Ceaseless Discharge is one of the tougher enemies in the game. He has a massive amount of health and his hits can take big chunks out of your life bar. The normal strategy is to use the U-shaped path to shield you, bait him to attack and then quickly dash forward and hit him with your strongest weapon.
However, there is a much quicker and safer way to dispose of him. You don’t even need a weapon. You must run up to the body in the altar and collect the Gold-Hemmed Black Set to aggro him. You then make a mad dash towards the fog door. Be careful at the very start since he can hit you with his first swing if you are too close. If you reach the fog door before he can attack you again, he will impale himself on a broken column and let you attack him freely. A few hits with any weapon, even your bare fists, will end the fight and gain you 20,000 souls.
To maximize use of this tip, take on Ceaseless Discharge immediately after you defeat Quelaag. But wait, there’s more! The true adventurer will go even further. Once Ceaseless is dead, the lava preventing entrance to the Demon Ruins will clear. You can continue your run past a Minor Capra Demon, 2 Minor Taurus Demons and 4 Burrowing Rockworms on your way to the Large Flame Ember. You can then teleport back to the last bonfire. I recommend the Dark Wood Grain Ring, Grass Crest Shield and Vitality of at least 20 to make sure you are not killed instantly if hit. If you don’t have the ring, make sure your equipment load is at less than 25%.
Watch this video that starts immediately after the Quelaag fight, to show you how to make the run (it is actually a continuation of the upcoming video for Tip #4). The trickier parts are on your way to the large flame ember. Use double rolls to evade the first Minor Taurus Demon and Burrowing Rockworm, and double roll again past the second Minor Taurus Demon.
If you can make the run successfully, you will have 40,000 souls, Quelaag’s Soul and the Large Flame Ember. I like to use the souls to level up and upgrade equipment, return to Blighttown to farm green titanite from the Giant Leeches, and then head down the Catacombs to make a strong fire weapon. Use this tip to massively power up your character and get ready to breeze through Senn’s Fortress.
Dark Souls builds on the seismic changes brought upon the action RPG landscape by Demon Souls. Revolutionary and evolutionary improvements include dark and moody but beautiful art direction, spine-tingling level design and, of course, epically challenging boss encounters. The extreme difficulty is perfectly balanced by incredibly tight controls (now with the benefit of a jump animation) and powerful but scarce equipment that can tilt the balance of power to your favor. This game severely hampers the efficiency of spells by limiting their use to a set number. You cannot re-fill magical power and rely on a spell-spamming strategy. Spell use must be carefully planned and executed. This increases the importance of swordplay. It will be a long time indeed before your character will be powerful enough to carry multiple strong spells. Your ability to progress and enjoy the game is directly proportional to your ability to expertly wield your favorite weapon. Luckily, swordplay allows for critical attacks (backstabs and ripostes after parries) that cause high damage even with base level weapons. The parry/riposte combo is the most powerful critical but difficult to reliably execute. To score a critical riposte, you must block an enemy attack in the moment just before it hits you. The enemy will be stunned leaving him momentarily open to your riposte. The problem is that different enemies attack at different speeds. High level players can consistently time the parry on different enemies but the average gamer cannot. Luckily, the backstab is much easier to consistently execute while still yielding high damage. To backstab your enemy, you attack his exposed back. Specifically, you must attack when you are even with the enemy’s right shoulder blade. The backstab animation gains you precious time to heal or reposition, once the animation ends with your victim on the ground and safely away from you. Even better, you cannot take damage during a backstab. Thus, it is possible to simultaneously battle multiple enemies by focusing on achieving a backstab on a single one. The attacks of their companions will not damage you as you score the critical. While the first attacker is down, you can shift your attention to the next one, and so on. Most sword-wielding enemies in the game can be backstabbed. The strategy for this critical is to patiently circle counterclockwise with your shield raised waiting for the enemy to either miss and expose himself, or until you circle around him and are even with his right shoulder. Then drop your shield and attack. Clockwise circling is also an option, especially for the Anor Londo knights, but it leaves you more exposed to attacks (all Dark Souls characters are right-handed). Enemies that like to do rolling attacks (such as Maneater Mildred, Shiva of the East and Oscar, Knight of Astora) leave themselves completely exposed after a roll. It is not difficult to circle around them as they roll, and then backstab them as they get up (this is a useful technique in PVP as well). Backstabs can be performed one or two-handed. The damage is higher with a two-handed wield but it requires a bit more skill since you are most likely going to be shielding as you circle your opponent. Equipment is an important consideration to maximize backstabs. Weapons that do thrust damage typically yield higher critical damage. My recommendation is to use the Estoc because of its added damage rating and range. Although daggers have bonuses for critical attacks, they are only effective at close range and will do almost no damage if you miss the critical and score a normal hit. A shield with high stability (58 or higher) will help you maintain your stamina and avoid a guard break as you maneuver around your enemy. The Hornet Ring raises critical damage (more about this in Tips #4 and #5). A fire or lightning Estoc, paired with a stable shield and the Hornet Ring, and solid backstab basics will help you easily take down very strong enemies. Backstabs are essential techniques for Havel the Rock and other NPC’s, all undead soldiers, the serpents in Sen’s Fortress, New Londo Ruin Darkwraiths and any knight (Silver or Black). Practice and sharpen you backstabbing skills; you will suffer less and progress much faster through the game (and feel more like a proper ninja!). Here are a couple of videos that highlight the strategies discussed above. The first one is a compilation of backstabs with different weapons and in various areas. In the second one, we quickly make a +5 Estoc and backstab our way through Firelink Shrine, Darkroot Garden, Undead Burg and Undead Parish. Now it is your turn to go forth and terrorize Dark Souls with your newly found backstabbing skills.
