Thanks, I'll look into that.
Edit: Yep, Silver Knight Spear+5 is doing mince meat with the skeletons so far (1-2 R1's or 1 R2). I like the swing about R2 attack too.
LTTP: Dark Souls (PS3)
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Edit: Yep, Silver Knight Spear+5 is doing mince meat with the skeletons so far (1-2 R1's or 1 R2). I like the swing about R2 attack too.
Joei
Member
Holy crap, I just started using Eagle Shield in Anor for it's lightning resistance and my f'n god, this shield is great. For it's low weight, it takes hits like champ. It's only 95% absorb, but who cares when nearly anything that hits you doesn't make you move. I wish I had started using this when I got it, it's unbelievable.
I just entered Ash Lake. It's barren, yet vibrantly colored with hazy blues and greens, creating a distinctly beautiful atmosphere with the pure white sand and almost endless blackened lake . The gargantuan green tree trunks in the distance towering up to overhead clouds makes me wonder if all of Lordran is on a canopy where earth seemed to have collected on the leaves.
I killed the lonely Hydra down here. I have no idea how it got so huge unless it's vegetarian and ate the mushroom people, or just chews on the giant violent clams that chase me.
The Ash Lake is truly it's own world.
I killed the lonely Hydra down here. I have no idea how it got so huge unless it's vegetarian and ate the mushroom people, or just chews on the giant violent clams that chase me.
The Ash Lake is truly it's own world.
arglebargle
Member
before some recent patch the eagle shield was 100% physical reduction. considering its weight and stability, i think it was overpowered before the patch, and only slightly less so now. once i got it on my first playthrough (which was pre-patch) i used it almost exclusively. if you can get a silver knight to drop a shield those are pretty great also.
Joei
Member
I got one of those as well and tried using it, but when one of the knights hits me, it kind of startles me. I can't just immediately attack afterwards like with the Eagle. The Silver Knight shield has good stability, but I can't imagine using it instead.
One of the interesting points in a game like this is since I made the switch, there's a 3 point difference in weight, which causes me to pretty much switch everything else. I kept the same weapon, so then I had to switch out my other armor, which sucks cause the armor I was wearing, I had upgraded short of using chunks. It's not painful to upgrade the new armor, but takes time.
Shin Kojima
Banned
I never used the eagle shield simply because I thought it didn't look cool. I'd rather leave a pretty corpse.
The reason why the Silver Knight Shield is considered better, is because you can parry. You cannot parry with the Eagle Shield. Killing the last boss, killing the knight enemies, PVP are a lot easier when you can parry.
As far as esthetics go, that's my favorite map in the game. Incredibly beautiful, open and peaceful. A huge contrasts with the oppressive nature of the game.
Joei
Member
Ah that makes sense. I'm not that good at parrying and I'm not focusing on the PvP right now, but I see what you mean. I guess for my play style and the situation I'm in now, Eagle is right for me, but I can see why I would switch it out in a different situation.
TheJollyCorner
Member
is the 5% physical damage reduction (95%) on the Grass Crest Shield worth the faster stamina recovery?
I've bulked my standard Crest Shield up a couple levels due to its 100% physical reduction, but that stamina recovery of the Grass Crest seems tempting.
I've bulked my standard Crest Shield up a couple levels due to its 100% physical reduction, but that stamina recovery of the Grass Crest seems tempting.
arglebargle
Member
i did not know this. useful information for the next time i play through the game.
i tend to think those decisions are situational. i usually have a shield for most normal use and then a couple for specific enemy types. the crest shield is one of the best (it may actually be the best) against magic. dragon crest shield and black knight shield are good against fire. eagle and silver knight are good against hard hitting enemies because of their stability.
grass crest is great for bosses where you can basically tank. for example on 4k i usually load up on def and poise, two hand something that can do a lot of damage and go to town. going to town becomes easier if you have faster stamina recovery. there are other times when the stamina recovery is helpful, that is just one example.
TheJollyCorner
Member
thanks, argle.
