Dark Souls

[Jowy]

thaaaaaaaaaanks

you're the best :aimsun:

[Roogle]

It is done. What is your level?

[Pete for President]

I always found the Iron Golem to be one of the easiest bosses of the game, if not the easiest. I don't think I've ever died against him.

There are video's on YouTube where people let Iron Tarkus (the NPC summon for this fight) beat the Iron Golem by himself. It's pretty epic!

Tarkus vs Iron Golem - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xixf0t97jWk)



these archers in anor londo are a whole other smurfing story though

jesus christ

Oho! The dreaded bridge! I recommend using a large weapon like a great club to knock that guy out of your way.

The Force miracle works well for this part, if you have the 12 faith that's required to cast it. Great shields work wonders too, the knight will bounce himself off the ledge while all you do is block. Parry + riposte is a little harder to pull off but can make things easy for lightweight characters.


Things have been pretty smooth. Love the Old Monk, fought a few players but after a few tries I beat the AI version. The Dragon God was extremely disappointing, such lameness. Definitely doesn't live up to his epic looks. And who the hell put those conveniently placed spearguns out there anyway? Doesn't make much sense to me. 1-3 is my favourite level so far, loved every bit of it. Gave 1-4 a shot but got fried by a dragon.

4-2 has been the hardest level so far. It's pretty long too. Really liked the boss fight. 4-3 was pretty epic too, but really easy. Hated 5-1, it's the first and only time so far I looked up a guide when I reached the boss fog. I just didn't want to go through that tithole of a level again. Met Mildred in 5-2, got my ass kicked. Beat her on the second try, found the moonlight sword, beat the boss. Loved 5-3, such drama, but epic!

So I think 1-4 might be the only level left. There's creepy music playing in the Nexus now...

[Jowy]

SL40, dabrowskitron on live.

jolly co-operation!

[Roogle]

Okay. I am Orogo. I will need you to send me a text message when you are available to play.

[Pete for President]

King Allant is pretty hard.

[Slothy]

King Allant is pretty hard.

I think that's where I left off the last time I played Demon's Souls actually. I should go back and try that again because having it hanging over my head that I haven't beaten Demon's Souls bothers me. Once we're finished with the Let's Play FFX I plan to get back to Dark Souls as well.

[Jowy]

I enjoyed jolly co-operation with you, Jamil. Next time I promise I won't die an embarrassing death to a sentinel.

[Roogle]

No problem. I'll see if I can find you a stronger weapon. It looked like you were fighting with a toothpick.

[Jowy]

balder side sword is awesome!

[Roogle]

Oh, is that what it was? It needs to be upgraded, then. You were only doing like 60 damage a swipe!

[Jowy]

I have it up to +9! I'm sure once I can slap some sort of elemental attunement on it this won't be an issue. I've been upgrading it every time I can get titanites to drop.

[Jowy]

killed smough, died to super-ornstein

killed ornstein, died to super-smough

i am going to master this fight tonight...best boss fight yet so far

[Pete for President]

Ornstein & Smough are epic indeed. So proud when I beat them first try on NG+ (Ornstein last) with just a little help from Solaire.

Started a new Dark Souls speed run. Last time I set the bar at 5:57. Let's see if I can beat that.


Beat Taurus Demon
Unfortunately didn't get the Drake Sword. I rocked a Claymore+1 all the way up to Quelaag, doing tit damage.
Beat Gargoyles
Killed Knight Lautrec, got Ring of Favor & Protection
Retrieved Dragon Crest Shield
Beat Quelaag (with the help of a summon)
Beat Ceaseless Discharge
Invested a ton in Pyromancy
Cleared Sen's Fortress
Cleared the notorious Anor Londo archers.

Deaths:
Gangraped at the Burg after failing to dodge the rolling barrel
Gangraped at the Parish Tower Knight after running for the Firekeeper's Soul
OHKO by the zombie dragon
Fell to death at the Anor Londo painting guardians

Mistakes:
Didn't get the Lightning Spear.

So I had some minor setbacks but nothing too time-consuming. Hoping to clear Anor Londo around 1:45-1:50 and move on to Sif at 2:00.

[Roogle]

killed smough, died to super-ornstein

killed ornstein, died to super-smough

i am going to master this fight tonight...best boss fight yet so far

Do you need help with this fight? I wreck them with my Sorceries.

[Jowy]

i'm not gonna call for a bailout for another two days

my pride is on the line

[Pete for President]

i'm not gonna call for a bailout for another two days

my pride is on the line

That's the spirit!


Continuing where I left off last time:
Ran through Anor Londo, picked up Havel's Set and unlocked shortcut.
Beat Ornstein & Smough by myself (I summoned Solaire but he never made it through the fog gate). This fight was tense, I ran out of pyromancy and had to take down 2/3 of Hyper Smough's health with a Claymore +5. With 16 strength and 10 dex. Took ages, but I eventually succeeded. On first try too!
Placed Lordvessel.
Killed Andre and beat Sif.
Warped to Firelink, used the Catacombs shortcut and beat Pinwheel.
Carefully ran through the Tomb of Giants and beat Nito.
Cleared the Demon Ruins & Lost Izalith. Beat all the bosses without dying, which is a pretty big deal for me because the Bed of Chaos always managed to kick my butt down a hole up until now. I feared the Centipede Demon for being invulnerable to pyromancy, but again I managed with the Claymore +5. Such badassery as I say so myself :greenie:

Deaths:
Fell to death at the Catacombs shortcut.
Fell to death once in the Tomb of Giants.

Other mistakes:
None :)

Things are looking smooth. Should I manage New Londo and the Duke's Archives both within 30 minutes each I'm well on a schedule for the 4 hour target.

[Pete for President]

YouTube keeps recommending me video's of the Dark Souls PTD Edition. MUST HAVE IT, can't wait for the DLC to hit consoles. Apparently there's an arena where you can duel either 1vs1, 2vs2 or Free For All. PvP is going to suck up my life more than it does already.

[Jowy]

Yeah, from everything i've read the new bosses make O&S look like lowly goombas. Haven't played in a few days...they die this week. Every phantom I've summoned for help is trying to smack the fat one with the lightning spear and I just die a little on the inside.

[Pete for President]

Yeah, from everything i've read the new bosses make O&S look like lowly goombas. Haven't played in a few days...they die this week. Every phantom I've summoned for help is trying to smack the fat one with the lightning spear and I just die a little on the inside.

Once you've finished the game once or twice you will be able to take them down in true hero's fashion. I have faith! Patience is the trick to most bosses. Dodge well, and only attack when you're sure you have an opening. Solaire (the NPC summon, sign located on the stairs with the Silver Knight archer in the main hall right before the boss fight) can sometimes be a better help than summoned players. Gotta love Solaire! And he loves you too. Unconditionally. Aww!

[Jowy]

Solaire is my best friend. Got the Silver Knight Straight Sword! It's pretty boss but I probably shouldn't burn all my twinkling titanite on upgrading it to +5.

[Goldenboko]

Solaire is my best friend. Got the Silver Knight Straight Sword! It's pretty boss but I probably shouldn't burn all my twinkling titanite on upgrading it to +5.


I shared this image with so many of my friends hahaha.

[Pete for President]

That pic is awesome : ) I'm trying to convince my friends of the glory that is Dark Souls but they all turn out to be sissies.

[Jowy]

Super Smores dies tomorrow. This entire thread is a no girls allowed zone.

[Quindiana Jones]

I need to stop coming to this thread. I miss this game so much. :(

[I Don't Need A Name]

I beat super Ornstein this week, finally! Only needed to use the Estus Flask once too. Dark Wood Grain Ring, Full Silver Knight Armour, Havel's Ring and Pyromancy/Queelag's Furysword annihilated them! Used Soltaire as a distraction.

Moved onto Pinwheel aaaannddd...that guy is a joke. Took less than 20 seconds to beat that boss.

[Pete for President]

I need to stop coming to this thread. I miss this game so much. :(

That's a good sign, good sir.


Had a good time Forest Hunting with my strength build. The Demon Great Machete is pretty bad-ass and combined with Power Within it obliterates anything, doing 800-1000 damage in a single hit. Best thing yet, once I unlock the Kiln with this fellow again (he's on NG+) I can buy a ton of those Machete's and make them Crystal for even more damage. Timing can be an issue though, as I get backstabbed fairly easily.

For dueling in the Burg I usually switch to a Demon's Great Axe, as it's one-handed R2 combo is sick. People usually don't expect the follow up swing, sending them flying. It's a great feeling smacking your opponent 6 feet high.

Been getting better at parries too. It's about time, because I already sunk about 300 hours in this game.

[TrollHunter]

My PC can't run Dark Souls, and I no longer have my 360... Dark souls hasn't been played by me since like... god I don't even remember the last time I was rocking in PVP
I still remember my setup though.... kind of
Balder Swag Sword
Marukama (The 2-handed curved blade)
(No shield? NO OF COURSE NOT!)
Some kind of light armor for the torso...
Some kind of medium armor for the legs/gloves
Some kind of light hood
RoFaP, and something else... I know I stopped using the dark wood ring after a while...

BUT, regardless, I remember getting compliments for my fighting even in my first duel. I actually had mass winning streaks, and I hosted in the forest a lot to give the invaders a break from the 3v1 matches.

I also miss my Artorias sword character, I even kicked bum with her in PvP, though not nearly as much.
She was a blast in PvE though, and very well rounded. I was nearing the end of the game with her too :(

[Quindiana Jones]

I was in the process of running a sorcerer build, myself. Although, it was my first playthrough, so I was conforming pretty hard to some newbie standards haha. Elite Knight Armour, Claymore - to be upgraded to Lightning, and Grass Crest Shield. I kept other weapons on standby for different things*, but I can't remember examples. Strength and Dexterity were 16, and Endurance, Vitality and Intelligence were in the 20s. I was raising the latter three at the same rate. I love Sorceries and Pyromancies. Haven't used any Miracles yet, so I think my next playthrough will be a Priest style character.

*This is actually something about Dark Souls that stood out for me. In most RPGs, I don't carry around a selection of specialised weapons. I carry one general-use weapon and a ranged weapon. In Dark Souls, however, I quickly came to appreciate the benefits of specialisation. :D

Th, why in God's name do you no longer have your 360? :mad2:

[Pete for President]

I still remember my setup though.... kind of
Balder Swag Sword
Marukama (The 2-handed curved blade)
(No shield? NO OF COURSE NOT!)
Some kind of light armor for the torso...
Some kind of medium armor for the legs/gloves
Some kind of light hood
RoFaP, and something else... I know I stopped using the dark wood ring after a while...


I wonder what your Poise rating was. It's one of the most important stats in PvP to prevent getting stunned and combo'd to death. I have a light Dex build too, also without the Dark Wood Ring. With the Wolf ring, Havel's Gauntlets and Iron Leggings (no chest piece and Crown of Dusk as headgear) I still get 77 poise - enough not to get stunned even by a 2-handed R1 hit from a Zweihander.

I'm dubious about the Balder Side Sword in PvP. If you're up against a 0 poise character you can easily combo due to it's quickness, but the damage output while poking is just too low for my tastes and poking is not really my style either. Combo-ing is asking to get parried against experienced players. For the light Dex build I use the Great Scythe - pretty good damage and a really useful moveset when 2-handing. It's sort of like a hit and run playstyle as the moveset covers a lot of ground. On the other hand, missing can be deadly as it'll leave you open for backstabs.

Spear-users give me the hardest time in PvP. With range and the ability to attack while shielding makes it a really lame fighting style. Being aggressive just doesn't work on them. Maybe I need to equip a bow or poison throwing knives to trick them out of their defenses. Ornstein's Spear also has a ridiculously wide hitbox and should be nerfed imo.

I find a fast Dex build better for dueling, while a Str build works wonders for forest hunting.

[Pete for President]

Finished my second speedrun. Total time: 3 hours, 19 minutes. You jelly, sunbro? :greenie:



3724137242



That means I shaved off 2 hours and 40 minutes of the 6 hour bar I put up on my first speedrun. 3:19, I am PROUD. :D

More analysis later!

[Jowy]

holy crap

give yourself a pat on the back, sir.

[Pete for President]

holy crap

give yourself a pat on the back, sir.

Thank you sir, I will : )

[I Don't Need A Name]

Well done sir! Finally finished my first run through of the game, some 70 Hours later :') Kinda pales in comparison to your speed run Pete! I was over levelled but got maximum enjoyment out of it :jess:

[TrollHunter]

Th, why in God's name do you no longer have your 360? :mad2:

My brother moved out of the house and took it with him. It was his, I had no say! D:

But good lord, that time... PROPS, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PROPS.

OnTheTopicOfPvP: Greatsword of artorias build or Dex, my favorite for PvP. The GSoA is NOT by any means viable, but by lord is it fun to use~ Balder Swag Sword is easily the best sword for PvP, anyone who disagrees has not seen the light.

[Pete for President]

Thank you, thank you all! Although I must give my props to the player 'Twilight', he completes the game in 1:26 (and this is even 1.03 patch!) and I learned a lot from watching his run on YouTube.


Well done sir! Finally finished my first run through of the game, some 70 Hours later :') Kinda pales in comparison to your speed run Pete! I was over levelled but got maximum enjoyment out of it :jess:

Congrats on completing the game : ) My first playthrough also had about 65 hours on the clock and I loved every minute of it! Are you gonna go for NG+ or start a new game maybe?

EDIT: Anyone interested in a sparring session to improve parrying in PvP? I'm talking dueling with un-upgraded weapons to get the timing down for different weapon types. I'm on PS3, holla if you're with me!

