Dark Souls 2 is the sequel to one of the greatest video games of all time. If you loved the first Dark Souls, you’ll love the second. There is a lot to do in Dark Souls 2, and below is an article outlining some of the best tips and tricks to help you along the way.
An excellent game, Dark Souls 2 is largely the same as its predecessor but improved in all areas. With improved combat, better bosses, better graphics, and better mechanics, it is the best Souls game yet.
So, you’ve finished Dark Souls 2, and you’re ready to take on the final boss, but you haven’t beaten him yet. Or maybe you’ve been stuck on some of those tough-to-kill bosses. Or maybe you just want to use the game’s New Game Plus feature to try the game again. Whatever the reason, we’ve got some advice for you.
DuneMan, our staff, and a few other visitors have contributed some helpful Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First Sin Hints, Tips, and Tricks.
When you arrive to the stone that teaches you how to move the camera in the first instructional section, you’ll come upon a nest. If you select the Petrified Something while creating a new character, you may dump it at this nest for a random high-quality item. To dump the item, go to your inventory, choose the Petrified Something (or another item) you want to use, and then select “leave.”
You can trade a Prism Stone for the lowest quality item, a Small Smooth & Silky Stone for a low quality item, a Smooth & Silky Stone for a medium quality item and the Petrified Something that you can choose during the character selection for the highest quality item.
Keep in mind that you may return to this location by visiting the Things Betwixt bonfire. You may “leave” your stones on the ground one by one in a row to make trading easier, then pick up all the things exchanged instead of doing it one by one.
If you wish to concentrate on melee combat, choosing a Knight as your background class makes it simpler to get started. The Cleric is an excellent option for someone who is new to the game and wants to learn how to utilize magic while doing so.
The majority of courses begin without a shield. If you have 10 Strength, Maughlin the Armorer in Majula sells the Silver Eagle Kite Shield, which has excellent stats for such an early shield and costs enough souls to buy Maughlin new armor when you return.
Otherwise, the Crimson Parma is a good free shield found inside an Iron Chest right outside Majula on your way to Heide’s Tower of Flame (no need to fight enemies).
The Blue Wood Shield, which has the same need but higher stats, may be obtained after you reach the ballista trap chamber in the Forest of Fallen Giants.
Carry several functional weapons on you at all times in case one breaks. You’ll find yourself in situations where you won’t be able to repair your equipment, thus having just one weapon will leave you stranded with no means of protecting yourself.
Carry at least two weapons with you at all times, and check their durability on a regular basis. There’s nothing like entering a boss chamber only to discover your weapon has just 4 durability remaining!
2 Handling Weapons – Keep in mind that 2 handing a weapon only necessitates half of the weapon’s stat requirements! As a result, you can utilize weapons much sooner if you have two hands.
This is especially useful for weapons like the Greatsword, which you may get early in the game but must be used with 28 strength. You may equip and wield this weapon successfully early in the game with only 14 strength.
Save your human effigies – In Dark Souls 2, when you die, you become undead and your HP is permanently reduced by 10% (or less if you have Ring of Binding) up to 50%. Using a Human Effigy will transform you back into a human and restore your lost health to 100%.
Illusionary Walls – Unlike Dark Souls 1, where you had to assault a wall to discover a hidden location, illusionary walls in Dark Souls 2 may be found by pressing A (or whichever button you use to unlock doors on your platform).
Friendly assistance – NPCs may sometimes be used to cultivate regions. Instead of fighting the monster right away at the Earthern Peak, you may call the Jester and harvest all the opponents up to the first Lower Earthen Peak bonfire.
Once you’ve finished farming, Jester will “return to his world,” and you may call him again after using a bonfire to assist you in defeating the monster.
Farming Areas – After killing an opponent a certain number of times, they will no longer spawn. Some goods are difficult to farm as a result of this. The good news is that there is a solution.