The Drake Sword is the strongest weapon available in early game. It does a set amount of physical damage and has no stat modifiers. As long as you can wield it (16 STR and 12 DEX), you will have a powerful weapon regardless of your build type or soul level. The Drake Sword is invaluable in early game. It can be used to defeat the Bell Gargoyles and Quelaag, and to obtain rings and off some strong early game enemies (see my #3 tip). You must chop off the tail of the Hellkite Dragon. Get to the bridge area, buff your weapon with gold pine resin for additional lightning damage and hack at the Dragon’s tail. The timing is a bit tricky and you may not get it on your first try. My recommendation is to run up to the tail and wait until it “drops” slightly. Three hits with your buffed weapon should do the trick. An alternate but much more tedious strategy is to use arrows to shoot off the tail (from underneath the bridge). If you miss the Drake Sword for some reason, the Claymore is a suitable replacement. It has the same stat requirements and it is only slightly less powerful than the Drake Sword after upgrades to +5 status (assuming base stats). To get the Claymore, run past the Dragon into the sanctuary with the bonfire. Once you rest at the bonfire, the Hellkite Dragon will fly away. The Claymore and souls are on the bridge guarded by 3 low level armored undead soldiers. Because of its high stat modifiers and multiple upgrade paths, the Claymore is a better choice for late game. The Drake Sword should not be upgraded and it is severely underpowered by the time you reach Senn’s Fortress, but it is a must-have item for the first few game levels. See my video to acquire both of these awesome weapons within the first 10 minutes of the game.
Starting weapons for most characters are puny and require upgrades at a blacksmith before becoming useful. The lack of a strong starting weapon accentuates the difficulty in early game, where even the lowliest of enemies can kill you after a few hits. It can be frustrating to repeat the beginning levels as you master the gameplay and controls but are killed repeatedly. There are 2 options for starting the game with a much stronger weapon. The first is to play as the Cleric and get Astora’s Straight Sword (see tip #10 for details). You will be able to wield this sword after a couple of quick upgrades to Dexterity; but be warned that this sword is not useful beyond early game. The second and better option is to make a magic weapon. Use the method described here to ascend your starting weapon or any one available in early game (Estoc, Zweihander, Uchigatana or Claymore). The Uchigatana is a good choice as a magic weapon because it is relatively light, a strong consideration for magic builds (typically Endurance-challenged). This weapon also has a superior move set. If enchanted, it will deal significant damage at high Intelligence levels so it can “grow” along with your character. The key is to raid Blighttwon for souls and the green titanite shard. Then, take the backdoor route to Andre of Astora and upgrade your weapon to +5. Finally, head back to Firelink Shrine and have Rickert of Vinheim ascend it to magic. Here is my video showing you how to make a magic uchigatana in about the first 15 minutes of the game.
It is possible to venture into somewhat advanced areas of the game immediately after reaching Lordran. These areas are dangerous but they can yield significant amount of souls, powerful items and upgrade equipment to quickly power up your character. You must select the Master Key as your starting gift. With this key, you can open the metal door leading to Blighttown, Valley of Drakes and Darkroot Basin. The Spider Shield and the Red Tearstone Ring are available at Valley of Drakes, along with the Dragoncrest Shield and Astora’s Straight Sword. The lower level of Blighttown holds 3 large souls (worth 3,000 souls each), green titanite, large titanite, the Pyromancer set, Poison Mist, the Server, and the Great Club. Exploring the mid-level path by the waterwheel leads to the Remedy spell and the Crimson Robe Set. Many more items are available in the upper levels but these are very difficult to reach in early game because of the toxic dart throwers. If you have ice in your veins, you can continue to the Great Hollow while in Blighttown. Look for the giant tree root at one end of the swamp (Quelaag’s Domain begins at the other end). You can collect the Plank Shield and humanity past fake walls and eventually reach the bonfire. I recommend equipping the Crimson Robe Set for its curse protection before taking the spiraling path down. The Great Hollow is tricky and dangerous but holds chunks of all colors, crystal lizards and the Cloranthy Ring. See my video for a demonstration of early game looting resulting in over 40,000 souls and a boatload of useful equipment.
