Dark Souls 2: SotFS (or therefore, "Baa-baa Black Sheep" and other musings thread)

[Sniper Team 4]

Iron Keep was pretty challenging. The flame statues before the Iron King were kinda tricky, only because there were a couple of the ogre trolls hiding in the paths that needed to be lured out since I didn't have stamina to power through them. Iron King himself was a bit of a push over as his attacks were slow and only his breath was a threat by way of proximity on a smallish platform. Only took three tries solo, and one more Great Soul to go.

I remembered I left one fog gate unspoiled, so went back and got properly introduced to Smelter Demon. He was quite a bit more of a challenge through being more aggressive and having some impressive buffs that make Ornstein and Smough seem like the Hardly Boys. First attempt solo was around half a life bar futile, but a second attempt with my own buff of a one Lucatiel of Mirrah summoning proved to be a jolly good time.

I know there is a trophy that involves her co-op x 3 but this was the first I've used her. Perhaps a bonfire buff will rekindle my earlier chances at her accompaniment.

Still going strong I see. Good to hear.

Lucateil indeed does have a trophy that involves having her fight with your for three battles, but in order for you to be able to call her, you have to have talked to her at certain points and learn her whole story. And while she's easy to find the first time--in The Lost Bastille--the other times she's kind of hiding, especially in The Gutter/Black Gultch. If you haven't fulfilled the requirement by the time you get to Aldia's Keep, then it's too late and you'll have to wait for your next game.

I'm curious, did you find all three wheelchair man encounters?

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Iron Keep was pretty challenging. The flame statues before the Iron King were kinda tricky, only because there were a couple of the ogre trolls hiding in the paths that needed to be lured out since I didn't have stamina to power through them. Iron King himself was a bit of a push over as his attacks were slow and only his breath was a threat by way of proximity on a smallish platform. Only took three tries solo, and one more Great Soul to go.

I remembered I left one fog gate unspoiled, so went back and got properly introduced to Smelter Demon. He was quite a bit more of a challenge through being more aggressive and having some impressive buffs that make Ornstein and Smough seem like the Hardly Boys. First attempt solo was around half a life bar futile, but a second attempt with my own buff of a one Lucatiel of Mirrah summoning proved to be a jolly good time.

I know there is a trophy that involves her co-op x 3 but this was the first I've used her. Perhaps a bonfire buff will rekindle my earlier chances at her accompaniment.

Still going strong I see. Good to hear.

Lucateil indeed does have a trophy that involves having her fight with your for three battles, but in order for you to be able to call her, you have to have talked to her at certain points and learn her whole story. And while she's easy to find the first time--in The Lost Bastille--the other times she's kind of hiding, especially in The Gutter/Black Gultch. If you haven't fulfilled the requirement by the time you get to Aldia's Keep, then it's too late and you'll have to wait for your next game.

I'm curious, did you find all three wheelchair man encounters?

I think I remember reading somewhere that there is an order for her appearances, and I'm not sure if I could use an ascetic to revive previous bosses and still summon her for them, or if it's already too late once she's at Iron Keep/Smelter Demon.

Also, no I still have one wheelchair dude to find. I'm half-stuck at this point not knowing what direction to head, since I think I've gone through every known area and boss short of the castle besides whoever and wherever the last Great Soul is. I've gotten Lost Sinner, The Rotten, and Iron King. I know there's a statue blocking a 2nd bonfire at the Gulch but not sure if it's worth using a precious Branch of Yore.

I'm trying to stay more blind for this one and to be honest it's more fun that way. I kinda spoiled big chunks of Demon's and DS1 for efficient trophy hunting but figured I'd try a different approach here.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I think I remember reading somewhere that there is an order for her appearances, and I'm not sure if I could use an ascetic to revive previous bosses and still summon her for them, or if it's already too late once she's at Iron Keep/Smelter Demon.

Also, no I still have one wheelchair dude to find. I'm half-stuck at this point not knowing what direction to head, since I think I've gone through every known area and boss short of the castle besides whoever and wherever the last Great Soul is. I've gotten Lost Sinner, The Rotten, and Iron King. I know there's a statue blocking a 2nd bonfire at the Gulch but not sure if it's worth using a precious Branch of Yore.

I'm trying to stay more blind for this one and to be honest it's more fun that way. I kinda spoiled big chunks of Demon's and DS1 for efficient trophy hunting but figured I'd try a different approach here.