So last night I pulled up my boot-straps and decided to explore New Londo. Stocked up on plenty of Transient Curses, but man, with that serpent ring on I got tons of drops of the curses. I probably have like 40 of those things.
Anyway, all that fear was for nothing. I moved slowly, always had my shield up, and worked through the ghosts with no problems. I explored everything I could, but could not get past the locked door to the large mechanism. So yeah, I cheated and looked online for what I was missing. Apparently I need to come back after tackling Anor Londo... or I could just kill the dude in red on the roof of that building.
...
So now with key in hand, I drain all the water and have a whole new section to explore. Reading that the place has no bonfires, I was extra careful. Those Darkwraiths (or whatever they are) were pushovers, but those big blob things that spit out the exploding skulls were kind of a pain.
I see multiple 'white light' areas. Assuming that the larger entry was to the Four Kings, I avoided it, assuming the smaller one was just a transition light.
Nope.
Fortunately some kind soul reminded me to equip the abyss ring before taking a leap of faith. I figured I wasn't ready for the Four Kings, but to hell with it... I decided to feel them out and see just how bad the fight would be.
You know what?
I did pretty well, I think. I got to the third king, but only had 6 flasks left. I was wailing on him, he probably only needed about two more heavy swings, but then he gets me in a grab attack, then follows up with a slice that killed my stamina. I go to drink a flash, but the fourth king had shown up and swipes me from behind- fight over.
Oh well. For a test run I don't feel it went too bad. I understand you can summon Beatrice somewhere around there if human, so I might try going back with her assistance and seeing if I can finish the job.
So last night I pulled up my boot-straps and decided to explore New Londo. Stocked up on plenty of Transient Curses, but man, with that serpent ring on I got tons of drops of the curses. I probably have like 40 of those things.
Anyway, all that fear was for nothing. I moved slowly, always had my shield up, and worked through the ghosts with no problems. I explored everything I could, but could not get past the locked door to the large mechanism. So yeah, I cheated and looked online for what I was missing. Apparently I need to come back after tackling Anor Londo... or I could just kill the dude in red on the roof of that building.
...
So now with key in hand, I drain all the water and have a whole new section to explore. Reading that the place has no bonfires, I was extra careful. Those Darkwraiths (or whatever they are) were pushovers, but those big blob things that spit out the exploding skulls were kind of a pain.
I see multiple 'white light' areas. Assuming that the larger entry was to the Four Kings, I avoided it, assuming the smaller one was just a transition light.
Nope.
Fortunately some kind soul reminded me to equip the abyss ring before taking a leap of faith. I figured I wasn't ready for the Four Kings, but to hell with it... I decided to feel them out and see just how bad the fight would be.
You know what?
I did pretty well, I think. I got to the third king, but only had 6 flasks left. I was wailing on him, he probably only needed about two more heavy swings, but then he gets me in a grab attack, then follows up with a slice that killed my stamina. I go to drink a flash, but the fourth king had shown up and swipes me from behind- fight over.
Oh well. For a test run I don't feel it went too bad. I understand you can summon Beatrice somewhere around there if human, so I might try going back with her assistance and seeing if I can finish the job.
You can summon Beatrice only if you have already summoned her for the Moonlight Butterfly fight.
Do yourself a favor and equip your best magic defense armor for 4 Kings. On NG+, they were torching me, but once I switched to a magic defense setup, I beat them in one try. Something with reach, like a Halberd, comes in handy during this fight too, considering that it is difficult to judge how far away from them you are.
fierrotlepou
Member
That's the only thing in Dark Souls that I can complain about. That anyone should complain about, really. Game of the generation.
But if I play on PC then I can't increase my trophies.
Shin Kojima
Banned
I don't get the complaints about the Anor Londo archers. There's several spots you can poison them from using arrows and on repeated playthroughs you could have gotten one of the great bows to just shoot them off their ledges.
TheJollyCorner
Member
Yeah- I was having a hell of a time with that, which is why I was basically attaching myself to them.