Dark Souls can be difficult. The frequent deaths can lead to alternating bouts of controller-throwing rage tantrums, and thumb-sucking despair sessions crawled up in the fetal position and crying for “Mommy”. Ah, but the pain and frustration pales to the glorious relief of finally dispatching a boss, and the nervous anticipation of newly opened-up ever more dangerous territories. The game seemingly gives you no quarters. You learn as you go. It’s like learning to ride a bike but with no training wheels or helmet, while navigating a rocky downhill course.
But fear not, my fellow gamers. The Tech Phantom is here to ease your pain and angst. Below are my list of most useful tips, tricks and strategies to make progress through Dark Souls a bit less masochistic. These are culled from my personal experiences with the game. I have tried others but I keep coming back to these regardless of build type or walkthrough.
Here is my list. I will be unveiling tip details and videos over the next few days. Enjoy!
#10: Raid Valley of Drakes, Blighttown and The Great Hollow In Early Game
#9: Make a Magic Weapon As Early As Possible
#8: Get the Drake Sword and the Claymore Right Away
#7: Backstab, Backstab, Backstab
#6: Learn How To Easily Dispatch Ceaseless Discharge
#5: Choose The Master Key As Starting Gift
#3: Maximize Use Of The Drake Sword and Hornet Ring
This is my first in a series of videos showing you how to make magic and fire weapons as soon as possible after the start of Dark Souls. In upcoming videos, we will ascend an uchigatana, a claymore and a washing pole to fire modes. In this video, we make a magic uchigatana. It takes me about 17 minutes. Obviously, you can use this method to ascend any weapon in your arsenal.
Enjoy the video!
Dark Soul characters have ten fingers but are only allowed to equip 2 rings. What gives? In Dark Souls rings provide powerful buffs. While some buffs can be duplicated or stacked with other items, most are unique to a particular ring. Some rings even break if they are ever taken off. These complicating factors add a delicious strategic layer to outfitting your character for a boss fight or area. During your Dark Souls playthrough, you will likely try out rings more often than a teenage girl at a mall. Eventually you will find the perfect combination that compliments your build and play style. Here are my top ten rings. What do you think?
#10: Rusted Iron Ring
This is a “one-trick-pony” of a ring negating slow movements in swamp and water. It is very useful for the Hydra fight in Darkroot Basin and in the swampy Blighttown. This item is a perfect example of a ring that provides a specific buff for only a small part of the game. But the buff is so useful, that it just makes my top ten list. Once you have experienced the joy of running through the swamp, you will never wander Blighttwon without it. You can get it immediately after tripping the elevator to Undead Parish and collecting the Undead Asylum F2 West Key (on the roof above Petrus of Thorlund). Fall off the elevator on the open side and roll onto the wall that leads to the ascending stone stairs with the giant crow’s nest. Crouch into an egg-shaped ball to be transported back to Undead Asylum. Assuming you opened the door leading to the courtyard right at the beginning of the game, retrace your steps past the rolling boulder and into the room with the locked bar gate. The ring is just past it.
#9: Covetous Silver Serpent
This ring increases the number of enemy souls dropped by 20%. It is available later in the game in the Tomb of the Giants. Go to the area where you fight the Halberd-wielding Black Knight. You will have to take a blind jump into the darkness close to the area with the Giant Skeleton Archer and kill several Bone Towers. You will likely wear this ring during farming runs in late game of your first playthrough as you complete your build. It is also very useful in NG+ or later for extra rewards on boss fights.
#8: Red Tearstone Ring
An homage to the true Dark Souls spirit, this ring makes your attacks 50% stronger when your life bar is at 20%. Expert players equip this ring and just don’t get hit once the buff is triggered. You will feel exhilaration the first time you are able to easily KO a Black Knight after taking a shot in early game. This ring can be paired with other rings and spells for some very interesting outcomes (read on for some recommendations). Try it and you will be hooked! To get it immediately after reaching Lordran, you must have the Master Key. Head to the Valley of Drakes and run past the guardians after the bridge. Continue up the ladder to collect it.
