Dark Souls - I'm Prepared To Die (Again)

[Xprimentyl]

I find Blighttown to be fairly easy; it?s just nerve-wracking, like sitting in poisonous traffic. Even the Blowdart assholes are easy enough to deal with if you prepare and collect enough Blooming Purple Moss Clumps.

But those archers? nightmare fuel.

 

[Fox12]

I find Blighttown to be fairly easy; it?s just nerve-wracking, like sitting in poisonous traffic. Even the Blowdart assholes are easy enough to deal with if you prepare and collect enough Blooming Purple Moss Clumps.

But those archers? nightmare fuel.

I was relieved to find out everyone hated the archers. I thought I just sucked when I first played it.

They are easier during replays, but I'm not sure why. I don't really have a strategy for dealing with them.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I find Blighttown to be fairly easy; it?s just nerve-wracking, like sitting in poisonous traffic. Even the Blowdart assholes are easy enough to deal with if you prepare and collect enough Blooming Purple Moss Clumps.

But those archers? nightmare fuel.

I was relieved to find out everyone hated the archers. I thought I just sucked when I first played it.

They are easier during replays, but I'm not sure why. I don't really have a strategy for dealing with them.

Yeah, those Archers are pure psychological warfare. I've felt well overpowered this entire time in NG+, haven't felt challenged yet, but when I came to that tower and heard those Archers firing away, my instinct was to drop into the fetal position.

Strategy? HA! Unless "hope" is a strategy, there IS no strategy! You just have to run for it and hope you're fast enough and perfectly timed in between their firing cadence to reach the one on the right and hope he switches to his sword and shield.

 

[DeadProxy]

I find Blighttown to be fairly easy; it?s just nerve-wracking, like sitting in poisonous traffic. Even the Blowdart assholes are easy enough to deal with if you prepare and collect enough Blooming Purple Moss Clumps.

But those archers? nightmare fuel.

I was relieved to find out everyone hated the archers. I thought I just sucked when I first played it.

They are easier during replays, but I'm not sure why. I don't really have a strategy for dealing with them.

Yeah, those Archers are pure psychological warfare. I've felt well overpowered this entire time in NG+, haven't felt challenged yet, but when I came to that tower and heard those Archers firing away, my instinct was to drop into the fetal position.

Strategy? HA! Unless "hope" is a strategy, there IS no strategy! You just have to run for it and hope you're fast enough and perfectly timed in between their firing cadence to reach the one on the right and hope he switches to his sword and shield.

There is one strat I know for those god awful archers, if we're talking about the Anor Londo ones.

You need a few things of prep though. The ring that makes you invisible, I think you can get it from the sparkly crow thing? And then you need a couple poison arrows, and just sit on those for hours and hours. Once you reach the little piece of hell that is their range, you pop on the ring, and hit them 2 or 3 times with the poison arrows and just wait them out. It feels great getting some cheesy revenge on them.

 

[Xprimentyl]

The archers are a minor obstacle when you use the pillars to your advantage. With only having to deal with one at a time, a ranged strategy proves exceptionally effective, especially if you can get the right one to fall off on his own. Even without the pillars, either tanking with high poise or a slightly more daring option of <25% burden to zip by their meandering arrows reduces these obstacles to a minor nuisance.

 

[Fox12]

 

[Xprimentyl]

Oh... My... GOD. That dude is the biggest dick in all of Gaming-dom. I don't know why the guy he invaded put up with that bullshit; I would have turned my shit OFF. I got cold sweats just watching...

 

[Xprimentyl]

^^

Really though it is pretty hilarious. The music is icing on the cake. I had a really good lol, thanks for that.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Also, these archers are nothing next to having to stay in cover from Djura's Gatling gun while fighting his very aggressive ally in Bloodborne. I'm sure there's a way to lure him out of the open but really, I've become privy to the fact that shields made Souls games incredibly forgiving by contrast.

 

[vallorn]

That is some magnificent work from that invader.

 

[Xprimentyl]

While I?d like to think I?m a completionist, it?s only when feasible and I don?t see myself having the time, patience or skill to complete Dark Souls; there?s just too many ways to permanently screw up too many things. Speaking of which, instead of NG+, I've been entertaining the idea of just starting another NG with the same build, now wiser for the wear, using hindsight and tips from you fine folks in this thread to correct my many, many, oh-so MANY wrongs. Here are a few that gnaw at me:

- I didn?t really understand weapon scaling at early levels and failed to commit to a single weapon, so ended up spreading myself thin across Dexterity and Strength equally when I think I should have favored one or the other and Stamina. And I'll admit it; I'm the guy who put 2 points into Resistance. I DIDN?T KNOW!!

- I fed the Moonlight Butterfly, Iron Golem's and Smough?s souls to Frampt instead of making a unique weapon (really kicking myself for that last one..)

- I fed Frampt a BUNCH of titantite chunks for shards not realizing chunks were the next resource in the upgrade paths (and no, I had no reason NOT to realize that.)

- I used Gwyndolin?s soul to make the Darkmoon Bow, a weapon I couldn?t use due to my low Faith stat, then I unmade it back to the +10 Black Bow of Pharis LITERALLY wasting a unique soul item twice in a single playthrough because I?m a friggin? genius.

- As far as I can tell, I ruined damn-near every NPC?s questline, most notably Siegmeyer?s so I can?t get his titanite slab.

- I died at the same time as the Stray Demon, so I lost his titanite slab, too.

