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AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
Shadow of Yharnam is (are?) down...

two tries.

Current score, asterisks are for when I only count my first time fighting them in case I fought them on multiple playthroughs:

Cleric Beast - 2* tries
Father Cascoigne - 1*
Blood-Starved Beast - 2*
Vicar Amelia - 2
Witches of Hemwick - 2
Darkbeast Paarl - 2
Shadow of Yharnam - 2

I am happy I am doing good, but it is kind of disappointing as well. I miss the feeling of satisfaction the bosses in Dark Souls 3 gave me when I finally overcame them.


I'm a Soulsborne newbie, so I was pleased with how I did, but not as well as you.

Number of attempts needed on those bosses -


Cleric Beast - 2
Father G - 4
Blood Starved Beast - ~12
Vicar Amelia - 2
Witches - 3 (embarrassed, just carelessness, not difficulty)
Paarl - 1
Shadow - 1
Next Boss after Shadow - ~8-9

So it was a bit more variable for me. After the boss at Bergenwerth though I did do at least 3-4 other bosses in the main game in a single attempt, possibly a little overpowered.


Let's see how you do on the next boss. She's difficult for a lot of players and a bit different. BSB was my first wall and the next boss you are likely to encounter was my next with probably 8-9 attempts needed.


One thing that is weird is that on several bosses in the game where it took me >5 attempts, I very nearly beat them on the first or second try and then got into a rut and it took a long time to beat them. This happened for
BSB, Rom, Laurence in the DLC




If you find the boss difficulty not enough though, the DLC should help. Its an epic run of 5 bosses that elevate the BB experience.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
So you get to Cainhurst Castle by entering a carriage pulled by two undead horses. And the moment you get there and exit the carriage, the vehicle can't be interacted with anymore and there are two frozen carcasses of horses on the ground.

HMMM.

And of course it wouldn't be a Soulsborne game without a bleak snow level. I will quit this game if the ruler of this castle talks, in any way, about it a peaceful place with kind inhabitants.

I'm a Soulsborne newbie, so I was pleased with how I did, but not as well as you.

Number of attempts needed on those bosses -


Cleric Beast - 2
Father G - 4
Blood Starved Beast - ~12
Vicar Amelia - 2
Witches - 3 (embarrassed, just carelessness, not difficulty)
Paarl - 1
Shadow - 1
Next Boss after Shadow - ~8-9

So it was a bit more variable for me. After the boss at Bergenwerth though I did do at least 3-4 other bosses in the main game in a single attempt, possibly a little overpowered.


Let's see how you do on the next boss. She's difficult for a lot of players and a bit different. BSB was my first wall and the next boss you are likely to encounter was my next with probably 8-9 attempts needed.


One thing that is weird is that on several bosses in the game where it took me >5 attempts, I very nearly beat them on the first or second try and then got into a rut and it took a long time to beat them. This happened for
BSB, Rom, Laurence in the DLC




If you find the boss difficulty not enough though, the DLC should help. Its an epic run of 5 bosses that elevate the BB experience.
That's not bad at all, especially not for someone new to the franchise. DS1 was my first Soulsborne game and I needed 10+ tries for most of the bosses. It was DS3 that really thought me how to fight bosses, though. And after 100+ attempts at Sister Friede (DS3 DLC boss) anything would feel underwhelming, I guess.

I think I know what next boss you are referring to. From what I have seen of her, she could definitely be a challenge. She will have to wait, though, as I will do Cainhurst Castle first.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
I enjoyed Cainhurst. There is actually a reason Cainhurst is a snowy level related to who a certain character that is there is based on. Don't look that up until after completely finishing the level though.....and be sure you don't miss anything after beating the boss.
 

TetraGenesis

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,136
Truly love that a thread titled A Bloodborne Frustration Thread has basically become the new OT.

