UESP Forums

To be fair, I've only used NPCs out of curiosity and i'm only using Lucatiel on this playthrough. Unpatched, fragile as heck. Ok, I will always use Jester Thomas because he's [&@%!] Jester Thomas! It is a crime against the game to not use him. Same with Black Iron Tarkus in the first one. When I used NPCs, it made no real differnce on the tanking character aside from being a distraction, often got killed aside from Jester of Thomas.

Thought so. Probably cap it off at 20. Same with endurance.

The Gank Squad is a fun boss(even if they did manage to [&@%!] me off last night). This is the boss that made me realise the biggest difference between the previous character and this one. I could tank them last time. This time? Kinda can but it's a high risk approach. I know magic is their weakness. I reinforced the morningstar to +5 and the Vargain sword. Also used that katana as a poison weapn. The one you can buy from mcduff. Crap damage but it does inflict it. Saves me having to get the resin and knives. It works on gank squad.


Fought Skeleton Lords, Executioner's Chariot, Covertous Demon(Embarrassingly, it almost won) and gank squad.

Skeleton wheels killed me on the first attempt. I always leave the staff till last and kill them one at a time then kill the skeletons to avoid skeleton hell. Covertous is still [&@%!] easy. I only almost died because I got careless.

Executioner's Chariot is quite a fun boss. In terms of fight, I can see why some folks despise it but if you can kill the skeletons with a few hits or keep them out in the open, it's really easy to get to the necromancers. I er... I kinda didn't realise there was a gap and kinda walked off it whilst facing down the horse after causing it to smash through the gate. >.<

I don't know if they meant for Fexile Sentry to be easy but it's just a case of dodge or block, hammer away and repeat. Or use Lucatiel as part of her quest. Oh god, I've gotta use her for the Lost Sinner. :-/ A fragile unpatched version. I refuse to use her on Smelter. That is asking for high level salty rage. I barely kept her alive on a NG+ tier Lost Sinner and that was a tower shield [&@%!] sword tank. Guess I better get the red eye stone ring. Smelter Demon would likely make me rage a lot. I mean, it looks like the type of boss that will make me rage either way.

Old DragonSlayer Ornstien is a dirty cheater. I fought him yesterday and he teleported me onto his spear! Come on! That's not cool, dude. That was bad in the first game but to do this again? :-/

Apparently, a lot of people hate the Lost Sinner. I can't see why though as she telegraphs all of her attacks and is more or less like Artorias(minus the buff). Dodge or tank, attack and repeat. I do love it whenever I roll over the blade of a boss. It just looks cool.

I have two areas to focus on. Sinner's rise with it's welcoming committee and Iron Keep. *a single tear rolls down Dovah's cheek* I think it's time to get a lot more spells, ramp up intel to 30(tis currently 25) and praise the sun like i've never praised it before.

Jester Thomas is fun the one time, but I honestly prefer him in the dlc. As far as "Gotta use bc Tarkus" Like, why? I may be able to see for bosses so tough they act as a balancing scale, but.. all of the OP summons are never much of a crutch save. Iron Golem is actually fun. Medusa chick already has an optional easy mode. Pinwheel is too easy and really he's more of a boon for the skeletons

Btw, you absolutely gotta do at least the base fight with each of the sidequest npcs if you wanna fullfil their quests. It doesnt help that they gotta survive the whole fight. NG+ is entirely unnecessary It's a shame really, bc some of the boss fights are sooo good and better solo(Last Sinner for example) at least I can forgive Smelter Demon because their is a dlc version of him thats much, much tougher

Also, I wouldnt reckon any of the main summons are fragile, just.. not all of em are good at surviving. LOTS and lots of health does nothing if you act like an idiot. Tho.. I can see why you think that way for bosses n enemies, as say, opposed to being an invader and having to fight Lucatiel off(either ya push em to their death or parry/backstab all day. Hard to do when the host is after ya)

Btw, with the undead charriot, it's possible to kill the boss without ever needing the lever. Tho, I forget if it's the horses you gotta damage enough, or the hollow in back via a bow. Either way, fun optional boss