#7: Hornet Ring
The Hornet Ring is spectacularly powerful against any enemies that can be parried or backstabbed. Your critical attacks will be boosted by 50% making them almost a guaranteed one-hit-kill with a decent upgraded weapon. It will work with any weapon but it is especially effective when paired with one that does thrust damage. If you want a rewarding challenge, wear this ring when taking on the Lord Gwynn final boss fight. He can be repeatedly riposted for massive damage but his attacks are lightning quick and very difficult to parry. To get it, buy the Crest of Artorias and open the sealed door in Darkroot Garden. Run past the enemies, Alvina and bound down the stairs. Continue until you find the door to the Grave of Sir Artorias. The ring is on the back of the grave. It can be reached without triggering the boss fight if you circle around the grave. This ring also periodically changes the parry animation against NPC’s and in PVP.
#6 & #5: Lingering and Bellowing Dragon Crest Rings
In a virtual tie on this list, both of these rings buff sorceries: the Lingering ring increasing the effect length, the Bellowing ring increasing the strength by 33%. While obviously useful for magicians, any build can and should take full advantage of both of these rings. Since they are considered sorceries, these rings will also buff pyromancies (which can be equipped by any character). The fun begins when you pair one or both of these with sorceries or other rings. Want to be a butt-kicking bully tank who can mash all day: Lingering + Iron Flesh. How about a suicidal pyromaniac: Lingering + Bellowing + Power Within+ Great Combustion. Or a crazed kamikaze but super powerful magician: Bellowing + Dusk Crown Ring + Crown of Dusk armor piece + Homing Soul Mass + Tin Crystallization Catalyst. And a melee mage with a prolonged buff: Lingering + Red Tearstone + Power Within + Crystal Weapon (use Power Within to trigger the ring effect while using a buffed weapon but over a longer time). Here is my personal favorite good for any build: Bellowing + Power Within (simple but effective if your vitality is over 20 and leaves you with an open ring slot). You can buy the rings from Griggs of Vinheim for 20000 souls a piece, after you free him from Undead Burg.
#4: Havel’s Ring
Your first impression might be that this ring is only good for tank builds. How wrong you are! The ability to handle 50% more equipment weight gives you options. And in Dark Souls, options are a god thing. If you like to move at a quick pace but have low endurance, equip it along with a full light armor set. Otherwise, load up with your fave heavy armor, heavy shield or heavy weapon. This ring can be situational (equip it for a specific boss fight) or a “set-it-and-forget-it” item that never leaves your melee tank’s inventory. To obtain it, you must kill Havel the Rock in the Watchtower Basement. This can be done in early game with the Master Key and the Drake Sword (a high stability shield and the Hornet Ring really help!). Havel can be backstabbed easily. The trick is to circle counterclockwise with him as he swings and then immediately score the critical. With the Drake Sword and Hornet Ring equipped, 4 backstabs and a poke will yield the ring.
#3: Covetous Gold Serpent Ring
My precious! This aptly named ring will supercharge the item drop rate. This buff is invaluable and will cut dozens of hours of farming time. Humanity also increases the drop rate but is capped at a much lower level. The value of this ring is highlighted by the resultant frequent chunk, twinkling, green and large titanite drops. These are very expensive but necessary upgrade materials required in large amounts. Rares such as the Balder Side Sword are quickly found with this ring. Even if you are speeding through the game, make a point to get it from Sen’s Fortress. Go to the bottom room with the Mimic chest holding the Lightning Spear. Wait until enough boulders have filled up the hole outside this room. The next one will crash open the wall revealing a body with the ring.
#2: Ring of Favor and Protection
Do you remember the first time you tried on a ring that was a bit tight? You got it on but you could not take it off. Thoughts of gnawing the finger off quickly gave way to the rational use of some soapy water, and the ring was off but with some scraped skin as a testimony to your stupidity. This ring is a bit like that except that you will not want to take it off. You see this ring breaks if ever removed! But it also increases vitality, stamina and equipment burden by 20%. Because it is available in early game, you will likely be seduced by its powerful multiples buffs. Worst yet, you will come to rely on them. The realization that taking it off will prevent equipping a needed weapon/shield/armor and sizably decrease the stamina and health bars will give anyone pause. Your character immediately becomes more than 20% stronger when you put on this ring but alternatively weaker if you take it off. That is because of the multiple buffs. You have to pump both VIT and END to offset its effects. Removal of this ring is painful in early game because your character is severely downgraded. But it is just as painful in late game, when the level upgrades are very expensive and hard to achieve quickly. Do not despair or vacillate. Put on this ring and never take it off. It is good enough to warrant a permanent ring slot in your inventory. To get it, kill Knight Lautrec of Carim when he appears in Firelink Shrine. You can also trade a Xanthous Crown with Snuggly or invade Lautrec’s world in Anor Londo (if you don’t get him earlier) but these event happen much later in the game. Try your hardest to get this fantastic ring in early game.
