[PC/360/PS3] Dark Souls

[Roman]

Finally beat Fatty and Skinny tonight on my own. Feels great.
Also beat the 2 demons at the bottom of Sens. Was able to get Queelags fury sword up to +4 !!!

Any tips you can offer on Fatty and Skinny?  I've been getting summoned to try to get humanity to summon my own help for this fight and have yet to be part of a successful fight on these guys.

I'll take a stab at it. It litterally took me like 50 times - from attempt 40 thru 50 I was killing Skinny a ton but dying on Fatty.

This what worked for me:

I rested at the 1st bonfire because it allowed me to have 10 refills on my estus. The lower bonfire only allowed me to refill to 5!
I also just ran by the 2 knights at the top of the 1st stairs and kept to the right hand side of th cathedral and ran by the 2 other huge guys to avoid all damage (all 4 respawn) You need to be very light in order to run the gauntlet each time.

Armor: Gold Hemmed - OR anything super light. I also have the Shadow (ninja) set but the defense on the Gold Hemmed was better
Shield: Spider shield of all things - light and blocks %100. I tried larger shields to increase my poise (knock back ability) but ended up just rolling away rather than sit and take it.
Weapons: +5 RAW Gargoyles Halberd for 'quick' chops at each opportunity with skinny & +3 Queelags Fury Sword for up close multiple hits.
I also have 10 +2 estus flasks.

When I entered I immediately have my guard up and watch Skinny - 9 times out of 10 he will zoom right up. You can take the hit or roll. Once he is done his attack I hit back. And back away. By this time Fatty is close so I keep target on Skinny and back away (circle if possible) keeping the pillars between fatty and skinny.
Rinse and repeat at each chance to inflict damage on skinny. Do not try more than 1 hit- at least in my experience.

I cheesed the Fatty fight by standing behind a pillar and waited for him to slam with his hammer - back up once he swings down & I would then run around and get 1 hit with my halberd while he was lifting it back up - this way I was not too close.
He tried to do the 'push the hammer along the ground attack' but he could not get past the pillar.

Rinse and repeat. I went into that battle with 7 flasks - so I did very well to get there.

Hope this helps.


I tried lightning spear and fire spear to no avail. Soul arrows took too long and the lock on is iffy at the best of times.

[Doopri]

i used a great shield to soak up the damage - upgrade that a few times

also if you do it co-op - have one guy "tank" or "kite" one of the baddies.  basically just keep ones attention and keep it far away while the other person or people take care of the other guy.  so the person keeping one occupied doesnt even have to worry about attacking - just blocking and keeping the guy away.

also, if you get one human summon and want a third but cant get one, theres an npc.  when youre facing the fog gate, turn around 180 degrees.  up the righthand stairway (the short, first part of it - not all the way up) there should be a summon on the platform that will get you an npc who seems to be decent at tanking.  hope this helps!  you can take some of this advice into co-op as well and hopefully get better results.

if youre co-op host, worry most about staying alive and keeping your partners alive - you can attack, but youll do much better to support.  good luck!  hopefully youll see me on as i was dropping a lot of summons in AL - though now i might be going evil for a bit... gravelord anyone?

[Qantaga]

I'm quite a bit behind most, due to work travel the past few weeks, but I'm having a great time with the game.
   
I was reminded over the weekend why I love the game so much.
   
I was down in the Depths, heading for the Giant Rat, when I fell down a hole into the midst of half a dozen big-eyed frog-thingies. I was immediately cursed and, then, dead.
   
Well, I was carrying about 12k souls at the time (enough for a couple skill bumps at my level) because I had already dispatched of the butchers and didn't think there was anything that would impede my progress back to my souls should anything surprise me. I should know better by now (after Demons' Souls and my early foray into Dark Souls).
   
So, I'm cursed and need to make my way back to the gargoyle's tower to buy a Purging Stone (or whatever it is called), but I have to try to get back to the souls that I lost. The problem was I had no idea where they were, since I died down in the hole. I knew that I didn't want to go back through that hole, so I explored until I finally found the hidden ladder leading down into the under area of the Depths.
 
It was nerve-wracking with all the rats and froggys down there, lurking around each corner. If I died while exploring down there, those 12k souls were gone (not a big deal, but still worth trying for at my level). I finally figured out that the smoke from the froggys was the cause of the curse and learned how to avoid it. After multiple hallways, corners, and stairs, I finally came to the spot where all the froggys were lurking. Taking them out one by one, and nervous as a cat that I might get cursed a second time (if that is even possible, but I sure didn't want to find out), I finally dispatched them and turned the corner to see the glorious green glow of my souls.
   
