Yeah, I also seem to remember picking up a spike shield on in 1-2. I can’t remember if it was near the winged spear or in the next section though.
I got my spiked shield on the bridge, before you hit the gates that lead to the tower knight.
I’ve just started playing Demon’s Souls and I just got one yesterday on 1-2. Unfortunately I’m one strength point shy from using it.
Any tips for both the Tower Knight and the crossbowmen and blue eyed knight just before him? For the Crossbowmen I usually run up behind the cart just next to them then use a bow at near point blank range jumping out from behind the cart. I’d rather melee them but that triggers the blue eyed knight and trying to fight him and the crossbowmen at the same time sucks! So do I just keep spending souls on arrows or is there some trick I can do draw them out so I can melee them?
Marcin
2024
Crossbowmen - equip a shield. Run up to the cart. Poke out so they all fire their weapons, hide behind it when they actually DO fire, run up to them immediately afterward with the shield up and proceed to slice and dice. You should be able to kill 2-3 of them while the rest reloads. Then shield up and absorb their attacks as normal.
Edit: oh you mean the crossbowmen right before the blue knight. I typically just run straight at them with my shield up. They’ll fire on my shield and I’ll cut down two of them before the blue knight shows up. The last one I take out as the BK does his first lunge.
For the BK himself … I usually end up dancing around him and backstabbing when he goes into the big lunge. My dagger really isn’t up to an exchange of blows.
Tower Knight - I would like some tips too. He just intimidates the crap out of me, and I can’t seem to find a consistently safe spot. He’ll do this backwards leap that always ends up landing on my head, or I will be totally behind him when he does the shield slam and the shockwave still reaches me. Argh. Can’t figure him out.
Ender
2025
There is the possibility of using range vs the tower knight. Get in one of the perches and lob away.
Was easier (and quicker) than killing that red dragon.
Marcin
2026
That seems so cheesy though, and it won’t teach me boss fight skills. :/
Ender
2027
Very true, I’m having to learn how to fight over and over again on 4-1.
I’m struggling in understanding shields right. Specifically the trade offs. I have a spike shield or a knight’s shield to use. Knight has more hit res but uses up more stam to block? Am I understanding that right? Spike shield has less hit res but doesn’t take as much endurance off. I just have to dodge the big blows.
Learning how to cheese boss fights is a boss fight skill.
The Tower Knight is pretty hard to melee, especially if this is your first pass through the game. I ended up wiping out the archers first, and then sniping him from above.
The archers and the blue knight are much, much easier if you’ve already dealt with the red dragon. You’ve fixed him, right?
Marcin
2030
Yeeeeeeeeee no.
Sniping, eh? How many arrows did that take? I’m all out.
That is a very hard fight if you can’t fall back, and with the dragon still up in the air, you are facing a steep learning curve. I think it took something between 100-150 arrows. Might be time to look around in the other worlds (2-1,3-1,4-1) and then come back when you’ve got enough arrows. So satisfying though, once you do it.
Marcin
2032
I’m not sure which you mean. The dragon is a hard fight if the dragon is in the air?
Isn’t the dragon a not-boss, meaning he’ll respawn next time I’m there anyway?
I was asking about the Tower Knight’s resistance to arrows, too. My bad for not clarifying that part.
If you eliminate the red dragon, he is done - he does not respawn. Think of him as an optional miniboss.
What I was trying to get at, and phrased very poorly, is this: if the dragon is still swooping down over the walkway as you approach the archers and the blue knight, you face a very difficult fight. When I first tried this, I would continually screw up the fight, and either press too hard and get killed by the Blue Knight and his pals, or try to run away and get fried by the wall of flame. Without the dragon, you can knock out the archers from a distance, or run in and then fall back, or any of the usual strategies that you’ve learned on the way to that point.
Tower knight, on the other hand - I’d just snipe that guy with arrows - not sure how many it took, but I’d bring 150 just to be sure. I think you’ll actually need a lot less than that, the dragon is the real hit point sink.
Marcin
2034
Good grief, 150. Ok, I might try it, although I’ll probably give the melee approach 2 more tries.
At this point, the archers and the blue knight at the end of the walkway are not that tough for me. I got a pretty good system for them by now, hah. I’m far more afraid of fighting a dragon, haha!
Takin down Red is pretty easy, but it takes some patience and a boat load of arrows. It’s worth it cause you get a lot of souls (around 10K if I remember right) for that early part of the game.
Tower Knight is definately best taken down with a bow, but even if you use melee I still recommend clearing out the crossbow men first so they aren’t messing with you.
Reed
2036
Yeah, I played a melee character and when I got to him I took out all the crossbowmen first before ever touching the Tower Knight. Then I fought the knight until I got hurt, then I’d run up the stairs and heal. Repeat.
I don’t think I would have had any chance if the crossbowmen were alive.
metta
2037
Melee on the Tower Knight isn’t too hard - I find him much easier than Flamelurker, whom I hate and fear. Run around taking out all the crossbows then roll in behind the Tower Knight and attack his heels. Steam will come out of them and after enough damage is done he will fall down then you go stab him in the head. If he gets up after that, do it again. I did it on a melee character with a Moon Winged Spear +3 and just this weekend on a magic/bow character who has a Moon Uchikatana +4, but hasn’t put a point in Vitality or into her Rune Shield.
Don’t even try to block or parry the Tower Knight, just get in behind him.
Edit: Try not to let him fall on you :o
Scourge
2038
The red dragon will take around 100 arrows with a short bow, maybe more if your hit spot is too far as bow damage scales with distance. That’s including the ones you’ll waste figuring the spot to shoot at. There is a small visual cue on hitting: a spurt of blood below it.
There is no fight, the dragon will not be hitting you at all.
The tower knight goes down pretty fast using Soul Arrow. With the lowest possible magic stat, too (which is 10).
Marcin
2039
Pfft you have all sorts of crazy named equipment and shit. I have a Dagger +3. :P
Question: will my shield block at least absorb some of the horizontal shield slam shockwave? That’s what’s taking me out the most, even when I’m behind him. It’s just such a HUGE AoE.
The tower knight goes down pretty fast using Soul Arrow. With the lowest possible magic stat, too (which is 10).
Alas, I don’t have that. Maybe I can pick it up, as Cloak doesn’t seem as effective as I hoped.
Scourge
2040
Well, Cloak (+ Thief’s ring, their effects seem to stack) was essential in my strategy for killing Flamelurker.
As is the case with the ring, you should approach enemies from behind and walking (not running!), so that they can’t notice you. Its general usefulness (out of some boss fights) is questionable though, as the ring is pretty good on itself most of the time.
