Dark Souls 2 - The most important question i haven't seen discussed...

[Eclectic Dreck]

I really need to let this thread get back on topic but the key actually says what its for and the boss is the exact same one you fight in the first 10min of the game.

Aside from the fact that he makes nuclear explosions of magic of course. That boss was literally unbeatable when I first encountered him because my strategy up to that point of not getting hit (which worked for the Asylum Demon, Tarus Demon, Belfry Gargoyles, Undead Dragon, Capra Demon, Hydra and countless hundreds of other minor foes) simply didn't work. The stun time when dropping into the hole was high enough that I would get hit and even with the Crest Shield (the best magic resist shield I had at that point) and my best magic defense gear I would die before being able to respond.

That said, once I simply had a high enough pool of stamina (which let me actually block well enough to avert most of the damage rather than having guard broken instantly only to be murdered) he was incredibly easy to beat using more or less the same strategy I used on the asylum demon of staying behind him and stabbing him in the leg/rear.

I would also like to note that the game really seems to hate that I want to use thrusting swords given how often it refuses to let me get close enough to poke bosses with an Estoc. Virtually every boss fight in my second playthrough has been pitifully easy when using a slashing weapon simply because the game isn't super picky about where I'm standing when it comes to delivering a hit.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I would also like to note that the game really seems to hate that I want to use thrusting swords given how often it refuses to let me get close enough to poke bosses with an Estoc. Virtually every boss fight in my second playthrough has been pitifully easy when using a slashing weapon simply because the game isn't super picky about where I'm standing when it comes to delivering a hit.

Yeah, I've had that problem as well. The Estoc is my favorite sword in the game, and I use it constantly but it's really not very good against many of the bosses. I always carry a secondary sword with me that I switch to for boss fights, and certain encounters and it's usually the Drake Sword early on, and the Silver Knight Straight sword after Anor Londo.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I would also like to note that the game really seems to hate that I want to use thrusting swords given how often it refuses to let me get close enough to poke bosses with an Estoc. Virtually every boss fight in my second playthrough has been pitifully easy when using a slashing weapon simply because the game isn't super picky about where I'm standing when it comes to delivering a hit.

Yeah, I've had that problem as well. The Estoc is my favorite sword in the game, and I use it constantly but it's really not very good against many of the bosses. I always carry a secondary sword with me that I switch to for boss fights, and certain encounters and it's usually the Drake Sword early on, and the Silver Knight Straight sword after Anor Londo.

I actually preferred the rapier because I tend to do a LOT of backstabbing and ripostes and the rapier flat out does more damage in either of those scenarios. I ended up using the Estoc for little reason other than it's longer reach and the relative ease of executing some kind of slash attack simply made it a more flexible weapon.

 

[Ishal]

I would also like to note that the game really seems to hate that I want to use thrusting swords given how often it refuses to let me get close enough to poke bosses with an Estoc. Virtually every boss fight in my second playthrough has been pitifully easy when using a slashing weapon simply because the game isn't super picky about where I'm standing when it comes to delivering a hit.

Yeah, I've had that problem as well. The Estoc is my favorite sword in the game, and I use it constantly but it's really not very good against many of the bosses. I always carry a secondary sword with me that I switch to for boss fights, and certain encounters and it's usually the Drake Sword early on, and the Silver Knight Straight sword after Anor Londo.

I actually preferred the rapier because I tend to do a LOT of backstabbing and ripostes and the rapier flat out does more damage in either of those scenarios. I ended up using the Estoc for little reason other than it's longer reach and the relative ease of executing some kind of slash attack simply made it a more flexible weapon.

If I may offer some advice. Ricard's Rapier, the weapon dropped from the guy at the other side atop Sen's Fortress, has a very nice R2 thrusting attack. If you were to create a build with a decent amount of faith, then buff it with Darkmoon Blade or Sunlight Blade, you'll MELT enemies, bosses, and players. Seriously I've fought some PvPer's with that build and been decimated in seconds.

Otherwise I'd suggest going with a spear or halberd if you want range. My favorite weapon in the game is the great scythe. Though that's a slashing weapon through and through.

 

[WWmelb]

I seem to remember a big ass crow carrying me off after the tutorial area, so the birdie itself was a little hard to miss

That's a different crow.

Btw, you can summon that crow to return to the asylum too. Order to do that you have stand on the elevator at the shrine in the starting area, jump off at a certain point and climb up some ruins that have no indication of being relevant in any way.

That game requires more than the average exploration drive...

Couldn't agree more, you should also add one needs a key that's somewhere in Firelink shrine to progress again in the Asylum, so you'll have access to another boss and Dark Knights, but even more importantly, in the Asylum you get the doll so you can access another whole new world (The Painting), still, I also don't recall anything that indicates one should head back for asylum for those things...

I really need to let this thread get back on topic but the key actually says what its for and the boss is the exact same one you fight in the first 10min of the game.

Yeah, but the key doesn't tell you HOW to get back to the asylum (granted, one can then go the internet and search a walkthrough to it). Now, i may be wrong, but it's not the same boss: when you first start the game you can see it through the bars, and that's the one you find when/if you return to the Asylum... There are three variants of it, one's the boss you fight during the tutorial, the other is this one we're discussing (optional boss), and last but not least, near the area full of lava and demons there's the third variant (which, as you know, is somewhat optional, if you're in the Chaos Covenant - lvl 2 or 3 dunno - you can use a shortcut and ignore the boss)

I found my way back to the Asylum without a walkthrough or guide, mostly because i was of the opinion "If i can see it, i can get to it". And my desire to climb that tower became unbearable. Mind it took me a LONG time to figure out the way up there, but oh was i glad when i did!!!