- Just a general misappropriation of resources; i.e.: I?ve got about a dozen weapons at +2 to +4 which I used maybe ONCE before deciding I didn?t like them.

As much as I likely will start a NG+ with my current character, I can already tell it?s gonna be a half-assed attempt because in my mind, I?ll be yelling at myself that I?m only making it harder on myself trying to do the things I messed first time on the harder NG+.

Took me a moment to find this post, but after spending several hours now in NG+, I?ve woefully learned yet another tough lesson:

- I REALLY should have killed Smough first in NG; Super Orenstein is a Super ***** on NG+. I watched EpicNameBro?s video on this very fight, and he makes it look pretty easy, essentially ?just stay close and hug his left leg? he says, but Super Orny is a big fan of his personal space and his left leg don?t want no hugs. I?ve been smacked by that lightning spear of his so many times, I?m starting to like it in an emo, self-loathing sort of way. I knew my happiness at besting the Archers was to be short lived. I don?t know why I thought one of the most infamously difficult boss battles in the game would be easier on a harder setting.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I'm back!! (Kinda.) Currently on NG+2 and just the dragonslayer spear away from the knights honor achievement... I can NOT beat Super Orenstein. What an asshole. I can beat Smough with my eyes closed (DS pro by now,) but O is a dick... I used to think I might actually 100% Dark Souls, but O... goddamn you, O....

 

[Xprimentyl]

Ah! I was wondering how you were doing with your + runs on this. I myself just Platinum'd it recently, and actually had more trouble with Gywn in NG+ than O&S even in NG++.

Not sure what your level/setup is, but during the initial phase I basically made sure Smough was always between me and Orny, as well as using the pillars to my advantage for an extra healing buffer. These same pillars can also protect against most of Super Orny's attacks, including the lightning wave as long as you're far enough back. Keep circling around them to sustain that barrier against his attacks. The Thunder Stoneplate ring helps in emergencies, and have Humanity equipped if you end up running out of Estus.

Other than that it boils down to baiting his weaker attacks and only approaching when he's in a vulnerable recovery state. The third and final time I fought them I did a repeat of my initial run, taking down Orny first. Super Smough in NG++ to me was more of a challenge than Super Orny in NG+, even though I managed to survive my first attempt. I lost once to Super Orny only because I didn't follow my own above advice.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Ah! I was wondering how you were doing with your + runs on this. I myself just Platinum'd it recently, and actually had more trouble with Gywn in NG+ than O&S even in NG++.

Not sure what your level/setup is, but during the initial phase I basically made sure Smough was always between me and Orny, as well as using the pillars to my advantage for an extra healing buffer. These same pillars can also protect against most of Super Orny's attacks, including the lightning wave as long as you're far enough back. Keep circling around them to sustain that barrier against his attacks. The Thunder Stoneplate ring helps in emergencies, and have Humanity equipped if you end up running out of Estus.

Other than that it boils down to baiting his weaker attacks and only approaching when he's in a vulnerable recovery state. The third and final time I fought them I did a repeat of my initial run, taking down Orny first. Super Smough in NG++ to me was more of a challenge than Super Orny in NG+, even though I managed to survive my first attempt. I lost once to Super Orny only because I didn't follow my own above advice.

I know the strategy is to bait Super Ornstein?s (hereafter ?that bastard?) weaker attacks, but my problem is largely bad RNG. I always try to kill Smough as close to the entry way as possible to give myself breathing/healing room at the start of the second phase since that bastard spawns at the back of the room, but instead of lumbering towards me allowing me to put a pillar between us (as a dozen how-to videos show,) he stays at the back of the room and spams his lightening attack (a one-shot kill against my build.) The only way to get that bastard to move and engage in melee is to move closer to him, ducking from pillar to pillar. Unfortunately, right about the time I get within striking distance, that bastard either does his butt stomp which requires that I roll back or his impaling attack where he lifts me up and shocks me (also a one-shot kill against my build.) It?s frustrating because that bastard?s so big, I have to lock on to him (which is basically suicide) to see above his waist to see how he telegraphs his moves, but the fight never really last long enough for me to learn how to read anything let alone memorize anything?

? is how I felt up until yesterday morning when I found my ?safe zone?: his left leg. If I did NOT lock on and stayed on his left ankle like a horny Chihuahua with a red rocket, he kept to his melee attacks with the occasional butt stomp. But in my excitement and newfound confidence, I got greedy when he was down to his last bit of health and failed to block his incoming attack as I was going in to delivery my own.

Note that it was 7:30am and I was on my girlfriend?s back patio playing on a wall-mounted flat screen. When I realized that bastard had killed me, I was on my feet screaming like a petulant child and was ready to toss my whole Xbox in the pool before I noticed the screen again where it was displayed ?YOU DEFEATED? followed by the pop up ?Soul of Ornstein? and a load screen. We?d killed each other at the same time. I belted out one good ?FUCK YES!!? at the top of my lungs before reigning myself in for the sake of neighbors and kids walking to school.

That felt GOOOOOOD. That?s the first time I?ve beaten O&S solo (without summoning Solaire,) and to think it was on NG+2 and I killed Ornstein last?? I impressed myself. I?m at 900 of 1,000 gamerscore in Dark Souls, only have to find all remaining Miracles, enter the Warrior of Sunlight covenant and I?ll have 100%. Man, if you would have told 2013 me (who quit because he couldn?t get past the Taurus Demon) that this day would EVER come, he?d laugh in your face.