That was definitely detrimental once the grab attack came into play.
The_Hitcher89
Member
I feel like most paths are blocked to me unless I run past the minibosses at the moment 
I'm in Undead Beg and have
Is it normal to avoid these things and come back to them when stronger?
I'm in Undead Beg and have
A massive knight blocking one area
A heavily armoured dwarf thing that kills me in one hit blocking another
A boss on a roof that absolutely battered me when I tried
A massive one armed thing that fires lightning at me, that I can run past
A heavily armoured dwarf thing that kills me in one hit blocking another
A boss on a roof that absolutely battered me when I tried
A massive one armed thing that fires lightning at me, that I can run past
Is it normal to avoid these things and come back to them when stronger?
TheJollyCorner
Member
I feel like most paths are blocked to me unless I run past the minibosses at the moment
Is it normal to avoid these things and come back to them when stronger?
Yeah. If you aren't ready for these they will eat your lunch.
I'm guessing:
A massive knight blocking one area - Is this the Black Knight with the big sword that you meet if you go down a set of stairs?
A heavily armoured dwarf thing that kills me in one hit blocking another- Havel? Does he have a big club that kind of looks like a massive turkey gizzard?
A boss on a roof that absolutely battered me when I tried - Gargoyle?
A massive one armed thing that fires lightning at me, that I can run past- The demon with the tail & trident thing just outside of the blacksmith
There's no shame in reversing hollowing, finding a summon sign, and taking some back-up with you to these fights. Hell, I had to for most of them.
Build yourself up, though, and most of these you'll be able to take out with little problems.
The_Hitcher89
Member
Yeah, they sound about right. I think I might be able to take the Black Knight since I took out the one in the church
(are minor spoilers allowed in this thread btw? Wanted to be sure
)TheJollyCorner
Member
Yeah, they sound about right. I think I might be able to take the Black Knight since I took out the one in the church
(are minor spoilers allowed in this thread btw? Wanted to be sure
Yeah, you are fine, but you can always tag if you don't want to take any chances.
My advice for each:
-Black Knight: lure him out to an open space. Trying to fight him in narrow space is suicide at an early level. Keep your guard up and constantly be moving around him. He will keep pace with you most of the time, but he'll eventually try striking, opening himself up for backstabs. If you haven't gotten backstabs down (assuming you aren't a sorcerer class), practice a lot against the dipshit undead that are all over the Undead Burg. Unless you are comfortable with it, I wouldn't even attempt trying to parry him. If you mess up you will be punished dearly for it against him.
-Havel: same philosophy, but fight him where you find him. His club is devastating, but he's slow and opens himself up a lot to the backstab. It will take some time, but with patience you can get him. The good thing with Havel is that he's right by the Taurus boss (Havel is down the staircase, Taurus is up). If you get some summon help, you can generally take them with you to fight Havel (as he's not considered a boss and the summoned will not disappear), then go right up for the real boss fight.
-Gargoyle: don't even mess around. Reverse hollowing by the blacksmith, go outside of the church, and summon a phantom. Unless you are fairly powerful, you will get 3/4 through the Gargoyle's health when (just in case you want to go in fresh)
a second one comes.
-Headless Demon: if you are coming from the blacksmith side, dodge-roll his bolts, run past him, and get to the stairs. If you can keep the demon at the top of the stairs you can get a slight advantage when we whips his trident around, as you will be on a lower level. Learn his patterns, go in for a few hacks, move away, but not too far or he'll blast lightning at you. Two-hand your best weapon (if you haven't gotten the Drake Sword already I highly recommend looking it up. Even if you can't one-hand wield it, it's two-hand heavy hit is really powerful) and chip away.
Hope some of this helps. The key to all of them is just patience, keeping your guard up, and constant movement.
I H8 Memes
Member
Advice from a guy who's never been ashamed to resort to turtling or cheesing his way to victory!