You need to find the adored pet of a certain Duke. Go back to Majula and explore a bit to find the path.

As for that statue in Black Gulch, don't bother with it now that you've killed The Rotten. It is a hidden path that unlocks a bonfire right there, and also where you would have summoned Lucatial for the fight.
However, I will tell you that you should have plenty of Yore Branches at this point, and the game will give you enough to unfreeze every statue you come across as long as you explore enough, so don't stress about it too much.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

^ I've been using my branches as I've been getting them because I always run into a statue. So as of now I only have one, and there seem to be a lot of rather pointless/trivial reward statues in Shaded Woods that I'd rather not waste them on. I've been pretty good about nooks and crannies but these branches are one of the more rare items to find for me. Even Effigies seem harder to come by than Humanity from DS1. In fact they seem about as rare as the Ephemeral Eye stones from Demon's Souls.

As for the pet, I'm guessing you mean that smug sounding fancy cat (can't remember her name...*googles*....oh yes, Sweet Shalquoir). I've exhausted her dialog as of acquiring at least two Great Souls but maybe I missed something. I've bought a few things from her but she doesn't seem to update her inventory much; at least not yet.

 

[Comic Sans]

^ I've been using my branches as I've been getting them because I always run into a statue. So as of now I only have one, and there seem to be a lot of rather pointless/trivial reward statues in Shaded Woods that I'd rather not waste them on. I've been pretty good about nooks and crannies but these branches are one of the more rare items to find for me. Even Effigies seem harder to come by than Humanity from DS1. In fact they seem about as rare as the Ephemeral Eye stones from Demon's Souls.

As for the pet, I'm guessing you mean that smug sounding fancy cat (can't remember her name...*googles*....oh yes, Sweet Shalquoir). I've exhausted her dialog as of acquiring at least two Great Souls but maybe I missed something. I've bought a few things from her but she doesn't seem to update her inventory much; at least not yet.

Generally speaking you won't need to unfreeze every statue you come across. Most of them offer small rewards or shortcuts. Shaded Woods is full of them, but the only one that's really important is the one you can see to the right of the bonfire leaning against the wall. I highly recommend you unfreeze that one, particularly before you proceed much further. Off the top of my head, the statues worth thawing are that one, the one in Things Betwixt, the one near the back entrance to Lost Bastille, the one in the path between Heide's Tower and No-Man's Wharf, and the one by The Rotten (it's a bonfire and Lucatiel summon sign so unless you wanna use an Ascetic and go for Lucatiel quest completion first try you don't need it now). These all lead to useful stuff for every character. The rest tend to be stuff like items or spells. In many cases in Shaded Woods the items you get will include other branches so they pay for themselves.

Most of the NPCs in town update very rarely. Some will after you get all 4 Great Souls, but generally what they start with is what they stay with. Though if you haven't already make sure to spend several souls at the armor merchant. After certain milestones of your spending he updates and it's very worth it. You can tell because he changes position and attitude. He does it twice. The other merchants will update stock as well from time to time as you pass milestones in the story

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Nope, not Shalquoir. I'm actually a little surprised that you haven't run across this boss yet, as you've been in The Shaded Woods. Head back there and keep following that path. That leads to the final boss soul you'll need eventually. Also, Benhart of Jugo's quest will start in this area. You'll need to summon him for three fights, just like Lucatiel.

And my bad, I totally forgot about the Shaded Woods statues. Comic Sans has the right of it in that area--the only one you REALLY need to unfreeze is the one that is to the right of the starting bonfire. To be a bit more precise, there's a fallen log/tree that makes a bridge right next to the bonfire. You cannot cross it from the bonfire side, but looking across it there is a statue. Go unfreeze that statue, and the item it drops is used in The Shaded Woods area you're in.

Also, did you figure out what the deal is the giant scorpion in that area? Not the boss, but the other one.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

So I got the key from the lion near the Ruins bonfire but need another branch to get to what it unlocks I think. As for the big door where it sounds like the last Great Soul boss is, it can't be unlocked yet as I don't have the required ring.

There is also still a door I can't unlock yet in Majula, behind the well. I guess I haven't explored as much as I thought. That's the thing about Souls games; chances are you're still missing something.

I did some more exploring of The Gutter and found some more cool loot, including an unresponsive knight-looking dude that appears down on his luck. Apparently he'll respond to some gesture, but none of the dozen+ I have yet.