[I Don't Need A Name]

Thanks :) I'm going for NG+ just to see how much more difficult they make it. Just got to Lower Undead Burg with no problems at all. Killed the Asylum Demon in the first battle, the Hellkite Dragon and the Gargoyles (along with obtaining their Tail Axe). I forsee things starting to get trickier though (FU Capra Demon)

UPDATE: Capra Demon annihilated first time. Suppose having a decent shield and lots of fire serves a good purpose
Gaping Dragon + Dragon King Greataxe also finished
AANNNDDDD Stray Demon has fallen too. So really, my prediction of trickiness has fallen flat on its face

[Pete for President]

Nice progress! Press on thou chosen one!

EDIT: This just in, the Artorias of the Abyss DLC is coming to consoles October 23rd for the US and October 24th in Europe, Australia and Asia. I'M SO HYPED FOR THIS.

EDIT#2: It shall go down in history as the first DLC I actually buy.

[Quindiana Jones]

My birthday is the 26th. Hey guys, guess what I'm buying? :D

[Goldenboko]

Fuck. I just said today I couldn't spend anymore money for a long while.

[I Don't Need A Name]

I believe we also get the Prepare to Die content as well, don't we? The only problem with that is the nerfing of the Dark Wood Grain Ring.

[Goldenboko]

I believe we also get the Prepare to Die content as well, don't we? The only problem with that is the nerfing of the Dark Wood Grain Ring.
...no. no.

​NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Pete for President]

The only problem with that is the nerfing of the Dark Wood Grain Ring.

OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN HEARD. Are you guys kidding me? This was needed soooo bad. Take my word, this is a real real good thing.

A fatty wearing full Havel's/Giant's armor and still flipping about like a ninja was the most ridiculous thing in the game. Soon, no more!

PvP can only get better in this: less roll-backstabbing (which also indirectly nerfs the Hornet Ring) and a lot less poise-stacking 2000+HP Havels and Giants. I have high hopes for this development!

And for PvE it finally pays off to go for a <25% build!

[Goldenboko]

I don't give a rat's ass about PvP. I needed them Havels and flips for 'dem bosses.

[Pete for President]

I don't give a rat's ass about PvP. I needed them Havels and flips for 'dem bosses.

No you don't! The ring is and always has been overpowered and takes away a lot of the challenge!

EDIT: What I meant to say (in a much less mean way) is that I have faith you can dodge just as good with a <25% or <50% equipped character. The ring is a mental thing.

[Jowy]

i love walking around in full havels and fatrolling in circles

i could watch it all day

[TrollHunter]

I believe we also get the Prepare to Die content as well, don't we? The only problem with that is the nerfing of the Dark Wood Grain Ring.

YESSSSSSSSSSS
OH MY GOODNESS THERE IS A GOD!
As a PvP'er who never used the dwgr after it made pvp too easy for me, I can safely say I am LOVING this patch, even if I don't play dark souls anymore.
Now the Light Weight roll will hopefully serve a purpose! (Seeing as it has my favorite animation and distance, I'm so excited)

[I Don't Need A Name]

Not gonna lie, running around in Havel's whilst flipping is quite fun, I'm gonna miss that ring. However, when that DLC comes out I'll be starting a new game from fresh, so I'll learn to live without! Might try tanking. Also, bare in mind, they haven't made a statement saying that they'll patch the ring, I'm just presuming so as the PC version has it nerfed.

Game update: Quelaag provided the first challenge, what with me being a fan of fire. A few hard luck attempts of being staggered into lava left me sore, but she's bit the dust now. Now to destroy the ever hilarious Ceaseless Discharge!
And Sif is down. Next up: Sen's Funhouse

[Pete for President]

YESSSSSSSSSSS
OH MY GOODNESS THERE IS A GOD!
As a PvP'er who never used the dwgr after it made pvp too easy for me, I can safely say I am LOVING this patch, even if I don't play dark souls anymore.
Now the Light Weight roll will hopefully serve a purpose! (Seeing as it has my favorite animation and distance, I'm so excited)

I would love to test your skills in a duel. Do you think you'll return to Dark Souls at some point, maybe on PS3 even?


Also, bare in mind, they haven't made a statement saying that they'll patch the ring, I'm just presuming so as the PC version has it nerfed.

Game update: Quelaag provided the first challenge, what with me being a fan of fire. A few hard luck attempts of being staggered into lava left me sore, but she's bit the dust now. Now to destroy the ever hilarious Ceaseless Discharge!
And Sif is down. Next up: Sen's Funhouse

I share your assumptions. It would be crazy to let the game be different on PC, so I'm pretty confident!

And sir, I admire your progress. Show this game who's boss!

[Jowy]

queelag's furysword is kinda meh...should probably twinkle it up to do some real damage, yeah?

[Pete for President]

Having 10 humanity active increases the damage too.

[I Don't Need A Name]

I still use Quelaag's regularly when the Rapier isn't strong enough!

Just defeated Priscilla, so it'll be Pinky and Perky next. That'll be the fun test :bigsmile:

[Pete for President]

I still use Quelaag's regularly when the Rapier isn't strong enough!

Just defeated Priscilla, so it'll be Pinky and Perky next. That'll be the fun test :bigsmile:

I dare you to even my challenge; succeed on first try with Solaire as only summon, and we're talking NG+ :kakapo: So no player summons, no deaths, go! :D

[I Don't Need A Name]

It's game on then! I'll let you know how I get on with that one. Somehow, I don't feel optimistic :bigsmile:

[Pete for President]

It's game on then! I'll let you know how I get on with that one. Somehow, I don't feel optimistic :bigsmile:

It shall be a test of all thou has learned!

[TrollHunter]

YESSSSSSSSSSS
OH MY GOODNESS THERE IS A GOD!
As a PvP'er who never used the dwgr after it made pvp too easy for me, I can safely say I am LOVING this patch, even if I don't play dark souls anymore.
Now the Light Weight roll will hopefully serve a purpose! (Seeing as it has my favorite animation and distance, I'm so excited)

I would love to test your skills in a duel. Do you think you'll return to Dark Souls at some point, maybe on PS3 even?


I would love to, but I don't have any newer game consoles anymore bar my PC which can't play Dark Souls with its specs.
Maybe if I eventually get a ps3? I would love to duel, but it certainly isn't viable anymore, at least for now. D:

[I Don't Need A Name]

It's game on then! I'll let you know how I get on with that one. Somehow, I don't feel optimistic :bigsmile:

It shall be a test of all thou has learned!

And consider it a test completed. My hands are shaking like a leaf from nerves when I got 3/4 of the way through the fight. But 1st time with Solaire summoned and they both fell! (Albeit, I killed Slim first, seeing as I killed him last in the original play)

Update: Went for a wander down the Great Hollow too to kill the Hydra. Seath is the only other boss I'm worried about now, so bring the rest of it on!

[Jowy]

i'm screwing around on my SL15 sorcerer because why not

! BLOOD LOSS !

that :skull::skull::skull::skull: is brutal. and trying to solo capra demon kinda sucks a lot with those smurfing dogs. i was very privileged that a sunbro steamrolled that entire fight for me

[Pete for President]

It's game on then! I'll let you know how I get on with that one. Somehow, I don't feel optimistic :bigsmile:

It shall be a test of all thou has learned!

And consider it a test completed. My hands are shaking like a leaf from nerves when I got 3/4 of the way through the fight. But 1st time with Solaire summoned and they both fell! (Albeit, I killed Slim first, seeing as I killed him last in the original play)


Congratulations : ) The shaking hands thing, I know that feeling! You sir, are on a roll.




YESSSSSSSSSSS
OH MY GOODNESS THERE IS A GOD!
As a PvP'er who never used the dwgr after it made pvp too easy for me, I can safely say I am LOVING this patch, even if I don't play dark souls anymore.
Now the Light Weight roll will hopefully serve a purpose! (Seeing as it has my favorite animation and distance, I'm so excited)

I would love to test your skills in a duel. Do you think you'll return to Dark Souls at some point, maybe on PS3 even?


I would love to, but I don't have any newer game consoles anymore bar my PC which can't play Dark Souls with its specs.
Maybe if I eventually get a ps3? I would love to duel, but it certainly isn't viable anymore, at least for now. D:

D: Let me know when it happens. I'm sure the DLC will spark some sense of urgency into you!

Edit: I think I may have overplayed a bit... I felt a rage coming up after a losing streak filled with roll BS-ing, backstab fishing, ninja-flipping hornet ring users. And I never, ever raged behind a video game in my life. But the worst thing was I landed a parry on a full giant's armor wearing troll, but didn't get the riposte in. So sad : ( I think I'll go back to Deus Ex or FFX until the DLC comes out.

[I Don't Need A Name]

Pinwheel and Four Kings have fallen. Four Kings were much harder than I expected. That was the closest battle I've fought so far. Had to resort to Humanity as a healing item

[Pete for President]

Pinwheel and Four Kings have fallen. Four Kings were much harder than I expected. That was the closest battle I've fought so far. Had to resort to Humanity as a healing item

I've been hearing that a lot, Four Kings NG+ seems to be the hardest boss to beat. Personally I had no issues, but I used a 50 strength build, Demon's Great Axe set on fire with Charcoal Resin and buffed with Power Within. Offense is everything in that fight!

Btw, who am I kidding? I can't put this game away! I was just starting to take dueling a bit too serious. Now I'm trolling as a Darkwraith in the Demon Ruins, while looking super badass with the Golem Helmet and Golem Leggings equipped. No chestpiece. Chestpieces are for sissies.

[I Don't Need A Name]

Pinwheel and Four Kings have fallen. Four Kings were much harder than I expected. That was the closest battle I've fought so far. Had to resort to Humanity as a healing item

I've been hearing that a lot, Four Kings NG+ seems to be the hardest boss to beat. Personally I had no issues, but I used a 50 strength build, Demon's Great Axe set on fire with Charcoal Resin and buffed with Power Within. Offense is everything in that fight!

Btw, who am I kidding? I can't put this game away! I was just starting to take dueling a bit too serious. Now I'm trolling as a Darkwraith in the Demon Ruins, while looking super badass with the Golem Helmet and Golem Leggings equipped. No chestpiece. Chestpieces are for sissies.

I started out with no real build at all, but then switched to a Dexterity build, so the raw power wasn't there and the pros of dodging skills are completely lost when you don't know which attack of theirs will hit or not, due to no depth perception in the Abyss. I ended up just 2 Handing Quelaag's when I felt confident enough, and Pyromancy when I was desperate. Managed to scrape through the last king with a 5th heading for me.

You better make sure you destroy your opponents to make up for your losses! Show them who's boss!

[TrollHunter]

By the way, have any of you tried beating the final boss with no parries or flasks?
Trust me, it's the more epic and intense way to fight him.
I didn't use flasks during my fight because I didn't know I could hide behind a boulder for time... oopsie, I didn't use parries because from the vids I saw... it looked so boring... fighting him 1 on 1 like with no tricks made him easily one of the most memorable boss fights in any game I've ever played.
I have to give props to Dark Souls for that, they really have some of the best bosses ever.
(Also, Gwyn basically made me the god of dodging, I had to learn to dodge like 5 moves in quick succession because I didn't have enough weight to use a shield)

[Pete for President]

I started out with no real build at all, but then switched to a Dexterity build, so the raw power wasn't there and the pros of dodging skills are completely lost when you don't know which attack of theirs will hit or not, due to no depth perception in the Abyss. I ended up just 2 Handing Quelaag's when I felt confident enough, and Pyromancy when I was desperate. Managed to scrape through the last king with a 5th heading for me.

Quelaag's Sword and Pyromancy are wise choices for the Kings, they are weak to fire. You could take it easy on the last one though, there are only 4 Kings maximum. It is possible to beat the 4 kings while only actually beating 3 as long as you keep hitting them while they vanish. They share the health bar.



You better make sure you destroy your opponents to make up for your losses! Show them who's boss!


Oh I have! :stare: Those hours dueling do pay off in actual combat; out of 11 invasions I was successful 11 times. Well, 10 actually as one man was very friendly. Gave him a Fire Keeper Soul, some Sunlight Medals and some Dragon Scales. He gave me a Titanite Slab. Such epic kindness.


By the way, have any of you tried beating the final boss with no parries or flasks?
Trust me, it's the more epic and intense way to fight him.
I didn't use flasks during my fight because I didn't know I could hide behind a boulder for time... oopsie, I didn't use parries because from the vids I saw... it looked so boring... fighting him 1 on 1 like with no tricks made him easily one of the most memorable boss fights in any game I've ever played.
I have to give props to Dark Souls for that, they really have some of the best bosses ever.
(Also, Gwyn basically made me the god of dodging, I had to learn to dodge like 5 moves in quick succession because I didn't have enough weight to use a shield)

I have tried and failed aplenty. Definitely a lot more challenging.

Although I think parrying sort of fits for this boss, as you've conquered so much you walk into the fight with an attitude of: "I will bring you to your knees, ****!". And that's exactly the feeling you get when you stab him in the chest and kick him down your sword. The only problem is; there's too much of it. I wish he had more non-parry-able moves to make him less predictable and spice things up a bit.

[I Don't Need A Name]

Quelaag's Sword and Pyromancy are wise choices for the Kings, they are weak to fire. You could take it easy on the last one though, there are only 4 Kings maximum. It is possible to beat the 4 kings while only actually beating 3 as long as you keep hitting them while they vanish. They share the health bar.

I was pretty sure that another one was coming for me towards the end of the 4th King..



Oh I have! :stare: Those hours dueling do pay off in actual combat; out of 11 invasions I was successful 11 times. Well, 10 actually as one man was very friendly. Gave him a Fire Keeper Soul, some Sunlight Medals and some Dragon Scales. He gave me a Titanite Slab. Such epic kindness.