Lost Sinner isnt new to anybody. We've fought that same moveset, she's familiar. The only things that I suppose make her tougher is if you fight her in darkness(which really plays into her hyper aggressive style) and the path to her(which is in fact, a ball ache)

The Lost Sinner is just Arty 2.0 more or less. Really don't get why people seem to hate her. Defeated her with Lucatiel today. I used the block and dodge method with the odd soul arrow as part of Lucatiel's sidequest. Was close for her. Almost died a few times because she wiped out my staminia but still remains one of my favourite fights in the game. No gimmicks(beyond the dark arena that can be sorted out, no cheap moves. Just her, her sword and aggression vs you. I er.. I kinda wimp out when facing the big guys in the corridor. I trick them into falling into the water pit. I just don't want to deal with their powerful spinny [&@%!] and they are just a chore to fight. Dodge, dodge, hit or block, backstep, dodge and hit or backstab. They are tanky and predictable.

I defeated Gank Squad. A darn fun fight despite it making me salty at times. It was a close fight. The first one is always easy to beat as long as I keep it on the platform. The other two are just a case of dodging and attacking without being greedy. I love how their shields get stuck in the wall. Tis a nice touch and as a gank boss(may have said it already), it is a darn good one. No real [&@%!], just strength in numbers. Fought Gankgoyles and it was a fun fight. I can see why some folks hate it but it's a fun throwback. the only move I view as cheap is flamebreath spam.

I discovered why NPC invaders are hated. That sinner one in the belltower was [&@%!] [&@%!]! He riposted me from the front. No parrying and was an instant kill. Unless no staminia means this can happen, this is cheating [&@%!]! It seemed to be a frontal backstab. THat's.... That's bed of chaos [&@%!].

If it weren't for Lucatiel, I would have gone on on one with Lost Sinner. It just feels natural to use Jester Thomas. I know it cheapens the fight. Same with Iron Golem and Tarkus but it feels right for me.

I kinda hate Shaded Woods. Not really fun to fight in. I mean, the ruins are ok but not that fun. The misty area is just cheap. I have two choices now: Continue with this path or attempt Mordor.. i mean, the deadland... i mean Iron Keep.

Which reallly doesn't make sense. I mean, Earthen Peak has no external indication it's below it and it seems to be the case.

If you're into your poisoning keep a lookout for the Scorpion Stinger. Make that Raw and it's a real monster of a weapon.

I've always considered the ballista to be a bit of a red herring. I prefer to fight the Pursuer in the large open area he (?) first appears in. Plenty of room there to keep moving around. I find if you keep back-pedalling in a wide circle then that fight gets much easier.

Yes, very true Tim. Like, it is always better to fight him in the open arena, but you only get one chance and your severly lower in level.. but if you can DODGE then I see no harm

And ya, it is a bit of a bait. Sure sure, its nice to have.. but that arena suits him more than it does you, and he can also break the ballistas easily.

Generally, by the time I fight him, I already have beaten Dragonrider and Dragonslayer, and after pre-persurer, I go Last Giant. I know, a bit out of order, but I typically just hop between both areas for certain gear I need for the other.

I.e I start off with the Forest till I get far enough, then hop over to beat Heide's Tower or whatever, then hop back with my juicy souls to pick up where I left off

The Prison or whatever its called, I do a similar treatment. I progress it from both sides, via the boat and nest. But at least there, it's all one spot

True. It's a massive trap for players to rely on just the bolts and does a good job of teaching you the value of dodging. It's always feels good to parry him, use it or just parrying him and wailing on him.

The misty woods can go [&@%!] themselves. Invisible enemies that backstab are [&@%!]. Cheap, [&@%!] at it's finest. Even with the ring that is said to help see them, they are [&@%!]. Faced Scorpion Najika and Prowling Magnus today(after repeated deaths in ganky woods).

Scorpion is an average fight. Really disappointed by Prowling magnus. Admittly, it may be because Benhart breaks the fight but I think he is the other NPC with a sidequest. Just really easy with magic.