Then, I made my way back through the familiar territory (still having to be alert, since I was at half health) to the gargolyle bell tower. Applying that Purging Stone was an enormous sense of palpable relief. 
   
So much fun!

[Harkonis]

Roman, you do understand how to kindle your fires right?   That would be why one gives 10 and one gives 5

[Roman]

Oh I know -but my lack of (in game  ) Humanity precludes this option at each bonfire I come across  

PS - I must already know about kindling seeing as I have 10 flasks.... you start with 5  icon_wink

[Harkonis]

Oh I know -but my lack of (in game  ) Humanity precludes this option at each bonfire I come across  

PS - I must already know about kindling seeing as I have 10 flasks.... you start with 5  icon_wink

your seemingly shocked realization that you only get 5 from one yet 10 from another led me to believe you perhaps accidentally kindled one and didn't understand how it works. 

Perhaps you should farm some rats instead of souls to get yourself some humanity, would definitely make life easier.  Humanity is worth more than souls anyway towards game success imo.

[Roman]

I may have been farming some last night - add those to my snake thingy ring and my drops were AMAZING!

[Hotfreak]

...
So, I'm cursed and need to make my way back to the gargoyle's tower to buy a Purging Stone (or whatever it is called), but I have to try to get back to the souls that I lost. The problem was I had no idea where they were, since I died down in the hole. I knew that I didn't want to go back through that hole, so I explored until I finally found the hidden ladder leading down into the under area of the Depths.
 ....

FYI, the female undead merchant between Firelink and the depths sells purging stones, too. 

Your story reminds me why I love the game so much.  Gratz on finding the stain w/o dying!

[Roman]

God damn The Duke's Archives is tough. Those little crystal bastards are a pain.

Question. Why can we only warp to certain bonfires? Lame.

[Roman]

Beat Seath the Scaleless tonight. Getting there was harder than the actual battle IMHO. Now what?

[Harkonis]

has the update hit yet?

Next up:  Survival mode in MW3 

[USMC Kato]

has the update hit yet?

Next up:  Survival mode in MW3 

At this rate I'm going to beat Demon Souls before the patch hits

[Hotfreak]

has the update hit yet?

Next up:  Survival mode in MW3 

Still no patch.

Running 3 new characters through in the meantime.

[jersoc]

good lord? 3 characters?

[Roman]

Beat Nito last night - finally! Getting to him was the actual challenging part - I hate hate hate those skeleton dog thingies!

[jersoc]

Beat Nito last night - finally! Getting to him was the actual challenging part - I hate hate hate those skeleton dog thingies!

that was the first dungeon i ran past everything. I just youtubed the path. Screw that place.

[Roman]

I decided to warp out and back to the Duke's Archives so that I could farm souls and then come back to the Catacombs - thus allowing me to kindle the last bonfire to 20 flasks. That certainly helped me.

[Roman]

well last night was tons o' fun..............
Accidentally hit an NPC Blacksmith in the Catacombs. Price for penance? 178,000 souls....

1hour of farming and 1 demon = debt paid and sin absolved.

Made it to the 4 Kings and died on the 1st one. Still loving the game.

[Inverarity]

The four kings might have been the toughest boss fight for me, though I did it before the Duke's Archives and the Catacombs, so I may still be in store for something worse (I'm in the Crystal Cave at the moment). 101 hours invested into the game thus far. And I can't wait for NG+

[Doopri]

after many failed attempts i went with "gound and pound" and had an easy time with the 4 kings.  your build may vary, but equip the heaviest, nastiest armour you can wear, grasp that big ass sword / axe / halberd in both hands and go to town, defense be damned.  for the more caster like builds, i THINK theres a spell that boosts your armour and defense - use that.  then just run in, maybe shield block once in a while when you KNOW a big hit is coming - but for the most part just hammer away with both hands, taking down one and then putting all your focus on the next that comes along, hopefully before youre overrun!

[Roman]

I did exactly what Doopri advised above. Did it on my second attempt.

Where I am stuck now is with Lord Gwyn. I am close to giving up!! I don't last more than 30 seconds against him.


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[Inverarity]

Regarding the four kings, I think some of it comes down to luck, since their patterns of attack vary between each fight. Sometimes they come at you with melee attacks, and when that happens, yes, prepare to play like you're describing. That's how I eventually won. But sometimes they attack with their spells and when you get hit with three in a row, there's no defense for it. After I beat the four kings I watched a video of how someone else had done it (which I do after every successful win against a boss) and it's clear that winning is at least in part due to the attacks of the boss. The video I watched didn't show a single spell from the four kings.

