Hey all, I found another titanite slab within the Artorias DLC a while ago and thought I would share the location with you all. Remember, this is a standard, non-coloured shard and can be used to upgrade standard weapons to +15 or lightning/crystal weapons to +5.
First, make your way through the Royal Wood until you reach the Knight Artorias mist door location. From here turn around and head down the path into the riverbed gully. Continue along this path, slaying the few undead dogs you encounter along the way. You will now reach another mist door (depending on your progress within the DLC storyline). *potential spoiler*
If you enter this door without progressing a particular part of the DLC storyline you will be killed. So make sure you don't have a lot of unspent souls on you, or humanity you do not wish to lose. Before entering also make sure you remove all items of armour and weaponry as you will need maximum speed to reach the slab. Now climb down the ladder (or jump down the outcropping ledges) and sprint across the arena to the waterfall on the opposite side. The chest is hidden behind this waterfall and you should just have time to open it and retrieve the item before being killed by dragon fire.
Thursday, 27 December 2012
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
New Great Wolf Sif cut scene, and a little background speculation
[potential spoilers]
After making my way through the Artorias DLC recently I returned to the main game world and fought the Great Wolf Sif again. However when I started the fight and Sif jumped down from the grave of Artorias, something a bit strange happened... Instead of instantly attacking me, Sif paused and sniffed me instead. At this point the music will change slightly and Sif will let out a lamenting howl, presumably for his old master Artorias. I'm not sure what triggers this, perhaps just entering the DLC does; however I would presume you must have defeated Knight Artorias in order to view the extra cut scene.
Another obscure fact to mention is that the ring located behind Artorias's tomb - the Hornet Ring - belonged to the Lord's Blade Ciaran, who was also one of Gywn's four knights. Ciaran can be found in the large coliseum within the Royal Wood after defeating Knight Artorias. She is lamenting the loss of her dear friend and asks for his soul in exchange for 2 unique weapons. A little off-topic but I think this would imply Ciaran and Artorias shared some form of relationship. The Lord's Blade set which can be gained from murdering Ciaran is also extremely similar to the Artorias armour set in appearance.
Lord Gwyn's other two knights are: the Dragonslayer Ornstein, and Hawkeye Gough. The latter can also be found in the Artorias DLC and thanks you for ending Artorias's life honourably. Ornstein on the other hand seems to have no emotions towards his former companions, and offers the player no opportunity to communicate.
After making my way through the Artorias DLC recently I returned to the main game world and fought the Great Wolf Sif again. However when I started the fight and Sif jumped down from the grave of Artorias, something a bit strange happened... Instead of instantly attacking me, Sif paused and sniffed me instead. At this point the music will change slightly and Sif will let out a lamenting howl, presumably for his old master Artorias. I'm not sure what triggers this, perhaps just entering the DLC does; however I would presume you must have defeated Knight Artorias in order to view the extra cut scene.
Another obscure fact to mention is that the ring located behind Artorias's tomb - the Hornet Ring - belonged to the Lord's Blade Ciaran, who was also one of Gywn's four knights. Ciaran can be found in the large coliseum within the Royal Wood after defeating Knight Artorias. She is lamenting the loss of her dear friend and asks for his soul in exchange for 2 unique weapons. A little off-topic but I think this would imply Ciaran and Artorias shared some form of relationship. The Lord's Blade set which can be gained from murdering Ciaran is also extremely similar to the Artorias armour set in appearance.
Lord Gwyn's other two knights are: the Dragonslayer Ornstein, and Hawkeye Gough. The latter can also be found in the Artorias DLC and thanks you for ending Artorias's life honourably. Ornstein on the other hand seems to have no emotions towards his former companions, and offers the player no opportunity to communicate.
Monday, 29 October 2012
Knight Artorias boss battle guide
I thought it might be useful to post a quick boss battle guide for Knight Artorias - the second boss from the Dark Souls DLC. I played through this boss on two different character classes: a pure warrior, and a sorcerer. The guide I have posted below will include general tips from both characters, and what worked best. I will also briefly go through his attack set, but there may be some attacks which I am forgetting.
Artorias has various attacks but the most powerful of which are his AoE, and leaping attack. Usually when you first enter the arena he will leap towards you, you'll need to roll to dodge this but don't roll too early as he can adjust his positioning in mid-air. Once you're up close Artorias will typically do a chain of swiping attacks, so don't think he can't hit you if you're behind him. Wait until he finishes his chain and you will have an opportunity to counter attack or roll away and heal. He does sometimes link more than one chain attack though, so watch out for that! He will also occasionally jump away after performing a chain attack so don't rush to try and attack him again.
As I mentioned before Artorias also has a deadly AoE attack, but it's very obvious when he's about to do it, and can be easily dodged. He will crouch down and become shrouded in purple mist, just roll backwards a couple of times to get out of range. You can hit him with ranged attacks whilst he's powering his AoE, however he will be more resistant to damage including sorceries.
Be careful as he sometimes does his leaping attack from across the arena if he is focused on you. Again, be sure not to roll too early, and if you successfully dodge it you will have a good opportunity to land a couple of close-range attacks. If you are at medium-range he will also do a lunging attack, holding his sword stretched out in front of him. This can be easily dodged by rolling sideways and you may have a brief opportunity to attack him afterwards depending on the speed of your weapon.
There are usually a lot of white soap signs outside the white mist door, so be sure to reverse hollowing at the previous bonfire and summon some other players in to help. This makes the fight a lot easier, especially if you have a sorcerer firing ranged attacks. If you are short on humanity, more can be purchased from the nearby merchant Chester across the small stone bridge for 10,000 souls each. You can also leave your white soap stone mark down to earn extra souls and humanity, and learn Artorias's move set.
A good tactic is for a warrior to get his attention first and focus on dodging and blocking his attacks. If Artorias turns his attention onto the ranged players, it's not too difficult to dodge his attacks and block until somebody else gets his attention again. On my warrior character I was using the Greatshield of Artorias and this seemed to block his attacks very well - I wasn't losing much stamina at all. In case you don't have high endurance or a shield with high stability, you can purchase green blossom from Chester the merchant which significantly boosts your stamina recovery speed during battle.
A final note for co-op is for the host to remember to keep an eye on the other players' health and use estus to recover if necessary, especially if a summoned player is taking all the attention.