Well he was generous.. Why does no one do that to me :[


By the way, have any of you tried beating the final boss with no parries or flasks?
Trust me, it's the more epic and intense way to fight him.
I didn't use flasks during my fight because I didn't know I could hide behind a boulder for time... oopsie, I didn't use parries because from the vids I saw... it looked so boring... fighting him 1 on 1 like with no tricks made him easily one of the most memorable boss fights in any game I've ever played.
I have to give props to Dark Souls for that, they really have some of the best bosses ever.
(Also, Gwyn basically made me the god of dodging, I had to learn to dodge like 5 moves in quick succession because I didn't have enough weight to use a shield)
I'm pretty sure that's how I beat him. I used Flash Sweat before entering the room, waited for him to charge at me, dodged then just spammed him with Great Combustions until he went down, with no need to heal :jess:

[Quindiana Jones]

Okay, out of pathetic desire to play this game, I may have been playing around with the character creator. I have a fair few builds I want to try out now. xD

Note: I've been doing this all day, rather than the 30 page assignment due tomorrow morning. Commitment, ftw.

[Jowy]

Ornstein and Smough are dead. Time to go exploring!

[TrollHunter]

[QUOTE=I Don't Need A Name;3134599]


Although I think parrying sort of fits for this boss, as you've conquered so much you walk into the fight with an attitude of: "I will bring you to your knees, ****!". And that's exactly the feeling you get when you stab him in the chest and kick him down your sword. The only problem is; there's too much of it. I wish he had more non-parry-able moves to make him less predictable and spice things up a bit.

I agree KINDOF, I think 1 or 2 moves tops should give you the ability to parry seeing as it can be so difficult, but not all of them for sure. If you get the timing down for parries, he's an absolute joke (I would know, I've done it once), but if you fight him with no tricks, no matter how good you are, he will almost always be a challenge. He's quick, super aggressive, super powerful and has mad range, parries just... I don't know, it doesn't fit. He's big bad and scary, and you just deflect all his attacks and stab him in the chest? It just seems so anti-climatic to me. The first time I beat him, it took me like 10 tries with a million different strategies and weapons, and the final fight was epic and intense... when I found out how to parry him on a later playthrough, it was just sad.

The problem with not having the ability to parry on him is the heavy weight guys, they can't dodge at all, and blocking can be a good method for biting the dust against a guy that quick and powerful. For my playstyle, only dodging and nothing else works... but it doesn't for every playstyle.

Meh, I don't know. I just find parrying/spamming pyromancy to be a good way to make an epic final boss quite a bit less awesome. That's just me though, many others disagree completely.

[Pete for President]

Okay, out of pathetic desire to play this game, I may have been playing around with the character creator. I have a fair few builds I want to try out now. xD

Note: I've been doing this all day, rather than the 30 page assignment due tomorrow morning. Commitment, ftw.

Praise your commitment!



Meh, I don't know. I just find parrying/spamming pyromancy to be a good way to make an epic final boss quite a bit less awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that Gwyn is very 'abusable' for a final bossfight. Heck, in my speedruns all I did was parry him right after another, bringing him down with only a Claymore +5 (underpowered like hell). Of course time was of the essence.

If I were to redesign him a bit, I'd go halfway between what he is now (almost everything parry-able) and not parry-able at all. Enough non-parryable attacks to make you dodge, and some parryable attacks that require focus and a sharp eye to make use of the opportunity.

[TrollHunter]

Okay, out of pathetic desire to play this game, I may have been playing around with the character creator. I have a fair few builds I want to try out now. xD

Note: I've been doing this all day, rather than the 30 page assignment due tomorrow morning. Commitment, ftw.

Praise your commitment!



Meh, I don't know. I just find parrying/spamming pyromancy to be a good way to make an epic final boss quite a bit less awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that Gwyn is very 'abusable' for a final bossfight. Heck, in my speedruns all I did was parry him right after another, bringing him down with only a Claymore +5 (underpowered like hell). Of course time was of the essence.

If I were to redesign him a bit, I'd go halfway between what he is now (almost everything parry-able) and not parry-able at all. Enough non-parryable attacks to make you dodge, and some parryable attacks that require focus and a sharp eye to make use of the opportunity.

I agree completely. It makes me sad that a lot of people only know how to beat him via parry abuse... and I've had a few people actually bash on Gwyn saying he's really easy even though they've never fought him normally (a few people have even called him a "letdown").
That's the kind of stuff that just makes me sick.

[Quindiana Jones]

When I finally meet him, I intend to cry a little bit and then spam him from afar with high level Sorceries because I am a coward. :bigsmile:

[TrollHunter]

When I finally meet him, I intend to cry a little bit and then spam him from afar with high level Sorceries because I am a coward. :bigsmile:

Fighting Gwyn with sorceries... that could be problematic...
Good luck with that, a lot of his moves allow him to jump from one side of the arena to the next, and he's FAR more aggressive than any other enemy up to that point.

[I Don't Need A Name]

When I finally meet him, I intend to cry a little bit and then spam him from afar with high level Sorceries because I am a coward. :bigsmile:

Fighting Gwyn with sorceries... that could be problematic...
Good luck with that, a lot of his moves allow him to jump from one side of the arena to the next, and he's FAR more aggressive than any other enemy up to that point.

Yeah, your best bet with sorcery is to get him to attack you. If he goes to kick/punch you, dodge out of the way and that leaves him a couple of seconds of time where you can hit him without him dodging (he recovers from kicks quicker I believe).

When I first fought him, I was using shield and sword. Took him down to below half but the sheer relentless attacking was driving me insane. I wanted to beat him but, at gone 2 in the morning, I just wanted to finish it and go to bed, so I went with the dickish strategy xD

Oh, also, updating where I am in the game (lots of work stopping me from playing as much) I've just taken down Gravelord Nito and Seath the Scaleless. So Just Demon's Ruins/Lost Izalith and Gwyn to go! :bigsmile:

[Quindiana Jones]

Imma Soulmass that ho.

[Jowy]

painted world of bad ideas

that phalanx thing is obnoxious.

[Pete for President]

painted world of bad ideas

that phalanx thing is obnoxious.

Painted World is a good place to summon, that might help. Also, the splash damage of Fire Orbs and Great Fireballs work magic against those guys. Beware of the Bonewheel enemies in the lower section and be sure to search the area for all the treasures, there's some good stuff in there.


When I finally meet him, I intend to cry a little bit and then spam him from afar with high level Sorceries because I am a coward. :bigsmile:

It's possible to do that, but better be quick. One piece of advice; did you know leveling Dexterity increases casting speed of all spells including sorceries? 45 dexterity is the maximum to which the casting speed benefits.

[Quindiana Jones]

Well, I'll be. I never knew that. I might raise Dex instead of Vitality, then. xD

[Pete for President]

Parrying in PvP; such glory when successful.

I used to panic when I'd land a parry, often causing me to miss the riposte due to hitting L2 too much. Slowly but surely I'm getting used to it now, and crushing that Ultra Greatsword into someone's face after nullifying his/her attack is such a gratifying feeling. :greenie:

Currently battling for Dragon Scales as part of the Dragon Covenant. The Dragon Cheststone is pretty much the only item I haven't had in my possession yet. Any EoFF-ers up for a duel yet? PSN?

[Pete for President]

Beat Demon's Souls! The ending was refreshing. Pretty calm actually for such a dark game. Don't think I'll be going back for another run though, Dark Souls dragged me in way more than Demon's did.

[Quindiana Jones]

I have a question. I know there are levels to Poise, at which point certain types of weapons will no longer be able to stagger you as easily. Is this the case for shield stability? If so, at which level will a shield be able to hold against a heavy weapon?

[Pete for President]

I have a question. I know there are levels to Poise, at which point certain types of weapons will no longer be able to stagger you as easily. Is this the case for shield stability? If so, at which level will a shield be able to hold against a heavy weapon?

Shield stability and poise are two different stats and are not related in terms of blocking. I'm not too sure whether there is an actual breakpoint besides running out of stamina.

For a shield to withstand a heavy weapon you want to upgrade it to 60+ stability at least. The super-light Heater Shield has 68 stability when upgraded to +14 and works pretty well for me in PvP, usually withstanding two heavy hits. The commonly used Grass Crest Shield (63 stability at +14) usually only withstands one hit.

If you want to effectively block heavy PvE enemies/bosses you're probably looking for 70-80 stability. Black Knight shields work great if you have at least 16 strength to wield it and upgrade it to +5 (73 stability). As for greatshields, they can be really useful in some bossfights (blocking multiple swipes of Seath's tail for example). I like the Greatshield of Artorias for strength builds, it's not too heavy and has a whopping 88 stability. Although you do need 34 strength to wield it...

[Quindiana Jones]

Ah right, so there's not actual a specific breakpoint for each type of weapon? That's cool. I'm looking at Black or Silver Knight Shield, since they have pretty nice Stability whilst still being able to parry. Of course, I still haven't got my Xbox back yet, so at the moment I'm just building dreams. xD

[TrollHunter]

Ah right, so there's not actual a specific breakpoint for each type of weapon? That's cool. I'm looking at Black or Silver Knight Shield, since they have pretty nice Stability whilst still being able to parry. Of course, I still haven't got my Xbox back yet, so at the moment I'm just building dreams. xD

Don't rely on blocking too much in pvp, a lot of people use weapons that inflict bleeding, or weapons that tear through stability.
I'd recommend the heater shield for pvp, it's the lightest shield with 100% block (I think it's like 2.1 lbs, it's been months since I've played this game, but I know it's light as hell...) and it has usable stability for pvp if you use it sparingly. (Also, it can obviously parry as well).

If you have enough wiggle room to use the silver/block knight shield, go with those, but if you need to better meet a weight requirement, go heater.

[Quindiana Jones]

Nah, I've managed to get a guy with 56 poise and 76 stability whilst remaining under 25%. I'm pretty happy about it, and I really want to try it out.

EDIT: Have no idea why I started that with "nah". The Heater shield is indeed a great little shield and yours was sound advice. xD

[Pete for President]

Starting a new build, was thinking of giving some uncommon Miracles some love as well as pump decent strength and dexterity to be able to use most weapons. Will probably be a SunBro or troll eventually;

Dark Souls Character Planner (http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?c=3318722826328633)

[Pete for President]

I have a dilemma. So I started a new build with the aim of leveling Faith/Quality (a.k.a. semi-Strength semi-Dex). But then I read the Arena in the upcoming DLC has level matching systems going from 0-50, 51-100, 100-200 and 201+. So here's the thing, a Faith/Quality build has really spread out stats. With only level 100 to aim at I need to lose 20 levels compared to the build I planned in my previous post (120-125 being the current commonly used PvP level).

This got me thinking, and this is what I'm not sure about:
With a lower level cap than the usual 120, are quality builds indirectly being nerfed? I fear the lower level cap might also lead to a rise in elemental weapon users, something I resist from using as a main weapon, as I believe it's just not cool.

And then there's another issue I thought of. Will existing characters even be usable for the DLC, or do we need to start new characters to 'trigger' the extra content?

I'm... confused. Please help me clarify.

[Jowy]

from what i've read all of the DLC is triggered by an event that'll be patched in. you shouldn't have to worry about rerolling to hang out in oolacile.

[Quindiana Jones]

In that vein, Pete, I've seen a lot of threads on the topic of character creation that use 99 as the target level, so everything needs to be done by then. It was pretty interesting seeing what they came up with.

My Int build, with the direction I intend to take it, is level 113 at its completion, so I'm gonna have to knock of 13/14 points from Vitality if I want to compete in that bracket, which'll make it considerably harder for me. :(

Having said that, I read in a few previews that the Arena system what a total clusterfuck and that it just doesn't work well enough to make it practical. :D

[Pete for President]

Thank you both for clarifying. I tweaked the build for level 99: Dark Souls Character Planner (http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?b=a25pZ2h0LDM5LDEyLDM2LDI0LDIwLDEwLDksMzAsMCwzLDAsMywzMSwyMiwxMiwxNDUsMjQsMTI1LDUzLG5vcm1hbCxub3JtY Wwsbm9ybWFsLG5vcm1hbCwwLDAsMCwwLDAsMCwwLDAsMCwwLDAsMCwwLDAsd29vZGVuLHdvb2Rlbix3b29kZW4sd29vZGVuLDE=)

Because I never had a decent Faith build there are a lot of Miracles I never tried out. Some of them (Vow of Silence, Great Magic Barrier, Karmic Justice) seem perfect for an underdog, uncommon build. The low Vitality can be turned to an advantage with the Red Tearstone Ring and Karmic Justice combo. As for weapons, I'm thinking Claymore or two-handing the Greatsword. I think it'll be a really fun, versatile and uncommon build.

[Quindiana Jones]

That looks pretty darn nifty. Love that you managed to cap it right on the 25% weight limit xD.

[Pete for President]

Thanks : ) The rapier as a secondary weapon is obviously optional as swapping weapons removes weapon buffs. I'm curious to see how the Red Tearstone Ring will work in PvP. Also, I might give the Zweihander a shot as I'll have enough strength to one-hand it and it's two points lighter than the Greatsword - my usual Light-Ultra-Greatsword of choice. It's definitely not my style to roll with a commonly used weapon, but I haven't seen too many Zwei's around lately and there's just something goofy about a half naked warrior swinging his humongous weapon into enemies' faces.

:|

[TrollHunter]

So, I got to hang out with my brother over the weekend, and I got to show his friends Dark Souls. I decided to hop in on some PvP because they were interested.... and over 5 matches, I didn't lose a single one.
I've still got it baby.
Also, I got one of my friends addicted to Dark Souls... yes... YES

[Pete for President]

Soooo..... the DLC is coming.... this week! Getting it a.s.a.p, who else?