Because honestly, it's a fair thread title even for those that love the game.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822


Annalise is based on an famous Hungarian countess serial killer who often used cold weather and ice to torture victims at her castle. https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/01/13/serial-killer-countess-elizabeth-bathory/

From one of the BB Wikis:
"Her character is based on the infamous historical serial killer, Elizabeth Báthory. The most prolific female murderer known to history, she is believed to have killed hundreds of girls. She was also accused of bathing in the blood (although this is agreed to be mere sensationalism) and was accused of forcing her servants to be stripped down and left in the cold, leaving them to die of hypothermia (which would explain the snowy location where the Vilebloods reside)."
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
I realized I didn't have the DLC yet, so I just bought it. Explored the Hunter's Nightmare a bit. Difficulty was manageable, but maybe a bit too high at my current level. I did get the Beast Cutter and the Old Hunter set, so that at least is nice.

Now back to Cainhurst.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
I realized I didn't have the DLC yet, so I just bought it. Explored the Hunter's Nightmare a bit. Difficulty was manageable, but maybe a bit too high at my current level. I did get the Beast Cutter and the Old Hunter set, so that at least is nice.

Now back to Cainhurst.



I did this after defeating one of the last bosses of the game and just prior to the penultimate boss (well depending on who you consider last boss). Its usually recommended if you do it on the first run to be level 65+. I was probably closer to 75-80.

It does interrupt the flow a bit of the main game, but the downside to waiting until after you beat the main game is that the difficulty scales with NG+ and you have to play all the way to beating Vicar again before it is accessible (and at that point you may be under-leveled for the NG+ difficulty scaling). I think I'm glad I did it on the first run. But I may not have been comfortable with the difficulty doing it where you are now.

I'm glad you got it though, because if you are liking the game it is not to be missed.
 
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ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Martyr Logarius is kicking my ass. Four tries and counting. I like it.

That boss run is shit, though. It is one thing to make you run through a room filled with enemies, it is another to make them able to literally scream you off the ladder (if that little shithead with the blowdart doesn't get to you first). Ugh...

Also, I have never really noticed it because I have been rocking the capeless Hunter Coat since I got it, but can longer robes actually get stuck in the scenery? I equiped a set of robes for additional Arcane resist and something is constantly breaking my sprint, for example when running up stairs. It's really annoying.

I did this after defeating one of the last bosses of the game and just prior to the penultimate boss (well depending on who you consider last boss). Its usually recommended if you do it on the first run to be level 65+. I was probably closer to 75-80.

It does interrupt the flow a bit of the main game, but the downside to waiting until after you beat the main game is that the difficulty scales with NG+ and you have to play all the way to beating Vicar again before it is accessible (and at that point you may be under-leveled for the NG+ difficulty scaling). I think I'm glad I did it on the first run. But I may not have been comfortable with the difficulty doing it where you are now.

I'm glad you got it though, because if you are liking the game it is not to be missed.
I feel like I am around the midway point of the game, so it isn't surprising the DLC might be a bit too early to tackle.

I already know the final boss (as well as all the other bosses, plots points, etc., for that matter) so I will probably do the most difficult stuff just before it.

I was surprised the DLC still cost 20 bucks, I had hoped it would had dropped in price by now. But on the other hand: every piece of FromSoftware DLC has been well worth the price so far.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Got him! Fifth time was the charm. I don't know how much it actually helped, but farming that last Blood Stone Chunk and upgrading the Kirkhammer to +8 was a nice mental boost at least.

Those knifes he summoned after I got him down to 1/3 health almost wrecked me, also because they worked in perfect tandem with Logarius' own attacks, constantly interrupting my healing.

Parrying won the day here. The windows on some of his attacks were deceptively big actually.

Time to get an item for Alfred and, by extension, get me my Logarius' Wheel. I don't even need to farm any additional Twin Blood Stone Shards; killing all those Gargoyles have left me swimming in them.

Edit: Haha, oh wow. Dude really went to town on Annalise.
 
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ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Made a second foray into the DLC. Got some nice items and at least unlocked a shortcut. Nice place to farm gems, too.

Holy shit, though. It is like I am playing the Ringed City. Completely the same atmosphere, call-backs to the base game everywhere, and those large executioner dudes are dead ringers for Harald Knights. Though I guess it is the other way around, since Bloodborne came first.
 