I dont get why your having such trouble with the Shaded Woods. If your scared, there are two torso armor sets that negate backstabs, as well as a ring. That, or just know how to bait them into a more advantagous position i.e by the cliffs or walls. Since they will almost always go for a backstab to initiate combat, their predictable. If their too much.. idk, learn how to run good? That area isnt hard or large, and a lil low on shades

Najika is alright, really only some of her spells or her ambushes are problematic. Magus tho? Ya, their suppose to be an easy boss, the welcoming commitee to the spider's den i.e where stuff gets alot harder. There are invasions that are tougher than them chaps.. so I feel no guilt using Benhart for this throwaway fight

Btw, did you pass through one of the rat routes? Where all the traps and totally-not-dwarves were? There is alot of cool and nice stuff there, as well as an optional boss. And speaking of rats.. Did you find ladder guy in the poison windmill spot? Because knowing you, ya might want him. On the level, he can unlock a shortcut, where as later, he'll help your descent into the pit

I can barely see the invisible gank squad and they love to fish for backstabs. I even resorted to the donk you club and it does feel good to squash them. It's a really cheap enemy and easily the worst in the game imo. No challenge, just gimmicky cheap backstab spam. Worse, I spent an hour trying to locate the boss then discovered it was in the ruins. >.< So much salt occured. I wouldn't mind if they attacked and retreated into the mist quickly or used the mist etc... Just being invisible is lazy and cheap. I rather face Bonewheels in that forrest. At least they provide a fair challenge.

Najika's a decent fight. It's the magic that I always had issues with due to me just always failing to dodge it in time. Standing on the stone is something I used to stop her burrowing surprise attack as she always tracked me down. It opens her up to a few strikes. Almost killed me a few times in the final attempt but I succeeded.

Thought that would be the case. I can see what they were trying to do but it's too easy. Magic wrecks them quickly, Benhart turns it into a minute long fight. That's how long it took for me to kill and I only used Great Soul Arrow. The spiders are easy and I did go through the mines of Mor... Pharos. No Balrog inside though but it has the Wheel dealing, mead drinking, Gavlan!

Found ladder guy and unlike last time, I will use his ladders to get into ganky rat hell. I've heard all about the rat boss. Toxic spam, toxic gank and just because toxic wasn't deadly enough, even more toxic.

It seems that a shield does nullify backstabs. Either it was a glitch or backstabs are reduced to nothing if one has it on their back. Shaded woods is the most tedious area in the game for me. Iron Keep seems rather neat and the knights are a good challenge for this build of magic melee tank. Techincally not capable of tanking but can afford to trade blows. 1100hp, 35int, 16 dex, 18 strng, 25vit, 20end. Aiming to get Strg up to 20 then shall focus on attunement. I do have a few rings that grant additional slots. Once I get it to 20 or 25, I'll likely do 5 points of intl then dump everything into strng.

There are 2 Rat Bosses in the game. iirc the one down the well uses petrification, toxic is the other one. For the one down the well (which imo is a pretty fun Boss fight) I'd recommend a weapon that can reliably hit along the floor in a cramped area. I went with the Warped Sword which wasn't totally ideal but did the job well enough.

Also I second the advice to just run through the 'invisible guys' Shaded Wood area. I always inch along the hill/cliff/wall side until spotted then sprint for the next exit.

All this talk of DS2 has got me wanting to do another playthrough. I got it for XB1 a few weeks ago but can't download the patch until June. Gah.

Big tip for attunement and spell casts, some armors do provide a boost to them. So keep an eye out for them, especially hoods

Also, the Grave of Saints(to where you fight the rat swarm) is a lovely PVP spot, but aside from that, it's relatively tame, especially for range fights.