Enemies will respawn and never despawn if you join the company of champions (found in Majula near Victors Stone). It should be noted that this increases their difficulty by one level.
In Dark Souls 2, don’t underestimate the strength of hammers, maces, and clubs. They are the only weapons that are highly effective against fully armored opponents (who are usually the most powerful and difficult to defeat adversaries in Dark Souls 2.) Hammers, maces, and clubs are also very effective against the Ruin Sentinels boss battle.
Secondary Attacks of Boss Soul Weapons – Keep in mind that many of the boss soul weapons available from Weaponsmith Ornifex and Straid contain useful secondary attacks. The Defender Great Sword 2 handed L2 is a free Sunlight Blade boost, for example (at the cost of some durability, keep repair powder on you to prevent the weapon from breaking). This is very beneficial since you may now utilize the attunement slot that would have been used for Sunlight Blade for another spell.
The Curved Dragon Sword is another excellent secondary attack boss soul weapon. It features a huge AOE strike that may be useful in both PVE and PVP situations. This is especially helpful in boss battles when a large number of foes are hitting you at the same time. It not only does a lot of damage, but it also knocks down opponents, giving you valuable time to retreat and strike again.
Majula has a free Chime for casting miracles, as well as a Morning Star. As you leave Things Betwixt, keep an eye out for a platform to leap down to off the edge of the cliff in front of you as you go left.
A set of Binoculars may be found near the previously described Chime, and can be used in conjunction with a spellcasting instrument to aim spells in first person (equip them in the opposite hand).
The Forest of Fallen Giants has a free Catalyst for sorcery and hexes. Look for three Hollow Infantry at the foot of the steps when you meet Pate and go into the confined area specified, either via the front gate or by jumping over the wall to flank the enemy. To claim the Catalyst, press X on the PlayStation 3 (or A on the Xbox 360) along this wall to uncover a hidden tunnel.
Usefulness of Ranged Weapons – In Dark Souls 2, many people overlook the use of bows and crossbows. Keep in mind that they may be used to not only take out hazardous opponents from a distance, but also to draw adversaries to you if they are grouped together and you just want to eliminate one at a time. Many locations, such as Shrine of Amana, feature a large number of strong foes clustered together. Pulling them one by one with a bow may save your life.
A free Shortbow may be obtained in Majula for Dex-focused characters, but it needs Lenigrast’s Key to enter his workshop (which is found in the Forest of Fallen Giants with Melentia the Hag, costs 1,000 souls).
A free Light Crossbow may be discovered in the ballista trap chamber in the Forest of Fallen Giants for Str-focused characters (once you go down the ladder.)
Quick Knight Attributes Tip – If you’re playing or thinking about playing a knight, go all out on VIT and Endurance at first, and then work on getting Strength to whatever amount the weapon you wish to use needs, not more.
The Heide Knight Sword has lightning damage and drops from the Heide Knight resting against a tree early in the Forest of Fallen Giants (after you climb the ladder after the first part with the bonfire next to the river). This sword is very powerful and can be used for a long time if upgraded at the beginning.
The second is the Fire Longsword, which can be found in the Forest of Fallen Giants past the Crimson Tower bonfire. Drop down the platforms to ground level, fighting through all the Hollow Infantry swarms, and look for a tunnel with bits of fire inside. A fire lizard will try to burn you, but you can time it to reach a door on the left of the tunnel, where the sword is hidden.
Don’t eat the souls that bosses give you. Later in the game, they may be exchanged for unique weapons or spells with two distinct NPCs. The basic souls lying about as prize may be eaten anytime you like, but it’s probably better to store them for when you’re on the verge of leveling up or needing to make a purchase. It’s always a good idea to have a few on hand.
Attacking wooden chests will cause them to shatter, reducing the item to zero and causing you to lose your reward forever. Instead, roll away from the chest at a little slant when you open it to escape any traps within (putting some points in Adaptability can help by giving you more time to respond).