Also, no scorpion yet, but I did run into a giant spider a ways back. He seemed to be cool with me hacking him to bits.

 

[Avnger]

There is also still a door I can't unlock yet in Majula, behind the well.

I'll give you a hint for this one.

Spoiler

You're looking for an NPC in Forest of the Giants. You have to talk to him a few times in a row to the point that he gives you a key/goes and unlocks it for you.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

There is also still a door I can't unlock yet in Majula, behind the well.

I'll give you a hint for this one.

Spoiler

You're looking for an NPC in Forest of the Giants. You have to talk to him a few times in a row to the point that he gives you a key/goes and unlocks it for you.

Hmmm. I haven't really been back to that area since originally going through it, other than the 2nd bonfire building where the hag was at first. Will check it out, thanks.

 

[Comic Sans]

Since you seem to be stuck on a few things, here's some tips for your current situation in case you want some pointers. The game in general is easier to navigate than DS1 but can still be obtuse at times.

The lion key

Spoiler

You use that in the same area you found the old man in the wheelchair. Either drop down there or on the big wooden planks near the center of the area, you will fall in. There is a door near the Basilisks that they key opens.

The big door

Spoiler

You won't be able to open that for a little while. That's one of the last places you go in the game. The way you need to go is in Shaded Woods. There's still more to see there, including a fog door that has a boss and the way forward.

The door in Majula

Spoiler

The way into that is in the Forest of the Giants. From the bonfire head into the fort to the area where there is a wooden building and a ton of archers on the right. Go to that area, work you way through it and you will find a cave with an NPC in it. He will give you a key to the house if you keep talking to him. And while you are in Majula, pay for the ladders with Gilligan.
One of them leads down to a platform with another ladder going up, which leads to a door with some stuff you will really want.

NPC Quests

Spoiler

There are two NPC quests to follow. Benhart and Lucatiel. You complete them by speaking to them in areas they appear and summoning them for 3 boss fights. Most important to get done is the conversations since those can seemingly randomly break, while with boss fights you can use an Ascetic to redo the boss and summon them, that will still count. For Lucatiel there is both in Black Gulch. Her summon sign is by the hidden bonfire, behind the petrified hollow. Her conversation is harder to find. At the first bonfire, head outside and hug the edge of the ledge. There's a platform early on you can fall to, not the one that leads to the man in the wheelchair. Use a torch and prism stones to help find it. Drop to it and follow the path. Assuming the quest isn't broken, Lucatiel will be there.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

So I got the key from the lion near the Ruins bonfire but need another branch to get to what it unlocks I think. As for the big door where it sounds like the last Great Soul boss is, it can't be unlocked yet as I don't have the required ring.

There is also still a door I can't unlock yet in Majula, behind the well. I guess I haven't explored as much as I thought. That's the thing about Souls games; chances are you're still missing something.

I did some more exploring of The Gutter and found some more cool loot, including an unresponsive knight-looking dude that appears down on his luck. Apparently he'll respond to some gesture, but none of the dozen+ I have yet.

Also, no scorpion yet, but I did run into a giant spider a ways back. He seemed to be cool with me hacking him to bits.

Okay, that giant spider? Was it called "The Duke's Dear Freja"? Because if it was, that is the last Boss soul you need. If it's not, then I am curious as to what giant spider you killed, because that's the only one I know of. I suppose the easiest question to answer all of this is: Do you have any bonfires located in Brightstone Cove Tseldora? It's the place where the spiders just...just spiders. Spiders. If yes, then you have all four Boss Souls most likely, and can make your way to the Drangleic Castle. If no, then that is where you're heading. It's worth noting that Freja's Boss Soul DOES NOT look like the other three major Boss Souls. Freja's soul just looks like a normal boss soul in your inventory.

I suggest you go back to Shaded Woods and have a look around again for a giant man scorpion. He's hanging out in a giant sand pit. I won't tell you what you need to do, but he's really hard to miss.

All those doors that say you need a ring are later areas. The one you are most likely referring to is called Aldia's Keep, which you will go to eventually, so don't worry.

There is no statue blocking the door that the Fang Key unlocks in The Shaded Woods. Walk along the path where you killed the Lion Warrior that dropped the key. See that hole in the wall that leads into a cave? You have to figure out how to get in there.