Toxi

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
17,546
Made a second foray into the DLC. Got some nice items and at least unlocked a shortcut. Nice place to farm gems, too.

Holy shit, though. It is like I am playing the Ringed City. Completely the same atmosphere, call-backs to the base game everywhere, and those large executioner dudes are dead ringers for Harald Knights. Though I guess it is the other way around, since Bloodborne came first.
Can't wait to see your reaction to the first DLC boss. It's my favorite From Software boss ever.
 

Shin Kojima

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,962
Got him! Fifth time was the charm. I don't know how much it actually helped, but farming that last Blood Stone Chunk and upgrading the Kirkhammer to +8 was a nice mental boost at least.

Those knifes he summoned after I got him down to 1/3 health almost wrecked me, also because they worked in perfect tandem with Logarius' own attacks, constantly interrupting my healing.

Parrying won the day here. The windows on some of his attacks were deceptively big actually.

Time to get an item for Alfred and, by extension, get me my Logarius' Wheel. I don't even need to farm any additional Twin Blood Stone Shards; killing all those Gargoyles have left me swimming in them.

Edit: Haha, oh wow. Dude really went to town on Annalise.
You beat him already so congrats (and also congrats on your excellent taste regarding Kirkhammer) but when Logarius starts to summon those knives he plants a sword in the ground. I found it quite useful to just quickly target that sword and shoot it with your gun. Takes only one shot if you hit it.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Can't wait to see your reaction to the first DLC boss. It's my favorite From Software boss ever.
Heard a lot of good things about him. Definitely looking forward to it. I want him to be the one boss I don't know anything about prior to the fight in terms of gameplay/patterns (lore is fine) and not seek any help on if I struggle against him.

I don't think he can dethrone Sister Friede as my favorite boss, but hey, stranger things have happened. If you had told me a year ago I would be playing this game, without any anxiety issues or fear whatsoever, I would have said you were crazy.

You beat him already so congrats (and also congrats on your excellent taste regarding Kirkhammer) but when Logarius starts to summon those knives he plants a sword in the ground. I found it quite useful to just quickly target that sword and shoot it with your gun. Takes only one shot if you hit it.
Thanks! I actually already knew the sword was targetable, but I thought it would only spawn a finite amount of knives instead of seemingly unending waves. Plus I kind of panicked in the end, haha. At least you are fully invincible during visceral attacks, which saved my ass together with the Blood Rapture rune.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Well, I killed Rom. Three tries. Fight actually wasn't all that hard, just very drawn-out. First time one her meteors caught me by surprise, the second time I got hit by an explosion. But after I had figured out her 'tells', I had a relatively easy time picking off the small spiders while dodging the meteors. Rom herself was easy if you didn't use lock-on and hacked away at her squishy part.

And now the world has some of its color back.Was it worth it, though? Was it really worth it?

Jokes aside, I genuinely may need some time to adjust to those cthulhus clinging to EVERY FUCKING BUILDING. The baby sounds in the background do little to raise my sprits.
 

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,827
Annalise is based on an famous Hungarian countess serial killer who often used cold weather and ice to torture victims at her castle. https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/01/13/serial-killer-countess-elizabeth-bathory/

From one of the BB Wikis:
"Her character is based on the infamous historical serial killer, Elizabeth Báthory. The most prolific female murderer known to history, she is believed to have killed hundreds of girls. She was also accused of bathing in the blood (although this is agreed to be mere sensationalism) and was accused of forcing her servants to be stripped down and left in the cold, leaving them to die of hypothermia (which would explain the snowy location where the Vilebloods reside)."

Bloodborne was Stay Alive the whole time
tumblr_mv6eu1qOep1r0tytoo1_400.gif
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
Sounds like you are making good progress ClearMetal. I am working my way towards the last trophy in my NG+, so mostly in the Chalice dungeons. Will be starting on Defiled tonight......
 

Firewithin

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
4,421
Orange County
saw this thread at the right time. I went back to the game this weekend after giving up at Father G when i originally tried to play. After getting back to him this weekend it took be a couple hours but i finally got past him as well.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Can I give a shout-out to the voice-acting in this game? Iosefka and her creepy laugh and the phenomenally intense Valtr in particular are a joy to listen to.

