Elden Ring - Shadow of the Erdtree Expansion Announced

[MardiganX]

Phase 1 isn’t even a consideration anymore, that’s how boring it is. It’s just tedious and time consuming. I’ve yet to use a single ash in the game for two reasons… firstly, I don’t know how, ok! I’ve got a few of them and have no idea how to activate them even when I have them on the triangle pouch menu thing. Secondly, less embarrassingly I haven’t needed them

 

So tell me how to summon ashes of war so I can stun lock this bitch and get back to the amazing and exciting stuff!

[MardiganX]

@robdood my biggest issue with her is I have no patience. I play aggressive no matter the enemy and I’m never going to be able to change that but this particular boss feels like in the absence of getting her stun locked you need to do a lot of cowardly running and dodging with the odd sword swing sprinkled in and that just infuriates me.

 

Ive built my character and worked on being able to go toe to toe with anyone using a combination of block and roll but now being made to run around and roll ridiculously is shitting on all my hard work. It’s not quite as jarring as the Demon of Hatred dynamic shift in Sekiro but it’s bringing back some of those memories, haha.

[Alask]

Fight tips

Phase 1 should be quick, run around hitting the scribes with the golden halo throwing books at you. They die in a single hit, then murderise her when she falls. The only slow bit of that should if one of the scribes is hiding behind a pillar and takes awhile to track down. At most you should have to drop her twice in order to transition to phase 2, so that's potentially 6 scribes to whack. If you can't get through her health bar in at most 2 goes, then you may well struggle with phase 2 as you're probably not dealing very much damage.

 

Phase 2 you should be able to attack quite a lot of the time, generally I only run off if she summons a dragon or when she does the moon spell as that's got big splash damage. Everything else, dodge past and start hitting her. She's a mage, give her space and she's a pain.

 

Ashes

Stick them on a button on the triangle pouch. Then when you get an icon appear on the left hand side of the screen that looks like a ghostly grave stone. When it's there you can summon, just press whatever button combo you assigned them to. If you scrabble at your pocket and do nothing you may have picked a summon you don't have enough FP to cast. Pick a different one .

 

For this fight in particular, if I can't force her to transition on a single drop I'll summon the ash as she starts falling the second time. They transition into the next bit with you and will be a useful distraction.

 

 

 

 

[MardiganX]

56 minutes ago, Alask said:

Ashes

Stick them on a button on the triangle pouch. Then when you get an icon appear on the left hand side of the screen that looks like a ghostly grave stone. When it's there you can summon, just press whatever button combo you assigned them to. If you scrabble at your pocket and do nothing you may have picked a summon you don't have enough FP to cast. Pick a different one .

 

For this fight in particular, if I can't force her to transition on a single drop I'll summon the ash as she starts falling the second time. They transition into the next bit with you and will be a useful distraction.

 

See I thought that but my FP is 78 and two of the ashes I have are 22 and 44 FP cost but I do that scrabble at nothing thing when I select it. Do I need to have a weapon equipped that allows me to cast spells and stuff?

[Qazimod]

You can't use your ashes outside of the fog door; only when you're in battle. Make sure that the icon for the ashes isn't darkened before you use it.

[MardiganX]

8 minutes ago, Qazimod said:

You can't use your ashes outside of the fog door; only when you're in battle. Make sure that the icon for the ashes isn't darkened before you use it.

 

Can you only use ashes during boss fights?

[Qazimod]

4 minutes ago, MardiganX said:

 

Can you only use ashes during boss fights?

 

No - I think there's an icon that appears under your health that determines an area where they can be used.

 

[MardiganX]

14 minutes ago, Qazimod said:

 

No - I think there's an icon that appears under your health that determines an area where they can be used. I'll Google it but someone will probably get there first.

 

Yeah its a purple (EDIT - Sorry white) thing apparently and I've never seen it.

 

I just got wrecked by her phase 2 after doing that stupid 'Oh I dont have anything in my back pocket mate' animation trying to summon the ashes. I know you are meant to get a bell or something early on to allow you to summon them so have I maybe missed that? I cant see a bell in my backpack encyclop... sorry, my Inventory.