[Quindiana Jones]

I bloody wish. I probably won't be able to play Dark Souls again until I get a new laptop. :(

[Madonna]

I am looking forward to it.

[Flying Arrow]

Soooo..... the DLC is coming.... this week! Getting it a.s.a.p, who else?

I'm going all in. I'm waiting till Friday to play it though. A bunch of friends are coming over and are going to watch me do the DLC levels blind (with my NG++ character). I'm going to drink every time I see the "You Died" screen.

... I feel like I'm going to regret this.

[Jowy]

We'll have 911 on speed dial. I've heard that Chimera is a nightmare.

[TrollHunter]

I so wish I had my 360 to purchase and play the DLC on. Makes me quite sad really.

[Pete for President]

The 1.06 update is online, but I haven't seen the DLC in the PSN store. Darkwood Grain Ring nerf is reality! STOKED. :greenie:

[TrollHunter]

How exactly did it get nerfed? I'm curious.

[Pete for President]

Soooo..... the DLC is coming.... this week! Getting it a.s.a.p, who else?

I'm going all in. I'm waiting till Friday to play it though. A bunch of friends are coming over and are going to watch me do the DLC levels blind (with my NG++ character). I'm going to drink every time I see the "You Died" screen.

... I feel like I'm going to regret this.

Blind as in, blindfolded while your friends guide you?;p


How exactly did it get nerfed? I'm curious.

You need to be under 25% equip burden to make it work instead of <50%. I'm not sure whether they have changed any animation speeds.

[Jowy]

I like that they changed the item descriptions. :aimsmile:

[TrollHunter]

Soooo..... the DLC is coming.... this week! Getting it a.s.a.p, who else?

I'm going all in. I'm waiting till Friday to play it though. A bunch of friends are coming over and are going to watch me do the DLC levels blind (with my NG++ character). I'm going to drink every time I see the "You Died" screen.

... I feel like I'm going to regret this.

Blind as in, blindfolded while your friends guide you?;p


How exactly did it get nerfed? I'm curious.

You need to be under 25% equip burden to make it work instead of <50%. I'm not sure whether they have changed any animation speeds.
Blind as in: playing it with no prior experience or knowledge of what to come.
also, THAT IS BEAUTIFUL! 25% weight isn't overkill, but it also gets rid of the havel whores. Oh that's amazing.

[Quindiana Jones]

They've also adjusted the Eagle Shield to only block 95% of physical damage. :(

[TrollHunter]

Yet another welcome change. That shield was so broken ._.
It's still pretty good though, just can't turtle behind it anymore.

[Pete for President]

Just when you thought this game could not be any more awesome, it turns out to be nothing but glorious. Holy tit, those new bosses.

More good news; the hornet ring got nerfed too! It now boosts critical hit damage by 30% instead of 50.

Also, good luck Flying Arrow. For as far as I've played I don't like your odds.

[Flying Arrow]

So I've heard...

But what a way to go!

[TrollHunter]

Okay, so let me get this straight.
Eagle shield nerfed
DWGR nerfed
Hornets ring nerfed

EVERYTHING I EVER COMPLAINED ABOUT HAS BEEN FIXED
OH MY GOD I WANT THIS UPDATE

[Flying Arrow]

So I got to Oolacile township apperently. I beat Artorias++ after like 15 tries to much acclaim. Probably time for me to hit the sack.

[Pete for President]

Some of my thoughts about the new PvP arena:

Free For All is a ton of fun, but matchmaking can take forever. There's a bigger chance of getting a FFA in the forest as a Darkwraith rather than in the arena I think. When it succeeds though, it's a blast. This is where you can get some really fun chaotic fights and AoE spells like Fire Tempest and Gravelord Greatsword Dance can be hilarious. Bows and Crossbows can come in real handy too.

Team Duels aren't that much fun, as the team who loses a member first is in serious trouble the entire time, as you'll probably be fighting 1 vs 2 and get killed before your teammate respawns. As he drops back into the arena, you're likely to have died already, and the 2 enemies can pick your teammate off easily. Then you drop and get ganked and such. It's unbalanced. I'd rather see a simultaneous team-respawn.

The 1 vs. 1 mode is alright and I mainly think of it as good practice rounds, as you'll do a lot more fighting and less waiting compared to dueling in the Kiln or Burg. Plus you get multiple respawns so you can adapt strategy and fighting styles. The bad thing is, because spells get recharged on every spawn there are some tits around using seemingly infinite TWoP, WoG and other lame spells. Players with healing miracles attuned can heal themselves after getting a kill, nullifying any damage taken in the prior round and thus taking away any advantage you might have had otherwise. Sorcerers can be overpowered too, since the drawback of the Tin Crystallization Catalyst (amount of spellcharges cut in half) is pretty much nullified by the spell recharge. And then there are the overly competitive players who go turtle-mode as soon they get a 1-0 lead, and basically try to waste as much of your time as possible to sit the fight out.

So overall not really impressed by the arena, but I've had some good duels and I hope the FFA matchmaking improves eventually for more chaotic fun.

[Flying Arrow]

Beat the boss of the DLC yesterday. Overall, the package is fine. I wouldn't put any of the new areas even in the top 10 of the stages in the main game. Still a good time though. Always good to have more Dark Souls.

[Pete for President]

Beat the boss of the DLC yesterday. Overall, the package is fine. I wouldn't put any of the new areas even in the top 10 of the stages in the main game. Still a good time though. Always good to have more Dark Souls.

Hurray. I think the new areas fit the game very well and they are different enough to not feel cheap. The Chasm of the Abyss (where the Humanities float around) is one of my new favorite areas.

I also like that From upped the difficulty even more and they didn't re-use any of the existing enemies. The boss fights are the DLC's gems, they certainly went all out with those. The Sanctuary Guardian, Artorias, Manus and Kalameet are all very challenging and well designed. All of them are relentless when trying to solo them, especially compared to the existing bosses. When Artorias finally fell I had such mixed feelings whether to feel badass or sad. Manus has destroyed me so many times I feel like he's harder than Gwyn. Even with Sif around to help out a bit, which was a nice touch.

Also: Gough is my friend.

[Quindiana Jones]

There's a boss called Manus? Hah! Christmas'll love that.

[Pete for President]

There's a boss called Manus? Hah! Christmas'll love that.

Not only is he called Manus, he's old too :D

[Flying Arrow]

The Guardian, Artorias and Manus are all great, yeah. Some of the better bosses even from the main game. Love the emphasis on dodging.

[Jowy]

Playing Forest Cops is REALLY fun.

[Pete for President]

Playing Forest Cops is REALLY fun.

What kind of build are you using?

I got my faith/quality build up to level 99 for the battle arena, but I don't like him much. He relies on the Sunlight Blade buff for damage and most duelers just start to kite you along until it runs out. Makes for really boring fights. I've also grown very tired of the Claymore I had in mind as a main weapon. It lacks speed but isn't exactly a powerhouse either, so I've come to despise it really. The Great Magic Barrier miracle can be awesome, as you can just tank whatever magic is thrown at you as long as it's not fire or lightning. That means you hardly take any damage from WoG, the Moonlight Greatsword or any sorceries. The offense part is still lacking however and relying on buffs turned out to be pretty tiresome. That's why I don't really like this build. Maybe I can fix it with an unbuffable Chaos Halberd and the Vow of Silence miracle.

So I started a new character and so far I'm aiming to do a 'no-shield/only weapons I never used before-challenge'. So I'm rolling through the Burg with an Estoc in my left hand and a Morning Star in my right. He'll probably be my second Dex/Pyromancer build. When I have two, I will take one of them on NG++ and beyond, and as high level as I want to. The other will be another PvP build at level 120.

[Jowy]

I'm running around on my lowbie Pyromancer...just rang the second bell. SL25 Dex/Int with Magic Estoc +5. Four weak quick jabs, a backflip, and then a quick shot of combustion is getting me indicted a lot.

[krissy]

all right i just ordered this friggin thign on amazon, see you guys soon with stories from a fresh perspective

[Jowy]

i hope you got two day amazon prime shipping.

nobody else is playing this on 360. i get a laugh every time I open the Book of the Guilty and see "SimpsonFamily" as the guiltiest motherfucker around.

[Pete for President]

I'm running around on my lowbie Pyromancer...just rang the second bell. SL25 Dex/Int with Magic Estoc +5. Four weak quick jabs, a backflip, and then a quick shot of combustion is getting me indicted a lot.

Cool, I'm pretty much the same with my new build: also SL 25, mostly Dex, just rang the second bell, using an Estoc +5 and a Winged Spear +5, though I might switch to the Iaito. Becoming a Forest Cop early to get the Fog Ring and buy stuff from Shiva is always a great idea and good fun.


all right i just ordered this friggin thign on amazon, see you guys soon with stories from a fresh perspective

Hurray! I recommend not using a guide first time through. Die-hard mode on!

[Pete for President]

Alright. So you know I despise gankers more than anything in PvP, and I'm a man favoring the fast roll mobility above heavy armor sluggishness. But this somehow speaks to my soul:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DYsQvMo2iM&list=UU1sP-B6zukMd-DkqB3WWEqQ&index=2&feature=plcp


It's just so... gangster. Robotic. Utterly destructive. Probably the coolest PvP video I have seen, especially when they dodge the White Dragon Breath at 1:40.

[TrollHunter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O32ufmdQ6gk
This will forever be my favorite dark souls video.
An oldie but a goodie.

[Pete for President]

Snap. Just managed to beat Ornstein & Smough solo at level 37 (no summons, not even Knight Solaire) without shields, pyromancies or magic in general, and only using a Silver Knight Spear and only 16 Vitality. As if that wasn't challenging enough I also wanted Smough to fall first to get the Leo Ring from Super Ornstein. Holy tit this was brutal. I think it took about 12-14 tries. Two-handing the spear didn't have enough stability to block any of their attacks, and dodging gets serious when fighting 1 vs 2. Proud though!

[TrollHunter]

Snap. Just managed to beat Ornstein & Smough solo at level 37 (no summons, not even Knight Solaire) without shields, pyromancies or magic in general, and only using a Silver Knight Spear and only 16 Vitality. As if that wasn't challenging enough I also wanted Smough to fall first to get the Leo Ring from Super Ornstein. Holy tit this was brutal. I think it took about 12-14 tries. Two-handing the spear didn't have enough stability to block any of their attacks, and dodging gets serious when fighting 1 vs 2. Proud though!

I did something similar a while back when I was still good at the game~
I did it no shield, no stability, no magic and not enough vitality to even take a single hit. All I had was some light armor for looks and my balder swag sword.
I somehow managed it in one shot... but I'll chalk that down to luck.

Congratulations though~ I know how intense that kindof challenge can be, it's awesome isn't it :D

[Pete for President]

Snap. Just managed to beat Ornstein & Smough solo at level 37 (no summons, not even Knight Solaire) without shields, pyromancies or magic in general, and only using a Silver Knight Spear and only 16 Vitality. As if that wasn't challenging enough I also wanted Smough to fall first to get the Leo Ring from Super Ornstein. Holy tit this was brutal. I think it took about 12-14 tries. Two-handing the spear didn't have enough stability to block any of their attacks, and dodging gets serious when fighting 1 vs 2. Proud though!

I did something similar a while back when I was still good at the game~
I did it no shield, no stability, no magic and not enough vitality to even take a single hit. All I had was some light armor for looks and my balder swag sword.
I somehow managed it in one shot... but I'll chalk that down to luck.

Congratulations though~ I know how intense that kindof challenge can be, it's awesome isn't it :D

That is impressive! It's really intense indeed, and such glory when you succeed. Luck definitely played a role in my attempts too, sometimes I would die in the first 10 seconds of the fight, sometimes I'd get Super Ornstein down to 20% only to get pierced by a giant spear.

Not all no-shield boss fights are as hard as I thought it would be. I cheesed out on the Iron Golem by using pyromancy, but this was way too easy so I forbid myself to use that in any other boss fights (Power Within aside). 2 vs. 1 battles can get very hard though, even the Gargoyles took 2-3 tries. Now all I fear are pretty much the ones I got left: Seath, Manus and of course Gwyn (no shield, no parries).

[krissy]

i just opened a door in undead burg using my master key cause i didn't know it was locked
i feel like i ruined half the game for myself or something

anyway this feels good
good to be back in this mechanix again
already a little frustrated with the fire throwers
im gonna do my first run without caring much about anything and then afterward ill try to build a pvp character if i make it that far haha

[Madonna]

Yaaaaaay, krissy.

Playing through on my Pyromancer at SL40, maxed out her Flame, got most Pyromancies. My main guy is SL102 and getting worked in +. Rang both bells with him. Been trying to get through each area in human form; I run through areas like a demon if I cannot get a decent connection and helpful phantom because, man, I get invaded a great deal.

[Jowy]

What exactly triggers the ability to obtain Chaos Pyromancies? I guess there's a vendor in Blighttown but she wasn't there during my fun little romp through. Proud of myself too...steamrolled the shit out of there in under an hour and one-shotted Queelag with Mildred + sunbro summon. Was there a good three days last time.

I hate you Super Ornstein. :aimsad:

[Pete for President]

i just opened a door in undead burg using my master key cause i didn't know it was locked
i feel like i ruined half the game for myself or something


Hah! Don't worry about that : ) Congrats on buying one amazing masterpiece of a game!


I get invaded a great deal.

Yeah it seems like since the DLC is out a lot of 'retired' veterans have returned, so there's a lot of PvPing going on. On the plus side, summoning has been good too!