Sounds like you are making good progress ClearMetal. I am working my way towards the last trophy in my NG+, so mostly in the Chalice dungeons. Will be starting on Defiled tonight......
Yeah it has been going well. Cleaned out Yahar'Gul yesterday, but saved the boss until today. After that... I don't know. Upper Cathedral Ward? And I still have that Tonsil Stone Patches gave me.

Not gonna lie, though: I thought Yahar'Gul was kind of shit. Respawning enemies, fricking laser beams and a trio of npc hunters with no way to bait them individually? Every Soulsborne game has moments or levels where the difficulty goes from "hard but fair" to "hard and unfair" and Yahar'Gul might be that level for Bloodborne.

saw this thread at the right time. I went back to the game this weekend after giving up at Father G when i originally tried to play. After getting back to him this weekend it took be a couple hours but i finally got past him as well.
Well done!
 

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,322
Not gonna lie, though: I thought Yahar'Gul was kind of shit. Respawning enemies, fricking laser beams and a trio of npc hunters with no way to bait them individually? Every Soulsborne game has moments or levels where the difficulty goes from "hard but fair" to "hard and unfair" and Yahar'Gul might be that level for Bloodborne.

Yahar'gul is one of the worst areas in the game. It's one of the very few levels in BB that I actually recommend players just sprint through and avoid combat if at all possible.

You CAN actually bait the Gank Squad, but it's...hard. I managed to do it once but on replays it hasn't gone nearly as well.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
Can I give a shout-out to the voice-acting in this game? Iosefka and her creepy laugh and the phenomenally intense Valtr in particular are a joy to listen to.


Yeah it has been going well. Cleaned out Yahar'Gul yesterday, but saved the boss until today. After that... I don't know. Upper Cathedral Ward? And I still have that Tonsil Stone Patches gave me.

Not gonna lie, though: I thought Yahar'Gul was kind of shit. Respawning enemies, fricking laser beams and a trio of npc hunters with no way to bait them individually? Every Soulsborne game has moments or levels where the difficulty goes from "hard but fair" to "hard and unfair" and Yahar'Gul might be that level for Bloodborne.


Well done!



I think they make YaharGul that way the second time to really shake you, because its supposed to be a triumphant return to a place that probably scared you earlier.....and in most games it would be with you coming in and kicking ass. But now the enemies are scaled up, there are bell ringers, new more powerful enemies, you can see the amygdalas that were there and maybe you didn't know it the first time, etc.

On those 3 hunters, yeah they gave me problems. The best thing though is that they aren't too far from the lamp and you can sneak-up on the guy in the middle and do a visceral and take him down to half health. Keep targeting him and try to take him out, or runaway and hide for a while and try to sneak him again or the one at the front door. Once you get one of them, the 2 are more manageable.

Either of those 2 options that you mentioned for next steps are fine and I would probably do them both before proceeding to the next required area beyond Yahargul. So take on the Yahargul boss if you want to, but go back and do your other activities before proceeding forward in Yahargul through the boss exit (use to lamp to return to Hunters Dream). Both of these areas can be difficult and a pain, but you can handle them if you've done Yahargul. You'll also want to start thinking about when to do the full DLC. It was recommended to me to do the DLC after
Micolash
and that worked pretty well. You may find the final bosses a bit tame though when returning from the DLC, because that is an epic run of 5 bosses, with 4 of them being pretty epic fights, but this would put you near the end anyway.

Note that before you beat the final boss in the game, there is a way to get all 3 endings using online storage, not doing that will trigger NG+ and you have to go back all the way through to get another ending. There is a youtube video that will tell you how to navigate this without giving away the actual endings or the boss fight.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Yahar'gul is one of the worst areas in the game. It's one of the very few levels in BB that I actually recommend players just sprint through and avoid combat if at all possible.

