Dark Souls 3 - April 2016 : You Died, You Died, You Died

Dragonslayer Armour, I got him close to one hit away from defeat my first time, but felt confident enough that I could do it again that I just summoned Egon to get it over with. Now I'm at Grand Archives, and it's a bit more ... mysterious. I have a feeling there is a lot to find/defeat.

Oh, also will need to double back to the Painted World at some point, plus Consumed King's Garden, which I briefly popped into earlier.

> I'm at Grand Archives

home to an all time great contextual action button prompt

Dip head in wax?

yep

somewhat surprised with how much less i remember about ds3 vs ds1, despite having played 3 more recently than 1

What I love about this game is that when faced with the prompt "dip head in wax," you just do it. It never says why to do it, you just know it's the right thing to do. And you may never learn why. But in this case, you do.

dipping your head in wax is, in fact, u&k

Recently learned by accident that if you quit out when your head is covered in wax, it shows on the character load menu next time.

When do I tackle the DLC? Before or after main game? Snowy place was introduced hours and several bosses ago.

After, tbh. It's tuned for that imo, maybe they put the guy in the chapel for lore reasons.

Gotta say, I love how inscrutable all the lore is.

i think I'm creeping toward the (a?) end, give or take the DLC and some other stuff. I just killed three fat angel-monsters on the top of a roof, there's a big staircase full of enemies on the way to what must be a boss in the Grand Archives. Plus there's a swamp to explore near/under Lothric Castle. Then I need to do snow land and ... some other DLC. Ringed City? I'm sure there's another final boss, too. I've got a black knight sword up to +5, my claymore (which seems to do less damage than the BKS but has a slightly faster moveset, plus can be buffed, which I generally don't do) up to +8, plus a host of other weapons I can upgrade if I want. My stats are creeping up with each round, too, but not sure how much they matter at this point. In a sense once you hit a level where you no longer need to bother with a shield that pretty much means you're ready for anything this game can throw at you, imo.

Btw, DS3 seems to have more than a few enemies that appear to be on par with a boss, in terms of difficulty and damage they do. I suppose just slightly less HP and no dramatic music.

Now those twin princes ... those dudes are tough. May wait to take them on tomorrow.

Oof, this boss. This might be the first one this game to make me feel seriously underpowered. I'm not, of course, but it's just kicking my ass in a way that no other DS3 boss has really done it. Doesn't appear to be a summon sign for this one, either (and for that matter this may be the first/only boss that talks to you/taunts you), so I guess I'm on my own. I've made it to the second stage once or twice so at least I know that part is possible, but ... yeah, I need to figure this one out.

OK, a primo example of non-intuitive (afaict) DS3 bullshittery. After dying to the Two Princes ... a bunch, I decide to ember up and find the summon sign. There is always a summon sign. But ... not this time. Die a bunch more and finally decide to see what's up. I look it up and it turns out there is no summons because I did not complete the Sirris quest. (Who I forgot existed. I met her once in Firelink, and like everyone else there she vanished, so I figured that was that.) Fine, gotta do the Sirris quest if I want any help. Now, I don't play embered, because I die too much, but it turns out there is a summons sign on the bridge to Irytthal, after you kill the wolf dog. I find it, *she* summons *me* (is this new to DS3?), I kick the other NPC's ass, and she thanks me. Now it turns out that first I have to go back to Firelink and have her thank me *again*. Um, ok. Then it turns out there is a *second* quest, and that I need to be summoned *again* outside of where I killed the Giant Tree. Fine, I do that and help her. Then you have to go back to Firelink *again* and have her pledge loyalty. OK, good to go! Except ... her summon is still not there. Because it turns out first I need to go back to the one place where I killed Hodrick and grab his armor, and *then* I have to go to a grave outside Firelink and grab his shield. Or so I assume, because I haven't tried for the Twins again.

Now, how was I supposed to know to do all that? Even if I was playing embered I don't think it would have triggered all these things I needed to do, I had to know I needed to backtrack, afaict. And that's probably true, I suppose, for all of the other Firelink peeps that have vanished.

I think there's a version in which there are a lot more people there, but the npc questlines are pretty inscrutable in this version (I think many require some degree of backtracking, which there's usually no other reason to do).

After my first playthrough the only one I bother with is Sirris, because I can't live without the silvercat ring.

― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, January 14, 2020 9:28 AM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

And as you know, all bosses can be beaten solo if you learn their patterns. :)

Oh, I've beaten most solo. I've only summoned once or twice after getting bored, usually of the walk back to the boss.

My equipped rings are usually endurance boost, Havel, ring of favor and then some other ring. For Twin Princes I've also used the one for more I frames, or the estus boost. But they kill me pretty quickly.

The biggest problem I've had with the Twin Princes is, either by design or, er, lack of design, camera-related. That is, the boss keeps popping up some distance away from me, but behind me, which is to say, behind the camera, so I have to spin or tumble around wildly looking for it, and that's when it teleports and kills me, or unleashes that blast and kills me. At first I thought a better shield would help, and it does, to some extent. But managing endurance seems to be a bigger issue, to let me repeatedly tumble away to safety. Even Sirris (who I think is meant/guaranteed to die midway through the fight) gives only a little boost of help, in the first stage. But if every other time I've summoned for help has made a fight pretty easy, this is the first time it only makes it a little easier. But still not easy! I'm sure I'll defeat them today, but boy am I sick of taking that elevator up and making sure it is primed to take me the correct direction again after I die.

It's been ages since I've done this fight, but from what I remember it's best done without locking on (because of the teleporting). You get better camera control this way but it takes a little practice. Also I believe you have to be extremely non-greedy, I remember limiting myself to one hit at a time (except when he's down and you're desperately trying to damage the paraplegic prince, of course).

I have no idea why, but this boss is giving me more trouble than literally any boss in DS1 or DS3 so far, except for maybe Artorias of the Abyss. But will definitely try keeping lock off.

Watched someone do it and the big things seem to be 1) only doing 1 hit at a time, because he counterattacks so quickly, and you don't want to be trading hits or not have enough endurance to roll, and 2) surviving those homing magic missiles at the beginning of the second phase, and then staying as close as possible so he doesn't keep casting them?

Also things like rolling into him rather than away, so that you can get in a swing between his attacks.

So far I've had the best luck after summoning, since Sirris bears the brunt of some of the attacks and allows me to conserve estus. But still doesn't seal the deal! (And of course adds HP to the enemy.) I tried buffing my claymore with lightning (right now, +10 heavy) but that's not much of a help. I've had better luck with the unbuffed claymore, or usually the black knight sword. Rolling is better than blocking, so I haven't really bothered with a shield. But I do seem to be making progress, in that often I make it to the second stage before dying. Hmm, maybe I'll try some different combos of rings? Ultimately I think my dodging of this guy is just off, so maybe I'll face it a few more times just to practice rolling and get out of the bad habit of panic rolling.

this is more like it. it’s been quite demoralising seeing you go through saying how do i do this, how do i do that, and then beating bosses in about five goes. weeks, *weeks* it took me sometimes.

i did just end up getting the rhythm of this boss, once you start getting past the first stage every time you know you’re going to be ok - Jordan otm when he says don’t get too greedy.

OK, I got them down this morning in two final tries (which was my plan). I played embered but with no summon (since the added boss HP was doing me no favors). I had been rolling too much, vs. just rolling once or twice as needed, so indeed I just followed the pattern and calmly avoided attacks. Dodge, hit, dodge dodge, hit, back away, dodge, hit, etc. Had the green crest shield on my back to help with endurance. I tested the approach this morning before I took my kid to school, and it got me pretty far, so when I faced them the second time I knew I could do it. And did it. One key was to hide behind the pillars (which I suppose were there for a reason lol) whenever the second stage shot all that magic at me. When I eventually staggered him off his brother and I saw how low his HP was it was totally exhilarating, which is what it's supposed to do. Dunno why, exactly, but DS3 seems to have a lot more personality than DS1, in enemy and level design, especially this end-game stuff.

Not sure where the game is going now, exactly. Offered the cinders, Firelink is now dark and empty. Does that mean I can't buy or upgrade anything anymore? I know I can go to the big end boss, or the snowy DLC, or all of the earlier parts of the game, but that last choice doesn't really seem to have a point if souls are no longer really an issue. Though I did burn through a lot of my embers in all those Twin Princes attempts, for whatever that is worth. Either way, I'm giving it a break for a couple of days.

Oh, wait, there is a swamp under Lothric to explore, iirc. Must be optional, but I'll opt to do it.