What exactly triggers the ability to obtain Chaos Pyromancies? I guess there's a vendor in Blighttown but she wasn't there during my fun little romp through.

I can never tell when she will show up or not. Sometimes she's there when I first enter Blighttown and sometimes she's not. Anyway, she'll always be there once you beat Quelaag and I heard having a Pyromancy Flame +10 makes her show up as well.

[Jowy]

I didn't see her on my way out of Blighttown...and I had Eingyl ascend my flame to +10 since I figured I might as well burn all of my souls before I fall off the damn water wheel.

WHICH I DID.

[krissy]

that friggin giant knight guarding the blue ring... i can't beat him yet, but i definitely got past him and got myself the updef/lowhp ring haha take that you horned smurfer

i am at like sl 17 and i haven't really gotten to the boss of burg yet, but that's ok. i'm putting it all mostly into endurance because i like rolling and shiz. i like that enemies respawn without having to leave the level, that was one of the biggest time wasters in demons souls.

i made and named this character after my grandpa just like i did in demons souls. i always kind of thought my grandpa is a bad ass so that's why.

i got a whole buncha weapons from the graveyard but they're all too heavy for me still. zweihander seems bad ass but i've always played a shielded char and usually played demons defensively. i feel pretty confident around burg and with the fire checkpoint system so maybe i'll try two handed strategies once i get used to rolling again.

[Jowy]

try parrying!

[Madonna]

Taking on the first black knight, no, taking on most black knights where they show up is a bad idea. They generally turn up in a place with low maneuverability, and that sucks. After killing the hollows in the area, try luring that black knight upstairs. The wide field may make your rolling and dodging work a bit better. Failing that, go up the ladder to where those firebombers were and try to smack him as he comes up. Run far enough away that he walks back to his start position and then smack him and repeat. Be cheap, do whatever you got to. Your job is to kill him, not do it fairly.

[Pete for President]

figured I might as well burn all of my souls before I fall off the damn water wheel.

WHICH I DID.

Lol. I know how that feels!

[Madonna]

I did that recently, just after laughing at Jowy in my head. "Ha ha, who really gets tripped up by this whe--oh."

+ is a lot of challenge, but playing with a SL100+ guy is a little ridiculous. I want to spend more time on my other, low-level builds, but I want to get all my damn trophies because who does not like shinies?

[Jowy]

When am I able to acquire more sorceries? I've picked up everything from Logan so far sans Soul Spear since I'm not quite smart enough to use that.

[Quindiana Jones]

You should buy Soul Spear anyway, because it's one of the best Sorceries in the game. You'll get smarter, so DO IT. :D

[krissy]

go taurus demon to half hp and then he fell off the bridge

i'm not sure how to feel :|

[Pete for President]

go taurus demon to half hp and then he fell off the bridge

i'm not sure how to feel :|

I love that part of Dark Souls. Anything can happen, even if the odds are against you or favor you. It's just you, the enemy and the environment, and almost nothing is scripted. Kapow! I love this game.

Don't worry if you 'missed out' on this challenge. There are many more harder things to overcome. :D

[TrollHunter]

I'm not so sure about that actually.
No boss in dark souls gives me more trouble than that guy xD

[Pete for President]

I'm thinking of doing a Lone Wolf or a Psychopath challenge: no talking to anyone, or even killing every NPC. That means no weapon upgrading, no repairing, no summoning/being summoned, no merchants, no purchasing weapons, equipment or ammunition and most importantly: no Estus Flask upgrades.


I think I'd go for a strength build and rely on Dragon weapons (though not the special attacks, since I can't repair). I'd start out trying to loot a Black Knight Halberd from the Basin, and if that fails obtain the Drake Sword. After the Gargoyles I'd kill Andre for Artorias' Crest and get the Stone Set. Then I'd set out for Ash lake to get the Dragon Greatsword and Homeward Bone back to Blighttown. That would probably be my main weapon for the rest of the game if the Black Knight Halberd fails, though the Dragon Tooth found in Anor Londo is a good option too. It would be possible to start out as a pyromancer (for the flame, as no talking also means not getting one from Laurentius/Eingyl) and get the Power Within pyromancy to help with the Four Kings and Seath. I reckon it's possible, though the no Estus upgrades kind of frightens me. At least there's always Humanity.

[Jowy]

Whoa. From should give you some company stock if you manage to do that. That's like, impossible mode.

[Madonna]

I hate you Super Ornstein. :aimsad:
Tried solo-ing in +. Almost.

Found out I forgot to go into the Depths, but only after I cleared Blighttown, Great Hollow, Ash Lake, Sen's Fortress, and Anor Londo. I kind of knew it, but I did not want to walk over and find out for sure.

Pete, that sounds legendary, and yet more depressing than taking on the Asylum Demon with a Broken Straight Sword. What of found Sorceries or Miracles? Does joining the Warrior of Sunlight covenant count as talking?

[TrollHunter]

I'm thinking of doing a Lone Wolf or a Psychopath challenge: no talking to anyone, or even killing every NPC. That means no weapon upgrading, no repairing, no summoning/being summoned, no merchants, no purchasing weapons, equipment or ammunition and most importantly: no Estus Flask upgrades.


I think I'd go for a strength build and rely on Dragon weapons (though not the special attacks, since I can't repair). I'd start out trying to loot a Black Knight Halberd from the Basin, and if that fails obtain the Drake Sword. After the Gargoyles I'd kill Andre for Artorias' Crest and get the Stone Set. Then I'd set out for Ash lake to get the Dragon Greatsword and Homeward Bone back to Blighttown. That would probably be my main weapon for the rest of the game if the Black Knight Halberd fails, though the Dragon Tooth found in Anor Londo is a good option too. It would be possible to start out as a pyromancer (for the flame, as no talking also means not getting one from Laurentius/Eingyl) and get the Power Within pyromancy to help with the Four Kings and Seath. I reckon it's possible, though the no Estus upgrades kind of frightens me. At least there's always Humanity.

You know... that actually sounds very doable. If you wore light armor and focused on dodging so your unupgraded armor wouldn't be as much of a factor... Hmm.... that sounds kindof fun actually.

[krissy]

so my 10 yr old bro is better at dark souls than me
he's like parrying everyone and managed to find the merchant in like a tenth of the time it took me lol
but he thought demons souls was too scary for him
i think this game is way brighter so far too

[Jowy]

i'm a moron.

killed the hydra and golden golem, saved dusk. then i forked over ten dollars for the DLC. is there any other way I can get "cast light" now without fighting the Sanctuary Guardian? Also, should I manage to take that thing out...how far into spooky hard DLC land do I have to venture to pick up the other sorceries and ivory catalyst?

krissy:

it took me an embarrassingly long time to find the merchant too. i saw a little "try rolling" message on the ground and just felt the little lightbulb above my head come up. parrying takes a lot of time to master. you'll have it down to an art form after you've rang the bells and taken your trip through the funhouse.

[Pete for President]

I'm thinking of doing a Lone Wolf or a Psychopath challenge: no talking to anyone, or even killing every NPC. That means no weapon upgrading, no repairing, no summoning/being summoned, no merchants, no purchasing weapons, equipment or ammunition and most importantly: no Estus Flask upgrades.


I think I'd go for a strength build and rely on Dragon weapons (though not the special attacks, since I can't repair). I'd start out trying to loot a Black Knight Halberd from the Basin, and if that fails obtain the Drake Sword. After the Gargoyles I'd kill Andre for Artorias' Crest and get the Stone Set. Then I'd set out for Ash lake to get the Dragon Greatsword and Homeward Bone back to Blighttown. That would probably be my main weapon for the rest of the game if the Black Knight Halberd fails, though the Dragon Tooth found in Anor Londo is a good option too. It would be possible to start out as a pyromancer (for the flame, as no talking also means not getting one from Laurentius/Eingyl) and get the Power Within pyromancy to help with the Four Kings and Seath. I reckon it's possible, though the no Estus upgrades kind of frightens me. At least there's always Humanity.

You know... that actually sounds very doable. If you wore light armor and focused on dodging so your unupgraded armor wouldn't be as much of a factor... Hmm.... that sounds kindof fun actually.

Well, since the Dragon Greatsword already weighs 24 I doubt I can keep my burden under 25% unless I wear my birthday suit. Sure that's fine for some parts of the game, but I reckon I'll switch to Havel's or the Stone set for some boss fights. I can get more variety with the Black Knight Halberd, which "only" weighs 14.


i'm a moron.

killed the hydra and golden golem, saved dusk. then i forked over ten dollars for the DLC. is there any other way I can get "cast light" now without fighting the Sanctuary Guardian? Also, should I manage to take that thing out...how far into spooky hard DLC land do I have to venture to pick up the other sorceries and ivory catalyst?


If you're looking for the basic Oolacile sorceries and the Ivory Catalyst (the same as Dusk sells): not far at all, trust me. If you're looking for the brand new dark sorceries, you'll have to venture through pretty much all of spooky DLC land.

Don't worry though, you can warp from and to every bonfire in the DLC.

[Madonna]

I cannot get Priscilla's tail. Guess I will try again in ++.

[Pete for President]

I cannot get Priscilla's tail. Guess I will try again in ++.

Here's a handy tip: Your first attack on Priscilla should be with a bow and arrow; shoot one in her tail. The arrow will stick and remains visible while she goes invisible. Then try to whack away at where the arrow is, but it'll disappear in 30 seconds or so. I recommend using a weak weapon until she gets visible again, you don't want to whack to much hp off her while you can't fully aim for the tail. It's not a guaranteed method, but it'll give you a head start nonetheless.

[krissy]

beat my first black night today! the guy in the chapel with the giant mace. got a shard from it. the stairwell in front of the chapel or church or whateever it is is very useful for leading all the knights out there to take them on one by one
the priest thing soul arrowed my face off shortly after

[Jowy]

That manticore is a jerk. Doing Painted World so I can get the lightning resist set from Jeremiah and giving it a good solid attempt after that. Might amp up some more strength so I can use the Eagle Shield as well. Any other pointers?

[krissy]

i gots more troubles with the 3-pack of thieves as im going down the burg than i did with the gargoyles. they're just so fast.
anyway should i be saving my humanity for later on in the game or can i just kindle every fire i see?

[Pete for President]

That manticore is a jerk. Doing Painted World so I can get the lightning resist set from Jeremiah and giving it a good solid attempt after that. Might amp up some more strength so I can use the Eagle Shield as well. Any other pointers?

Are we talking about the Sanctuary Guadian? If so; to cut off his tail there are 2 attacks you need to look out for. One is his rare fly up and storm at you attack, which is easily dodged by rolling to the side. If you're quick enough you can get some hits on his tail. The other is the more common bull-charge, which comes out randomly as well as a follow-up for his wing-stun. Be sure to be light enough for the fast roll and roll towards him when he does the charge. This should position you right next to his tail. It's tough at first, with the charge being really quick and all, but you'll manage after some tries.

The best time to heal is when the Guardian is strafing and walking slowly. His 4-hit combo is easily blocked and dodged by rolling backwards, although you can interrupt his combo altogether by rolling diagonally towards him. This also creates an opportunity to get some hits in. Now go get him! :D



should i be saving my humanity for later on in the game or can i just kindle every fire i see?

Kindling is always a good idea! Just make sure you have at least 1 humanity as an item so you can revive yourself to human if you really need to summon for a boss. Other than that, it also never hurts to do some co-op and collect some Humanity.

[Jowy]

Yeah, I tried him last night after getting the Xanthous set, still able to fast roll. Got him to less than fifty percent health. I'll down him tonight. Smacking him with Pyromancy is helping a lot although once I'm out of combustion/greater combustion charges I'm kinda screwed. Is the weapon for cutting off the tail worth it for an INT based character though?

krissy, those obnoxious thieves drop a REALLY good weapon, so it'll be worth the constant deaths and running back should they decide to cough one up.

[TrollHunter]

beat my first black night today! the guy in the chapel with the giant mace. got a shard from it. the stairwell in front of the chapel or church or whateever it is is very useful for leading all the knights out there to take them on one by one
the priest thing soul arrowed my face off shortly after

Hate to burst your bubble, but that isn't actually a black knight. ^^
Just a big dude with a mace. He's brutal as hell though if you get hit.

[Pete for President]

Yeah, I tried him last night after getting the Xanthous set, still able to fast roll. Got him to less than fifty percent health. I'll down him tonight. Smacking him with Pyromancy is helping a lot although once I'm out of combustion/greater combustion charges I'm kinda screwed. Is the weapon for cutting off the tail worth it for an INT based character though?

It's not really a useful weapon for any kind of build ever really. It's a whip. And they suck. It's more like a joke weapon like the Gargoyle Tail Axe I reckon, as I've never seen anyone use it yet. Looks pretty badass though, and you feel like a boss when that tail drops.

[krissy]

not even embarassed a little bit for summoning for the capra demon fight
seriously there's no way to move around that little room

[TrollHunter]

not even embarassed a little bit for summoning for the capra demon fight
seriously there's no way to move around that little room

I summoned on my first playthrough. No shame in that.
Only recently have I actually gotten good at fighting him, and that room makes it all the more difficult.
Oh, also, your next stop is the depths I take it?
I have one tip for you...
Tread lightly, else you may find yourself in quite a bind.

[Quindiana Jones]

I remember The Depths. Nasty area. I had two strangers summoned there once, in preparation for the upcoming boss fight. Got killed by a load of rats within minutes of summoning them. Ultimate humiliation. xD

[Jowy]

Ceaseless Discharge...is dodging and rolling going to be the most viable way to take this thing out? The collision detection is utter bull:skull::skull::skull::skull: and I'm getting smacked by NOTHING and still dying.

krissy, if you manage to get one-upped by the basilisks head to New Londo. I'm PRETTY sure they upped the drop rate of the Jagged Ghost Blade since the patch. That early on in the game it'll be a pretty useful weapon.