You CAN actually bait the Gank Squad, but it's...hard. I managed to do it once but on replays it hasn't gone nearly as well.
I am glad I am done with it. I actually had to go back to the laser beams staircase to get the key for the upper cathedral ward and... it just wasn't fun. At all. I was looking for the drop-off point to the ledge below and ultimately to the key, and I died four times just because of those constant laser beams and respawning mad women giving me an awful time. And of course you had to find the ledge to kill the local bell ringer as well. How did she even know you were there from the place she was hiding?

Like I said, it is one of those instances where it becomes a bit too obvious the game is actively working against you.

It is a shame, because I think the level could have been really cool and atmospheric without these "gimmicks".

Either of those 2 options that you mentioned for next steps are fine and I would probably do them both before proceeding to the next required area beyond Yahargul. So take on the Yahargul boss if you want to, but go back and do your other activities before proceeding forward in Yahargul through the boss exit (use to lamp to return to Hunters Dream). Both of these areas can be difficult and a pain, but you can handle them if you've done Yahargul. You'll also want to start thinking about when to do the full DLC. It was recommended to me to do the DLC after
Micolash
and that worked pretty well. You may find the final bosses a bit tame though when returning from the DLC, because that is an epic run of 5 bosses, with 4 of them being pretty epic fights, but this would put you near the end anyway.

Note that before you beat the final boss in the game, there is a way to get all 3 endings using online storage, not doing that will trigger NG+ and you have to go back all the way through to get another ending. There is a youtube video that will tell you how to navigate this without giving away the actual endings or the boss fight.
DLC will probably wait until I exhausted all the content from the base game, sans the final boss fight(s) of course. Currently on my way to Upper Cathedral Ward. I defeated The One Reborn (that whole fight felt very surreal...) and approached the dude in the chair. But from what I already know of the lore, I have a good idea who that really is and where interacting with it will take me.

I knew about the save file trick, I think it works in Dark Souls 3 as well. I personally don't like using it, though. With the way saves work in Soulsborne games and how all decisions are final, it feels very unnatural to reload through such a method. I would rather start a new playthrough, with its own decisions and ultimately its own ending. (It is why I don't like NG+ in these games either — my character's journey has already come to an end, so there is nothing left for them to accomplish in NG+.)
 

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,322
I am glad I am done with it. I actually had to go back to the laser beams staircase to get the key for the upper cathedral ward and... it just wasn't fun. At all. I was looking for the drop-off point to the ledge below and ultimately to the key, and I died four times just because of those constant laser beams and respawning mad women giving me an awful time. And of course you had to find the ledge to kill the local bell ringer as well. How did she even know you were there from the place she was hiding?

Like I said, it is one of those instances where it becomes a bit too obvious the game is actively working against you.

It is a shame, because I think the level could have been really cool and atmospheric without these "gimmicks".

Yeah. I had to go back there to get the key too and man, it's just a frustrating, frustrating place. The hatchet grandmas, the lasers, the constantly summoned bell-lady enemies...it's just the kind of level that makes it clear that From wanted you to feel on edge at ALL times while exploring it.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
Yahargul is fine. Nightmare Frontier sucks all the booty though. And any place with brain jerks.


Yeah, I kinda agree with this, although the boss fight in Nightmare Frontier is really good. The swamps/poison/boulders etc. are a pain, along with the bland aesthetic compared with the rest of the game. I only remember seeing one Winter Lantern though, and not too bad if you are cautious and sneaky.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
On an unrelated note, I am still searching for a good secondary weapon. I am so used to the Kirkhammer by now that any other weapon fails to click with me. But that would mean I wasted 18 levels by taking Arcane from base 7 all the way to 25.

Maybe I should force myself to exclusively use the Boom Hammer for the entirety of Upper Cathedral Ward.
 

random88

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,279
Not US
Ludwig's Holy Blade is awesome, scales good with arcane if you put some fire/bolt gem. Sword mode is the same as Kirk's, but I'd say that transformed is much better. It's one of the best weapons in the game overall, has a great moveset and it hits like a truck.
 
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Hu3

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,574
On an unrelated note, I am still searching for a good secondary weapon. I am so used to the Kirkhammer by now that any other weapon fails to click with me. But that would mean I wasted 18 levels by taking Arcane from base 7 all the way to 25.

