2043

Malenia was so close to a great fight, but instead she was just garbage and I’ll never change my opinion on that.

In the end I did what FromSoft seems to want you to do: spammed an OP Weapon Art on her until she died.
She isn’t meant to be fought, just cheesed. But that was a common theme in my opinion.

Just some rough numbers:

Fighting Malenia “fair”: 60+ tries at least, lost count. Never really close to a win other than my first pull, ironically.

Fighting Malenia by spamming Blasphemous Blade’s Weapon Art on her: 3 tries. Just have to dodge enough of her anime bullshit to not be one-shotted by it and/or get lucky enough that she didn’t do it at all.

2044

They weapon looks and sounds so cool. I’m too set in my ways right now, but I could see myself replaying someday on ng+ and opting for that weapon and incantations.

I was even considering switching to it now, but I heard that the last boss heals from holy damage. Imagine going faith the whole game just to be told, “lol, your build doesn’t work now.”

2045

Yea I hate those things. Just awful.

2046

Someone upthread said they thought there were only 11 (IIRC) in the game, but I know I have 10 now and I have probably only fought about half the big bosses and have several areas left. But I also have managed to keep pretty blind as to what’s left so maybe I have covered more than I think.

2047

Thanks for mentioning that. Yet another good Ash I would have never found.

2048

Okay, Giant down. He wasn’t too bad, really. Went with my Mimic, both of us using Antspur Rapiers specced to Bleed. Sure it took a dozen or so tries after I figured out that setup worked, but finally did the deed. Committed a Cardinal Sin, now in Crumbling Farum Azula. Whoa, this game keeps sending cool places at you.

2049

I am there now. It is a “fun” area.

2050

What level are you?

2051

All the six hardest bosses at the end of the game are resistant to holy damage. It was utterly depressing. My tuba guy is just an impotent pile of levels.

That particular one is a spell, found in a late-game/post-game area you might not have been to yet. If you haven’t seen lakes of blood, you haven’t been there. You can get there through Varre’s quest or from a portal. Let us know if you want more directions!

It is! As long as you aren’t underleveled for it. The sneak peak they give you earlier in the game of it is masterful.

2052

The toxic guys are toxic.

2053

I’m pretty much at this point too. I’m level 126 or 127 or something.

2054

I am at 126. Someone upthread mentioned that melee characters should have at least 51 poise so I switched my gear around at it made a huge difference. Poise hasn’t been a thing since DS2.

2055

Faith is almost all fire and lightning damage. There is like one holy damage spell that I can even think of (and it shouldn’t work on the final boss since it’s literally part of it).

Some of the weapons do holy damage. Also the whole “it heals from holy damage” was disproven last I knew. Some mentioned killing it with the Coded Blade or whatever it’s called that deals only holy damage. It does have high holy resist, but so does half the crap in the game. BB always came out on top for weapons because it was fire damage and few things have much if any resistance to fire.

If anything Faith has the best toolbox for damage types. Fire, Lightning, Holy, Rot, Poison, Magic, Ice. Literally everything if you get enough Arcane to get the Dragon Breath stuff. Poison and Bleed are the only things it doesn’t naturally have access to.

2056

Nooooooooooooooo, they fixed cheesing the fire giant with falling damage!!! All those YT videos on how to beat him lied to me!!!

My shield 'n poke guy is now lvl 86, still using that starter ochi spear, yet to find anything with an impaling thrust attack that’s better. But no idea how I’m going to beat this boss, might have to add another 30-40 levels.

2057

I had to get to level 150 to feel comfortable with my mage. I stink compared to you all LOL. I’ve pulled a lot of ugly red birds off ledges to get there haha.

2058

Oh, it’s fire damage! For some reason I thought BB did holy damage. NG+ is back on the menu, boys! I think I’m mentally committed to beating these guys to death with my (nearly) bare hands for now, though, as stupid as it sounds.

I probably will not skip Malenia because I hate myself. @jpinard I think I’m like level 140.

2059

It has poison and bleed too! With poison mist and bloodflame armament.

Yeah, faith builds can go in a bunch of different directions, which more or less makes up for them not being as strong as sorcerers at their peak. Lightning incantations felt like crap after using a sorcerer, but at least the option is there. Fire gets its best damage dealer at the beginning of the game, which is anticlimactic, but fun overall.

Really not sure why all the difficult bosses are resistant to holy damage though, it feels strange. Sure, demigods and all that, but is holy damage good against anything worth caring about? Just skellingtons, really? Why is bleed more effective against Satan than holy damage is?

2060

Don’t worry about your level, just have fun.

2061

You are correct. Those those two were so hard to use it was questionable.

The Flies thing is an incantation though, so Bleed is definitely on the list.
Edit: And those weird blood sorceries are faith too for that matter.

2062

Which incantation is this?