Doors of Pharros though, had alot more to explore, more than just toxic rats(i.e axe throwing dwarves anybody?) and the boss, while not necessary, isnt too bad. Frankly alot easier than the swarm, but thats just the nature of these kinds of bosses. You also get access to a new covenant, if that's your fancy. Also, ya can get that spear I talked about in this area, as well as an early fight againt weapon-breaking elephants

Really tho, the reason I kept on ya about the ladders is for a few things. One, I knew you would need it, less ya die from platfroming(especially bc weight does contribute to fall damage). It also helps with the loots and especially to that locked door, which once ya got the key, gives good, good stuff. Ut also makes getting to the Gutter or Grave that much easier for some spare souls, so ya know, worth it

Honestly, not gonna lie, cant wait till ya reach mid-late, and see how you deal with this one optional boss well, two actually. One is gonna fuel just pure rage, the other gonna have ya scratching your head thinking its impossible
--
@Tim: Ya, the rat swarm, or whatever their called. Your best bet for melee is something that can sweep and do alot of good damage. I lucked out since my fire longsword did the job, but if I was to be honest, there are otger early tier weapons that could do better. Great and ultra greatswords tho, while it woulf shred through the fodder like nothing and the hyper poise will stop ya from being interrupted, it's not the raw damage ya gotta worry about.. slow weapons dont do good againt swarms with status effects. They just dont

Also, Tim, not gonna lie, pyromancy is the one and only true way to kill a rat >:D seriously, the AOE variety just, well, works. Still, one hell of a fun early boss. And fun area too.

The whole gimmick of the covenant just, benefits more from this area than it does DoP. It's smaller, easier to bottleneck, traps are alot more consistent, and the whole goal of the encounter just.. so much yes. The covenant player trying to stop you from intruding i.e your literally the invader and on his turf(figuratively and literally), while your sole goal doesnt even need to be to kill the covenant player, if you can just make it to the finish line i.e right by the boss door, you win. And when you return back to your hosted world, your still at that boss door, like nothing ever happened.

SERIOUSLY, this is how you do defensive invasions right. None of the gank forest. None of the gravelording troll. Like, I can welcome some covenants that boost certain areas into clear pvp hotspots(belltowers, ect), but.. I also really like having spots where the player is forces to fight an uphill battle alone, where its alot more personal and gives depth to why said covenant exists

I have a vague memory of going into that fight with the Falchion initially and having problems with it catching on the scenery. Maybe due to all my characters having really low poise, or maybe I misremember, I dunno. Anyway the Warped Sword has a vertical floor to ceiling swipe so I used that instead.

tbh I never really got on with magic in DS2.
Apart from that one bit:

Falchion hits too high for rats, so you got less of a target range at your disposal. I also never really used the warped curve sword for actual combat, so idk, maybe I'm just bias

Oh. Ya, the Dark Chasms are soooo nice of a challenge and borderline necessary for magic spam. Like, it's one thing to have hella tough enemies.. another when you take that AND the high probability of a misstep resulting in a fall to your deal. But oh! Dont worry, thats only for you, AI's can still run at you and never slip Personally, I'm glad I never had to deal with invaders in that zone. On one side, they could absolutely help you progress, on the other.. your fate is already sealed if they deem it. Still tho.. gotta love that black style ♡ I wished DS3 used it a bit

Also, I've said this before, but magic/hexes specifically(bc of the generious array of types and castings) are the defacto easy way to the game. It's geared towards trouble enemies and has spells that almost can ruin a boss's win streak, and if you so deem it, the range it provides is ripe to abuse the AI's navigation(where as pyromancy lacks much of the range or spam-capacity).

I still relied a fair bit more into my high stamina-Dex build, and I never got complacent enough to tank any hits that I could absolutely dodge. I think the only time I really used my staff as a crutch is when fighting some of the dlc bosses, and frankly.. as a solo most of the time.. do you blame me?

At least in PVP, magic is so predictable and easy to dodge, at least for duels. But you know what isnt? Longsword moveset. The amount of times I quickly switch to two hand and catch folks with those thrusts or backsteps. Sure, I love a buff falchion but I also love my longsword better

I did the sucide run through the forrest. Wasn't worth it. I faced Duke's Dearest Freja and what a disappointing boss. Ok, she gave me some issues but it was only because I was figuring her out. I kept to her side and run away from the beam then wailed on her. The spiders were easy to kill with my flaming sword. Just disappointing and for a great soul boss(Granted, it's not actually the boss itself). Just cleaning up Earthen Peak and a lot of stupid mistakes were made. >.< First time for this playthrough, lost all the souls. Not mad. Just disappointed at myself. Just the Iron keep left. Explored the doors of Pharos and it seems that I'll need a lot of stones.