[Alask]

Spirit Calling bell, you might not have it. Should be for sale from the Roundtable Hold vendor if you didn't get given it by Renna. Frankly the fact that you can actually miss it is absurd, it ought to be something that's impossible to miss. Not a "go to this particular church at night time, fairly early or you never know about it".

 

 

edit:  Church of Elleh is where you ought to get it. If you've not got it, you can either go straight to the roundtable or you can fast travel to the  Church of Elleh first to see if Renna is chilling out there and if she isn't, then it'll be for sale at the roundtable. I think given how far into the game you are she won't be appearing there anymore, but I don't actually know what the trigger is for her to give up and put it up for sale instead.

[Oz]

3 hours ago, robdood said:

 

For that boss:

 

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For the easiest time, you want either a weapon that is really quick so you can stunlock her.  OR.  A summon that has multiple aggressive ghosties.  Wolves, skellies or demi humans are great choices. Thye don't even have ot be strong/levelled, just enough to stop her casting big summons and stuff. 

 

I'm gonna guess its the magic attacks that are killing you super quick / in one hit?  They take some practice but can be dodged quite reliably.  Or try using armour with high magic resist to avoid getting one-hit-killed.  

 

 

EDIT - here's how my big axe boi polished her off.. 

 

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this is just ridicolous dood! 😄but surely you will concede that this is not fun?

[MardiganX]

9 minutes ago, Alask said:

Spirit Calling bell, you might not have it. Should be for sale from the Roundtable Hold vendor if you didn't get given it by Renna. Frankly the fact that you can actually miss it is absurd, it ought to be something that's impossible to miss. Not a "go to this particular church at night time, fairly early or you never know about it".

 

Fuck me! I didnt have it and now need to pay for it!! But my 12,000 runes are sitting under Rennala's skirt so I'm potless right now

 

At least I now know how to get it. Go kill some goats, come back and purchase it then hit Rennalla... HARD!!

[MardiganX]

Hold on a fucking minute....

 

Have I beaten these few bosses and several mini-bosses on my own when everyone is meant to crack open a bottle of spirit ash and have them help them since the start?!! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

[Oz]

1 minute ago, MardiganX said:

Hold on a fucking minute....

 

Have I beaten these few bosses and several mini-bosses on my own when everyone is meant to crack open a bottle of spirit ash and have them help them since the start?!! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

I would say if you are this far in might as well go for a non-ash run. hesitation is defeat

[MardiganX]

1 minute ago, Oz said:

I would say if you are this far in might as well go for a non-ash run. hesitation is defeat

 

Yeah, you can take your 'no ash run' and fire it right into your farter!

 

I'm going to be drowning in ashes for the remainder of the game. Ashes for breakfast, ashes on my toothbrush, ash ash AAAAASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[Oz]

here's my terrible rennala run @MardiganX I didn't know her summons would just expire so I was attempting to do enough damage to each so that they would leave (including some fucking dragons). this makes the encounter a bit harder than intended I think. she also  decimated my bud I was hanging out with back then in seconds. I can't believe I use to date that guy. what a noob.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Parappa]

13 minutes ago, MardiganX said:

Hold on a fucking minute....

 

Have I beaten these few bosses and several mini-bosses on my own when everyone is meant to crack open a bottle of spirit ash and have them help them since the start?!! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

Crack it open and enjoy 'medium' mode. 

[robdood]

19 minutes ago, Oz said:

 

this is just ridicolous dood! 😄but surely you will concede that this is not fun?

That was like my fourth character / time beating her.  I found it immensely satisfying to stomp all over her face after she'd killed me so much in the past. 

[MardiganX]

Ah right, so using ashes is looked down upon by the lofty guardians of the Soulsbourne ethics council. Well you can all smoke a big pipe full of the ash I’m about to create and go fuck yourselves

 

[Oz]

5 minutes ago, Parappa said:

Crack it open and enjoy 'medium' mode. 

easy mode would be when you start summoning people online. which is the wrong way to play it. 