This is one of the cooler aspects of the game, though at times it can be frustrating, when you read of others who beat a boss so easily. I think it goes a long way to explaining why I had such as easy time with the Gaping Dragon and Sif, for example, while others found them more challenging. Only the Capra Demon seems to be universally detested.

[Inverarity]

The patch is out.

[Doopri]

oooooh tasty.  after some of the "hey its not our patch in the us its up to namco" i was actually thinking wed never see this here - so color me excited!

now to finally get to new game + - ive been stalling as i want to farm eyes of death to get to level 2 in the gravelord covey - i havent actually gotten around to it (and dont know if i will) so ive been "stuck" on getting the last lordsoul from

Spoiler for Hiden:

nito

.  maybe ill save it for NG+ ???

[jersoc]

The patch is out.

for both versions?!

damn you skyrim for being addictive! I was waiting for the patch for my new play through.

doopri

Spoiler for Hiden:

just get in his face. His attacks will kill the skeletons. Just make sure to heal after his big AE attack and you'll be fine. Just go 2h and wail the hell out of him

[Inverarity]

The patch is out.

for both versions?!

Apparently. I haven't confirmed it myself, but I most look forward to the fix for the occasional delay when attacking.

[Roman]

I am this close to quitting this game. I managed to get  Gwyn down to 2 bars of health left last night only to die die die. Rinse and repeat - and I can get no closer at all.
I have beat every single other demon / boss in the game - and I mean every. I really want to play NG+ but at this rate I may simply call it a day and shelve it.

I see tons of videos where players simply apply iron skin and tank him - thing is I can't. Early in the game I killed the Pyromancer after accidentally hitting him - I could not run away so we battled it out.......

[Roman]

I BEAT THE FUCKING GAME!!!!!!!!!!!

I cheesed the final fight but I don't care! I put in 120hrs @ SL90 to get there.

Spoiler for Hiden:

I entered and dodged his first attack and led him to the stalactite(?) down on the left hand side. And just kept him on that side and circle strafed with my Crystal HB for 248pts each time. Did not need to use even 1 estus flask!

Starting new game NOW!!!!

[jersoc]

i just parried him. took about 30 seconds, lol.

[Roman]

my parry skillz are teh w0rse

[jersoc]

i never parried once up until then, but the pattern is easy to figure out. think of it like playing guitar hero

[Roman]

okay - so I've rang both bells now. I am wondering at this time why I want to continue playing.......... at first it was to try and use the weapons that I was not able to use the 1st go around... but now it just seems so repetitive....
What is the draw? Anyone?

[jersoc]

apparently the difficulty keeps ramping up for a few new games. and boss fights are different. otherwise, I don't know. That's why I went with a brand new character.

[Roman]

the enemy HP is definitely increased - I can vouch for that.

The boss fights have been the exact same so far:
Asylum demon
Gaping dragon
Queelag
Bell Tower Gargoyle

[Harkonis]

okay - so I've rang both bells now. I am wondering at this time why I want to continue playing.......... at first it was to try and use the weapons that I was not able to use the 1st go around... but now it just seems so repetitive....
What is the draw? Anyone?

because unlike so many games (damn near all of them) that only keep you playing by you wanting to see the story or to get the xp, DS is just plain fun to play.  Every fight (with the exception of a few boss fights for me) is a blast, from the easiest skeleton to some of the late game critters.  The combat feels so damned fluid it drags you in and keeps you there.  If an MMO had this tight of combat people would never play something else. 

[Roman]

agreed with all your points - on the 1st play through. Now that I am in NG+1 the initial appeal is less.

[Harkonis]

agreed with all your points - on the 1st play through. Now that I am in NG+1 the initial appeal is less.

then why DO you keep firing it up and ignoring MW3 invites? 

[CeeKay]

easy mode is being pondered.  I hope they do add it, just to watch all the hardcore difficulty die-hards fall over twitching at their keyboards 

[Videmon]

Am I the only one who thought Dark Souls was a little bit easier, or less punishing, that Demon Souls? I don't think easy mode is needed at all.

[shon]

Am I the only one who thought Dark Souls was a little bit easier, or less punishing, that Demon Souls? I don't think easy mode is needed at all.

I feel the same way.  The open world made the game easier for me as there was more to explore at any given time.  The first four stages of Demon Souls were rough and you could only go through 2 when you started.