[Pete for President]

Ceaseless Discharge...is dodging and rolling going to be the most viable way to take this thing out? The collision detection is utter bull:skull::skull::skull::skull: and I'm getting smacked by NOTHING and still dying.

I'll drop a hint because there's a rather confusing trick to this boss: Ceaseless is obsessed with the altar all the way in back. You better run for the gate after visiting it to escape his rampage.

[krissy]

I have one tip for you...
Tread lightly, else you may find yourself in quite a bind.

yeah hahahaha
i didn't actually think ahead and buy any curse removal crap before heading down here, but i made it to the guy that sells the crystal equipment while cursed! i reckon i'll get the shield or straight sword, although the knight shield has been amazing so far so i might just go for sword

[TrollHunter]

I have one tip for you...
Tread lightly, else you may find yourself in quite a bind.

yeah hahahaha
i didn't actually think ahead and buy any curse removal crap before heading down here, but i made it to the guy that sells the crystal equipment while cursed! i reckon i'll get the shield or straight sword, although the knight shield has been amazing so far so i might just go for sword

I'd personally recommend against the crystal equipment honestly. You can't repair or upgrade it*, and it costs quite a hefty amount if I remember correctly. I'd just open the shortcut back to the bonfire, and try to make your way up and out to cure your curse (or fight the boss if you're feeling especially ballsy, he's quite easy and predictable).

EDIT: *Actually I was partially wrong. The only way you can repair it is if you upgrade it... which isn't really a good idea for obvious reasons.

[Pete for President]

Been invading the New Londo Ruins for a fair bit with a SL86 Dex build. It's fun to invade out there because no-one really expects it. Also looted a very rare titanite slab from the Darkwraith Knights. After getting none from the Great Hollow lizards I'm quite content again. At the same time I'm farming Dragon Scales from the Drakes. The Dragon Torso stone is probably the only item I haven't obtained yet, not even once in all my playthroughs.

[Jowy]

Nice find! Deliberating using my only slab to upgrade my lightning BSS to +5 but I'm sure I'll be getting more endgame use out of Enchanted Estoc +5.

Speaking of Balder Side Swords...ran through the parish with Covetous Gold Serpent Ring and ten humanity active. Not one, but TWO dropped from the three knights there. Made it through the catacombs to fire one up and was impressed with myself that I didn't even come close to death. Sniped those damn wheel skeletons with sorcery. :aimsun:

[TrollHunter]

Nice find! Deliberating using my only slab to upgrade my lightning BSS to +5 but I'm sure I'll be getting more endgame use out of Enchanted Estoc +5.

Speaking of Balder Side Swords...ran through the parish with Covetous Gold Serpent Ring and ten humanity active. Not one, but TWO dropped from the three knights there. Made it through the catacombs to fire one up and was impressed with myself that I didn't even come close to death. Sniped those damn wheel skeletons with sorcery. :aimsun:

The balder swag sword is the best weapon in the game.
I don't care what anyone says, that sword is freaking amazing.
Nice find though~ Hope you enjoy the most beautiful of weapons~

[Jowy]

Oh, I do! Tempted to ditch the +1 Enchanted Estoc and grind one up to enchanted solely because the moveset is exponentially better. Since I amped my first one up to +4 Lightning I've been trading off between that and the Estoc and just feel so gimped using anything but.

[TrollHunter]

I wouldn't recommend two weapons that go about doing the same thing. I'd recommend a larger weapon if you have the strength, or maybe a bow for strategic purposes. A black knight sword (normal) is ALWAYS a good weapon to keep closeby in your inventory (again, if you have the stats to use it). If you can get your hands on a BKS, I'd say use that alongside your BSS.

If I may ask, what is your build. If I knew I'd be able to recommend weapons you can actually use.

My best character (the one that beat Gwyn, and the dynamic duo, Ornstein and Smough, without a shield on ng+) used a balder swag sword and murakumo. This combination gave me a pretty well-rounded melee game, and it worked beautifully in pvp as well.

[Jowy]

int/dex build, SL50. i use my sorceries and pyromancies in boss fights and i'm not having much difficulty with any of the trash mobs around the map. think i'm only at 12 STR...wanting to dump some more points in that after i hit the 36 int requirement for soul spear. my longbow's at +10 but doesn't really hit too hard. should i consider ascending that down a certain path or just eventually amp it up to +14?

[Quindiana Jones]

I'd wait for the Composite Bow, personally. It's a great little bow that can even be carried over into PvP if you use Poison arrows.

You may want to try the Uchigatana. It has a great moveset, does decent damage and causes Bleed really easily. You can take it to +15 for your Dexterity is highest, or +5 Enchanted for your Intelligence. It's worth trying out, at least.

[TrollHunter]

I'd wait for the Composite Bow, personally. It's a great little bow that can even be carried over into PvP if you use Poison arrows.

You may want to try the Uchigatana. It has a great moveset, does decent damage and causes Bleed really easily. You can take it to +15 for your Dexterity is highest, or +5 Enchanted for your Intelligence. It's worth trying out, at least.

He already has the balder swag sword, which, when enchanced has A scaling with int, and A scaling with dex along the normal path. It also has godlike range, and an amazing moveset (especially the 2h strong attack). So, he's fine on his primary quick weapon. The uchigatana is quite good, but I personally find the BSS to be better (at least in most scenarios).

I'd recommend at least getting 16str, that opens up a lot of doors for weapons to use, only problem is if your build is a bit too tight for spare points into Str.

Weapons you can use with an Int build at 16 str:
(physical damage/Magical damage)
> Moonlight Greatsword (198 pure magic damage) Always a good option, the damage isn't split along defenses so it's a lot more consistent.
> Enchanted Claymore (184/190) This guy also rocks the light attacks of the BSS, just with more power, range, and slower execution. The strong attacks are different though.
> Enchanged Gargoyle halberd has B scaling with Int... not bad. (206/213)
> Enchanted Halberd has less damage, but scales A with Int. (148/182)


Dex weapons you can use... just regularly

> Painting Guardian Sword: Now, this weapon can be tricky to use, but my god is it amazing at dealing out the pain with ease. A scaling with Dex on regular +15 route, or S scaling with Int at +5 enchanted. I highly recommend giving this weapon a shot.
> Quelaags furysword is always a good option. B scaling with Dex, and deals primarily fire damage.
> Uchigatana... of course, always a good pick. Thing is, I don't think you need it anymore as previously stated
> I've never used Ricard's Rapier, but it seems fairly decent. Correct me if I'm wrong.
> Channeler's Trident, while very difficult and annoying to get, is a fun weapon to use. Scales A with int and C with dex as well, not bad. (Also the perfect weapon for invasions.... ^^)


I only used enchanted in my example due to the better scaling they have. Magic has worse scaling, but better raw damage. I can't remember which is preferred.

Also, I second using the composite bow. I used it on my main character and it was a godsend. The longbow dies out of use due to its low power, but the composite bow has a bit more punch to it.

[Quindiana Jones]

I thought the swag sword was that little off-hand weapon that can be used for parrying? My bad! :D

Ricard's Rapier, from all I've seen of it, is really impressive when used well.

[TrollHunter]

Ah no, that's the parrying dagger/Queelags Furysword. :jess:
The swag sword is basically a short-sword version of the claymore... but with awesome dex scaling, and very quick safe attacks.
The strong attacks are also possibly the best poking moves in the entire game. They take up little endurance, are super fast, and make great use of the range the BSS has.

[Pete for President]

Don't want to meddle too much and let Jowy play his game, but I just want to point out a few things.

First is that Enchanted weapons are not buffable. I'd recommend upgrading one of your beloved Balder Side Swords (or any main weapon) along the normal path, and try buffing it with the Magic Weapon spell, Great Magic Weapon or it's even stronger variant when you get it. The buffs are worth it.

Speaking of buffs, that's where Ricard's rapier shines. Buff this rapier and hit the R2 button. Every hit will do the entire buff damage (a predetermined attack rating), which adds up even quicker than say, buffing a high damage strength weapon.

Important stuff: rapiers (the Estoc counts as one too) have a secret backstab/riposte damage multiplier. It may say 100 critical damage rating in the description, but it's not. Therefore I wouldn't dump your Estoc just like that; it has a backstab bonus which the BSS does not. If you're good at parrying/backstabbing, the Estoc (or any rapier) will definitely out-damage any katana, BSS and even matches the backstab damage output of the heaviest of Strength weapons. It's a feat not to be overlooked. Of course, this only goes for humanoid enemies, so pick your weapon wisely for different situations.

Also, rapiers can be used to attack from behind a shield. Not bad for a first playthrough.

And finally, the damage of rapiers, spears, the BSS strong attack and any thrust attack can be buffed by using the Leo ring, which you get from Ornstein if he falls last. The Leo ring buffs counters when thrust attacks are used. This basically means: when you poke an enemy during it's attack animation, it adds up a crazy 40% damage. Watch this video for details on this underrated ring. With several buffs this guy does 900 damage with a Ricard's rapier's one-handed r1 from behind a shield, with no risk involved whatsoever. Dark Souls - Leo Ring (big counter damage) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X34Txlcgrlo)

Soak up the wisdom :shifty:

[TrollHunter]

Don't want to meddle too much and let Jowy play his game, but I just want to point out a few things.

First is that Enchanted weapons are not buffable. I'd recommend upgrading one of your beloved Balder Side Swords (or any main weapon) along the normal path, and try buffing it with the Magic Weapon spell, Great Magic Weapon or it's even stronger variant when you get it. The buffs are worth it.

Speaking of buffs, that's where Ricard's rapier shines. Buff this rapier and hit the R2 button. Every hit will do the entire buff damage (a predetermined attack rating), which adds up even quicker than say, buffing a high damage strength weapon.

Important stuff: rapiers (the Estoc counts as one too) have a secret backstab/riposte damage multiplier. It may say 100 critical damage rating in the description, but it's not. Therefore I wouldn't dump your Estoc just like that; it has a backstab bonus which the BSS does not. If you're good at parrying/backstabbing, the Estoc (or any rapier) will definitely out-damage any katana, BSS and even matches the backstab damage output of the heaviest of Strength weapons. It's a feat not to be overlooked. Of course, this only goes for humanoid enemies, so pick your weapon wisely for different situations.

Also, rapiers can be used to attack from behind a shield. Not bad for a first playthrough.

And finally, the damage of rapiers, spears, the BSS strong attack and any thrust attack can be buffed by using the Leo ring, which you get from Ornstein if he falls last. The Leo ring buffs counters when thrust attacks are used. This basically means: when you poke an enemy during it's attack animation, it adds up a crazy 40% damage. Watch this video for details on this underrated ring. With several buffs this guy does 1200 damage with a Ricard's rapier's one-handed r1 from behind a shield. Dark Souls - Leo Ring (big counter damage) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X34Txlcgrlo)

Soak up the wisdom :shifty:

I totally forgot about the magic weapon buffs xD
I knew looking up the enchanted numbers seemed wrong for some reason, but I couldn't figure out exactly why.
It has been a while since I've played dark souls hasn't it?

But... I never knew of the leo ring trick. THAT'S MADNESS

[Quindiana Jones]

It's not really a useful weapon for any kind of build ever really. It's a whip. And they suck. It's more like a joke weapon like the Gargoyle Tail Axe I reckon, as I've never seen anyone use it yet. Looks pretty badass though, and you feel like a boss when that tail drops.

There's a great Let's Play on YouTube by a guy called Kazamieras in which he plays the game using an Estoc and a Whip. Worth a gander!

[krissy]

de-cursed, bought some spells. pretty confident about taking out that ugly dragon in the depths now. i was mostly worried about treading back through the kitchen because of all the enemies, but it seems like the butchers don't respawn, phew!

the holy knight party or whatever they are disappeared from the firelink shrine; i hadn't gotten to talk to the lady yet because i was a) not revived b) cursed so could not revive myself c) the one guy said i'd scare her like that so i didnt want to scare her away...
i assume i have to save them somewhere
it's a concern.

[Pete for President]

But... I never knew of the leo ring trick. THAT'S MADNESS

Crazy right? No wonder ENB dedicated a full video to it :p

I started the Psychopath challenge. The rules:

No talking. Ever. (so no weapon/estus upgrading, no buying, no curse removal by NPC's etc.)
No summoning/being summoned.
Every NPC must die when encountered, unless this character is unreachable without talking (say, Knight Lautrec).
All looted and found equipment/spells may be used.
Goal is to finish the game. Optional area's may be skipped.

So far I killed:

Crestfallen Knight (kicked him off the cliff)
Petrus of Thorolund
Undead merchant (male)
Knight Solaire
Andrei the blacksmith (he's actually pretty tough and does dropkicks)
Siegmeyer of Catarina (wears both Tearstone rings)
Knight Lautrec
Oswald of Carim
Undead merchant (female)
Griggs of Vinheim (drops the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring, didn't know that)
Laurentius of the Great Swamp
Domnhall of Zena


So far progress is very smooth. The black knight in the Parish dropped his greatsword. That'll probably be my weapon for the remainder of the game. I want to get Power Within, so I've ran through the Depths and I'm currently jumping down Blighttown. So far I must say it's actually been easier than normal playthroughs, probably since I can't buy anything I level up real quick and the Black Knight Greatsword is obviously overpowered if acquired during this first quarter of the game. I expect greater challenges in Anor Londo and onwards, mostly due to not being able to upgrade the Estus flask.