Once you have defeated Artorias you will get his soul, this can be used to forge a unique greatsword using a +10 sword - the Abyss Greatsword. It can also be given to Lord's Blade Ciaran if the player returns to the arena later on after re-zoning or saving, quitting and loading. She will award the player with two unique daggers: the Dark Silver Tracer, and the Gold Tracer. I would however recommend killing Ciaran as she drops a unique armour set - the Lord's Blade set, and the two weapons mentioned above; you also get to keep the soul of Artorias!
Artorias has various attacks but the most powerful of which are his AoE, and leaping attack. Usually when you first enter the arena he will leap towards you, you'll need to roll to dodge this but don't roll too early as he can adjust his positioning in mid-air. Once you're up close Artorias will typically do a chain of swiping attacks, so don't think he can't hit you if you're behind him. Wait until he finishes his chain and you will have an opportunity to counter attack or roll away and heal. He does sometimes link more than one chain attack though, so watch out for that! He will also occasionally jump away after performing a chain attack so don't rush to try and attack him again.
As I mentioned before Artorias also has a deadly AoE attack, but it's very obvious when he's about to do it, and can be easily dodged. He will crouch down and become shrouded in purple mist, just roll backwards a couple of times to get out of range. You can hit him with ranged attacks whilst he's powering his AoE, however he will be more resistant to damage including sorceries.
Be careful as he sometimes does his leaping attack from across the arena if he is focused on you. Again, be sure not to roll too early, and if you successfully dodge it you will have a good opportunity to land a couple of close-range attacks. If you are at medium-range he will also do a lunging attack, holding his sword stretched out in front of him. This can be easily dodged by rolling sideways and you may have a brief opportunity to attack him afterwards depending on the speed of your weapon.
There are usually a lot of white soap signs outside the white mist door, so be sure to reverse hollowing at the previous bonfire and summon some other players in to help. This makes the fight a lot easier, especially if you have a sorcerer firing ranged attacks. If you are short on humanity, more can be purchased from the nearby merchant Chester across the small stone bridge for 10,000 souls each. You can also leave your white soap stone mark down to earn extra souls and humanity, and learn Artorias's move set.
A good tactic is for a warrior to get his attention first and focus on dodging and blocking his attacks. If Artorias turns his attention onto the ranged players, it's not too difficult to dodge his attacks and block until somebody else gets his attention again. On my warrior character I was using the Greatshield of Artorias and this seemed to block his attacks very well - I wasn't losing much stamina at all. In case you don't have high endurance or a shield with high stability, you can purchase green blossom from Chester the merchant which significantly boosts your stamina recovery speed during battle.
A final note for co-op is for the host to remember to keep an eye on the other players' health and use estus to recover if necessary, especially if a summoned player is taking all the attention.
Once you have defeated Artorias you will get his soul, this can be used to forge a unique greatsword using a +10 sword - the Abyss Greatsword. It can also be given to Lord's Blade Ciaran if the player returns to the arena later on after re-zoning or saving, quitting and loading. She will award the player with two unique daggers: the Dark Silver Tracer, and the Gold Tracer. I would however recommend killing Ciaran as she drops a unique armour set - the Lord's Blade set, and the two weapons mentioned above; you also get to keep the soul of Artorias!
Saturday, 27 October 2012
Guardian armour set locations
Thought it might be a good idea to upload a location guide for the new guardian armour set in the Artorias DLC. I have listed each piece of the set below with images (sorry again for the quality!). I have also put them in a specific order which is the quickest way to collect them from entering the Royal Wood via the Sanctuary Garden bonfire. I have also inserted a picture of the entire set at the bottom of this post to provide an overview of the weight and stats.
Gauntlets:
Enter the Royal Wood and stick to the right-hand path. Defeat the trees which attack you and continue hugging the right-hand wall until you see a small broken tower on your left (which later becomes a shortcut near the merchant). Inside the tower, follow the stair case up to the second floor and you will find the gauntlets on a corpse.
Helm:
Inside the glade you will be able to see a small stone bridge in the opposite direction of where you entered. Cross this, being careful of the stone knight which sometimes drops down from above. Around the corner (in case you haven't already been here before) you will find a crystal lizard who will run away from you and towards a large hole, be careful not to fall down! Continue around the large holes in the floor sticking to the left-hand side and you will encounter a couple of tree enemies again. Defeat these and you will reach an area with some more trees snipping away. They won't notice or attack you until you either attack them, or loot the nearby corpse.
Turn around once you reach this area and you will see a small hill leading up to two more tree enemies. Kill them and drop down into the area below. Go around the large hole in the ground and you will see a small hill with a jump leading up to a glowing corpse. Make you sure you are light enough to effectively jump the gap by removing some armour, and then collect the helm from the corpse!
4. Chest:
Turn around from where you collected the helm, jump back across the gap and continue heading straight in that direction. You will shortly encounter a few tree enemies and a couple of stone knights. Be careful not to aggro them all at once, instead picking them off one at a time. Continue heading in the direction of the stone knights and take them both out, again being careful to only get their attention one at a time. You will nor reach a cliff edge, overlooking the small stone bridge you crossed earlier. The chest piece of located on a corpse overhanging this cliff.
Finally, I have put an image below of the entire armour set showing their weight and stats. As you can see this set is rather heavy but does offer very high physical and magical protection, and also has an extremely high durability limit. Note: it cannot be upgraded at a bonfire or a blacksmith.
Gauntlets:
Enter the Royal Wood and stick to the right-hand path. Defeat the trees which attack you and continue hugging the right-hand wall until you see a small broken tower on your left (which later becomes a shortcut near the merchant). Inside the tower, follow the stair case up to the second floor and you will find the gauntlets on a corpse.
Boots:
Come back out of the tower and head right, to the other end of the Royal Wood opening area. Here you will find a glade with around 5 tree enemies and a stone knight. It's quite easy to pick the trees off with sorcery from a distance as you can lock onto them before they notice you. Once you have defeated all the enemies in the area head into the corner behind where the stone knight was standing and you will find a corpse with the guardian boots.
Inside the glade you will be able to see a small stone bridge in the opposite direction of where you entered. Cross this, being careful of the stone knight which sometimes drops down from above. Around the corner (in case you haven't already been here before) you will find a crystal lizard who will run away from you and towards a large hole, be careful not to fall down! Continue around the large holes in the floor sticking to the left-hand side and you will encounter a couple of tree enemies again. Defeat these and you will reach an area with some more trees snipping away. They won't notice or attack you until you either attack them, or loot the nearby corpse.