The Majula door has already been answered by other people, but yes, Forest of the Giants is where you're heading to figure out how to unlock that place.

Finally, that knight in the Gutter? He's a Hiede Knight, and he won't respond to any gestures. You simply have to attack him. There are a few of like him scattered around the game. I'm curious if you found the...shall we say, Legendary armor set in The Gutter? Or the two ancient enemies that are hiding out in Black Gulch?

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

The spider I killed didn't drop anything, and didn't even fight back. I think it was in the bottom of The Gutter but not sure. It was huge and took up the whole room though. Kinda reminded me of a larger primeval demon from Demon's Souls, but a big ass spider. I will try attacking the Heide Knight down there now that you mention it. I didn't want to at first because someone left a message saying try gesture, so I thought aggro'ing him might've spoiled something. I haven't seen anyone else in Black Gulch beside the two red phantoms and the giants in that passage around where the wheelchair guy was. I'm going to head to the Forest and Shaded Woods again before anything else.

I also just realized I did find the man scorpion, but same as the big door in Shaded Woods he seems to need a ring or some other item. I suppose I could also try attacking him....

If nothing else I have all Lucatiel's convos and know where the summon signs are. Will need to use an ascetic for The Rotten and Lost Sinner to get my three. The lightbulb also went off regarding the ladder. I thought the option of setting up the ladder would somehow use the miniature ladder I bought, not realizing it was completely separate.

One thing that's tougher in this one is remembering where certain things are since there are so many separate areas; it's like playing musical bonfires. DS1 was obtuse but for some reason easier to recall what was from where because you had to at least physically travel to each area, at least initially.

But then again, I've only played this a fraction as long.

Also, thanks for all the tips, fellow Escapists! It's more fun than resorting to the Wikidot.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I also just realized I did find the man scorpion, but same as the big door in Shaded Woods he seems to need a ring or some other item. I suppose I could also try attacking him....

Short answer: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Long answer: You're right. You need a ring. You can either go check all the rings in the game, or ask yourself: who do you know that might have a way for you to talk to non-humans...?


And I know the spider you refer to now. That's actually a bug that cures poison. That's what the mist does that it was venting out. It's completely harmless otherwise, and as you said, won't defend itself. It's there for all the people who would get poisoned in that area.

Anyway, in the same area where you find the man scorpion, there should also be a boss fight against another human scorpion. That's the path that will lead you to the final boss soul that you'll need. As for Black Gulch, good. You found the Giants hiding down there. They should have dropped a key, which you used to unlock the door where the wheelchair guy is in that area. Well, there's another door in The Gutter--hint, it's closer to the start of the area, up a ladder--that that key will unlock.
As well as a door in The Pit in Majula. That door's easy to find, assuming you have the Ladder Smith there.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Made some headway tonight...

-Found the cartographer in the Forest as well as some loot

-Got the house key for the Majula mansion and explored that

-Paid for the pit ladder and got that loot from the locked door below

-Defeated the Scorpioness Najka and claimed her soul

-Got to Doors of Pharros and Brightstone Cove Tseldora

-Defeated Prowling Magus and Congregation first try. Easy boss in general but was already almost out of Estus with only some Rouge Waters; literally was at a barely visible sliver of health by the end of the fight. Phew

-Finally got my Supreme Weapon trophy

-Got to Duke's Dear Freja but was not prepared after going so far since the last bonfire visit. Have to figure out how to get to that one where it says the door only opens from the other side.

 

[Comic Sans]

If you wanna have an easy time in the spider areas, try lighting a torch. The spiders will avoid you and won't attack. As an arachnophobe I do that in all my playthroughs cause the spiders jumping at me can cause a minor freakout. Also, if you didn't already use the key you got from the lion in Shaded Woods. The reward for doing so has a payoff in Tseldora near that locked door you mentioned.

Since there's no real way to infer it otherwise, the dragon talon you got in the Majula pit is a key to some of the DLC. There are two more different keys scattered through the game. You will find one just progressing through the story in a chest, not too long from where you are, the other will require you to thoroughly explore an area you've already been to.

 

[Rangaman]

It's good to hear you got enjoyment out of it, DS2 just couldn't hold my attention when I played it. There were a few things I liked, the Shard system is roughly a thousand million times better than Kindling...actually that's about it.

I had problems everywhere else though. The level design..ugh, I'm not a fan. It feels a bit too open; less like you're walking through an intricately designed world, more like a bunch of random loosely connected areas. I hate, hate the Torch system (especially after that fucking windmill).