[krissy]

yeah so my 10 year old bro found the blacksmith (i forgot about that path after ringing the bell) and killed the drake with arrows. i guess kids have more patience than i do. nice to know where the blacksmith is hahaha.

[Pete for President]

Had the craziest invasion yesterday. I invaded someone in the New Londo Ruins. Upon spawning I wanted to turn up the volume again which I muted for a phone call moments earlier. I already saw my victim buffing his Marukumo with Crystal Magic Weapon when I reached for the remote, but instead of turning up the volume I accidentally changed channels.

In panic I ran away blindly with one hand while desperately trying to switch back channels with the other. When I got my game back on screen the guy had just missed his first swings, which apparently I dodged blindly. We both tried to get some shots in, but eventually he landed a laggy backstab. I ran to heal, and the fight moved around a bit. After trading hits he again got his advantage with a second backstab and I was down to about 10% HP. The enemy moved in for the kill, swung his Marukumo, but against all odds I managed to land a parry and riposte right when I needed it most. This turned a losing battle around 180 degrees; I burned him with a Great Combustion when he tried to get up. This invasion was so tense. I love this game. And parries are glorious in PvP.

[Jowy]

those big ol' skeletons in the tomb of the giants sure are mean.

[TrollHunter]

those big ol' skeletons in the tomb of the giants sure are mean.

In NG+ the dog ones can stagger you in 1 hit then proceed to instantly kill you if they stand up before attacking.
Mean is definitely one way to describe them.

[Quindiana Jones]

":bou::bou::bou::bou:ing little shits" is another.

[TrollHunter]

I tried calling them something akin to that before.... right before getting slapped in the face by one and falling off the smurfing cliff.

I'm pretty good at killing them now... though it requires me to dual-wield my Murakumo, and do a jump strike outside of their view.

[Pete for President]

Great (Chaos) Fireballs are always a good option to one-hit the Dog Skeletons. The big skeletons are easily staggered with a heavy weapon, that might help. The thing is, both of these enemies aren't too hard to fight, weren't it for the creepy low visibility/high amount of cliffs environment they're in. There is literally little room for error.

Recently I made a level 99 Quality/Faith build to do some buffed PvP-ing in the arena. Turned out he sucked. Now I'm gonna level up my intelligence, turn him into Artorias and go NG+infinity till whenever I can't handle it anymore. Pow! As I've never gone past NG+, nor used Artorias' Greatswords, this should be a nice challenge. I also sort of miss co-op in this game now that I'v been doing solo-challenges and PvP-ing so much. Let us return as a sunbro!

Edit: Went NG+ and got invaded by a semi-low level on the bridge with the Hellkite dragon and lost to 3 lagstabs. Sometimes I really can't stand losing >: ( I will dedicate this character to the Sun and sending home invaders! PRAISE THE SUN.

[Pete for President]

Today I continued a bit of my Psychopath/No Talking challenge: Starting from Upper Blighttown I acquired the Eagle Shield and Power Within. Then I went on to kill:

Quelaag
The Fair Lady
Eingyi
Ceaseless Discharge
Reah, Vince and Nico (who were hostile when I returned to Firelink, probably because I killed Petrus earlier).
Master Logan at Sen's Fortress
Crestfallen Merchant
Iron Golem
Giant Blacksmith

And then I went to what I believed to be toughest boss in this challenge: Ornstein & Smough. But they weren't too bad, as I have fought them solo plenty times before. I used the Crystal Halberd found in Anor Londo and the Eagle shield, and I succeeded on the second try. Then I killed Gwynevere, and Sif afterwards. Next up are the Catacombs and Tomb of the Giants, where I will kill Patches and Nito. I'm saving Seath for last, because he can really screw me over with a curse.

[Jowy]

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE

"huh"

YOU DIED

[TrollHunter]

So, I've been watching ENBs Demon Days series... and I must say, I want a ps3.
Demon's Souls actually seems more my style, and I love the artstyle of it even more than Dark Souls.
Someone, buy me a ps3 for Christmas.

[Pete for President]

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE

"huh"

YOU DIED

New Londo Ruins?

[Jowy]

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE

"huh"

YOU DIED

New Londo Ruins?

Gravelord Nito!

[Pete for President]

SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE

"huh"

YOU DIED

New Londo Ruins?

Gravelord Nito!

Hah! Yeah that attack is crazy hard to dodge. I can never get the timing right.

[Jowy]

He's pretty easy outside of that. Great Chaos Fireballs shave half of his life off with all four casts connecting. The rest is just dodging his sword and area of effect thing.

[Nicolas]

Haha. You're talking about the two places I just rushed through and didn't have too many problems with. I've been sitting around killing Skeleton Babies while waiting for someone to summon me against Nito to gain a few quick souls and humanity.

As for Nito, everything he does has a rather large build up to it, so it makes it easy to tell when he does the huge blast. The only thing that tends to be a pain are those skeletons in the area.

I gotta get to working through the DLC area. Those Stone Guardians and the trees keep throwing me off. Finally gettin' that character to use Artorias' Greatsword too. Works out well so far. Now to get his armor...

[Jowy]

I just smacked 'em with my Divine Falchion until they fell down while Nito was slowly lumbering towards me.

[Pete for President]

He's pretty easy outside of that. Great Chaos Fireballs shave half of his life off with all four casts connecting. The rest is just dodging his sword and area of effect thing.

True. Even his magic explosion can easily be blocked with a greatshield or Crest Shield. As long as you don't get the Giant Skeletons waiting in the back involved Nito isn't that much of a challenge.

[Jowy]

Accidentally pulled one of them and ran away with a hearty "NOOOOOOOOPE". Was easy enough to pull him away from Slowy McSlowerson though.

[Madonna]

Picked up Quelaag's Furysword (and upgraded it to +5) with my Dex Pyromancer and it has easily become my favorite weapon with her. Moved from her Fire Falchion +5 to a Black Knight Sword +5 simply because it seemed to demand usage, but I murder more quickly and sweetly than anything else previously with my new baby. Been milking Darkroot Garden for Forest Cops and NPCs, getting a 3:1 ratio in terms of killing:being killed. So exciting.

How many more souls do you need for your Lordvessel, Jowy? Nito's is probably the easiest to obtain. I pray you have the strength to overcome the other bosses.

[Jowy]

Three! Four Kings is just me dying in five seconds since I can't roll out of the way fast enough. Duke's Archives is a hellhole, and I got pretty mad at the Demon Firesage after getting it down to 10% health and just went back to the Catacombs. Lost Izalith looks like it isn't very fun.

[TrollHunter]

Pfft... I was so scared of Nito when I first killed him.
Funnily enough, it was my paladin character... soooo
a near fully upgraded divine claymore basically rocked his world.
I don't even think I got hit actually, he's so easy to dodge. It's funny watching other people get wrecked by him when I get summoned there though. ToTG is definitely one of my preferred areas to get summoned in.
His fight was quick, painless, and I actually thought it was too easy :"(
I always ask the guy who summoned me if he wanted me to brutalize Nito or not prior to the fight if I got summoned. If he/she said yes... oh baby the fight didn't last long.

[Jowy]

Four Kings hurts a lot. Dark Hand seems to work better than my crest shield in terms of damage mitigation. Should I just slap on heavy armor/Iron Flesh and tank these motherfuckers while I just wail on them with a fire weapon/Great Combustion or what? I need to get better at rolling from that grab too.

[Pete for President]

Four Kings hurts a lot. Dark Hand seems to work better than my crest shield in terms of damage mitigation. Should I just slap on heavy armor/Iron Flesh and tank these mothersmurfers while I just wail on them with a fire weapon/Great Combustion or what? I need to get better at rolling from that grab too.

If you have it, use Power Within instead of Iron Flesh. Offense is everything in that fight! Handy tip: once you kill one of them, you can keep hitting the disappearing King to continue depleting the healthbar they share. Free damage! : )

[Quindiana Jones]

I reckon so, yeah. And don't forget to keep wailing on them once they enter their death animation. Worst case scenario is the last one will have less health, but the best case is that you can complete the fight after only killing three. :)

[Jowy]

That's pretty bitchin'. What heavy armour is recommended? I can at least squeeze midroll out with Paladin set minus the helmet + Havel's Ring.

[Madonna]

Heavy armor? The point of rolling is to not get hit, so you should not need armor. I took on Gwyndolin naked because mobility is so important. The Four Kings are sort of similar in that you need to race to get to a King and murder him before backup shows and you need to dodge his attacks as you close in, but maybe some upgraded chainmail or something would be nice to soak up some occasional damage.

[TrollHunter]

I personally don't recommend the old Iron Flesh technique. It doesn't allow you to learn the fight properly, and once you reach NG+, iron flesh won't help you one bit so you'll have to learn the boss far later than necessary.
As Madonna said some semi-upgraded chainmail would work fine. Blocking will only serve to make the fight more difficult, so learn how to dodge the attacks the boss throws at you. At that point it's all a damage race. Power within as previously stated works quite well once you can reliably dodge the boss. Wear a grass crest shield on your back, and just wail on the boss with your biggest baddest weapon. The hardest part of the boss for me is the screwed up depth perception.

[Jowy]

MORE IMPORTANTLY, GENTLEMEN:

DARK SOULS 2 CONFIRMED OH MY GOOOOOOOD!

[TrollHunter]

...
WAT?!?!??@!?#!@$?321yv5b0973 8yv59nf4y5hui5hnygtf31vb2
LINK NAO

[Jowy]

thanks nirojan and nicolas:

http://home.eyesonff.com/general-gaming-discussion/147114-confirmed-dark-souls-2-a.html

[Pete for President]

Crazy!

Apparently there's a new glitchless speedrun record: under 1 hour. Insane! Video is on YouTube but I don't want to be the guy who spoils even the slightest bit of this masterpiece. :p

[TrollHunter]

Crazy!

Apparently there's a new glitchless speedrun record: under 1 hour. Insane! Video is on YouTube but I don't want to be the guy who spoils even the slightest bit of this masterpiece. :p

Someones been watching some ENB.

[Pete for President]

Crazy!

Apparently there's a new glitchless speedrun record: under 1 hour. Insane! Video is on YouTube but I don't want to be the guy who spoils even the slightest bit of this masterpiece. :p

Someones been watching some ENB.

YouTube actually recommended the speedrun video before I watched ENB's runner video's... but yeah I saw those too ;p

I didn't watch the whole hour-long new world record video as his/her tactic is mostly the same as last run (which clocked in at 1:10-ish): get the BKH + Red Tearstone ring, and race through all of Lordran destroying everything like a madman... while naked. It's insane skill though, even if it has some luck involved too. I have no idea where the player managed to shave off another 10 minutes.

[TrollHunter]

Crazy!

Apparently there's a new glitchless speedrun record: under 1 hour. Insane! Video is on YouTube but I don't want to be the guy who spoils even the slightest bit of this masterpiece. :p

Someones been watching some ENB.

YouTube actually recommended the speedrun video before I watched ENB's runner video's... but yeah I saw those too ;p

I didn't watch the whole hour-long new world record video as his/her tactic is mostly the same as last run (which clocked in at 1:10-ish): get the BKH + Red Tearstone ring, and race through all of Lordran destroying everything like a madman... while naked. It's insane skill though, even if it has some luck involved too. I have no idea where the player managed to shave off another 10 minutes.

I'll be getting the 360 back very soon, and I intend to incorporate SOME of the strategies used in that run into future play-throughs.
I'm definitely making a new character when I get the 360 back... but Idk what weapon it is I want to use.

EDIT: Debating on using dual shields, pure range (bows, crossbows), maybe the dragon fist for the lols. I know I'll think of something badass.

[Quindiana Jones]

Use two of those spiky wheel shields. No other weapons. :D

[Pete for President]

Crazy!

Apparently there's a new glitchless speedrun record: under 1 hour. Insane! Video is on YouTube but I don't want to be the guy who spoils even the slightest bit of this masterpiece. :p

Someones been watching some ENB.

YouTube actually recommended the speedrun video before I watched ENB's runner video's... but yeah I saw those too ;p

I didn't watch the whole hour-long new world record video as his/her tactic is mostly the same as last run (which clocked in at 1:10-ish): get the BKH + Red Tearstone ring, and race through all of Lordran destroying everything like a madman... while naked. It's insane skill though, even if it has some luck involved too. I have no idea where the player managed to shave off another 10 minutes.

I'll be getting the 360 back very soon, and I intend to incorporate SOME of the strategies used in that run into future play-throughs.
I'm definitely making a new character when I get the 360 back... but Idk what weapon it is I want to use.

EDIT: Debating on using dual shields, pure range (bows, crossbows), maybe the dragon fist for the lols. I know I'll think of something badass.

Awesome. Are you getting the DLC too?

Last week I had fun invading with a strength build + Pickaxe + Leo Ring + Golem Axe as a secondary/ranged weapon. No-one ever uses the Pickaxe, but it's actually pretty decent. It staggers like a truck. The Golem Axe wind blast is great fun when fighting around cliffs and ledges.

I deeply respect this guy's build and his PvP, bows & crossbows only:
[Dark Souls] PvP Build - Cross-Bows Master - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKSJZM9UzlE&list=UU1sP-B6zukMd-DkqB3WWEqQ&index=7)

[Roogle]

Oh, that is an interesting video fighting with Crossbows like that. I always thought they were a bit useless.

I haven't played since I helped Jowy with completing a part of Anor Londo, so I haven't seen any of the new content. Does anyone have a link to the hour long speedrun of Dark Souls?

[Pete for President]

Oh, that is an interesting video fighting with Crossbows like that. I always thought they were a bit useless.

I haven't played since I helped Jowy with completing a part of Anor Londo, so I haven't seen any of the new content. Does anyone have a link to the hour long speedrun of Dark Souls?