[Oz]

3 minutes ago, robdood said:

That was like my fourth character / time beating her.  I found it immensely satisfying to stomp all over her face after she'd killed me so much in the past. 

I think the encounter is just not very good. some difficult battles have something to them or are fun. this one feels cheap. what do you think?

[robdood]

Just now, MardiganX said:

Ah right, so using ashes is looked down upon by the lofty guardians of the Soulsbourne ethics council. Well you can all smoke a big pile full of the ash I’m about to create and go fuck yourselves

 

Nah, only a very silly person would suggest that the game wasn't designed/balanced with Ashes in mind.   Anything that gets the win counts in these games, even cheese.  Make your own difficulty, etc. 

[robdood]

1 minute ago, Oz said:

easy mode would be when you start summoning people online. which is the wrong way to play it. 

In my experience summoning actual players is not easy mode, it makes bosses way harder due to the health increase.  If your summoned mates die in seconds you may as well give up the fight. 

 

Ashes don't affect bosses HP at all. 

[MardiganX]

I’m comfortable that getting to where I have without using a single spirit ash qualifies me to now spunk them like confetti

 

 

[robdood]

1 minute ago, Oz said:

I think the encounter is just not very good. some difficult battles have something to them or are fun. this one feels cheap. what do you think?

I don't actually have a solid opinion on the fight because I'm yet to try the game without summons at all.  I don't know if I have it in me.  I think all of the souls games are a bit like that though, you figure out a 'trick' that works for particular encounters and then that's it, they're not really a challenge again unless you self-impose that challenge yourself. 

[robdood]

2 minutes ago, MardiganX said:

I’m comfortable that getting to where I have without using a single spirit ash qualifies me to now spunk them like confetti

 

 

Seriously though, try slowing down a little bit and look at the items and stuff the game offers you.  There are LOADS of really useful items that make some encounters trivial. 

 

E.g. Sleep affect is amazingly OP against certain enemies. 

 

Did you find the Wondrous flask of physick yet?  The thing that lets you make a one-time (per death/grace/rest) custom potion? 

[Alask]

5 minutes ago, robdood said:

If your summoned mates die in seconds you may as well give up the fight. 

 

Can't remember if I've mentioned this recently, but if you summon a player and they die mid fight. If you toggle your furcalling finger off, you can then summon your ash to help out. Rather than try and battle through the rest of the fight solo.

 

[MardiganX]

5 minutes ago, robdood said:

Seriously though, try slowing down a little bit and look at the items and stuff the game offers you.  There are LOADS of really useful items that make some encounters trivial. 

 

E.g. Sleep affect is amazingly OP against certain enemies. 

 

Did you find the Wondrous flask of physick yet?  The thing that lets you make a one-time (per death/grace/rest) custom potion? 

Yea I did, just before this Lucaria business and I’ve got a mix that heals half my HP and gives me an attack boost so I’m taking that just before the end of her Phase 1 as I don’t want to be fucking about with it when she is going bananas with her spells.

 

I did that with Sekiro too. Ignored almost all of the items including very rarely using the prosthetic tools, instead becoming absolutely ridiculous with the core combat. But I will definitely take more time and make sure I use everything that can help me in Elden Ring. For example, I have 6 Rune Arc things, have no idea what they do bur imagine they are fairly useful tool?

[Oz]

10 minutes ago, robdood said:

In my experience summoning actual players is not easy mode, it makes bosses way harder due to the health increase.  If your summoned mates die in seconds you may as well give up the fight. 

 

Ashes don't affect bosses HP at all. 

Oh shit I didn’t even know online summons gave the boss more health. As I have never used them because I am not a coward. 

[Oz]

12 minutes ago, MardiganX said:

I’m comfortable that getting to where I have without using a single spirit ash qualifies me to now spunk them like confetti

 

 

Sounds to me like you are hesitating

[joemul]

I think i just got lucky on that Renalla fight - summoned an ash straightaway and ran in swinging. I didn't see a single summon fortunately and was gobsmacked when i saw someone on here's video.