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[Zzoram]

Wait until you see how much damage Crystal Homing Soul Mass does with 50 INT. It's CRAZY how powerful sorcery is in these games. The thing I hate most about Dark Souls is the weapon scaling. There are all these ridiculously cool melee weapons that SHOULD scale with your STR and be as comparable to the kind of damage you can do as a mage, but it doesn't work like that. Hopefully the patch fixes this like they said they were going to do.

My Crystal Homing Soul Mass does like 1140 damage if they all hit lol. Crystal Soul Spear does around 950 damage.

 

[Phat Michael]

btw crystal ringshield +1 with the magic halberd +10 equipped does around 1200 damage in one shot...its fukn deadly.

 

[Baloonatic]

ok i just took out centipede demon and firesage. i have the chaos covenant +2 shortcut available. before i go into lost izalith...there is an area above me with a lot of staircases leading up with one of those tablets you step on with a switch...do i need to go up there first or should i go straight to lost izalith?

It just take you back to the Chaos Covenant NPC.

 

[Zzoram]

Just a general tip here, because most people don't understand how backstab work RIGHT in Dark Souls:

Your left analog stick MUST be in neutral position for backstabs to work. The way you do this is get behind an enemy, let go of the analog stick and then execute the backstab. As soon as you are still moving in a direction with left analoge stick the backstab won't come out.

Thanks for the tip, didn't know that, I thought my shield just had to be down.

 

[Grampasso]

Not really if you upgrade your weapon.

I guess it really depends on weapon then. +3 dagger does like 20 dmg from behind

 

[Zzoram]

btw crystal ringshield +1 with the magic halberd +10 equipped does around 1200 damage in one shot...its fukn deadly.

That's a glitch, Crystal Ring Shield currently does damage based on a multiplier the weapon you have equipped, but it's not supposed to, at least not with such a high multiplier.

 

[Zzoram]

I guess it really depends on weapon then. +3 dagger does like 20 dmg from behind

A backstab with the Bandit's Knife +0 should do like 160+ damage.

 

[Kalnos]

Getting killed by sorcery just feels lame. Pyromancy is much better.

 

[Quikies83]

I finally beat Ornstein and Smough... I tried so hard to kill Smough first but taking out Ornstein's second was proving too difficult -- or I just got fed up with trying. Either way, glad to be done with these chaps and I got my lordvessel.
Should i tackle Sif or the 4 Kings now? I also have yet to travel to the Pinwheel area..
What do you guys think?

 

[Zzoram]

Getting killed by sorcery just feels lame. Pyromancy is much better.

Sorcerers actually have to invest levels into INT to do damage, Pyromancy can do 900 damage even if you're SL1.

Pyromancy is way lamer, it's unbalanced IMO because it lets people do insane damage regardless of how low level they choose to be.

 

[Sullichin]

I finally beat Ornstein and Smough... I tried so hard to kill Smough first but taking out Ornstein's second was proving too difficult -- or I just got fed up with trying. Either way, glad to be done with these chaps and I got my lordvessel.
Should i tackle Sif or the 4 Kings now? I also have yet to travel to the Pinwheel area..
What do you guys think?

I found Sif really, really easy after S&O. haven't done 4 kings. Also thought Pinwheel was very easy but that area isn't very fun.

 

[scosher]

Just a general tip here, because most people don't understand how backstabs work RIGHT in Dark Souls:

Your left analog stick MUST be in neutral position for backstabs to work. The way you do this is get behind an enemy, let go of the analog stick and then execute the backstab. As soon as you are still moving in a direction with left analoge stick the backstab won't come out.

I think this is the right of it. When I go for a backstab, I drop my shield and pause for like a quarter of a second once I get behind them. This was after noticing that my backstab success rate increased like tenfold when I gave that little extra pause once getting behind them. You don't even have to be dead center on their back for it to work.

 

[Grampasso]

A backstab with the Bandit's Knife +0 should do like 160+ damage.

Backstab the gargoyle? How is that even possible?

 

[Dresden]

Backstab the gargoyle? How is that even possible?

