1982

I have beaten the boss on NG and NG+ solo.

The level of difficult on NG+ is huge due to the ridiculous HP increase. It took me something like 4 hours of grinding away at him. Summoning makes him worse because he gets even more HP. That is the last thing you want.

1983

Damn, I think the youtube battle I saw was NG and it took over 30 minutes. And those guys are freakin pros.

But one of the problems with summoning is the health increase you give the boss.

1984

The actual fight probably takes about that long. It is an endurance boss for sure. You have to ration your estus use and probably dig into your humanity stock or whatever.

1985

In DS3 you can’t use embers to heal if you are already embered, can you? I know in DS1 you could use humanity that way. DS3 really tries to limit the consumables you can use. They only let you carry one Divine Blessing at a time.

1986

Yeah I suppose you have 1 extra YOLO heal if you are not embered then? I can’t remember.

1987

Every time I switch DS games I have to relearn what “rules” exist for that version. I have often wondered why game designers always change what was successful before.

1988

Came back from town, found a second-hand 360 controller, only the rubber on the sticks had pretty much come off anyway, so kinda pointless. Pity I didn’t stock up when they stopped making these.

So I ended up buying a new XBO controller.

Or so I thought! When I get home, I find it’s a PDP third-party knockoff. Impressively, the packaging strongly implies it’s an official controller, EB Games had it on prominent display, they recommended it as the XBO controller, and because it was on sale the lower price didn’t raise suspicions. Anyway, it’s apparently not too bad, just has a higher failure rate. I will give it a go, let’s see if it survives Prince Lothric.

1989

They stopped making 360 controllers?

D:

1990

Hmmm, well that’s what I was told, but I leveled up my Google-fu and learned that apparently not, they do still make them. I can’t find any in Australia though, which sucks. I love the 360 controller, the rubber on the sticks wearing off after a year is really their only drawback.

Anyway, I tried Champion Gundyr a couple of times, once solo, and once with the Sword Master NPC. That was a really bad idea! He’s utterly useless, and doubles Gundyr’s health bar. Anyway, I can get past the first stage easily enough, but his second phase is intense. The main problem I find with these later bosses is I can’t get a chance to drink estus - it nearly always triggers an attack, or a charge if I’m further away, which negates the benefits from it.

So I’d had enough hitting my head against bosses, and decided instead to check out Archdragon Peak. I remembered the spot where you were supposed to use a gesture, thanks helpful messages, and picking up the correct gesture I had to try it. Nope, didn’t work. Well, fuck it, I’m going to look it up. Turns out I was doing exactly the right thing… except you have to sit there for like 10 seconds. Great. Now I feel bad for looking it up!

So anyway, Ancient Wyvern! My sword, it does nothing. Dashing for the nearest building, I tried to ignore it. I found it was helpfully frying everything in my path, so I suspected I was onto something, and then I found the messages. Lots of messages. These must be a clue! Thanks messages, I killed it. I had to pretty much run past everything though! Those snakey dudes are lethal, especially the guy with the axe on the chain. Can I have one of those weapons please?

1991

Ugh, those big guys gave me flashbacks to the shark giants in the fishing hamlet in Bloodborne.

1992

Oh yeah. I found that out the hard way. Before I started using the big sword, it seemed like an unwinnable battle because the dark attacks just kept getting stronger and stronger and stronger, more and more people kept getting added. Eventually I was cursed to death too, as if the dark attacks weren’t enough.

Fun battle.

1993

That fight was 100% easier with the Exile Greatsword than the Sellsword Twinblades, that’s for sure.

EDIT: Decided to try the big iguana solo (well, with the NPC summon), just for kicks. Actually got him down to about 15%, I think. Wow, what a fight. This might be the first “big” enemy in these games I’ve actually enjoyed (outside of the gimmicky ones). The camera does some bullshit as usual, but the boss itself doesn’t feel cheap at all.

Ok, one thing does feel kinda bullshit, and that’s how when he rears to shoot flame, if you’re close to him (and if you’re melee you’re going to be) the camera detaches and you usually can’t get it back on him, meaning even with a nice flame shield up you’re probably gonna get hit, and it hurts. It’s always the camera.

EDIT2: Just did the other boss, and I have to say, amazing callback. I missed out on Old Monk first time around, obviously, since I just played DeS a few months ago, so I’m glad I could do this one. Now I have to beat the other guy just so I can take part in the fun, too!

1994

You really should go back now that the Wyvern is dead and explore that area. There is some good loot there. And yea, the guy with the axe on the chain is crazy. He has so much range with it and it does so much damage.

1995

That fight’s difficulty goes up with the quality of whoever the boss summons. The boss will summon players from the covenant involved there, he will summon random players who are in the area or he will summon an NPC. I was summoned once to fight with/as the boss in my last run.

1996

I got crushed by a player summon, who was fun, and the npc boss (thanks to the add the comes in halfway through). I got pretty lucky my last run through by drawing a sorcerer who couldn’t parry me because of lag (presumably). Can’t wait to get in there myself

1997

So, @krayzkrok…Lothric?

1998

That sounds like a good idea. I may have to do a couple of solo runs first, just to remind myself how it all goes so I don’t make an idiot of myself!

1999

All right, I’ll take a break from Midir and drop my sign in front of the fog gate. Same pass as last time: quart23

Don’t worry about making an idiot of yourself. I got into the $10 scotch, so I hope I’m more of a help than a hindrance.

2000

Well I just had a solo go and died within 10 seconds, so what could possibly go wrong! Ok, let’s try this…

2001

Damn, i dropped my sign again. Let me know if you beat him without me.