Maybe I should force myself to exclusively use the Boom Hammer for the entirety of Upper Cathedral Ward.

Did you try the gloves ?, you have more than enough arcane to use them.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Ludwig's Holy Blade is awesome, scales good with arcane if you put some fire/bolt gem. Sword mode is the same as Kirk's, but I'd say that transformed is much better. It's one of the best weapons in the game overall, has a great moveset and it hits like a truck.
I used LHB for a while, but it felt like a waste to run around with a standard greatsword with so many other outlandish weapons around.

I already used all of my Blood Stone Chunks on the Boom Hammer anyway. It actually has a higher AR than the Kirkhammer now, although the difference is minimal.

Did you try the gloves ?, you have more than enough arcane to use them.
You mean the Executioner's Gloves? I haven't used any of the Hunter Tools to be honest. I might need to change that. The TIny Tonitrus seems crazy strong as well.
 

Wamb0wneD

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
18,735
On an unrelated note, I am still searching for a good secondary weapon. I am so used to the Kirkhammer by now that any other weapon fails to click with me. But that would mean I wasted 18 levels by taking Arcane from base 7 all the way to 25.

Maybe I should force myself to exclusively use the Boom Hammer for the entirety of Upper Cathedral Ward.
Whirlgig Saw is the best thing ever, but it's not arcane based.. Logarius' Wheel however is one of, if not the the best choice for a strenght/arcane build.
 

random88

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,279
Not US
I used LHB for a while, but it felt like a waste to run around with a standard greatsword with so many other outlandish weapons around.

I already used all of my Blood Stone Chunks on the Boom Hammer anyway. It actually has a higher AR than the Kirkhammer now, although the difference is minimal.


You mean the Executioner's Gloves? I haven't used any of the Hunter Tools to be honest. I might need to change that. The TIny Tonitrus seems crazy strong as well.

Logarius Wheel then, ok arcane (but not great) and it's definitely outlandish. Blades of Mercy (OP weapon) or Burial Blade (only in NG+) are also a good choice.

I mostly didn't use Hunter Tools except Beast Claw and Old Hunter Bone, but when you go for Arcane you should probably use them.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Explored the Upper Cathedral Ward, got the Orphanage key and have lost the ability to feel fear because this level fucking drained all of it.

Drained like those shitty brainsuckers ate yet another 9 Insight. Assholes. Total Insight lost to them so far: 15.

I actually got really lucky when the Crystal Lizard Wandering Madnesss ran away from me, only to do an instant 180 in my direction when it saw the Brainsucker lurking in the shadows. And despite the latter supposedly being very resistant to blunt, I was able to almost one-shot them with a fully charged R2 from the transformed Kirkhammer. I have said it before, but slamming enemies into the ground will never get old.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Killed Celestial Emissary (1 try) and Ebrietas (5 tries). Boom Hammer ultimately came in handy for the latter (I tried it first with the Kirkhammer and fire paper). Nice thing about the Boom Hammer, aside from the innate fire damage, is the quicker charge on its R2.

I also revived Annalise. Looks like you killed yourself for nothing, Alf.

(I am not even sorry. There are a few exceptions, but one thing Soulsborne games suck at is making you care for friendly NPCs since a tragedy will inevitably befall them anyway.)
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
Killed Celestial Emissary (1 try) and Ebrietas (5 tries). Boom Hammer ultimately came in handy for the latter (I tried it first with the Kirkhammer and fire paper). Nice thing about the Boom Hammer, aside from the innate fire damage, is the quicker charge on its R2.

I also revived Annalise. Looks like you killed yourself for nothing, Alf.

(I am not even sorry. There are a few exceptions, but one thing Soulsborne games suck at is making you care for friendly NPCs since a tragedy will inevitably befall them anyway.)


That's actually really good on Ebrietas IMO. I had to use circling around the trunk strategy to beat him, which felt like a waste because he has a lot of good face to face offense.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
Stuck on the Watchdog boss in the Defiled Chalice. You get a 50% health reduction in that dungeon and the bosses can 1 hit kill you. This is easily the toughest thing I've faced.
 