Can't backstab them, but I'm pretty sure the gargoyles bleed. Bandit's knife + gold pine resin will wreck them anyways.

 

[Zzoram]

I finally beat Ornstein and Smough... I tried so hard to kill Smough first but taking out Ornstein's second was proving too difficult -- or I just got fed up with trying. Either way, glad to be done with these chaps and I got my lordvessel.
Should i tackle Sif or the 4 Kings now? I also have yet to travel to the Pinwheel area..
What do you guys think?

You NEED to beat Sif before you can fight the 4 Kings since you need the ring Sif drops to even get to the 4 Kings.

 

[Kalnos]

Sorcerers actually have to invest levels into INT to do damage, Pyromancy can do 900 damage even if you're SL1.

Pyromancy is way lamer, it's unbalanced IMO because it lets people do insane damage regardless of how low level they choose to be.

While true, at least you have to aim it and get reasonably close. Much easier to punish.

 

[Yuterald]

Sorcerers actually have to invest levels into INT to do damage, Pyromancy can do 900 damage even if you're SL1.

Pyromancy is way lamer, it's unbalanced IMO because it lets people do insane damage regardless of how low level they choose to be.

Yeah, Pyromancy is just as ridiculous too! It doesn't work off of any stat! It's just a crazy magic source on its own! Also, I believe the sorcery boosting ring works with Pyromancy spells too, so enjoy the crazy damage!

 

[Zzoram]

Backstab the gargoyle? How is that even possible?

Oh the Gargoyles, ya you can't backstab them.

Bandit's Knife does bleed damage though, and like the guy posted, using Golden Pine Resin to give it 30 seconds of Lightning damage will be enough to kill the boss like it's a regular Hollow.

 

[mattp]

I finally beat the god damn four kings. Threw my hands in the air in triumph...and got killed by one of them.

Spoiler

THE OTHER ONES DON'T FUCKING DISAPPEAR WHEN THE MAIN HEALTH BAR EMPTIES?!?! DAMMIT

 

[Quikies83]

I found Sif really, really easy after S&O. haven't done 4 kings. Also thought Pinwheel was very easy but that area isn't very fun.

Right on. I think I'll head to the forest and take on Sif.
Also, In Anor Londo early on, while climbing the church beams and taking out the knife throwers, I remember cutting a chandelier down in the middle and it fell to the bottom.. How do I get down there to collect the item that fell with the chandelier? What is the item??

 

[Zzoram]

While true, at least you have to aim it and get reasonably close. Much easier to punish.

A skilled melee player can dodge every since Sorcery attack without a problem. The Sorcerer will run out of charges, but the melee player won't run out of durability just by dodging. The melee player wins if he can dodge properly for a few minutes.

 

[scy]

I finally beat Ornstein and Smough... I tried so hard to kill Smough first but taking out Ornstein's second was proving too difficult -- or I just got fed up with trying. Either way, glad to be done with these chaps and I got my lordvessel.
Should i tackle Sif or the 4 Kings now? I also have yet to travel to the Pinwheel area..
What do you guys think?

Well, you can't fight the 4 Kings without the ring from Sif so ... Sif first?

Pyromancy is way lamer, it's unbalanced IMO because it lets people do insane damage regardless of how low level they choose to be.

Pyromancy is only a bitch with the lag, honestly; the spells in general are easier to dodge and cast much slower, but the issue with laggy PvP makes it an annoyance. I've eaten a lot of unseen Firestorms or walked over invisible lava trails :/

 

[Zzoram]

Right on. I think I'll head to the forest and take on Sif.
Also, In Anor Londo early on, while climbing the church beams and taking out the knife throwers, I remember cutting a chandelier down in the middle and it fell to the bottom.. How do I get down there to collect the item that fell with the chandelier? What is the item??

It's a spell of some kind, you get there eventually by rotating the rotating bridge, it's the room with the Painted World.

 

[sixghost]

I finally beat the god damn four kings. Threw my hands in the air in triumph...and got killed by one of them.