Got invaded by that bowman NPC. Kinda useless when he is up against the wall. It wasn't intentionally but I killed him via wall to his back and wailing on him.

I think Smelter Demon is now cause for resistant fire shield(the silver kite one) and flash sweat along with a new weapon. I know he is optional but I owe it to myself to conquer him. Imminent salt ahead.

Feja is alright. She's one of the later Great Bosses most folks fight, but generally by that time your already dishing out more than enough damage. It's really her area and the local enemies that are more of a trouble than her. And speaking of such, the boss fight itself. At high levels she's a beast, and ya also gotta be very careful because both her hit boxes have a softcap on total damage they can take. If for whatever reason that threshhold is met before the boss healthbar is at zero, ya no, she's unkillable

Ya mean the Pharros stones? Ya you only need a few, like, ever. Some areas in the games have hidden loot/rooms, or entire paths, special boons(i.e healing spa bath) or just, as is frequent.. traps or just wastes. Like, back in the Warf, there is a slot that activates the giant ball-latern, lighting the whole area and scaring off the dark creepers. If you arent afraid of spoilers, your best off using this https://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/ ... +Lockstone

That invader is unique, but meh. He'll only invade if your offline, but like, he's no replacement for actual PVP. Would have been better if, while offline and the boss hasnt been defeated, your given a random assortment of NPC invaders you will have to fend off. Like, say, randomly one of 5 are chosen, and once dead their out of the queue. Most folks might only ever see just the one, but subsequent runs/deaths may result in a new fighter

Smelter Demon isnt optional. Where did you get that? He's necessaey if you ever want to go deeper into the Iron Keep.

^ Pretty sure you can turn the Iron Keep furnace off then climb up a ladder and avoid the Smelter Demon entirely.

@dov: The Doors of Pharros - nearly all of those 'doors' are a complete waste of time (I think some of them have to do with PvP). Really recommend you look at the 'Doors of Pharros' wiki page off the above link and carefully pick out the ones you really want to open.

The link I provided states all of the locks, namely those with positive results, or in the case of DoP/GoS, the various traps. DoP tho does have some nice hidden loot as well as how to get the most profit with less keys

FYI, DoF makes for a good farm location. Lots of soul potential,.and excess loot is convenient to sell. I believe the next best spot is by the Castle, with the statues and sentinels. [&@%!] of a place though to be invaded at..

Ah, ya. Forgot about that. The side path isnt always so obvious. Still highly recommended to fight him though, due in part to: the bonfire you'll get. Progress on Lucatiel's quest. And the souls, boss weapon, and fire resistant armor

I think I've got most of the good stuff and I'll see if I can take on Toxic Rat Hell. I fought Smelter a few times and I died. A lot. Fire resistant Drangleic shield, a reinforced magic [&@%!] +4 sword is my currently set up for melee. The flame sword was getting a bit boring and I like the [&@%!] sword. Not overpowered this time around. Smelter seems to not like it. It also seems to love kicking my arse. Facing down the Balrog of Iron and dodge central it is. I am so glad that there is a bonfire near it. I just poison arrow my way through the ironclads and knights. It is fun to lower two of them into the molten steel/lava though.

I am really hestitate to use Lucatiel on Smelter because she won't last long. Smelter hits hard, hits fast and this is original Lucatiel. if this was tanky Lucatiel that is said to laugh off his damage that would wipe out even pure melee tanks that can laugh off most hits, I would use her.

Freja's spider is an alright fight, I agree. The spiders are there as a distraction and really, the biggest challenge is just figuring out the best way to hurt her. The mages gave me the most trouble in the area because of homing soul arrows but it turns out attacking someone who can hurl Great Soul Arrows faster then you can cast them is a bad idea.

I saved Pate and the [&@%!] gave me a trapped chest!

I.... I discovered Steel Mimics. Touché, From. Though the hit detection is [&@%!]. It ate me despite me being away from it's mouth. So, I used Great Soul Arrow spam to avoid such a fate again.