Ducarmel

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,363
Lost over a million blood echoes after doing the pig farming run at Mergos Loft for almost an hour planned to seriously put points towards a Arcane build

It was so unnecessary too, instead of getting my blood echoes from the lone shadow of yharnam who has his back turn to you if you run pass him and he loses his aggro on you I decided to keep going and one of the pigs seemed more aggressive than usual and killed the shadows i pitted against him and he manages to follow me up the steps and bull rushed me by surprise as i was dealing with a shadow who did not get caught in the fight with the pigs
 

Makoto Yuki

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,394
Been meaning to come back. Forget the new game plus, I just want to start over fresh.

So good, GOTG.
 

Raptor

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
992
On an unrelated note, I am still searching for a good secondary weapon. I am so used to the Kirkhammer by now that any other weapon fails to click with me. But that would mean I wasted 18 levels by taking Arcane from base 7 all the way to 25.

Maybe I should force myself to exclusively use the Boom Hammer for the entirety of Upper Cathedral Ward.
The pizza cutter aka. Whirligig Saw is the answer to your prayers!!

DAmn fun weapon to use.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Ha, nice!

That's actually really good on Ebrietas IMO. I had to use circling around the trunk strategy to beat him, which felt like a waste because he has a lot of good face to face offense.
What ultimately worked for me was to 'bait' one of her larger physical attacks (the face slam for example) by standing in front of her, quickstep to the side and take advantage of her recovery time to hit her with a fully charged, ignited Boom Hammer R2. Not without its risks obviously and you have to make sure you are at full health at all time. But I was able to do great burst damage that way and it led to one visceral attack. I also used Tiny Tonitrus for some additional bolt damage during those mid-range deadlocks (when you aren't sure if you should close the gap and potentially eat an attack or let her come to you).

If you feel particularly ballsy I think it should also be possible to bait the head slam and time your charged R2 so that it will hit just as she brings her head down.

The pizza cutter aka. Whirligig Saw is the answer to your prayers!!

DAmn fun weapon to use.
I tried it, but I don't know. I felt like the constant screeching noises would get on my nerves.

(Yes, I am incredibly picky. I do appreciate everyone's input, though!)
 

Raptor

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
992
(Yes, I am incredibly picky. I do appreciate everyone's input, though!)

There is a weapon in the DLC that is for pure Arcane but to get it is hard because you get it after you kill a boss and that boss is probably the hardest of the game, my last run was a pure arcane one and Executioner Gloves and A Call Beyond were the boss killers and the regular saw with some gems dealt with the mobs just fine, then again I went full on arcane I didnt put anything into anything else till I was like 50 Arcane.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
It took me literally sixteen days of attempts to beat him. That thing was my nemesis for a damn month.


The Dog has been tamed! I watched a lot of videos yesterday for strategy. Took me about 2 1/2 additional hours last night though to get it done. On my winning run I was fortunate a couple of times as he got me to like 10-20% health twice.

I think part of it is you really have to get fortunate in terms of the move set. I was really good at attacking his basic left and right head strikes. Dodge under, get in one hit, retreat, slowly working each leg until they bust and you can get in 3-4 more hits. Time consuming, but relatively easy. But sometimes I got him under 50% health and he was doing the fire bark and other head attacks over and over again, that I wasn't really good at countering with any offense.

On my last run he went back to the head swipes late, which opened the door for victory. Also, when he spews the lava pool that his a great opportunity for doing damage.

But again, I was fortunate to get him on my run. Nearly died twice, and there were 2 other times where he charged and missed me and honestly I was just fortunate not to be in the way, because I processed that he was charging too late. The feeling you get when he charges and you realize you weren't ready for it, but were just fortunate to be out of the way is like a near miss car crash. I'm guessing if I fought him 5 more times, I may beat him maybe 1 in 5 now.


Its just a fight that really requires patience (not my strong suit). Even when I got good at doing damage, I had so many failed runs because I tried to get in 1 extra hit or because I missed a hit and went for another. You have to know when you can hit and when you can't, and I cussed myself out so many times for being greedy and getting killed because of it. If you miss a strike just let it go, dodge and get out of there and set up for it again.
 