Spoiler

THE OTHER ONES DON'T FUCKING DISAPPEAR WHEN THE MAIN HEALTH BAR EMPTIES?!?! DAMMIT

That's exactly what is supposed to happen. You probably had 1-2 more hits to finish the fight.

Thanks for the tip, didn't know that, I thought my shield just had to be down.

I'm fairly sure that's not correct. In fact, I felt it helped to hold the left stick towards the enemy.

 

[Quikies83]

It's a spell of some kind, you get there eventually by rotating the rotating bridge, it's the room with the Painted World.

Oh ok great -- didn't think to rotate the platform again after beating S&O. I should probably check out the Painted World as well --- is it worth it??

 

[scy]

Right on. I think I'll head to the forest and take on Sif.
Also, In Anor Londo early on, while climbing the church beams and taking out the knife throwers, I remember cutting a chandelier down in the middle and it fell to the bottom.. How do I get down there to collect the item that fell with the chandelier? What is the item??

Greater Magic Weapon, if I recall; it's just accessed via going down the stairs on the rotating dais when it is in the middle position (i.e., connects the Cathedral leading to the boss to the elevator shaft leading to the entrance). The Black Iron set is also down there in that room, for the record.

 

[Zzoram]

Oh ok great -- didn't think to rotate the platform again after beating S&O. I should probably check out the Painted World as well --- is it worth it??

Yes, the Painted World is a pretty cool level, there are some items and spells in there you need for trophies including the boss tail. Oh, and beating the boss is a trophy too.

Just beware, once you go in, you can't go out until you pass the boss. You'll want to kindle the bonfire in there.

 

[toastyToast]

Wow Ash Lake :O

Do I need to join the dragon's covenant to warp back here?

 

[scy]

Wow Ash Lake :O

Do I need to join the dragon's covenant to warp back here?

Just make sure you use the bonfire in front of it.

If you can't warp yet and you're planning to Homeward out, I'd just come back later when you can warp. Climbing out of the Hollow is less fun than falling through it.

 

[Riposte]

Lost Izalith's dinosaur pit sucks because the best strategy involves having them kill each other, slowly and tediously. But other than that? I loved the Duke's Archives and the walkways in the crystal cave. I loved Anor Londo, especially the archer section. I loved the

Spoiler

drained ruins

. Overall, I don't see all the complaints directed to all of the areas after Sen's Fortress.

My biggest problem with the game is that I felt overpowered, even though I was coming right out of struggling with the Anor Londo boss fight.

 

[Phat Michael]

OMG lost izalith is TERRIBLE. even with the shortcut all you are doing is running around in an orange haze..constantly healing trying to work out where to go being stomped by massive dinosaurs. how is this supposed to be good level design? it doesnt make sense! now i know why everyone is bitching about it.

 

[Zzoram]

OMG lost izalith is TERRIBLE. even with the shortcut all you are doing is running around in an orange haze..constantly healing trying to work out where to go being stomped by massive dinosaurs. how is this supposed to be good level design? it doesnt make sense! now i know why everyone is bitching about it.

The short cut lets you avoid all of the lava and dinosaurs. You don't have to go there at all, there is no loot worth getting in that area.

 

[Grampasso]

Oh the Gargoyles, ya you can't backstab them.

Bandit's Knife does bleed damage though, and like the guy posted, using Golden Pine Resin to give it 30 seconds of Lightning damage will be enough to kill the boss like it's a regular Hollow.

Then I must suck at it because it takes me much longer than 30 seconds, but I guess it also depends on how much the first gargoyle expose himself. It's the second one the problem btw, I just can't handle 2 of them at the same time

 

[glaurung]

Thinking of starting a mage character. What starting class should I use and what stats should I boost for the first 40 soul levels?

 

[Zzoram]

Then I must suck at it because it takes me much longer than 30 seconds, but I guess it also depends on how much the first gargoyle expose himself. It's the second one the problem btw, I just can't handle 2 of them at the same time

The Golden Pine Resin should let you kill the first one before the second one has a chance to do anything.