On special request: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0t97aEhFWI

[TrollHunter]

Use two of those spiky wheel shields. No other weapons. :D

That kindof shield will probably be essential to my run :p
Though I may do a full-ranged character first. NOT SURE!
but yes, I do intend to get the DLC as well.

[Jowy]

Transition from king two to king three: Should I just blow Power Within and just wail on it until it dies or still remain slightly conservative about that until king four? First one is getting blown up with Great Chaos Fireballs, second one to Great Combustion. Considering a switch from +7 Fire weapon to hammering something up to +14 (no slabs!) and slapping some resin on it.

[Quindiana Jones]

If you hit them enough, you should defeat the boss after the third king goes down. If you're doing it that way, just go at the third king with everything you have. If you're waiting for the fourth king, maybe remain a bit conservative then use everything up on the last one.

[Pete for President]

Transition from king two to king three: Should I just blow Power Within and just wail on it until it dies or still remain slightly conservative about that until king four? First one is getting blown up with Great Chaos Fireballs, second one to Great Combustion. Considering a switch from +7 Fire weapon to hammering something up to +14 (no slabs!) and slapping some resin on it.

I recommend casting Power Within as soon as you've dropped down into the Abyss. The faster you beat the first king, the quicker you'll be swinging your weapon into the second. Also, wear full Havel's armor and tank that tit. If you're close enough to the King your poise will never be broken, thus allowing you to heal whenever you feel like.

Edit: I don't recommend using Great Chaos Fireballs, for they take ages to cast. The normal Combustion has a way faster cast time and when casted repeatedly will do a greater amount of damage over the same course of time, so pack as much Combustion and Great Combustion as possible.

[Pete for President]

I'm about to take a character to NG+2 for the first time. I just managed to solo Kalameet on NG+, which was actually harder than I had expected even for a level 138 character. Then again, as it's an Artorias-ish build the stats are so spread out it actually does less damage than my level 99 Dex-PvP build. Even with Artorias' Greatsword and all that I can't say I'm impressed. But I'll be switching to the Halberd and BKH for PVE soon, that'll do. Did manage to beat the Four Kings on first try, so that has given me some confidence to overcome NG+2. Just a few more weapon/armor upgrades and I'm ready.

[TrollHunter]

I'm about to take a character to NG+2 for the first time. I just managed to solo Kalameet on NG+, which was actually harder than I had expected even for a level 138 character. Then again, as it's an Artorias-ish build the stats are so spread out it actually does less damage than my level 99 Dex-PvP build. Even with Artorias' Greatsword and all that I can't say I'm impressed. But I'll be switching to the Halberd and BKH for PVE soon, that'll do. Did manage to beat the Four Kings on first try, so that has given me some confidence to overcome NG+2. Just a few more weapon/armor upgrades and I'm ready.

You don't make an artorias character for the stats my friend, you make it to look like a total badass who can use everything.
My Artorias character may not be at all powerful, but it just makes the successes all the more rewarding (The giant-ass greatsword that looks awesome as hell helps too)

[Pete for President]

I'm about to take a character to NG+2 for the first time. I just managed to solo Kalameet on NG+, which was actually harder than I had expected even for a level 138 character. Then again, as it's an Artorias-ish build the stats are so spread out it actually does less damage than my level 99 Dex-PvP build. Even with Artorias' Greatsword and all that I can't say I'm impressed. But I'll be switching to the Halberd and BKH for PVE soon, that'll do. Did manage to beat the Four Kings on first try, so that has given me some confidence to overcome NG+2. Just a few more weapon/armor upgrades and I'm ready.

You don't make an artorias character for the stats my friend, you make it to look like a total badass who can use everything.
My Artorias character may not be at all powerful, but it just makes the successes all the more rewarding (The giant-ass greatsword that looks awesome as hell helps too)

The use everything part is definitely helpful in PvE. This is also my only character able to use the Dragonslayer Greatbow and Gough's Greatbow, they both rock.

I moved on to NG+2 and OHKO'd the Taurus Demon with the Obsidian Greatsword +5 buffed with Sunlight Blade and the dangerous but glorious Power Within + Red Tearstone Ring combo. It obviously wasn't a very fun fight, but I just wanted to see if I could pull it off.

[Quindiana Jones]

OHKO? That's ridiculous. xD

[TrollHunter]

I'm about to take a character to NG+2 for the first time. I just managed to solo Kalameet on NG+, which was actually harder than I had expected even for a level 138 character. Then again, as it's an Artorias-ish build the stats are so spread out it actually does less damage than my level 99 Dex-PvP build. Even with Artorias' Greatsword and all that I can't say I'm impressed. But I'll be switching to the Halberd and BKH for PVE soon, that'll do. Did manage to beat the Four Kings on first try, so that has given me some confidence to overcome NG+2. Just a few more weapon/armor upgrades and I'm ready.

You don't make an artorias character for the stats my friend, you make it to look like a total badass who can use everything.
My Artorias character may not be at all powerful, but it just makes the successes all the more rewarding (The giant-ass greatsword that looks awesome as hell helps too)

The use everything part is definitely helpful in PvE. This is also my only character able to use the Dragonslayer Greatbow and Gough's Greatbow, they both rock.

I moved on to NG+2 and OHKO'd the Taurus Demon with the Obsidian Greatsword +5 buffed with Sunlight Blade and the dangerous but glorious Power Within + Red Tearstone Ring combo. It obviously wasn't a very fun fight, but I just wanted to see if I could pull it off.

MMmmmm, BEAUTIFUL. one hit kill... wow
But yeah, artorias builds are NOT good for PvP. I played my artorias character primarily offline.

OKAY, in like a week my brother will be back with the 360
I WANT DARK SOULS DAMMIT

[Goldenboko]

Been working on my speed-play ability. Right now just got good at a strategy which allows me to ring both bells in under an hour.

Holy shit this guy though:
DARK SOULS ( (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9ymysN3qQ8)

[Pete for President]

Been working on my speed-play ability. Right now just got good at a strategy which allows me to ring both bells in under an hour.

Holy trout this guy though:
DARK SOULS ( (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9ymysN3qQ8)

Congrats on ringing the bells under an hour! What's your strategy and what weapons do you use?

The speedrun you linked is indeed insane. It's quick, yes, but the real kicker is that this run had been recorded before patch 1.05 was out. Before 1.05 enemies (including bosses) gave way way less souls. Look at the part where he beats the Gargoyles. His reward: 1500 souls. Now they give 10000! Crazy right?

I used that guy's tactic for my own speedrun. It mostly revolves around pyromancy.

As of version 1.07 this guy holds the record:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0t97aEhFWI

His tactic involves getting the Black Knight Halberd in the Basin and shows some new shortcuts. It's under 1 hour in total!

[Goldenboko]

The strategy I used was Master Key related, running by the drakes, coming up and getting the Grass Crest Shield and leather armor on the way up. Before taking on the Gargoyles I ran back to where the Hellkite Dragon normally is, except since I never went through the Burg, he was not there. This let me pick up the claymore that is guarded by the 3 Skeletons there, and talk to Solaire to have his help throughout the game. Though not a true "speed run" strategy, it is a quick way to start a nice new character and morph it into whatever you want and can easily be done with the Deprived so you start with a good amount of stats.

Workin' on true speed run form from the playthrough I linked and the one PfP posted.

[TrollHunter]

In about 2 days I get the 360 back, I'll start updating with my speedy strategies soon enough, and I'll update on my new character I intend to make.
If it's going to be dual shield or pure range has yet to be decided.

[Goldenboko]

Dual... shield? Why would you ever do that to yourself?

[TrollHunter]

Why WOULDN'T I do dual shield? In a game as unforgiving as dark souls I need twice the protection to keep from getting screwed.

[Roogle]

I am sending the Dark Souls Original Soundtrack to Jowy because he asked me for it. Please send me a visitor message within the next day if you would like to receive a copy of it. Then, join the IRC channel and I will send you a link to it. Alternatively, you can get it from Jowy after I send it to him.

[Jowy]

Yeah, I don't mind sharing the wealth. Thank you again, Roogle!

[Goldenboko]

I am sending the Dark Souls Original Soundtrack to Jowy because he asked me for it. Please send me a visitor message within the next day if you would like to receive a copy of it. Then, join the IRC channel and I will send you a link to it. Alternatively, you can get it from Jowy after I send it to him.


Yeah, I don't mind sharing the wealth. Thank you again, Roogle!

:thumb:

[krissy]

that hydra in darkroot basin!

that last head, i can never reach it for melee like the other ones. it winds up tight to my left. so yeah, i have some arrows for my long bow, but i decide, nah, i can melee this guy... let's try walking up this ledge to try to reach him
gosh i hope i don't slip i have no idea what the water depth situation is like on the other side of the ledge

oh

oh that's what the water situation is

:mad2:

[Pete for President]

that hydra in darkroot basin!

that last head, i can never reach it for melee like the other ones. it winds up tight to my left. so yeah, i have some arrows for my long bow, but i decide, nah, i can melee this guy... let's try walking up this ledge to try to reach him
gosh i hope i don't slip i have no idea what the water depth situation is like on the other side of the ledge

oh

oh that's what the water situation is

:mad2:

Yep, been there done that. A bow and plenty of arrows should be standard in your Dark Souls survivor kit by now!


I am sending the Dark Souls Original Soundtrack to Jowy because he asked me for it. Please send me a visitor message within the next day if you would like to receive a copy of it. Then, join the IRC channel and I will send you a link to it. Alternatively, you can get it from Jowy after I send it to him.

Is it the OST from just the original game or does it have the Artorias of the Abyss music too?

[Goldenboko]

Beat Dark Souls on my main file again. Because I can. >:0 Totally owned Gwyn with parrys first try this time around. Using the shield trick makes it much, much easier.

This will mean I'll be starting playthrough 4 on my main file. Does anyone know when the enemies stop getting harder?

[Pete for President]

Beat Dark Souls on my main file again. Because I can. >:0 Totally owned Gwyn with parrys first try this time around. Using the shield trick makes it much, much easier.

This will mean I'll be starting playthrough 4 on my main file. Does anyone know when the enemies stop getting harder?

Congrats!

NG+7 is the hardest it'll get. My Artorias character is on his way to reach this, almost moving on to NG+3 (so I guess I'm right behind you :0).

[Goldenboko]

I thought it was NG +7, but I couldn't particularly remember so I wanted to check. This character is probably going to end up being one of those overleveled NG+infinity that can one hit a lot of trout. And I'll never be happier.

What makes an "Artorias" character? xD

[Pete for President]

What makes an "Artorias" character? xD

An Artorias character is kind of a jack-of-all-trades and is able to use the Greatsword of Artorias and it's Cursed and Abyss variations. The holy version has the unique feat of scaling with all 4 stats: C/C/B/B. However, to wield it your stats need to be really spread out (24 str, 18 dex, 20 int, 20 fai), and even then it doesn't do as much damage as a specialized build. But with the different miracles and sorcery that come with the stat requirements you do get a very adaptable character.

I still like Dex builds most though!

I'm not too sure whether one hitting everything actually becomes easier on NG+ and onwards! The Four Kings became quite troublesome on NG+2, we'll see what happens on NG+3 :greenie:

[Goldenboko]

Ah ok, so it's pretty much my main as that describes it perfectly.

I might actually be on NG+3 now that I think about it, I lost track how many times I beat it with that character I think that was actually just my third time which puts me on course for NG+2. I've some videos of people with huge stats (stuff like 60/60/60/60) doing ridiculous damage with the Artorias Greatsword xD

[TrollHunter]

So, I've lost like all of my skill with this game.
Started my pure ranged character
So.. yeah, this is outrageously difficult.
I need a crossbow, and I need one now.

Bypassed the one dude on the bridge because NO, SCREW THAT GUY.
Currently trying to get a crossbow, then I'll upgrade it and take on the gargoyles.

[Jowy]

homing crystal soulmass oh my you are awesome.

Just got a Crystal Knight Shield from a mimic and damn, that seems like the most useless item in the game.

[Roogle]

Is it the OST from just the original game or does it have the Artorias of the Abyss music too?

It only contains music from the original game. As far as I know, there is not an Artorias of the Abyss soundtrack.

[Jowy]

Three Kings dead with Crystal Magic Weapon on a +14 BSS. Beatrice's Catalyst is making my sorceries hit like a truck. Killed Demon Firesage on two attempts, and managed a flawless victory on my first attempt on Centipede Demon just by using Homing Crystal Soulmass and zapping it with Soul Spears when it was wide open.

Now the dragon asses in Lost Izalith, that's a whole other set of bullshit.

[TrollHunter]

I am taking my sweet ass time with this ranged character.
Got my crossbow.
I found a slight problem I had overlooked
Not only do I need upgrade materials, but I also need souls for arrows/bolts.
Yeah... makes the beginning of the game a tad bit slow.

[Jowy]

I AM SO MAD.

Siegmeyer and I wreck those tentacled guys down in Lost Izalith. Right after the last one dies, he walks into my Homing Crystal Soulmass orb and proceeds to crack me over the back of the head with his Zweihander and boom, dead. Can I absolve my sins for this, or have I inadvertently screwed up that entire sidequest now?

[Goldenboko]

You are le screwed. I don't do stuff like those quests when I'm not an inch away from being able to shut off the XBOX haha.

[Jowy]

He's alive and pissed off down there. Just absolved my sins, going to rush back there and see what happens.

Took a detour however to say hi to Artorias. Got him down to around half health. This is an intense encounter, boy howdy.

EDIT #3: Absolution worked, shockingly enough. He was alive and well, time to finish the sidequest.