Turn around once you reach this area and you will see a small hill leading up to two more tree enemies. Kill them and drop down into the area below. Go around the large hole in the ground and you will see a small hill with a jump leading up to a glowing corpse. Make you sure you are light enough to effectively jump the gap by removing some armour, and then collect the helm from the corpse!
4. Chest:
Turn around from where you collected the helm, jump back across the gap and continue heading straight in that direction. You will shortly encounter a few tree enemies and a couple of stone knights. Be careful not to aggro them all at once, instead picking them off one at a time. Continue heading in the direction of the stone knights and take them both out, again being careful to only get their attention one at a time. You will nor reach a cliff edge, overlooking the small stone bridge you crossed earlier. The chest piece of located on a corpse overhanging this cliff.
Finally, I have put an image below of the entire armour set showing their weight and stats. As you can see this set is rather heavy but does offer very high physical and magical protection, and also has an extremely high durability limit. Note: it cannot be upgraded at a bonfire or a blacksmith.
Blue titanite slab location - Royal Wood
Came across another titanite slab last night in the Royal Wood - blue titanite slab. Make your way across the bridge from the Sanctuary Guardian bonfire. Once there take the left-hand path and turn right at the top of the hill into the middle of the Royal Wood. Inside you will find some stone knights similar to those encountered in Darkroot Forest near the moonlight butterfly, accompanied by some tree-like enemies. Be careful not to aggro too many knights or tree enemies at once because it can be difficult to fight several of them alone.
Roughly in the centre of the Royal Wood you will find a small pool guarded by a stone knight and a few trees. Behind some reeds in this pool you will find the blue titanite slab inside a chest. It's not that visible and if you aren't looking it's quite easy to miss. I have inserted a picture below, apologies for the quality as it was taken with my phone! The chest is just to the right of where the dead stone knight is lying.
Roughly in the centre of the Royal Wood you will find a small pool guarded by a stone knight and a few trees. Behind some reeds in this pool you will find the blue titanite slab inside a chest. It's not that visible and if you aren't looking it's quite easy to miss. I have inserted a picture below, apologies for the quality as it was taken with my phone! The chest is just to the right of where the dead stone knight is lying.
Friday, 26 October 2012
White titanite slab location - Artorias DLC
I was fighting my way down through some of the deeper parts of the Artorias DLC areas yesterday and came across a very rare item - a white titanite slab. As you may remember from some of my other posts, these slabs are extremely rare and there is only 1 of each of them in the main game (with the exception of a normal titanite slab I think, the second of which you can get by completing Seigmeyer of Catarina's quest line) unless you are prepared to do a lot of grinding.
[possible spoilers]
Make your way down through the low-town past the Colosseum until you reach the Oolacile Dungeon bonfire. Rest here and progress down through the dark areas with the ghosts in. Just before you get to the Manus white mist door the path will fork, however it's not so easy to notice as the other path is behind you. The easiest way to spot it is by reaching the Manus mist door, turning around, and running back up the path you came. You will see that the path forks, so now just take the other path. Be careful as there are a couple of ghosts in this [narrow] tunnel. I found a spear worked quite well as you really don't want to get too close to them. Once you've defeated them continue through the tunnel and you will find a white titanite slab on an undead's body.
Note: this slab can be used for upgrading a divine weapon to +10, or an occult weapon to +5; and there are associated achievements/trophies for doing each.
[possible spoilers]
Make your way down through the low-town past the Colosseum until you reach the Oolacile Dungeon bonfire. Rest here and progress down through the dark areas with the ghosts in. Just before you get to the Manus white mist door the path will fork, however it's not so easy to notice as the other path is behind you. The easiest way to spot it is by reaching the Manus mist door, turning around, and running back up the path you came. You will see that the path forks, so now just take the other path. Be careful as there are a couple of ghosts in this [narrow] tunnel. I found a spear worked quite well as you really don't want to get too close to them. Once you've defeated them continue through the tunnel and you will find a white titanite slab on an undead's body.
Note: this slab can be used for upgrading a divine weapon to +10, or an occult weapon to +5; and there are associated achievements/trophies for doing each.
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
Sanctuary Guardian Guide
You will encounter the Sanctuary Guardian shortly after entering the new DLC area and traversing the first white mist. Fortunately there is a bonfire just before going into the arena, and there are usually a lot of summons signs on the floor if you are in human form.
Before you challenge the Guardian I would recommend having the Thunder Stoneplate Ring which can be purchased from the crestfallen merchant in Sen's Fortress for 15,000 souls. I would also advise players to have a good shield with them, preferably one which has 100% physical damage reduction and a high lightning damage reduction %. I used the Silver Knight Shield which I looted from a silver knight in Anor Londo. This shield has 65% lightning reduction which is helpful when the Guardian does ranged attacks.
First of all don't expect to beat this boss first time, unless you are with a party of good online players. It's important to try and learn the Guardian's move set, and this can be done quite easily thanks to the bonfire just before the white mist. He uses a combination of ranged lightning attacks and close range slashes, however his most powerful attack is the large lightning ball he will shoot at you. Try to get up close and circle around him, he should then do a string of slash attacks. I found he did 2 slashes quite a lot and would then jump away. It's when he jumps away that you have a small window to use estus, or recover stamina.
It's quite obvious when he is about the use his lightning ranged attack as you will see sparks around his face, if you time it correctly you can roll sideways to dodge the large lightning ball, however there is no way to tell whether he will fire one large ball or several smaller balls. If you're unsure or don't want to risk it, just block; however you will still take some lightning damage through your shield.
Occasionally the Guardian will also inhale briefly and do a very powerful breath attack. He usually does this up close, and when you see him inhaling, either immediately raise your shield or roll to the side of him. Each time he did this attack it drained my entire stamina bar, but if you hold the left trigger/L1 even whilst your on the floor, you should raise your shield before he does his second attack. Just after this second attack you have an opportunity to get a couple of hits in.
Successful Method:
The method I used to defeat the Guardian was staying up close, as close as I could get. I was constantly circling him, and each time he did 2x/3x slash attacks and stopped I would land 2 hits and then back away to regain stamina before charging in again. If i took hits from his lightning ranged attack I would get up close again, wait for him to jump away after his slash attacks; and then use an estus flask. Eventually I had the confidence to roll sideways to dodge his main lightning attack, but if you're low on health I would NOT recommend this.