Just, read up the strats here. Seriously. https://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Smelter+Demon

Also, idk what your on about for patched npc's HP. Like, they ARE tanky now. They have ALOT more health than you do, thats literally what I've told ya before. The dlc or SoTFS dont change or help that. Sure. Most NPCs cant survive a boss fight fight on their own, so it's up to you to pull in some effort. If you rely too heavily on them, they'll die, simple fact.

General tip if you, haul ass through the first stage of the boss's health fast before they get a chance to wear down you or your summon. Later stages you'll just need to (and seriously here) get gud. Like, really. Know the boss's movesets and actually fight. For Smelter Demon, I always finished it with Lucatiel at a 3rd of her health, and keep in mind, Iron Keep was my go-to 2nd Great soul, not 3rd or 4th

I just heard that she gets a lot of health afterwards. I'll try her on Smelter but I have litlte hope for her surviving. I'll try to kick his ass quickly. I didn't realise Duke's Dear Freja would be my second Greatsoul. Disappointing for a Greatsoul boss and I kinda want to fight a dragon in that area instead. Iron King is disappointing. I just have to dodge his attacks, whittle his health down and repeat. Probably ditch the shield. The only boss with a Greatsoul that I find to be excellent is Lost Sinner. Aggressive, barely gives you breathing room and it's a simple duel to the death.

Duke's Dear Freja is just alright. Iron King telegraphs most of his attacks and dodging is timing based. Iron King should have been the Dark Souls answer to the Balrog. I mean, imagine having to fight him on a bridge with him wielding a giant flaming sword.

Smelter, I shall return as I think with a much higher strength and longer endurance, I can do it. That and magic is where I want to it to be. Almost 40, using soul arrows of all kinds and a bit of pyromancy. Dodging mostly, blocking when I have to and using different weapons every now and then. I kinda wimped out on Iron Keep and used Poison Arrow spam. I am gud and should be ashamed for this cheap tatic.

The real 'boss' there is that little lava hole in the walkway.

Did you look up? I think she beat you to it. :/

I remember. In fact that was one of the reasons I had a play around with magic on DS2. Didn't really appeal to me then, but I will probably have another go come June. I mean DS isn't really DS if you don't at least dabble a little in the Forbidden Legacy of Lost Oolacile, non?

Well if you know a way to magically cheese the Fume Knight then I'm all ears. Also I find Elana* gets really really difficult from NG+ onwards. So: also in the market for some... erm 'magical cheese' for her.

* edit: forgot her name...

That hole thwarted me. A quarter of a lifebar left and I felt to my doom. Easy boss, just dodge and attack. It does cheat though via hitting through the wall. Not even a solid wall seems to be safe from the Balrog's flame. Against all common sense, it turns out you can roll through the flaming breath.

Destroyed the Rotten. Meh fight but only because of Lucatiel and the other NPC. I really hope she didn't kill herself just before despawning as I lost the other phantom because he felt it was smart to stand in teh fire.

I entered Drangleic castle and did a dumb mistake. I ran into the nearest room and got cornered after an ambush. >.<

I mean, there are a good deal of high damage spells you can use, be it sorceries(crystal/soul spear, soul geyser, spam great heavy soul arrow) and/or hexes(Great Resonant Soul, spam dark orb) and any number of shield/weapon buffs(great magic shield is bae when you need it) It especially helps that with high enough attunement and the right gear, you basically can have multiple stacked spells on top of how generious with castings they are in the first place. Spells for days? Spells for days ^-^ Also, some of the consumable herbs(amber, twilight, dusk) help to prolong the DPS by refreshing some of your spells, specifically, the high damaging ones.

