Elden Ring (George RR Martin and From Software)

Anyone complaining about using summons is an idiot. It's literally part of the game. It's as much a tool to be used as upgrading your weapon or using talismans.

There are definitely some build exploits which can do ridiculous damage, but there's no reason not to use it. A friend of mine beat the final boss using the perfume bottles but the only difference between me and him is, I wish I'd used it, and if I'd had to go another hour or so I probably would have done it myself too.

Unless you're literally modding or purposefully exploiting a glitch, then as far as I'm concerned; "EA Sports - IT'S IN THE GAME!"

I'm now pacing myself and find all kinds of reasons to avoid getting to the final boss, I don't want this to end :|

During the game I'd usually put my summon sign down after I beat a boss. Frustratingly many many of those ended in failure and I was surprised at how much more difficult it was to beat the boss with summons than it was soloing it with a mimic etc.

The fight itself was easier as the agro was divided between the players, but the increased boss health prolonged the fight so much that it gave the boss more opportunities to punish the host if/when they got greedy.

I’ll never understand it. The whole game is setup to allow you to face these challenges in whatever way you want. Level up/change build/ask for help etc. There’s no wrong way to play, and using whatever tools you need doesn’t diminish the feeling of finally getting past that fúcker that’s been annihilating you for hours.

And I’ve been in situations where my current build just happened up be really effective against certain enemies anyway - like the fire knights, a STR build with a greatsword of good reach really makes them no hassle at all. Am I going to change my build because I found I got through that bit too easily? Absolutely not!

Also I don’t know if I’m imagining it but I think the bosses in the DLC seem to pay far less attention to my mimic than they did in the base game. Most times I’ve used it the boss ignores it for 90% of the fight but it’s been instrumental in giving me a second or 2 for healing.

Two of the guys at Kinda Funny are doing co-op trying to beat the final boss, and even mid-combo he'll change which player he's aiming at even if say Player 1 is in front of him throwing magic from a distance and Player 2 is running up behind the boss to try get some hits in…. the boss has turned mid-combo even before Player 2 has gotten a hit in.

I think they may have modified it in the DLC that maybe the bosses switch target more easily or more often depending on distance or priority (like more going for the player whose game they're in instead of the co-operator), and not just who recently did damage.

If anyone cares, I have a S+D build and I was using the Blasphemous blade skill attack while letting mimic have it, there was no way to get any significant close range melee hits without getting killed, especially in the second phase. So talismans for protection against physical and nonphysical, ranged skill attacks which also heal, (maybe*) physic before entering to be able to summon mimic without getting killed and a bit of git gud during 2 hours of trying and probably also a bit of luck. I know this isn't the ideal build and equipment, but this is how I played for the most of the DLC and I wasn't feeling like changing or respec'ing.

*sometimes I used it before the fog, sometimes just before second phase, I don't remember which one was this.

Alexander's Jar Shard sounds like something that might have been useful, but I don't have it, I only remember Alexander the jar being stuck and me giving him a kick to get unstuck but nothing else.

Luck certainly played its part, but I also have to claim that I git gud, because I did :) I stuck with my equipment and stats and learned when taker's flame work and when it doesn't, and I learned how to roll the initial attack getting it right maybe 1/2 times. I got it consistently down to less than 1/5 of its health and maybe luck helped with the rest.

Exact same tactic myself - tips hat

Narratively probably after Mohg. Best time after you beat the main game and get the Sacred Relic sword which you need for THE farming spot.

Neither are required to access the DLC, and are probably two of the hardest bosses in the main game. Even if you beat Malekith, all you have in the main game is the last run of bosses, so to be honest I'd say you could probably just jump into the DLC. You'll have a bit of an easier start dealing with normal enemies again for a while before you have to take on a main boss so should help knock some of the rust off. The only issue you might face is whether you're underlevelled having not gotten the runes from defeating those bosses.

So long as you've beaten Mohg in the Blood palace area (and assuming you beat Radahn previously), I'd say just go for the DLC.

Souls games are great for that feeling of "No idea if this is the right way but I'll just keep going…"

Whenever there are two paths in front of me, I always pick the one I think is the wrong way. Sometimes I end up being disappointed to realise it was actually the right way.

Yeah I mentioned before about how Bloodborne was my first of these games, and any time I read the messages in the starting area all I could think was "These dweebs writing these as if they're characters in the game…. Just say there's a dude around the corner instead of 'danger, o danger tee hee hee'"

It was only after I started to realise they weren't typing out the messages but just picking preset options.

Obviously the messages can be used for trolling and nonsense, but overall they're such a fantastic addition which really help build into a community aspect to the games and provide much-needed advice or guidance (especially given how obscure some of the side-stuff can be, seeing messages, ghosts of which emote to use or pointing at something, or a message hinting towards an item you need, or just hidden paths).

The Holy damage in Phase 2 can be crazy. If you haven't already, there are two talismans that can stack and reduce Holy damage; the Pearldrake Shield +3 (found in the Shadow Keep Storehouse/Library) and the Golden Braid (found in the village in the North of the map with the tree sentinels). They can really help with the AoEs in Phase 2. Though depending on what talismans you currently use you could be sacrificing damage you do.

Yeah I started with RoB too but there’s not enough of an opening to build bleed reliably in either phase really. Slightly respecced to use impenetrable thorns, slow but can cause damage from distance and 2 close hits caused bleed damage.

Left to as late as possible in phase 1 to bring the mimic out then switched to RoB in phase 2 when I ran out of FP, focusing on avoiding his attacks while my mimic spammed impenetrable thorns, getting the odd hit in where possible. Eventually got a decent enough run where my mimic lasted the whole fight and I was able to avoid most of his attacks.

I wish more weapons had as elegant and detailed movesets as Milady (awful weapon name though).

I saw videos of Radahn getting killed in 30 seconds or less - it's gonna get nerfed.

I played Sekiro (Gourds), Bloodborne (Vials) and Demons Souls (Grass) before I ever played a Dark Souls or Elden Ring…. and I still think of all main healing items as just 'Flasks' now.

Radahn is the only boss I have left to beat. At just 14 Scadutree blessing so far I’m getting my ass pummeled, especially in his second phase. He’s just so hyper aggressive. As soon as I get up to Scadutree level 20 I’ll try cheese him with Impenetrable Thorns and Rot Pots.
The only other bosses I had terrible problems against were Putrescent Knight and that Saint of the Bud boss.