#1: Dark Wood Grain Ring
I wonder how many of you have this as your top choice. For me it is an absolute no brainer. This ring removes the roll and movement penalty normally experienced when equipment burden is >25%. Furthermore, the roll animation changes to an agile gymnastic flip. Your character is almost impervious to attack when doing this “ninja” flip. The added defense and evasion is critical for most boss fights, especially Smough and Ornstein or Lord Gwynn. The ring is dropped by Shiva’s ninja bodyguard. He can be killed in Darkroot Garden after immediately joining Alvina’s covenant, or in Blighttwon (if you want to buy from Shiva first). Put on this ring to run and flip past enemies, bosses or PVP’ers while loaded with equipment. The ability to run and flip adds a tremendous sense of freedom and agility to the game, as if you could fly. Once you put it on, you will never take it off. The game can be finished without it but at a great loss and detriment to the overall gameplay experience. The Dark Wood Grain Ring is unquestionably the best ring (and possibly the best item) in Dark Souls.
Dark Souls allows you to mix and match equipment anyway you want. Due to the large available inventory, there are several items that, although powerful, may be rare and quirky and thus not popular or commonly used. However, I urge you, my fellow gamers, to give these items a try. They represent some of the best “value” items in the game. Here is my list. What are your favorite quirky items?
#10: Blacksmith Giant Hammer
A fully upgraded hammer yields 300 units of lightning damage. And 180 units of physical damage… and it adds low strength scaling. The move set is that of an axe (no jumping attacks). It is light and has low strength requirements. Take this one for a spin during your next farming run in Dark Root Garden past the sealed door. Two-handing a fully upgraded hammer, you can dispose of all the enemies much faster than you could trick them into a fall. This is an excellent option for anyone looking for a blunt back-up weapon that packs a good punch. The lightning damage is handy since most enemies are susceptible to it, and it can be swung very fast.
#9: Dark Hand
Dark Hand can be farmed from the New Londo Darkwraiths or gained as a reward in the Darkwraith Covenant. In the right hand, the strong attack sucks souls from NPCs, higher amounts depending on your covenant level. When equipped in the left hand, it acts as a relatively powerful shield. The Dark Hand shield has high elemental defense but low physical defense (80% physical, magic, fire and lightning). This is an excellent shield for ranged PvPers or magicians due to its extremely low weight penalty. This item can be used in several boss fights and world areas where elemental defense is needed. Its low weight shield facilitates the use of heavier weapons or armor, not possible with other shields. It also sports the coolest see-through animation effect in the game.
#8: Velka’s Rapier
Velkas’s Rapier is an outstanding weapon for intelligence builds. It begins to outpace an enchanted Estoc at ~20 or higher intelligence. It is also much easier to max out requiring expensive but more readily available twinkling titanite. This unique weapon is a little difficult to obtain though. You must unlock the annex in the Painted World of Ariamis, and then break down a wooden wall blocking the path to the weapon. The tricky part is getting the annex key in the underground labyrinth, which is loaded with dangerous Undead Skeletons riding Bone Wheel Shields. If you don’t already have a magic Estoc or magic Ricard’s Rapier, do not pass up on this excellent magical thrusting sword.
#7: Set Of Favor
Raise your hand if you have worn this armor just for its looks? Well, it is actually one of the better sets when fully upgraded with twinkling titanite. Although Ornstein’s Set is superior at base levels, the Set of Favor unlocks much higher ratings after upgrades. It is a hair lighter than Ornstein’s Set and maybe even cooler looking. It has good physical defense but high elemental defense plus curse resistance. The only detriment is availability. This set can only be accessed after invading Knight Lautrec of Carim’s world in Anor Londo. You must beat him but beware his two buddies, a magician who likes to spam cast Soul Spear and a tank with shield and spear. After killing Lautrec, his armor will be in the same floor as the Chamber of the Princess’ bonfire. You must not kill Lautrec in Firelink Shrine and let him assassinate Anastacia of Astora. She will drop her outfit and a Black Eye Orb that will let you invade and revenge her. Builds that like to keep armor weight below 30 units should patiently wait for the opportunity to obtain this outstanding set.
#6: Scythe
This rare weapon is only mildly overpowered by the fire or lightning version of the Gargoyle Halberd, another unique. Almost identical in damage output, it is superior to its cousin Lucerne due to its larger strike area and two-handed attack range. Most players will likely miss out on this weapon. You must get to the swampy basement of Sen’s Fortress and battle a Prowling Demon to gain access to the Scythe. That is a tough challenge that the faint-of-heart will opt to avoid. If miss out on the Gargoyle Halberd after battling the Gargoyles in Anor Londo, equip Iron Flesh and a heavy weapon and go get the Scythe. You won’t regret it.
