If you find the Flame Badge, here is an insane build for you.
Molten Dagger is OP enough in early game. Get a Stone Armor or other Stone series for defence to keep you save. Hammer is strong and usually available. Falcon Blade is a stronger choice than Hammer.
With the Knuckles, the game is just easy. You even have sufficient DPS w/ Molten Dagger only. You can go for like a Bloody Dagger for DPS topup. Hoever, do not go for other any stamina draining weapon. Since DPS is sufficient, it is advised to invest on defencing items.
This set is much easier to reach than Eggscalibur.