I also found the boss fights...just meh. Some of them have unique design (see: The Executioner's Chariot) but most of them are either gankfests or just too easy. The only two execeptions I found were the Smelter Demon (which was pretty fun) and The Pursuer (whoever decided that should be the second boss deserves to be shot at dawn for their mistake). There was nothing like the first game's boss fights.

What really killed it for me was the atmosphere. Dark Souls had this grim, depressing atmosphere hanging over the whole game. The world's fucked and all you can really do is prolong everything for a hundred years or so. Either that or just give in and let the Age of Dark begin. DS2 just doesn't evoke the same feeling. In fact, it didn't really evoke any feelings. I stopped playing about 30 hours in to go play DS3 (which I found to be more enjoyable, but not that much better honestly). Maybe I'll go back someday, but for now I just can't be arsed.

 

[Danbo Jambo]

I adore DS2. For me the order of the sould games would be DS2>DS1>Bloodborne (not played Demons or DS3 yet)

I personally thrive on DS2's more linear approach to the world layout; it's combat was the most enjoyable for me; I loved the fact that enemies disappeared after killing them a certain amount of times - this made even failed attempts to progress feel rewarding, as you took a step closer to it being easier and thus progressing; and the overall aesthetics/bosses/NPCs/vibe/etc. won me over too. The grim vibe of the first games was superb, but the lighter vibe of this one kept it fresh & sharp.

It's the most "arcade" like of the Souls games IMO, and that's no bad thing at all. The others in the series are OK, but I found them far more repetitive and thus became bored far sooner.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

-Got to Duke's Dear Freja but was not prepared after going so far since the last bonfire visit. Have to figure out how to get to that one where it says the door only opens from the other side.

Hm...I think I know which door you're talking about, but just to be sure: is it outside, like just before you cross that bridge across all the spikes in Brightstone Cove? Because if that's the door you mean, I'll spoil it for you now: just smack it until it breaks. If you mean another door, let me know where, because there are a few places to backtrack to in Brightstone.

Don't forget about the man scorpion back in Shaded Woods, especially if you're going after all the trophies.

Once you take down Freja, you're good to go into the second half of the game, so good luck. That's where the story starts to come together, because I'm pretty sure you don't really gets what going on just yet, do you?

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

-Got to Duke's Dear Freja but was not prepared after going so far since the last bonfire visit. Have to figure out how to get to that one where it says the door only opens from the other side.

Hm...I think I know which door you're talking about, but just to be sure: is it outside, like just before you cross that bridge across all the spikes in Brightstone Cove? Because if that's the door you mean, I'll spoil it for you now: just smack it until it breaks. If you mean another door, let me know where, because there are a few places to backtrack to in Brightstone.

Don't forget about the man scorpion back in Shaded Woods, especially if you're going after all the trophies.

Once you take down Freja, you're good to go into the second half of the game, so good luck. That's where the story starts to come together, because I'm pretty sure you don't really gets what going on just yet, do you?

The door is to the left of where you can see the bonfire through the barred window. It's outside where one of those whirling sandpits is and the dudes shooting spells at you. They are easy enough to take out though since I got a good stock of arrow from Gavlan. He's one of the cooler NPC's I've met so far. Kinda reminds me of the Giant Blacksmith from DS1.

I will certainly return to the man scorpion as well. I'm not overly concerned with getting all the trophies in this one; if it happens cool but if not no biggie. I've read about the Lucatiel one where you need her summoned for three boss fights before speaking to her at some point, I think Aldia's Keep. I figure since I need ascetics for 2 of those fights, I'll just keep leveling up a bit and avoid talking to her any further until they're completed.

I've also been warned about some Navlaan dude who's kinda like the guy from Demon's that will start killing important NPC's off if freed. So yeah, he can stay put for a while at least.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Ah yes, that door. To get to it...well, let's just say there are a few paths to go down to the bottom of Brightstone Cove. Keep exploring and you'll find it, I'm sure.

I see you've already heard about Navlaan. Yes, he's one to watch out for--if you can find him, that is. His entire character is rather interesting, but I'm sure there will be messages all over the floor near him telling you what to do and what not to do.

And Gavlan is boss for one simple reason: poison arrows. Poison in this game is so overpowered, and makes a lot of fights easier.