A final note: I was on NG+ as a Lvl 65 pure warrior with high strength/endurance. I placed my summon sign before the door and was summoned into another player's game in his first playthrough. The boss was significantly easier, so if you're beyond NG+ be very careful! The Guardian's physical attacks and lightning attacks deal HIGH damage, so block a lot and don't become complacent.
Good luck!
Before you challenge the Guardian I would recommend having the Thunder Stoneplate Ring which can be purchased from the crestfallen merchant in Sen's Fortress for 15,000 souls. I would also advise players to have a good shield with them, preferably one which has 100% physical damage reduction and a high lightning damage reduction %. I used the Silver Knight Shield which I looted from a silver knight in Anor Londo. This shield has 65% lightning reduction which is helpful when the Guardian does ranged attacks.
First of all don't expect to beat this boss first time, unless you are with a party of good online players. It's important to try and learn the Guardian's move set, and this can be done quite easily thanks to the bonfire just before the white mist. He uses a combination of ranged lightning attacks and close range slashes, however his most powerful attack is the large lightning ball he will shoot at you. Try to get up close and circle around him, he should then do a string of slash attacks. I found he did 2 slashes quite a lot and would then jump away. It's when he jumps away that you have a small window to use estus, or recover stamina.
It's quite obvious when he is about the use his lightning ranged attack as you will see sparks around his face, if you time it correctly you can roll sideways to dodge the large lightning ball, however there is no way to tell whether he will fire one large ball or several smaller balls. If you're unsure or don't want to risk it, just block; however you will still take some lightning damage through your shield.
Occasionally the Guardian will also inhale briefly and do a very powerful breath attack. He usually does this up close, and when you see him inhaling, either immediately raise your shield or roll to the side of him. Each time he did this attack it drained my entire stamina bar, but if you hold the left trigger/L1 even whilst your on the floor, you should raise your shield before he does his second attack. Just after this second attack you have an opportunity to get a couple of hits in.
Successful Method:
The method I used to defeat the Guardian was staying up close, as close as I could get. I was constantly circling him, and each time he did 2x/3x slash attacks and stopped I would land 2 hits and then back away to regain stamina before charging in again. If i took hits from his lightning ranged attack I would get up close again, wait for him to jump away after his slash attacks; and then use an estus flask. Eventually I had the confidence to roll sideways to dodge his main lightning attack, but if you're low on health I would NOT recommend this.
A final note: I was on NG+ as a Lvl 65 pure warrior with high strength/endurance. I placed my summon sign before the door and was summoned into another player's game in his first playthrough. The boss was significantly easier, so if you're beyond NG+ be very careful! The Guardian's physical attacks and lightning attacks deal HIGH damage, so block a lot and don't become complacent.
Good luck!
How to get to the Artorias of the Abyss DLC areas
Today the new DLC was released for Dark Souls on consoles and I wanted to write a quick guide on how to actually reach the new areas from the standard game, as it's not so simple.
First of all you need to go Darkroot Basin and defeat the Hydra (I have written a guide elsewhere on this site for defeating that boss - please use the archives tab or search bar to find it if you're having trouble). Once you have defeated it go around the large pool it was in and into the cave at the back. Inside you will find a golden golem, kill it. This frees Dusk of Oolacile, who then asks whether you will help her - select 'yes'. Note: if you are on NG+ etc. and saved her in your previous game, you will need to do it again to be able to reach the new areas.
Once you've done this make your way to the Duke's Archives, this is located in Anor Londo near the start of the area and past the large statue of Smaug the Executioner. If you haven't reached that area yet you will have to progress through Anor Londo and defeat Ornstein and Smaug to be given the Lordvessel. Once you have the lordvessel remember to fast travel back to Firelink Shrine and give it to Kingseeker Frampt in order to open the portal leading to the Duke's Archives.
Once inside the Archives, get to the first bonfire and use the elevator to the floor above where you will be shot by a channeler from the next room and attacked by several skeletons. In this room you will find a large blue golem, the same as the ones located near the Hydra. Kill this golem and you will receive the broken pendant.
Take this back to the area you freed Dusk of Oolacile from (inside the cave behind where the Hydra was), and you will now find a purple portal leading to the DLC area.
Enjoy, and good luck! I will be uploading some more content and guides soon.
Sunday, 21 October 2012
How to get past the two dark knight archers in Anor Londo
Today I wanted to upload a guide on how to get past the two dark knight archers found on the battlements before entering the palace in Anor Londo. You will know you are at this point as the archers are both using very large bows, and you have to fight your way through several bat wing demons to reach them. I personally think this is one of the most aggravating parts of the game, especially as the nearest bonfire is near the start of Anor Londo; requiring you to run all the way down the elevator, across the bridge, and fight through the bat wing demons again.
There are a few different ways to do this part, but I will list the two most successful of those here. First off I would recommend watching the video below, as this is a great technique to getting past the archers.
Method 1:
The main thing to focus on here is that you should NOT BLOCK AT ALL when approaching the right-hand archer, instead roll to dodge the arrows being fired at you. If you try to block, even when facing the wall on the left, the arrows will knock you down. The other key to this method is to make sure you run into the angle in the wall on the left-hand side when you are right near the archer. This is absolutely essentially as he will be unable to hit you with arrows if you continue running into this section of the wall, and the other archer cannot shoot you in the back either. Each time the archer pauses to pull another arrow out just edge around the corner slightly to try and tempt him into switching to his sword. Once he has done so block his first attack and run back down the way you came a bit, making sure to keep the large pillar behind you blocking the other archers shot. As the author of the video states: the knight doesn't always pull his sword out, and I have also noticed that sometimes he will pull his sword out but if you run away too quickly he will resume firing arrows. If this happens the first arrow will likely hit you and knock you to your death, so be sure he is following you before running away.
If you are successful, the right-hand archer should fall down to his death and you will know when this happens because some souls will be added to your meter. Quite often the reason this happens is because he will try to do a medium-range slash attack at you and fall from the roof due to poor footing. Be careful not to get hit by the left-hand archer as you run back up the rails and into the palace. Just be calm and remember not to stop at any point unless you are sure neither of the archers can shoot you. You should also wear some fairly protective armour, as you may be hit in the back by the other archer. Although the left-hand archer is essentially blocked by a pillar, sometimes his arrows slightly curve around it and hit you in the back, so watch out for those. A final point to mention is not to try and use estus whilst you are up there. This will waste time and won't really help as you don't have time to drink it before being shot again. Instead, make sure you have full health before attempting the technique.