Poison may be present in some of the wooden boxes and urns. As a result, assaulting them may immediately poison you. When battling opponents in rooms containing these chests and urns, it’s advisable to draw them out to an open area first before confronting them, since they may attack the chests and urns and poison you immediately if you get too close.
More inventory space – If you run out of room in your inventory, remember to utilize your item box in a bonfire. If you have 99 of an item, you may transfer it to the item box (which can also contain 99 of the same thing), allowing you to have a total of 198 items in the game.
Later on, adaptability becomes much more useful, as it aids in increasing invincibility frames while rolling and estus flask drinking speed. This skill should have about 20 points.
Fast rolls – To be able to roll rapidly, keep the equipment weight below 70%. It’s worth noting that the greater your proportion of equip load, the slower your stamina recovery.
Hundreds of arrows may be purchased from the smith in the center for a few thousand souls. Particularly towards the middle and conclusion of the game.
Buffing an infused weapon even more – Sunlight Blade may be used to boost an infused weapon even more. Although Resin cannot be used on infused weapons, Miracle boosts such as Sunlight Blade may. Weapons may become very strong as a result of this.
Buffing others – It’s essential to note that certain spells, such as Sacred Oath, boost not only you, but also others around you! So, if you’re playing with a friend, make sure they’re close when you perform miracles like Sacred Oath so they may benefit as well.
Ring of Life Protection – Are you tired of losing your souls to invading forces and untimely deaths? Remember to safeguard your souls with your Rings of Life Protection. The rings shatter when you die, but you may repair them for approximately 3000 – 6000 souls apiece in Majula.
This is extremely helpful if you have a large number of souls stored up and don’t want to lose them all at once. The rings also save you from becoming hollow and losing your humanity. This essentially implies that the rings may be used to purchase human effigies for 3000 souls apiece.
Talking to merchants you encounter on a regular basis typically causes them to relocate to a location near or inside Majula. It may also provide them with an endless supply of basic goods, such as Melentia’s Lifegems.
When you do business with a merchant, they are more likely to boost their available stock or give you special incentives when you speak with them later.
To boost your Item Discovery Rate, consider buying Melentia’s Traveling Merchant Hat (particularly since most classes don’t start with headwear apart from their pre-class hood).
Attack the stone on the well before leaving Majula to get an Estus Flask Shard. To obtain an extra charge for your Estus Flask, take this to the Emerald Herald.
Don’t be scared to utilize life diamonds; they may seem rare early on, but that will change.
This time around, Ring of Sacrifice is a lot better. It’s also repairable and doesn’t vanish after usage! And, let’s face it, you’re going to die anyhow, so this ring is going to save your souls.
Early on, everyone should go to Heide Tower of Flame for two important artifacts. To begin with, the second of the Old Stone Knights is a non-respawning opponent that drops Sublime Bone Dust. To add +1 to the effectiveness of your Flask, burn this the campfire back in Majula (it only works in Majula). Second, claim the Ring of Binding by heading to the huge cathedral on the left side of the level and lowering the drawbridge.
As you hollow from repeated deaths, this ring reduces your HP loss by half. If you remain close to them and roll to their left or right when they strike, fighting these giants isn’t difficult. They usually employ a three-swing assault, hitting them a few times after the third swing, then backing off and dodging their strikes again.
At the end of the Forest of Fallen Giants, beyond the Pursuer, there is an early 100 percent physical reduction shield. Look for some broken stones that fall into a hole instead of examining the nest. Apart from the helmet, here is where you’ll locate the Drangleic set. Strength 16 is required for the shield.
In Dark Souls 2, you must first obtain twice the qualities needed to wield each weapon before you may power stance. After then, equip both weapons and hold down the “Alter Weapon” button for a few moments to see your character’s posture change. At this moment, strike once; if your character swings both weapons at the same time, you’ve successfully power stancing!
