be directly behind them, but kind of behind their shoulder. #2. Playbook. If you would like a complete play-by-play that will beat Gwyn, here is yet another strategy, however this one is in full detail.If the player has a weapon that can do ~150 damage on him per swipe, and a Greatshield with more than 80 stability that is at the right strength requirement such that the shield is drawn quickly, then the player is prepared. Fiuhl.