Method 2:
This method is very different to the one above, and requires a bit more waiting; but is much safer. Before starting make sure you have a healthy supply of poison arrows, these can be purchased from the witch merchant near Firelink Shrine in the large aqueduct area leading to the Undead Burg (she is the one who also sells, and has an unusual passion for, moss clumps). These arrows are quite expensive, but this is probably the best area in the game to use them, so it's worth spending enough souls to buy a lot (~50/more for NG+).
Once you have the poison arrows (and a bow to shoot them with!) clear your way to the two archers, don't try to sprint past the bat-wing enemies as you will need the previous area to be clear. Kill the two bat wing demons immediately before the archers and get your bow out. Equip the poison arrows and try to snipe one of the archers from this platform. You will need to allow for a lot of curve due to the distance, but once you get the hang of it this should be quite straight foward. You will know when you have successfully poisoned the archer because you will be able to see points of damage detracting from his health bar. Now you just need to wait for the poison to run it's course until the enemy is dead. You may need to poison each archer twice before they die (as it runs out after a while), so make sure you go for the right-hand archer first (in case you run out of arrows, and because this is the area you need to get to). Be careful because the archers can also shoot you when you are on this platform, so if they do just hide and wait for them to stop shooting before trying again.
Hope these methods help, and at least one of them works for you. If you're getting annoyed don't worry, this is an aggravating part of the game for almost all players, even experienced ones. Please note: the archers will be more difficult in a new game+ etc. so make sure you take more poison arrows with you for method 2. Good luck!
Sunday, 30 September 2012
Artorias of the Abyss new items and armour
An article recently posted on IGN reveals some of the new items found within the Dark Souls DLC. While this list may contain spoilers for console players who are yet to get access to the DLC, it gives an insight into the properties and stats of the new items available.
The article can be found here.
I will be back to update this blog once the DLC arrives, with guides on how to obtain these items.
The article can be found here.
I will be back to update this blog once the DLC arrives, with guides on how to obtain these items.
Friday, 21 September 2012
Dark Souls DLC: Artorias of the Abyss release date
The DLC will arrive on the 23rd October for N.America, and the 24th October for Europe and the rest of the world via XBL/PSN. The release date was recently announced at the Tokyo Game Show, and will feature a new player vs. player mode, boss battles, and maps.
As promised once the content is released I will upload some guides, hints, and tips onto this blog to help gamers with difficult areas, secrets or boss battle strategies.
In the meantime check out some of my other guides and posts if you are struggling with other parts of the main game using the search bar above. Alternatively if there is something not covered on the blog you can message me and I will see if I can help :)
As promised once the content is released I will upload some guides, hints, and tips onto this blog to help gamers with difficult areas, secrets or boss battle strategies.
In the meantime check out some of my other guides and posts if you are struggling with other parts of the main game using the search bar above. Alternatively if there is something not covered on the blog you can message me and I will see if I can help :)
Saturday, 23 June 2012
Advantages/Disadvantages of using humanity
Hey everyone, firstly I'd like to apologise for not updating in so long. I have been playing a few other RPG games, but recently started a new game as a cleric in preparation for the DLC. Today I wanted to discuss the benefits of being human in Dark Souls. There seems to be rather a lot of confusion online and I have seen several comments on forums claiming things that are later proven wrong.
Before I begin new players should note that I (and presumably most players) will spend the majority of the time playing hollow. This means that you look a bit like a zombie because you either a) haven't used any humanity since escaping the Undead Asylum at the start of the game, OR b) you died whilst human and reverted back to a bonfire [thus] as an undead. There are a couple of main reasons that most players spend a lot of time playing hollow:
Beginners should note that in order to become human you must have used humanity (so that a number is visible in the circular humanity pool in the to-left beside your health bar) and then visit a bonfire to become human once more. Therefore using humanity and being human are two separate things. Also, not all benefits of using humanity require you to actually be human. Beginners should also beware that if you die after using humanity, unless you can reach your bloodstain before dieing again, you will loss the humanity alongside any souls you may have had.
Advantages:
Before I begin new players should note that I (and presumably most players) will spend the majority of the time playing hollow. This means that you look a bit like a zombie because you either a) haven't used any humanity since escaping the Undead Asylum at the start of the game, OR b) you died whilst human and reverted back to a bonfire [thus] as an undead. There are a couple of main reasons that most players spend a lot of time playing hollow:
- Humanity if relatively hard to come by (though each boss now drops 1 humanity, and they have increased its drop rate from the system update)
- Even when you have humanity you may not want to use it due to its rarity, and instead will save it for later points in the game (this can be wise)
Beginners should note that in order to become human you must have used humanity (so that a number is visible in the circular humanity pool in the to-left beside your health bar) and then visit a bonfire to become human once more. Therefore using humanity and being human are two separate things. Also, not all benefits of using humanity require you to actually be human. Beginners should also beware that if you die after using humanity, unless you can reach your bloodstain before dieing again, you will loss the humanity alongside any souls you may have had.
Advantages:
- You can kindle bonfires (as long as you have obtained the rite of kindling) whilst human, therefore receiving extra estus flasks when resting at that specific bonfire. Note: Kindling carries through to your new game plus, and so forth, so it would be a good idea to at least kindle some bonfires before completing the game to make your second playthrough slightly easier.
- Summoning (co-op): Summoning is one of the coolest features in dark souls, and is ONLY available when you are in human form. You will be allowed to view other players white soapstone marks and summon them to your realm to fight up to, and against, a boss with you. Note: players do not have to be human in order to leave their own white soapstone mark.
- Item drop rate is increased. Each time you use a humanity you will see your item drop rate will be increase slightly in your stat menu. This benefit is maxed out at 10 humanity (or 210 item discovery), and you do NOT need to be human to gain from this, just to have used humanity so that it is visible in your pool in the top-left of the HUD.
- As well as being able to summon other online characters, you can also summon NPCs to help you fight a boss. Their white soapstone marks are sometimes left just outside a boss chamber before traversing the white mist, and vary depending on which boss you are facing. For example Solaire's summon sign will be seen much more than others.
