First run in with the bone wheels? They show up in each game but are the toughest in DS1. There is another area where you run across them where they can kick ass, but it is a little harder to find.
There is a spell that requires faith that is a great thing for the Catacombs. Puts a light on your head so you can keep a shield up for those damn archers.
Thanks to you jerkwads I installed this again. I’ve started it three or four times before but never got any further than Blighttown.
There is a means of avoiding Blightown. But it does involve getting past/fighting a Black Knight and getting past/fighting several Wyvern’s. It involves going right instead of left on the path to the Crystal Hydra.
So, friday night I played until 5 am. I don’t know how I did it, but the game just wouldn’t let me go.
Night started out well enough: went back to BT looking for hidden treasure. I THINK I found the spot that was alluded to by @Scuzz. Is there more than one tree with an illusory wall? I hope not, because I’m freaking done with BT.
Then I took a stroll through Darkroot to meet the Hydra, which was a fun fight. I love the Basin area. Such a nice change of pace from BT. I explored the rest of the garden and got jumped by three massive cat-badgers. After that I fought Sif. I threw myself at Sif a half dozen times until I figured out I needed to forward doge roll.
From there I went to the smithy so he could divine up my bastard sword, and since I was there anyhow I took a stab at Sen’s Fortress. I love how each new area throws a new type of enemy at you that completely subverts the way you’ve been fighting. Serpent dudes not flinching really messed with me. Took more than a few deaths to figure them out.
Still jittery from BT, I took one step onto the pendulum bridge, and decided this was not the time.
So, with my newly minted +5 Divine Bastard Sword I went down into the Catacombs.
I enjoyed the first hour or so down there. Loved the look of the level, super creepy, good fun. I ran from a Titanite Demon. I took a trip in a coffin. I fell through some floors. And then cried on the shoulder of the skellymang blacksmith as the Wheel Skeletons killed me again. And again. And again. And again.
I had some success if I tried to lure them near the broken hole in the wall by the bonfire, but aside from some sheer luck in finally managing to get passed them, I have no idea how i’m supposed to fight those dudes. The sound of the wheels baring down on me will haunt me forever.
Fought, and beat, the Pinwheel boss first shot which I was overjoyed about, because F those wheelskellys. My joy was short-lived. Boy was it short-lived. The Tomb of the Giants is why I stayed up until 5 am. I was freaking TRAPPED DOWN THERE FOR HOURS. Unable to progress much, unable to find my way back. Pitch-darkness and only the glowing eyes of giant Skeletons looking back at you? No no no.
I did manage to find the skull lantern in my inventory, but that’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. Use the lantern to light up the level, great, but now I don’t have my shield to hide behind.
Anyway, did some coffin surfing, got tricked by Patches, found the fate of the doomed expedition (at 3 am when you’re nerves are on edge, the adrenaline having long since left you, and you find what I found down at the bottom of the Tomb of Giants…that was real terror).
At this point, I’m pretty tapped out, but I don’t want this to break me, and I don’t want to start my next play session trapped down there, so I pressed on. I managed to take out a few giant skellys, made my way back to Patches (FU Patches) and welp…Skeleton Dogs shouldn’t be a thing. No way no how. So many deaths. So, so many deaths. Oh and the spot with the Black Knight AND a Skelly dog? Nope. Nuh-uhn.
So, I ended up running. Past the dogs, past the Knight, down some crazy slope and what do I find? A golden glowing fog door. That I can’t get into. I forgot what it said but it basically told me to fuck off and come back later. The only way back now was up and it took me sooooooo long to figure out how to get out of the Tomb.
But I did. I made it out. Only to be killed by Wheel Skeletons.
Yea, there is only the one tree you need to explore. So you went all the way to the bottom?
And I hate to say this but if you found Patches you were literally yards away from a bonfire. But I would recommend you proceed thru Sen’s Fortress. You will eventually get something that will allow you to move quicker between Bonfires.
but there are multiple illusory walls
That is why I asked him if he went “all the way to the bottom”.