#5: Great Lord Greatsword
Many gamers are disappointed when they discover this soul weapon deals physical damage only. The fire damage component is limited to Lord Gwynn apparently, since the weapon cannot be enchanted. Additionally, you will not be able to swing it as fast as Lord Gwynnn. However, this is a fine sword. It outmuscles heavier weapons and most others in its weight class. Full upgrades will unlock an attack rating of 346 physical damage plus low strength and dexterity scaling. This melee-build sword is usable in NG+ or even PvP. It can be swung relatively quickly and has decent range. It is one of the few soul weapons that are worth upgrading.
#4: Royal Helm
This helmet has horns and a cutout for your eyes so it looks like a mask. When fully upgraded with plain titanite, it provides very high physical defense relative to its weight of only 4.5 units. It also rates high elemental defense, and good poison and toxin protection but not against curse. This is a suitably satisfying reward for offing Vamos the Blacksmith in the Catacombs, who is a real SOB. Fans of the classic PS3 game ICO should not pass up on this item.
#3: Washing Pole
Ah, the most misunderstood, dizzed and ridiculed weapon in the game. It is not a caricature of a sword or some tribute to Japanese anime. It has the same move set as the Uchigatana but offers much more range because of its exaggerated length. Additionally it scales on both strength and dexterity making it a better option for strength builds. The Washing Pole is difficult to obtain and very expensive but worth it. If your build can handle the high weight and stat requirements, treat yourself to a fire version and let your sword skills loose in Anor Londo. A fire Washing Pole is the best choice to take down the Bat Wing Demons, easily the most annoying and cheapest enemies in the game. A buffed pole is extremely effective for boss fights due to its range. Try it against Smough and Ornstein, or when battling the Hydras.
#2: Xanthous Waistcloth
After the 1.05 patch, the Xanthous Waistcloth takes the crown for best light leg armor in the game. When fully upgraded with twinkling titanite, only a few much heavier “leggings” provide better defense. It has high ratings across the board (especially against magic and lightning) lacking only in curse defense. Actually, the entire set is very good; the Gloves are also a great value item with an excellent defense to weight ratio, and the Crown adds high curse defense (although it is a bit heavy). To get the set, you must first travel back to your original jail cell in the Northern Undead Asylum and find the Peculiar Doll. With this item in your inventory, walk up to the wall painting in the Anor Londo cathedral. You will be sucked into the Painted World of Ariamis. Go to the snowy area with the large blocks and dispose of Xanthous King, Jeremiah when he invades. The set can be picked up on your way out of the level past Priscilla the Cross Breed (you don’t have to fight her to get the set). If you don’t mind looking a bit ridiculous in a hot mustard skirt, wear this powerful item proudly during your next playthrough or PVP encounter.
#1: Power Within
This pyromancy will raise your damage by 40% and increase stamina recovery rate, but at the cost of a depleting health bar. The depletion rate scales with the level of your pyromancy flame. I am willing to bet that many of you avoid using Power Within because your pyro flame is already powered up by the time you get it. Using this item is dangerous without high vitality or a complimentary ring. This spell really shines in NG+. By then you are likely to have 40 or more vitality and a plain pyro flame plus other items that can be combined to maximize your damage output. You really need the damage buff in NG+ or higher especially for the end game bosses. Power Within can be combined with the Hornet Ring, the Leo Ring, the Ring of the Evil Eye, the Dragoncrest Rings, the Server, the Sanctus shield, the Tin Crystallization Catalyst, the Crown of the Dark Sun, or the Crown of Dusk just to name a few. The combinations are numerous and open up some interesting and intriguing strategies. Here are two of my favorites. Pyros and magicians can cast Power Within while wearing both the Dragoncrest Rings. Your resultant spell or pyro damage will be 186.2% stronger! And the health bar depletion will be spread out over a much longer time. The second combination is highly effective for faith builds with high vitality. Cast Power Within and then buff your favorite weapon with the Sunlight Blade or Moonlight Blade miracles to supercharge your character into a Bane-like venom induced rage. Power Within is available in Blighttown past a very aggressive and strong Parasitic Wall Hugger. It can be taken out with ranged attacks or by finding the well opening leading to its exposed back. Do not be afraid of the “Power Within” you. This powerful spell is usable during your first playthrough if you can withstand the desire to upgrade your pyro flame. Your patience will be rewarded.