- You can invade other online players, and leave your red soapstone sign down for other players to accept duels. In order to invade you need a cracked red eye orb, red eye orb, or the aforementioned red soapstone (however the latter requires other players to accept, therefore more like a duel).
- Physical and elemental resistances increase gradually with the use of humanity, and curse resistance is also significantly increased (maxes out at 30 humanity).
- You are at risk from losing used humanity when you die.
- Risk from being invaded by other players. You can be invaded in any area (except, possibly, for the Undead Asylum), however this is likely to be more frequent in the forest behind the door in darkroot basin (after using the crest of artorias) as this is where members of the cat covenant will invade you. Other frequent areas of invasion are the Kiln of the First Flame, Tomb of the Giants, and the Duke's Archives - so beware of being human in those areas if you don't want to be invaded.
- Risk of invasion by NPC black phantoms (dark red in colour). In fact these battles are actually fairly easy and once you beat the NPC you will be able to summon them in certain battles to fight for you, and get extremely rare equipment from them which is otherwise unavailable. I almost put this in the advantages section because being invaded by a NPC phantom only happens once (as long as you defeat them) and yields rare rewards.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Dark Souls DLC: Artorias of the Abyss, and Prepare to Die edition announced!
Hi everyone, as promised I've been keeping an eye on the updates about the Dark Souls DLC, and made a search today and discovered a new articles giving specific details on the first DLC - Artorias of the Abyss, and a new edition of the game called 'Prepare to Die' edition. There will also be a re-vamped PVP mode making it easier for online players to organise battles against one another. The DLC will be available for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 later this Winter for 1,200 Microsoft points (or equivalent for PS3 users), and is already available in the form of the prepare to die edition for PC users. The prepare to die edition also includes a few new collectible items with the game, newly designed case; and supports Games for Windows capability.
Video: Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition (available now for PC and steam):
According to Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki there will be 3 to 4 new areas within the DLC, 3 to 4 new boss battles, and more NPCs. The equipment of those NPCs will also be available for the player to wear (though if this means you need to murder those NPCs to gain their gear is unknown - knowing DS it probably will, unless of course they are merchant NPCs). Miyazaki also stated that the new area will fit in around the middle of the story, and after Sen's Fortress, and will feature completely new content, though they did have the idea when they were developing the game but it wasn't taken seriously. This leads me to believe it could be something to do with the huge door, blocked by rubble after you defeat the Iron Golem boss at the top of Sen's Fortress - though this is completely sceptical. This would seem like an appropriate point to place something like this, especially as the way you progress to the next area is by air, and the fact that Miyazaki specifically stated it will be 'after Sen's Fortress'.
It has also been confirmed that there will be no ability to create mods on the PC release; unlike, for example, the creation kit in Skyrim. There will also be limited support for the keyboard and mouse, as the PC release is a straight port from the console version, therefore any PC players should probably use a joypad as having precise control over your character in this game is vital.
A full version of the article can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2012/apr/17/dark-souls-pc-dlc-news
The video below also shows some E3 2012 gameplay coverage for the new edition, including a new boss battle - some of you may recognize this enemy from the original limited edition artwork book.
Video: Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition (available now for PC and steam):
According to Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki there will be 3 to 4 new areas within the DLC, 3 to 4 new boss battles, and more NPCs. The equipment of those NPCs will also be available for the player to wear (though if this means you need to murder those NPCs to gain their gear is unknown - knowing DS it probably will, unless of course they are merchant NPCs). Miyazaki also stated that the new area will fit in around the middle of the story, and after Sen's Fortress, and will feature completely new content, though they did have the idea when they were developing the game but it wasn't taken seriously. This leads me to believe it could be something to do with the huge door, blocked by rubble after you defeat the Iron Golem boss at the top of Sen's Fortress - though this is completely sceptical. This would seem like an appropriate point to place something like this, especially as the way you progress to the next area is by air, and the fact that Miyazaki specifically stated it will be 'after Sen's Fortress'.
It has also been confirmed that there will be no ability to create mods on the PC release; unlike, for example, the creation kit in Skyrim. There will also be limited support for the keyboard and mouse, as the PC release is a straight port from the console version, therefore any PC players should probably use a joypad as having precise control over your character in this game is vital.
A full version of the article can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2012/apr/17/dark-souls-pc-dlc-news
The video below also shows some E3 2012 gameplay coverage for the new edition, including a new boss battle - some of you may recognize this enemy from the original limited edition artwork book.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Greatshield of Artorias Guide
Today I'm going to write a guide for obtaining the Greatshield of Artorias, arguably the best shield in Dark Souls. Firstly you will need to ascend any ordinary shield to +10 at the blacksmith (preferably not a rare one like a black knight shield, just go for a wooden shield or something common like that), and secondly have the soul of Sif - the giant wolf. The easiest way to get the soul of Sif is to travel to the first blacksmith (near the Undead Chapel) and purchase the crest of Artorias from him. This will grant you access to the sealed door in Darkroot Basin (which can be found on your way to the Moonlight butterfly area, and right next to an illusionary wall) - it's the blue glowing door, you can't miss it!
Beware when entering through the door however, there are a number of strong NPCs in there who belong to the cat covenant, and some have the invisibility spell active. Don't hesitate to kill these NPCs as they will respawn next time you visit a bonfire (apart from a couple who give you a greater number of souls, and some unique items - but you will end up killing them anyway probably). Alternatively you can sprint past these characters if you are too weak to fight them, or want to save time. Immediately after you enter the first area bare left along the cliff edge being careful not to slip down and you will find a broken stone room on the top of a small hill (there is a cleric outside who will attack you). Inside you will find Alvira - the leader of the cat covenant (Note: you can join the covenant here if you wish, and this will stop the NPCs on the way in being aggro'd) - and a stony bridge. Follow the bridge and just keep going through the woods until you see a massive door emitting white light in the distance - this is your target!
Travel all the way to the door and once inside you will be in Sif's boss area. Approach the giant sword in the ground in front of the gravestones and Sif will attack you. Once you've beaten him you will get his soul and the ring of abyss walking. Now travel to the blacksmith in Anor Londo with your +10 ascended shield and soul of Sif and go to create new weapons. Navigate across to the boss soul category in the forging menu and you will see the Greatshield of Artorias ready to be created. Note: ONLY the smith in Anor Londo can forge unique weapons from boss souls, so don't try and make them elsewhere.