Nice, that's the way you do it!

The swampy garden is a prerequisite to the two secret areas/bosses in the game.

Actually three secret bosses, and one of the areas is pretty big & cool

But am I right that there is nothing to do with souls anymore/no way to spend them? With Firelink shut down ...

Nah I don't think that's the 'real' firelink, it's the "Kiln of the First Flame" that leads to the last boss. You should still be able to get back to good ol' Firelink.

But there's no Andre or Firekeeper afaict ...

oh wait I think I understand. I will check later.

"Now, how was I supposed to know to do all that?" is the true DS motto

Seriously. After killing the boss in the swamp/garden you're given this dragon gesture to add to your repertoire. I was under the impression I needed to fight a dragon in this game at some point, and having made it close to the end with no real dragon battle I decide to figure out what I was missing. It turns out you're supposed to go back to a balcony in a much earlier level and then make the gesture there to unlock a new area with the dragon boss at the end. Now, how was I supposed to know to do all that?

(See also: how to find Champion Gundyr and Nameless King, two other optional bosses whose reputation preceded them.)

The dragon-human statue with a conspicuously empty mat next to it was def a tip-off, I tried all my sitting gestures next to it the first time around (but only because of the crow's nest in DS1).

But did you know, many hours later, to go back there and try again?

When I eventually found the gesture called 'Path of the Dragon' with the exact same pose, yes!

(there was a quest in DS1 to turn into dragon form too btw)

Huh, I must have missed dragon quest in the first game, too. (Though I do recall fighting a dragon!) My attention of detail is just not good enough to remember that kind of stuff when I play through. I'm usually very focused on forward momentum. In fact, there are already some moments, enemies and levels I've almost totally forgotten in DS3, and when I'm reminded I suddenly flash back and recall, oh yeah, I did spend a lot of time in Spooky Town, didn't I? In a lot of ways that's another pleasure of the game, looking back at stuff you struggled with earlier and finding none of it a real threat anymore.

lol Ancient Wyvern, more like Ancient Cheese. I might have been embered, but is the "try plunge attack" note permanent? Because the hardest thing about the boss is not the boss, it's those other enemies you have to mow down first to get to your perch. I did die a few times, but not to the giant fire breathing dragon (for once), I think it was mostly Death by Impatience.

I've bungled the plunge more than once (like if the dragon is in the wrong position, or you run off instead of jump), which is hilariously anti-climactic

The first time I totally coyote vs roadrunnered it and died on impact, it was pretty funny.

OK, so Nameless King is one of ... *those* bosses. Having died to him a bunch already I can see why they made him optional! He takes away HP like a tank, making estus management paramount.
On the plus side, his dragon is getting a little easier. Turns out my black knight sword can stagger it! (Or so it appears.)

I think I'll take this guy out eventually, move on the Ashes of Snowville, then to the "final" boss, then to the Ringed City DLC, in that order.

I remember phase 2 being another one of those "one swing ONLY" bosses

Ive been trying various combos of rings and lightning resistant stuff, like the lothric knight shield. I've tried a few different swords, too, having read that straight swords are he way to go, but honestly my claymore+10 and BKS+5 seem to kill the dragon faster, and the latter got him down to 50% ... once.

OK, got him close to done a couple of times. That lightning bolt strike of his is brutal!

I haven't fought him since my first playthrough, but have gotten really used to the timing of that since lots of players like to use his weapon. It can be backstabbed in pvp, I don't know that I would try it on the boss though. :)

I suppose I do appreciate this level of challenge. There's a lot at play here. Do I go with a heavier shield for defense against attacks, at cost to my ability to dodge? Or do I go a little lighter, even though said dodges are hard (for me). I'm pretty comfortable with the black knight sword, so I think I'll stick with that, though I have experimented with my claymore and even the lothric knight sword (which is lighter and faster but even upgraded does less damage). Hmm ... I think the two times I've almost gotten him I got greedy and went for an extra attack when I should have hung back and healed. Stamina/health management seems to be key with this guy.

OK, came pretty close again today. I think I've concluded that better to go light and nimble than heavy. The last several attempts I've just gone in two-handed with a lothric knight shield on my back, and that seems to be working the best. Roll, hit, roll, roll, hit, get hit, roll away, heal. Repeat, etc.