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,322
The Dog has been tamed! I watched a lot of videos yesterday for strategy. Took me about 2 1/2 additional hours last night though to get it done. On my winning run I was fortunate a couple of times as he got me to like 10-20% health twice.

I think part of it is you really have to get fortunate in terms of the move set. I was really good at attacking his basic left and right head strikes. Dodge under, get in one hit, retreat, slowly working each leg until they bust and you can get in 3-4 more hits. Time consuming, but relatively easy. But sometimes I got him under 50% health and he was doing the fire bark and other head attacks over and over again, that I wasn't really good at countering with any offense.

On my last run he went back to the head swipes late, which opened the door for victory. Also, when he spews the lava pool that his a great opportunity for doing damage.

But again, I was fortunate to get him on my run. Nearly died twice, and there were 2 other times where he charged and missed me and honestly I was just fortunate not to be in the way, because I processed that he was charging too late. The feeling you get when he charges and you realize you weren't ready for it, but were just fortunate to be out of the way is like a near miss car crash. I'm guessing if I fought him 5 more times, I may beat him maybe 1 in 5 now.


Its just a fight that really requires patience (not my strong suit). Even when I got good at doing damage, I had so many failed runs because I tried to get in 1 extra hit or because I missed a hit and went for another. You have to know when you can hit and when you can't, and I cussed myself out so many times for being greedy and getting killed because of it. If you miss a strike just let it go, dodge and get out of there and set up for it again.

Yeah. It's all about patience, really. And leaning to predict his flame explosions and get the hell out of the way before they go off - it was really hard with the Holy Blade, but the damage output is kind of essential. Glad you managed to take him down.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,822
Yeah. It's all about patience, really. And leaning to predict his flame explosions and get the hell out of the way before they go off - it was really hard with the Holy Blade, but the damage output is kind of essential. Glad you managed to take him down.


I used my +10 Saw Cleaver, which does good damage to him in non-transformed mode, but requires you to get in very close. I made a few runs with my +9 Holy Blade but I'm just not great with that weapon. (I did see strategies where you can pretty much just stay out in front of him and do damage with the Holy Blade to his head after he recovers from the swipe.) Holy Blade might be a better approach, but I wanted to be in my comfort zone for this one.
 

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,322
I used my +10 Saw Cleaver, which does good damage to him in non-transformed mode, but requires you to get in very close. I made a few runs with my +9 Holy Blade but I'm just not great with that weapon. (I did see strategies where you can pretty much just stay out in front of him and do damage with the Holy Blade to his head after he recovers from the swipe.) Holy Blade might be a better approach, but I wanted to be in my comfort zone for this one.

You can also absolutely obliterate his HP with a bone dusted Cannon shot, but that's pretty much a valid strategy for any boss.
 

ClearMetal

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,250
the Netherlands
Grats, AndrewGPK!

I have looked the Watchdog up and it reminds me a lot of Sulyvahn's Beast from Dark Souls 3. That one is only a miniboss, but one that could easily one-shot you and still causes at least 5 deaths whenever I encounter it. Your only saving grace is that the first (which is the only mandatory encounter; the other two are optional) is on a bridge only a few meters away from a bonfire. So if this Watchdog is boss level, I can imagine how much of a pain he must have been.

For reference, this is Sulyvahn's Beast:

 

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,322
Grats, AndrewGPK!

I have looked the Watchdog up and it reminds me a lot of Sulyvahn's Beast from Dark Souls 3. That one is only a miniboss, but one that could easily one-shot you and still causes at least 5 deaths whenever I encounter it. Your only saving grace is that the first (which is the only mandatory encounter; the other two are optional) is on a bridge only a few meters away from a bonfire. So if this Watchdog is boss level, I can imagine how much of a pain he must have been.

For reference, this is Sulyvahn's Beast:

Yeah, the Watchdog definitely has some design similarities with the Beast. Or rather, the Beast seems definitely inspired BY the Watchdog.