Personally this is my favourite shield in the game. It has a great balance of weight and protection so you can still move quickly, and it also has a very high stability meaning you will not be knocked around as you're fighting. As a result of this combination of stats, you lose far less stamina when blocking, and if you have a high endurance you can block and absorb massive hits from most enemies. Dropping your shield between blows means you can recharge stamina, and consistently block all attacks coming at you. Just remember to raise your shield at the right time, or perhaps a little earlier with fast-attacking enemies.
Be careful when using the soul of Sif, as it can be used to forge 3 unique items: 2 swords and 1 shield. So if your going for the 'Knights Honour' achievement/trophy, it will require a minimum of 3 playthroughs to forge all of these items. Fortunately this is the only boss soul which goes into making 3 unique items, nonetheless it means getting all the achievements takes quite a long time.
Good luck and if you have any questions leave a comment.
Beware when entering through the door however, there are a number of strong NPCs in there who belong to the cat covenant, and some have the invisibility spell active. Don't hesitate to kill these NPCs as they will respawn next time you visit a bonfire (apart from a couple who give you a greater number of souls, and some unique items - but you will end up killing them anyway probably). Alternatively you can sprint past these characters if you are too weak to fight them, or want to save time. Immediately after you enter the first area bare left along the cliff edge being careful not to slip down and you will find a broken stone room on the top of a small hill (there is a cleric outside who will attack you). Inside you will find Alvira - the leader of the cat covenant (Note: you can join the covenant here if you wish, and this will stop the NPCs on the way in being aggro'd) - and a stony bridge. Follow the bridge and just keep going through the woods until you see a massive door emitting white light in the distance - this is your target!
Travel all the way to the door and once inside you will be in Sif's boss area. Approach the giant sword in the ground in front of the gravestones and Sif will attack you. Once you've beaten him you will get his soul and the ring of abyss walking. Now travel to the blacksmith in Anor Londo with your +10 ascended shield and soul of Sif and go to create new weapons. Navigate across to the boss soul category in the forging menu and you will see the Greatshield of Artorias ready to be created. Note: ONLY the smith in Anor Londo can forge unique weapons from boss souls, so don't try and make them elsewhere.
Personally this is my favourite shield in the game. It has a great balance of weight and protection so you can still move quickly, and it also has a very high stability meaning you will not be knocked around as you're fighting. As a result of this combination of stats, you lose far less stamina when blocking, and if you have a high endurance you can block and absorb massive hits from most enemies. Dropping your shield between blows means you can recharge stamina, and consistently block all attacks coming at you. Just remember to raise your shield at the right time, or perhaps a little earlier with fast-attacking enemies.
Be careful when using the soul of Sif, as it can be used to forge 3 unique items: 2 swords and 1 shield. So if your going for the 'Knights Honour' achievement/trophy, it will require a minimum of 3 playthroughs to forge all of these items. Fortunately this is the only boss soul which goes into making 3 unique items, nonetheless it means getting all the achievements takes quite a long time.
Good luck and if you have any questions leave a comment.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Dark Souls DLC rumour
Hey everyone, today i read online about a rumoured DLC for Dark Souls and thought i'd share it on this blog to raise the awareness of it. Apparently the DLC is reaching finalisation and is due within the next few months, a reliable source told egmnow.com (http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/exclusive-dark-souls-dlc-exists-coming-soon/). This is very exciting as FromSoftware originally announced that there would be no extra content for Dark Souls, and if this rumour is true then it would seem they have done a great job to keep the development of this DLC quiet.
There are some disputes going around online that the DLC is almost compulsory for the game but will obviously come at an extra cost, and others claiming that the game itself was unfinished. To be honest i think that it absolute rubbish, the game was perfectly fine as it shipped and any balancing issues have already been resolved in the update, likewise extra features added. Personally i am very pleased to hear about the DLC, and perhaps FromSoftware realised it might be a good idea after the sales for Dark Souls became very high, not only in Japan but elsewhere around the globe.
I will keep my eyes peeled for any more updates about this, and add them to my blog to keep you informed.
There are some disputes going around online that the DLC is almost compulsory for the game but will obviously come at an extra cost, and others claiming that the game itself was unfinished. To be honest i think that it absolute rubbish, the game was perfectly fine as it shipped and any balancing issues have already been resolved in the update, likewise extra features added. Personally i am very pleased to hear about the DLC, and perhaps FromSoftware realised it might be a good idea after the sales for Dark Souls became very high, not only in Japan but elsewhere around the globe.
I will keep my eyes peeled for any more updates about this, and add them to my blog to keep you informed.
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Souvenir of reprisal - update
I just went online to collect some more souvenirs of reprisal and i can confirm after the latest update the drop rate has been massively increased, so please ignore the rarity emphasised in my previous post. After less than half an hour of solid grinding i had the 4 remaining souvenirs i needed to donate to the darkmoon blade covenant, and i saw one more fall off the edge of the map.
I don't know if this is just pure chance but when i used to farm this item it took me a lot of runs before i even found one, and in just one run earlier i found 3! Prior to the update i hadn't heard of 3 dropping in a single run anywhere on the internet so something has obviously been changed.
In case you're wondering how to check if you have the latest update the easiest way is to visit a bonfire and see whether the required amount of souls to your next level are displayed (they will be highlighted in red if you don't have enough). If you can see that text in your game it means you have the latest update installed. You have to use this method because the update doesn't show the conventional 'update' screen when you put the game into the disc tray and launch it.
Thanks a lot to From Software for making this pain staking grind a lot easier. I'm not sure whether the update will automatically install for Xbox live silver customers but if not I would definitely recommend at least connecting to Xbox live to find out, because this will seriously save you a lot of hours.
I don't know if this is just pure chance but when i used to farm this item it took me a lot of runs before i even found one, and in just one run earlier i found 3! Prior to the update i hadn't heard of 3 dropping in a single run anywhere on the internet so something has obviously been changed.
In case you're wondering how to check if you have the latest update the easiest way is to visit a bonfire and see whether the required amount of souls to your next level are displayed (they will be highlighted in red if you don't have enough). If you can see that text in your game it means you have the latest update installed. You have to use this method because the update doesn't show the conventional 'update' screen when you put the game into the disc tray and launch it.
