Recently found out that you can riposte these guys after staggering them with 2-handed Ultra-greatsword r2s and running r1s , it's kinda finicky to pull off consistently though as there is no major indication of when you're supposed to press R1 to riposte them

Somehow infinitely stronger and tankier than the giant green Sentinel knights that are twice the size of them.

I find them to be super easy to parry. The main attack they do is the starting overhead swing which is easy to parry. Gotta do the parry as soon as the attack starts. After that you can farm them pretty damn easily for their drops early game. Two parry's with a starting dagger will kill them.

The spear/lance one has some weird moves.

He does not drop 3000 souls, at least not the Heide's Tower of Flame one.

SotFS here, they are not in Forest of Fallen Giants and The Lost Bastille.

After using a Bonfire Acetic on the Upper Gutter bonfire on a new game cycle, bringing intensity to level 2, and after killing the Heide knight in the gutter, it only dropped the Heide Iron Mask.
Did not drop a second lance or great lance. Was wearing Jester hat, tatters, and covetous +2.
What even drops the Great Lance in SOFTS?

God tier fashion