Fuck.
An appropriate response for a Dark Souls game.
Oh shit I forgot he hadn’t even done sens. In that case I think it’s a really bad idea to go looking for that tree. It will lead to a bonfire that, if you choose to rest at it can be very difficult to return from.
Do that thing towards the end when you’re just wrapping things up.
Sen’s Fortress or Sen’s Funhouse is definitely to go. Also did you ever go back to the Undead Asylum, there is an item there, that opens a great optional Area after Sen’s Fortress, one of the best.
Ah, right, the illusionary wall in the tree is only the beginning. If you press on, there is a great ring to be found but don’t light any bonfires there, just get the ring and save the area for later.
Resurfacing from the Catacombs, especially after what I went through down there, was quite the thing. The opening at the top of the stairs with the light streaming down…I could almost feel the warmth on my undead face. The problem I had in the Tomb @Scuzz was that I did find a bonfire down there, one of them anyway, and it left me trapped. Couldn’t go down cuz dogs, couldn’t go up because I was lost.
Back to the surface and onto Sen’s Fortress. I thought I was going to hate this area. The pendulum bridges man….my hands were freaking sweating. But once I got to the top and saw the source of the cannonballs/boulders I really started to enjoy myself. I don’t think a game has surprised me more often than Dark Souls. Genuine take-your-breath away surprises.
Anor Londo? Wow. I loved how majestic and quiet it was when I first touched down. These From Software guys know what they’re doing. I took my time in Anor Londo, wanting to really soak up the atmosphere and lore. And to get a Demon Spear to drop. Those archers though boy. I ended up just running as fast as I could up the flying buttresses, dodge rolling on the ledge, and fighting nose to nose. I can’t believe it worked. And I’m so glad I never have to do that again. O&S was nerve wracking, but I managed to pull it out after a few attempts. That Darkmoon corridor boss though? That fight is going to have to wait.
I didn’t really want to leave Anor Londo, I was having such a good time, so I stuck around farming souls for a while and eventually got a Demon Spear to drop.
So, with a special vessel in tow, a +10 claymore, a +4 Demon Spear, and a Silver Knight Shield, it’s back to Firelink to see what’s what.
What’s the consensus on these special weapons the giant smith can make? Are any of them worth it? I saw I could turn my +10 claymore into the Greatsword of Astorias….but I’ve become pretty attached to my claymore.
I wasn’t aware this was a thing…sounds like something I should do!
Gonna save…sigh…BT and that tree for when I have to go back down there. Still have the demon ruins waiting for me.
There’s a detour you can take before you leave Anor Londo. Check out the lowest level of the room with the scimitar guys and the rafters.
That would be a significant downgrade. The Artorias stuff is for cosplay purposes only. It has very weird scaling that requires a build specifically tailored for it and even then it’s not great. But if you’re good enough at the game and you just wanna pretend you’re Artorias (and who doesn’t?) go for it.
Most of the giant blacksmith boss soul weapons aren’t really great, unfortunately. Quelaag’s Furysword is pretty fun and very useful against stuff that’s week to fire. I often use it on dex builds for stuff like the Duke’s Archives. And the Moonlight Butterfly Horn is a really cool spear for intelligence builds.
I love it. Keep us updated.
I have to say, you’re going through this game at a breakneck speed. At this rate you’ll be done soon.
Am I? I honestly have no idea how big this thing is. I do have 39 hours played. That seems like a lot. I really don’t know how to explain it, but this game has taken over my life, haha. If DS2 and 3 are even close to as good as DS1, I’ll be living in this world for many, many more hours.
They are not. Well, in some ways. In other ways they are. ;)
Okay, good to know!
I did end up making that furysword because it sounded so cool. Straight swords really aren’t my thing atm, but i’ll give it a go against fire weak dudes for sure.
Meanwhile this demon spear melts. And I can have my shield out and attack at the same time! Feels like lance in monster hunter.
That’s disappointing. But, is it? Your statement is pretty cryptic haha.