 

[x3r0123]

The short cut lets you avoid all of the lava and dinosaurs. You don't have to go there at all, there is no loot worth getting in that area.

i think he meant the elevator shortcut

 

[Zzoram]

Thinking of starting a mage character. What starting class should I use and what stats should I boost for the first 40 soul levels?

Pyro or Sorcerer are good starts, boost only INT until it's 30+ if you're going a true mage route, then put some points in ATtunement until you get to 23

 

[Rektash]

I'm fairly sure that's not correct. In fact, I felt it helped to hold the left stick towards the enemy.

Well it works for me, and helped me do backstabs on a pretty much 95% basis. Before I just randomly hit some.

Test it out for yourself and be in awe at how many backstabs you land.

 

[kodt]

Then I must suck at it because it takes me much longer than 30 seconds, but I guess it also depends on how much the first gargoyle expose himself. It's the second one the problem btw, I just can't handle 2 of them at the same time

Are you summoning Solaire and Laurtec to help?

If you have talked to Solaire he should be available to summon right before the white fog. If you freed Laurtec and talked to him back at Firelink shrine he is available on the landing just below where you go to fight the Gargoyles.

With both of them it becomes much easier. If you need humanity to turn human you can try farming the rats underneath the dragon bridge.

 

[glaurung]

Pyro or Sorcerer are good starts, boost only INT until it's 30+ if you're going a true mage route, then put some points in ATtunement until you get to 23

Thanks, running a slow-ass sorcerer sounds like a good distraction.

 

[140.85]

OMG lost izalith is TERRIBLE. even with the shortcut all you are doing is running around in an orange haze..constantly healing trying to work out where to go being stomped by massive dinosaurs. how is this supposed to be good level design? it doesnt make sense! now i know why everyone is bitching about it.

Meh, I liked it.

 

[sixghost]

Well it works for me, and helped me do backstabs on a pretty much 95% basis. Before I just randomly hit some.

Test it out for yourself and be in awe at how many backstabs you land.

I played through the whole game as a thief, so I tested it out for about 60 hours. The stick doesn't need to be neutral to backstab.

 

[Zzoram]

Wow the ending really is disappointing. No cutscene for the final boss, killed him with 3 hits of Crystal Homing Soul Mass without getting hurt.

 

[Rektash]

I played through the whole game as a thief, so I tested it out for about 60 hours. The stick doesn't need to be neutral to backstab.

I played through the game three times with a 135h melee character too, and I found this helps a great deal to pretty much perfect backstabs. I made my Plat with this character. Test it for yourself and see how well it works.

 

[Dresden]

Wow the ending really is disappointing. No cutscene for the final boss, killed him with 3 hits of Crystal Homing Soul Mass without getting hurt.

Sounds like every boss for mages.

 

[Sullichin]

OMG lost izalith is TERRIBLE. even with the shortcut all you are doing is running around in an orange haze..constantly healing trying to work out where to go being stomped by massive dinosaurs. how is this supposed to be good level design? it doesnt make sense! now i know why everyone is bitching about it.

with the charred ring, lava doesn't do much damage at all. once you know where you're going, you don't really need to spend too much time in the lava. it was annoying though, to spawn, equip the ring, unequip and then equip havels ring once i was out of the lava, only to die and spawn with havels ring and have to change my getup just to walk across the lava for 4 seconds.. every time. Also I didn't bother killing like half of the dinos.

finding new londo, tomb of giants, and crystal caves to be more annoying.

 

[Zzoram]

Sounds like every boss for mages.

Sad but true lol.

I'm going to use this character to get all the trophies, then start a melee character and keep it low level for a challenge.

 

[Augemitbutter]

Sounds like every boss for mages.

 

[Defuser]

I finally beat the god damn four kings. Threw my hands in the air in triumph...and got killed by one of them.

Spoiler

THE OTHER ONES DON'T FUCKING DISAPPEAR WHEN THE MAIN HEALTH BAR EMPTIES?!?! DAMMIT

Actually if you look closer,there's more than 4 kings.

 

[johntown]

Kill Gwenyvre and Gwindolin and stand in Anor Londo in human form.

Lol