-Black Knight: Did you buy the short bow from the merchant? Clear the area completely including the 3 guys that throw firebombs at you. Aggro the black night then run back to that ladder that leads up to the 3 guys who throw firebombs. Black Knights cant climb ladders. As the aggro wears off and he starts walking back to his normal position shoot him in the back with an arrow. It will take awhile but thus is guaranteed to be successful.
Alternatively make your way from the bonfire to the Black Knight killing everyone except the firebomb throwers since they wont matter in this instance. Aggro the Black Knight then run back to the bonfire and fight him there. That way if you die during the fight you wont lose any souls. This way in exchange for a short run back to your bonfire you are still farming souls for leveling up even if you die to him
-Havel: This one is much easier and it seems like the way you are supposed to fight him. Clear the archers off of the roof, then move forward enough to make him appear. Run back and climb to the roof then jump (or maybe you need to just fall off) and attack him on the way down. An attack like this does massive damage and has a custom animation so you know you did it right. Now move back towards the tower that he came from to draw him away from the tower you attack him from. Then keep yourself alive until you can get past him and back to the tower. Climb up the tower and repeat the falling attack. Takes 3 or 4 attacks of this type to kill him IIRC
How did you get past the dragon on the bridge?
-Black Knight: Did you buy the short bow from the merchant? Clear the area completely including the 3 guys that throw firebombs at you. Aggro the black night then run back to that ladder that leads up to the 3 guys who throw firebombs. Black Knights cant climb ladders. As the aggro wears off and he starts walking back to his normal position shoot him in the back with an arrow. It will take awhile but thus is guaranteed to be successful.
Alternatively make your way from the bonfire to the Black Knight killing everyone except the firebomb throwers since they wont matter in this instance. Aggro the Black Knight then run back to the bonfire and fight him there. That way if you die during the fight you wont lose any souls. This way in exchange for a short run back to your bonfire you are still farming souls for leveling up even if you die to him
-Havel: This one is much easier and it seems like the way you are supposed to fight him. Clear the archers off of the roof, then move forward enough to make him appear. Run back and climb to the roof then jump (or maybe you need to just fall off) and attack him on the way down. An attack like this does massive damage and has a custom animation so you know you did it right. Now move back towards the tower that he came from to draw him away from the tower you attack him from. Then keep yourself alive until you can get past him and back to the tower. Climb up the tower and repeat the falling attack. Takes 3 or 4 attacks of this type to kill him IIRC
How did you get past the dragon on the bridge?
The_Hitcher89
Member
Cheers guys, I killed the Black Knight and got the Ring he was protecting. Can you jump across the gap into the passage in the wall behind the stairs you go down to meet him?
With haste
With haste
TheJollyCorner
Member
Huh? That's me.
After I found his gear and kicked his ass for his ring.
Me, I tell you.
I H8 Memes
Member
Cheers guys, I killed the Black Knight and got the Ring he was protecting. Can you jump across the gap into the passage in the wall behind the stairs you go down to meet him?
With haste
Well the dragon is even easier to kill. Spoilers in case you would rather not try the easy way.
Using the shortcut from the burg bonfire to the bridge, run from the top of the stairs to the wall on the other side of the stairway railing. The little wall area where you will be facing him. Stay to the right as he will breath fire but it wont hit you here. It will kill all the enemies on the bridge though. Wait for him to move (he will after 15 to 20 seconds) then run back down the stairs and wait until you hear the sound of him flying back up to his perch.
Here is where it gets real easy. Go about 90% of the way back up the stairs and shoot him in the head with an arrow. This will cause him to fly down to the area of the bridge you are at. You can run out and 2 handed swing a sword into his head and run back down the stairs to safety before he does anything. Then wait again for the sound of him flying back to his perch and repeat.
I did this with the Drake sword and it only takes about 15 hits to the head to kill him. Even on my first attempt I didnt take any damage
Here is where it gets real easy. Go about 90% of the way back up the stairs and shoot him in the head with an arrow. This will cause him to fly down to the area of the bridge you are at. You can run out and 2 handed swing a sword into his head and run back down the stairs to safety before he does anything. Then wait again for the sound of him flying back to his perch and repeat.
