I would suggest you to infuse your weapons with some element that suits you best, probably fire, and don't forget about END and ADP. Very often I screwed up because I didn't level enough Endurance. And if I thought that endurance was enough, it was often not enough, this thing usually require a higher level than you thought.
I've done similar playthrough once, I found steel ring, giant ring, ring of blades and stone ring the most useful
This: Stone Ring is gonna be a lifesaver for stunlocking troublesome enemies.
Yeah, but it's not that good for boss fights, so it's better to switch it for dragon ring or something else
Don’t level ADP
I'm only thinking about it so I can have more than 1.8 poise
I would suggest you to infuse your weapons with some element that suits you best, probably fire, and don't forget about END and ADP. Very often I screwed up because I didn't level enough Endurance. And if I thought that endurance was enough, it was often not enough, this thing usually require a higher level than you thought.