In Dark Souls, your weapon is your single most important possession. It characterizes and guides your build and upgrade progression. Weapons that deal normal, divine or magic damage scale on a specific stat (STR, DEX, INT, FAI). A strong magic build will deal more damage with an enchanted sword, while a melee build with high STR will deal more damage with a large sword or hammer. That is not the case with Fire and Lightning weapons. These deal the same amount of damage regardless of your build. The only requirement is the ability to wield the item successfully. There is an opportunity to make very powerful fire and lightning weapons for any type of build, and most importantly, for use in early-game.
The upgrade material for fire and lightning weapons is expensive and rare at least until the Lord Vessel unlocks new world areas. In addition, some weapons are only available once per playthrough or require laborious farming. Once you have obtained a rare or unique weapon, you might be tempted to ascend it immediately. But is that the right decision? You don’t want to waste precious upgraded materials on the wrong weapon. Read on my fellow gamers, for my recommended best choices for ascension to fire and lightning. What are your favorite ones?
#10: Zweihander
As a general rule, I don’t like to ascend heavy weapons with high stat scaling since most of my builds have high STR in NG+. However, I can easily make an exception for the Zweihander. The game developers are tempting us to sink all our early-game souls into STR by making it available as soon as you reach Firelink Shrine (head to the area leading to the catacombs and explore one of the skeleton guarded tombs). Relative to other heavy weapons (Ultra Great Swords, Great Axes and Great Hammers), the Zweihander has the lowest stat and weight requirements. You can be wielding this beast after only a few upgrades at a bonfire. The sword does heavy damage in fire or lightning modes and has the useful one-handed strong thrust attack. Even a base Fire Zweihander will terrorize enemies and bosses in early-game, and will deal severe punishment in late-game when fully upgraded. It is a good choice for NG+ as well, especially if you favor heavy weapons, have high endurance, or want to switch from a pure STR build after meeting its requirements.
#9: Greataxe
If you are a psychopath and want to hack your way through the game, you probably yearn for a +10 Fire or +5 Lightning Greataxe. There is nothing in the game with higher damage rating when ascended, and boy, does it deliver. One blow will outright kill, stun, or knock away just about any enemy in the game. Large chunks of the boss life bar will disappear when a two-handed strong attack connects. As with the normal version, the associated stat and weight requirements are very high. And it is hard to find. You must explore every inch of the dangerous Depths, buy it from the Sen’s Fortress merchant or wait for a rare Heavy Knight drop. Melee builds that like to carry a “big stick” will love this ascended weapon. Good alternates are the Great Club or the rare Large Club. They have slightly lower but comparable damage ratings and are lighter. I don’t recommend them in fire or lightning form. Because of their high stat scaling, melee builds with high STR can deal more damage with a normal version of either of these large hammers. That is not the case with the Greataxe, making it an excellent option for ascension to fire or lightning.
#8: Washing Pole
A +10 Fire Washing Pole is my favorite weapon in the game. The range is obscene. Once you get the hang of the move set, you can two-hand your way through any boss fight. The range and speed of the attacks open up new boss strategies, leading to an operatic dance rather than a haphazard fight. The larger range allows you to score hits from what feels like a mile away, especially if the one-handed strong attack or running attack is timed well. The two-handed strong attack is rangy and powerful. I relish ending a boss encounter with this as the finishing move. The larger hitting zone makes the Washing Pole superior to the Uchigatana. But the high stat requirements, high cost, and difficult accessibility, mean that it is less of an overall weapon value. Regardless, once you have beaten Smough and Ornstein with a fire pole, or quickly killed the Hellkite Dragon with a lightning pole, you will know your souls and time were very well spent indeed!
#7: Reinforced Club
A tiny club, really? Yes, this particular club has the highest damage rating of anything in its weight class when ascended to fire or lightning. It outpaces the katanas by ~7% and gets to ~93% of the ascended Claymore rating, at a lower weight but giving up range. True to its brutish looks, this is a straight out two-handed medieval tool. The two-handed jumping attack is very effective against bosses for its increased range but alas cannot be chained. This is a great secondary weapon for those who prefer ranged attacks but need some solid back-up. It is light and has paltry stat requirements (one of the few weapons that can be wielded by a level 1 character) but really packs a punch when ascended. Thanks to the power of a +10 Fire Reinforced club, I was able to finish the game at level 1 (took me ~21 hours).
#6: Lucerne / Scythe / Halberd
Is it just me or are the Halberds like Tim Tebow? You are either a lover or a hater. They outclass much heavier weapons with better damage and range. But the move set and strike area are limited, especially with one hand. They do shine as two-handed weapons with a superior running attack. These 3 weapons have exactly the same rating when ascended to fire or lightning and the damage output is quite high, only slightly lower than the superior Gargoyle Halberd. Any of them will transform into you a butt-whooping bully as soon as ascended. They are also very good alternates if you miss out on the Gargoyle Halberd drop. Their stat requirements are slightly different with Lucerne having the lowest ones, while the Scythe is the lightest but most difficult to get. But the Halberd is the easiest to obtain and in available in early-game (found in the Undead Parish courtyard close to the Basement Key).