I did this with the Drake sword and it only takes about 15 hits to the head to kill him. Even on my first attempt I didnt take any damage
My mistake. I actually havent run into him yet.
arglebargle
Member
I feel like most paths are blocked to me unless I run past the minibosses at the moment
I'm in Undead Beg and have
A massive knight blocking one area
A heavily armoured dwarf thing that kills me in one hit blocking another
A boss on a roof that absolutely battered me when I tried
A massive one armed thing that fires lightning at me, that I can run past
Is it normal to avoid these things and come back to them when stronger?
i wouldnt fight havel right now. i would go after the boss on the roof. what is your build? what weapon are you using? i started as a pyromancer and had a lot of trouble with him my first time through until i got the halberd and then it wasnt so bad.
The_Hitcher89
Member
Common Knight I think its called, only got a Broadsword +1, haven't had a chance to learn magic yet even though I have the catalyst thing. I freed the Sorcerer guy and he said he'd go to Firelink Shrine, is that the place the crow takes you?
Might explore the woods place to see if I can get some decent equipment
MaximumFlipFlop
Banned
So question for everyone, Demons Souls or Dark Souls first?
Since Dark Souls comes with several improvements, I would say Demon's Souls first. (You won't miss what you don't know)
arglebargle
Member
firelink is the place the crow takes you. id say if you can upgrade the broadsword a bit more you should be fine against the gargoyles. you can also summon right outside the boss door if you are human there.
The_Hitcher89
Member
Is it unrealistic to go through it first time solo?
Also, I'm becoming pretty adept with the basic spear, but haven't upgraded it yet
Yeah I regretted not having any good projectile based weapons when I first entered.
TheJollyCorner
Member
Loved using the Wing Spear for a long time. Keep your eyes open.
Never unrealistic to try solo the first time.
It will give you a good idea of the boss' move-set/patterns. Expect to die. It will be easier on your pride.
This is one of those games were dying can actually be really beneficial if you are paying close attention. It's also a lot more fulfilling soloing a boss and defeating it, but there are times when you die for the 20th time and finally say "screw it" and summon a phantom. No shame.
I H8 Memes
Member
I've gone through the whole game solo. Now there is no real way to cheese the gargoyles, but there is a better method than what you've probably been doing.
Stay close to the doorway you cam in through for the fight against the first one. Use firebombs on him when safe. His tail can be chopped off which should make it safer for you.
Now here's where it gets tricky. When his health drops to 50% the other gargoyle will join the fight. The strategy that worked for me was to get in close and to either the left or right of the second gargoyle so his flames wont hit you, and take him out first, then move back to fighting the first gargoyle.
They are relatively easy to hurt, the problem with them is keeping yourself safe. But once you get that fire breathing gargoyle out of the way then the fight is pretty much a sure win. Just keep yourself safe and heal whenever you can safely do it.
Now here's where it gets tricky. When his health drops to 50% the other gargoyle will join the fight. The strategy that worked for me was to get in close and to either the left or right of the second gargoyle so his flames wont hit you, and take him out first, then move back to fighting the first gargoyle.
They are relatively easy to hurt, the problem with them is keeping yourself safe. But once you get that fire breathing gargoyle out of the way then the fight is pretty much a sure win. Just keep yourself safe and heal whenever you can safely do it.
I just put my shield up and made those lightning throwing snakes pay when i got closer.
So far blighttown has been the only really painful experience and mostly because of falling from platforms and the stupid swamp after.
Now having got the lord vessel I'm not sure where I want to go next.
TheJollyCorner
Member
You beat Orstein and Smough (sp?) already?
I haven't even tried yet and I'm dreading it. :[
How did you do/How many tries?