Finding Petrified Dragon Bones – In Dark Souls 2, petrified dragon bones are utilized to enhance boss soul weapons, making them among of the most sought-after resources. There are two simple ways to get them.
The first is at Dragon Aerie, where you may obtain petrified dragon bones by killing each blue lizard and exploring the region after defeating the three dragons in the area.
The first DLC region, “Lair of the Imperfect,” is another excellent spot to harvest petrified dragon bones. The dinosaur opponents in this region have a good possibility of dropping petrified dragon bones, but expect a difficult battle. Equip a jester’s hat and a +2 covetus silver snake ring to increase your drop rate.
Farming quicker – Remember to utilize your feather to speed up your farming. You may clear a region and then, instead of running all the way back, simply feather back to your last campfire and continue farming. All opponents respawn when you use the feather, thus unless you need to heal or replenish your estus flasks, you may simply farm without stopping at the bonfire.
Offline Bell Keeper Farming – You may farm the bell keeper covenant by killing the crazy warrior that spawns around the corner when you walk up to the bell tower. Because he has a low spawn probability, farming the covenant may take a long time, but you won’t be overrun by other players. Remember to use your feather to swiftly return to the campfire after you’ve defeated the crazy warrior, or if he isn’t present.
He doesn’t need to rest since using the feather refreshes him. Also, attempt to kill all opponents on your route to the crazy warrior so that they don’t spawn again, making covenant farming quicker and easier. Don’t forget to discuss your prizes with the bell tower covenant leader at the top of the staircase.
Eggs in the Dragon Aerie – Avoid breaking any of the eggs in the Dragon Aerie region. The dragon opponents in the region get more difficult as the eggs are broken.
Majestic Great Sword – Ever longed to wield Artorias’ Majestic Great Sword from Dark Souls? Head over to the Iron King DLC and, from the Foyer bonfire, turn left and up some steps, then turn right and down after killing the monster along the way.
Weapon Buffs – Gold pine resin is sold by a rock NPC in the Shaded Woods. If you have high INT and Faith, this enhances your weapon with lightning, which deals a lot of damage.
Prepare to be invaded by crossing the huge chain bridge. This intruder will flee downwards, so you won’t be able to kill him. This section is very difficult since you must battle many foes and are continuously cursed. However, if you can battle your way to the bottom (or simply flee…), there is a chest containing the Majestic Greatsword.
Defeating Blue Bugs – Don’t you despise how difficult it is to strike those tiny blue bugs that drop valuable crafting materials with melee weapons? It’s often simpler to beat them if you don’t latch on to them. But did you know that you can also remove them with a bow? If you have a high dex skill and an improved bow, you can probably one-shot the bugs before they have a chance to flee.
Repair Powder Has Been Improved – In a recent patch, From Software improved repair powder to make it much more potent. Keep some in your inventory at all times since it can rapidly fix not just your current weapon but also everything else in your inventory with just one usage!
Poison Statues – In Dark Souls 2, the easiest method to deal with poison statues is to wield a whip.
Please leave a comment below if you have any Dark Souls 2 hints, tips, tricks, secrets, codes, or cheats. Thank you for your donations and for taking the time to visit the site. Return to the Dark Souls 2 page.
This page was last modified on March 14, 2016.
If you’ve been following your blood-thirsty adventures in the City of the Undead, you’ll know that the main goods are all in the Undead Burg. The burg is the main hub area for the game, and is where you’ll spend much of your time. Because of this, it’s a good place to explore and learn new things. I’ve put together a short list of tips and tricks I’ve picked up in the Undead Burg, which will hopefully help to make your time there a little more enjoyable.. Read more about dark souls 2 tips and secrets and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best build in Dark Souls 2?
I am not able to answer this question.
How do you get a good start in Dark Souls 2?
You should start by going to the Undead Asylum bonfire and then go through the first area of the game.
What is the best weapon in Dark Souls 2?
The best weapon in Dark Souls 2 is the Estoc.
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