And yes, Elana is how you spell her name. She's almost as hard as the actual final boss(just alot easier to target ), she doesnt play around(especially one of her summons) I mean, you could try and cheese her the same way ;>.> but I mostly relied on melee for her, relying on magic when she was out of range. I've helped be summoned twice with other players, but frankly, traffic was so low I was lucky enough for that ;-;

And sure sure, some really tough bosses I had to resort to multiple spell refreshes.. Ancient Dragon, Vendrick, Ivory King. But really tho, even with such a massive boost to damage output, ya just cant cheese Fume the same way. I had to rely on this wonderful player summon, like.. 7 or 9 times we tried. We even once switched up our loadouts to compliment one another. We eventually got it down to a pattern

He was a strength, faith build. On the round we finally won, before entering, he would buff with a spell and the buff with a special weapon, and whenever we BOTH had a break in the fight he would heal us both. He was mostly in the defense, and focused more on the melee combat. I on the other hand, had the burst damage with my spells but would push in to act as bait in between combos so that my mate could recover some stamina and resume. When it came to the pyromancy orbs, he normally stuck behind me. Not bc even we tried, eventually we would get hit by one of em.. but I specifically brought a shielf I would switch to, buff up, and use to negate MOST of the damage.. basically tanking that for him. It was suuuuuch a sweaty match too, because we got down to just his heal spells(I gave him LOADS of spices since I farm them, and bc seriously, dude was a savior by sticking around to help) really tho, the saving grace was learning what we could confidently dodge, what combos we needed to disengage from, and what distance was best to avoid the orbs and sneak in a heal/buff. Also, OP shields for when that one strike is coming up, and you aint dodging it for your life

I used Soul Spear on the Iron King. It was a good spell though, it is too limited. Magic and the magic [&@%!] won the fight.

I fought Toxic Rat hell today. For a boss that has a reputation for being cheesy,cheap bs, it's not really that much. Granted, it is likely becuse I am over level 100 and can dish out a lot of damage with my spells or sword but it's the ultimate gank squad. It was a tense fight though(thanks to Invader NPC who had invisible weapons and it taking up a few lifegems). Just lots of toxic rats but I won in the end. On the first attempt. The boss itself is rather weak but again, could be because i'm overpowered for it.

Drangleic castle, I shall take my time to explore. I can't really justify the use of the herbs because I just don't run into situations where I wish I had spells. I mean, it could be because I like to use it as a bit of a sniper/shotgun to soften up foes before getting closer but never really ran out and it causing me issues. I'm guessing the DLC bosses rectify that.

Double post because, well, I'm being a lazy [&@%!] and not editing in.

I er... made a concerning discovery today. Dark Souls II seems to have corrupted the save. The bonfires went iffy in the warp screen and had several ??? in some locations. E.g. Sinner's rise. I also kinda got real bored at this point and that pushed me to do a new character. After deleting everything as a precaution. Sorcerer again but using magic as the primary weapon with melee to fallback on. Tis fun again and i had quite an interesting situation occur in Forrest of the Fallen Giants.

In the room with the soldiers and bolt throwers, the soldiers shot their own man! All 4-5 shot at once and that was a really interesting thing to occur. I mean, i don't think i've ever seen the AI in this or the others accidentally do it and I was away from it.

Gonna to keep in mind strike/thrust/slash weapons to vary it and for different foes. A club in Hiede's is my most damaging weapon whilst a broadsword in Deadman's Wharf is that. Outside of magic. Dragonrider is easy as usual. Last Giant killed me once because I thought i was out of range and only one death due to me being a bit meh. Doing Fashion Souls and buying equipment from the armour guy. Infranty coat with imported trousers and gloves seems neat. Got Old knight armour atm but due to it's weight, either swap it out for knight armour or pick leather if I decide to go through ironclad area. After i've beaten up Fexile Sentry.


I faced Dragonriders and really? This is a boss? A reused boss? Why? The first one is easy. This is only a bit more diffcult because of arrow man and he doesn't really stick to arrows.

Is it me or are some of the spells really underwhelming? Soul Spear is a letdown for the damage it does and Soul Vortex is meh.

That happens when you talk to the Queen.
??? are bonfires you haven't discovered yet.

Personally I found magic in DS2 a bit blah compared with the fun I had with it on DS1. Maybe From nerfed it a little, I dunno. I will give it another go as soon as I can d/l the patch but I'm not expecting miracles. If you know what I mean.