#5: Uchigatana
I love this sword because of its move set. There is nothing like making your way through the game or a boss fight while two-handing a fire or lightning katana. The damage rating is reduced from other swords and halberds but you can swing it much quicker for chain attacks that unlock the bleeding bonus (END should be pumped until you can chain at least 4 normal two-handed attacks). The one-handed strong thrust attack is fast, and the two-handed strong attack animation is almost as cool as the Iato’s. DEX builds must wait until high stats and a +10 or more normal upgrade to match some of the damage that is immediately unlocked with a fire or lightning uchigatana. Be careful, once you try this weapon, you may ignore the rest of your arsenal.
#4: Claymore / Bastard Sword
Both of these weapons have identical weights and stat scaling. A fire or lightning Bastard Sword does more damage, but the Claymore has the superior range and a thrust attack good for tight quarters. The Claymore is available very early in the game but only once per playthrough. The Bastard Sword is also available relatively soon and can be had in multiples, but it does cost 3000 souls a pop. Once fully ascended, each one combines high damage with low weight and low stat requirements, an attractive package for any non-melee build. If you don’t like Halberds and prefer swords, this is the right weapon for you. My recommendation is make a fire or lightning Bastard Sword and upgrade the Claymore through its normal path. In NG+ with improved STRE and DEX stats, a buffed +14 Claymore is very powerful (try it with the Sunlight Blade spell for some fun). However, a fully ascended fire or lightning Claymore is the better choice if you are focused on your first playthrough, because of its superior range and move set.
#3: Estoc
Dexterity weapons benefit the most from ascension to fire or lightning, as the high damage rating is unlocked immediately upon ascension. The Estoc is the prime example. This is an incredibly useful sword that allows for attacks while shielded and for very quick unshielded attack chains. Although heavier than other thrusting swords, the Estoc is longer yielding a larger attack range. The Estoc does massive critical damage, usually higher than weapons that are much heavier or with greater damage rating. My first ring is typically the Hornet ring to pair with a normal +5 Estoc. With this combo, it is possible to backstab your way through Havel the Rock and most of the black knights in early game. When ascended to its fire mode, the Estoc breaks early game. One poke while shielded will bring down weak enemies. Larger ones can be hit multiples times or from a safe distance or dispatched via backstabs. A +8 or higher Fire Estoc will make mincemeat out of the Anor Londo knights or the New Londo Ruins Darkwraiths, in concert with the Hornet ring, a good shield and decent stamina. I recommend the fire over the lightning version, because of the higher damage rating and high lightning defense of the Anor Londo knights. This is an important consideration since the Estoc is only available once per playthrough (take the tower elevator down from Firelink Shrine, go past the wall opening and look right for the dead corpse with the Estoc).
#2: Balder Side Sword
The Balder Side Sword is to straight swords, what the Estoc is to thrusting swords. Both do the same damage as their cousins but have superior range and a better moveset. The Balder Side Sword is an outstanding weapon that can be used to finish the game in its fire or lightning modes. This sword is both quick and light. It is very easy to hit slower foes once, twice or even 3 times, with the damage adding up quickly due to the decent fire and lightning rating. The added range makes it a great counter-attacking weapon and keeps you at a safe distance most of the time, difficult to do with all other shorter straight swords. The strong one-handed thrust attack has huge range and is fast, a useful combination when in tight quarters. This is a good choice for PVP as well because of the high criticals and ability to get life-draining quick hits on an opponent. Unfortunately, the Balder Knights have a low drop rate for this sword. Getting it can be painfully long without equipping a lot of humanity or the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring (but worth it in my view).
#1: Gargoyle Halberd
The Fire/Lightning version of this weapon does the highest amount of damage of any other one in its weight class. The 16 STR and 12 DEX requirements are accessible to just about any build. This means you will be able to do massive damage at low character levels, while keeping a safe range from your foe. The weapon does thrust damage which improves the rating of criticals and can be paired with the Hornet ring for huge damage on parries and backstabs. Add the increase in toxin and poison resistance, long range and strike area, low weight and it is easy to see why it ranks first on my list. This is a boss-killing machine when maxed out. The running two handed vertical attack is fast, powerful and allows for quick recovery. If you prioritize other attributes over strength and dexterity, this is a must-have ascended Dark Souls weapon. The Gargoyle Halberd can be farmed by beating the first Bell Gargoyle, and letting the second one kill you if you don’t get a drop. Rinse and repeat until you get it. The Anor Londo gargoyles will typically drop it as well.
techphantomreviewer 