The_Hitcher89
Member
I've only tried him once. He smashed the fuck out of me within about a minute, in which time I sprinted about looking for areas of weakness, like an attack which leaves a window of vulnerability, or a slow turning circle. Ended up getting backed into a corner and battered into a pulp
Think I'll take a go at that one-armed thing near the blacksmith since he's the first bad guy after the bonfire, and he's pretty slow and has a slow ranged attack
Yes beat them already, took out Smough first then Orstein I would say about 5-6 tries.
I was trying to go in with heavy armor and boss them around but that failed miserably.
So I went with the best weight to lightening resistance ratio i had and just played hide and poke around the columns.
arglebargle
Member
the first time i played through the game was almost a completely solo experience. in subsequent playthroughs i have messed around more with coop and PvP. i played most of demons with a spear, and much of my first playthrough of dark with the halberd. thrusting weapons can be really good.
first time i played through O&S were probably 6-8 tries. taking them on solo is just a matter of patience and judicious use of pillars.
for some reason sif was the boss that gave me the most trouble. i think because the moveset on the halberd isnt good against him. when i just played through with a STR build i absolutely destroyed him.
I had an easy time with Blight Town once I figured out the easy way to kill the big dudes on the platforms.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
SiegfriedFM
Member
For fucks sake, can people stop recommending the Drake Sword? It's a total crutch and you'll be royally screwed if you take it into Depths/Blighttown/Sen's without a quick escape. It's good for getting yourself to the Undead Parish cathedral the first time around (i e 2 minutes once you know the place) and that's about it.
Get a weapon you feel good about in terms of speed, range and moveset. Get a few titanite shards. Offer your summon stone to help someone kill the gargoyles to get a couple of thousand souls. Buy more shards. Improve whatever weapon to +5. Congrats, you now have a better weapon that you can actually keep and upgrade the entire game AND which scales with your stats.
Besides, Drake Sword isn't even the most overpowered weapon at that specific point. Kill off the 2H sword Black Knight in the tower and hope for his rare drop - THAT weapon is overpowered and actually useful to the end.
Get a weapon you feel good about in terms of speed, range and moveset. Get a few titanite shards. Offer your summon stone to help someone kill the gargoyles to get a couple of thousand souls. Buy more shards. Improve whatever weapon to +5. Congrats, you now have a better weapon that you can actually keep and upgrade the entire game AND which scales with your stats.
Besides, Drake Sword isn't even the most overpowered weapon at that specific point. Kill off the 2H sword Black Knight in the tower and hope for his rare drop - THAT weapon is overpowered and actually useful to the end.
Shin Kojima
Banned
You'll ruin the game for yourself if you get too much help on your first play IMO.
I recommend doing a solo run first before you enjoy the co-op. You'll also be a bigger help to people who summon you if you know how to defeat a boss by yourself.
The_Hitcher89
Member
What is this Drake Sword? Don't answer if its a spoiler, and don't tell me where it is
Does it inflict Bleeding or something?
Does it inflict Bleeding or something?
Shin Kojima
Banned
What is this Drake Sword? Don't answer if its a spoiler, and don't tell me where it is
Does it inflict Bleeding or something?
It's just a strong sword you can get really early on. No bleeding. It's ugly as sin btw.
What is this Drake Sword? Don't answer if its a spoiler, and don't tell me where it is
Does it inflict Bleeding or something?
Not a spoiler really, you chop off tails of some of the Dragons/Gargoyles you get a unique weapon.
I H8 Memes
Member
I have a Balders side sword +5 that still doesnt do as much damage as the drake. Close but not as much. Of course the Balders has a far better move set and lighter weight.
Some people dont get good drops. In my case the best weapons I had at that point were a longsword, a shortsword, and a short bow. It's a very handy weapon for people that got unlucky with their drops. Especially the stingy black knight that didnt give me anything. Nor did the second one.
Now a question. Should I go through The Depths first or Darkroot Garden?
Some people dont get good drops. In my case the best weapons I had at that point were a longsword, a shortsword, and a short bow. It's a very handy weapon for people that got unlucky with their drops. Especially the stingy black knight that didnt give me anything. Nor did the second one.
Now a question. Should I go through The Depths first or Darkroot Garden?