Thanks a lot to From Software for making this pain staking grind a lot easier. I'm not sure whether the update will automatically install for Xbox live silver customers but if not I would definitely recommend at least connecting to Xbox live to find out, because this will seriously save you a lot of hours.
Souvenir of reprisal - Guide
Hi all, before I begin this guide I would like to apologise for not posting anything for quite a while! I haven't been playing Dark Souls that much recently as I have been busy with other commitments.
For any completionists out there you will know how important collecting souvenirs of reprisal is to getting full gamerscore/platinum trophy. There are basically two ways of getting this item, which are shown below:
1. Using the blue eye orb (obtained from joining the Blade of the Darkmoon covenant in Anor Londo) to invade the worlds of other players listed in the book of guilty.
OR: 2. Grinding the item from crow demons in the Painted World of Ariamis.
Option 1 seems the most likely way of getting the item, however I found myself at a high level when I finally got hold of the blue eye orb and therefore could not find anyone to invade online (around level 120). Players should try to get hold of the orb at as early as possible to start using it online to invade worlds. If you can defeat the player you have invaded you will receive 1 souvenir of reprisal per kill and the orb has unlimited uses. Keep the orb in your quick list and use it whenever, and wherever possible to attempt to get more souvenirs before you reach a high level. Finding players online may still prove difficult at a lower level, as you can only be matched with players +/- 10% of your level. Key places to search for a match are in the Kiln of the First Flame (area before the final boss battle), Anor Londo, and the Painted World. Blighttown may also be a good option for intermediate leveled players (around 50).
Option 2 requires grinding the items from in-game enemies, but for players without online access this is the only way you will be able to get 10 souvenirs of reprisal and thus complete the game 100%. Within the Painted World of Ariamis you will find some [strong] crow demons, these are the enemies you need to grind the item from. Using humanity and having it active besides your health bar boosts the item drop rate, likewise does wearing the covetous silver serpent ring (there is a guide on where to find this elsewhere on this blog).
Firstly you should clear out all the enemies from the Painted World apart from the area boss (Priscilla), open the gate to the first area and rest at the bonfire (the gate will remain open to the courtyard). Also go down the well in the courtyard, kill all the pinwheels down there and loot the annex key from one of them in order to open the door at back of the chapel. Once you have done this follow the next steps:
1. Run back through the gate into the courtyard with the phalanx type enemies who wield the shields and spears. Turn right into the chapel-like room and run through the door in the back up the flight of stairs. N.B. you will need to use the annex key to open this door.
4. The best way to defeat these crow demons is to use an AoE spell like chaos storm or fire tempest. There is also a good white magic spell but I didn't use this as my faith wasn't high enough - it's called wrath of the gods and requires 28 faith, bought from Reah of Thorolund for 10,000 souls.
5. When you've finished with the crow demons be careful to not knock their corpses off the tower as the majority of the areas around it are inaccessible, i.e. the hole seen in image 2. The textures around this area also seem very glitchy, especially the small staircase at the top and the corners of the roof - if a part of the crow's body gets stuck on a step for example, it will often fall straight through the stairs so try to fight on a flat surface. The most annoying thing is when a souvenir finally drops and you see the corpse roll off the edge of the tower. Mash the 'A' button when nearby to loot the bodies, but be careful not to walk into them before you are sure they do not have a drop.
6. Use the homebound miracle to quickly return to the bonfire and repeat the process again.
The crow demons are very tough enemies and have an almost 1-hit kill move - they will put their wings behind their backs and leap forward onto your head. Just keep moving around and rolling to avoid this and spam your AoE spells and other strong attacks whilst keeping an eye on the crow demons around the outside of the fight. It would be preferable to complete this grind on your first playthrough as the crows are significantly weaker then.
Hope this guide helps, and like i said at the beginning - this is essential to reaching 100% completion as without the 10 souvenirs you cannot donate them to the Blade of the Darkmoon covenant, and therefore not obtain all the miracle spells.
For any completionists out there you will know how important collecting souvenirs of reprisal is to getting full gamerscore/platinum trophy. There are basically two ways of getting this item, which are shown below:
1. Using the blue eye orb (obtained from joining the Blade of the Darkmoon covenant in Anor Londo) to invade the worlds of other players listed in the book of guilty.
OR: 2. Grinding the item from crow demons in the Painted World of Ariamis.
Option 1 seems the most likely way of getting the item, however I found myself at a high level when I finally got hold of the blue eye orb and therefore could not find anyone to invade online (around level 120). Players should try to get hold of the orb at as early as possible to start using it online to invade worlds. If you can defeat the player you have invaded you will receive 1 souvenir of reprisal per kill and the orb has unlimited uses. Keep the orb in your quick list and use it whenever, and wherever possible to attempt to get more souvenirs before you reach a high level. Finding players online may still prove difficult at a lower level, as you can only be matched with players +/- 10% of your level. Key places to search for a match are in the Kiln of the First Flame (area before the final boss battle), Anor Londo, and the Painted World. Blighttown may also be a good option for intermediate leveled players (around 50).
Option 2 requires grinding the items from in-game enemies, but for players without online access this is the only way you will be able to get 10 souvenirs of reprisal and thus complete the game 100%. Within the Painted World of Ariamis you will find some [strong] crow demons, these are the enemies you need to grind the item from. Using humanity and having it active besides your health bar boosts the item drop rate, likewise does wearing the covetous silver serpent ring (there is a guide on where to find this elsewhere on this blog).
Firstly you should clear out all the enemies from the Painted World apart from the area boss (Priscilla), open the gate to the first area and rest at the bonfire (the gate will remain open to the courtyard). Also go down the well in the courtyard, kill all the pinwheels down there and loot the annex key from one of them in order to open the door at back of the chapel. Once you have done this follow the next steps:
1. Run back through the gate into the courtyard with the phalanx type enemies who wield the shields and spears. Turn right into the chapel-like room and run through the door in the back up the flight of stairs. N.B. you will need to use the annex key to open this door.
Img. 1: This is the gate area just beyond the bonfire. Here you see the gate is already open to the courtyard beyond.
3. When you have reached the top of these stairs you will see 2 crow demons on the top of tower you have just climbed. When you approach them 2 more will drop down. N.B. the crow demons which drop down here are the ones from the area opposite tower you are currently in, so don't bother going to the other side to try and grind them too.
Img. 2: The crow demons are usually on the top of the broken tower I am facing (I already killed them when I took this picture), and the other two will jump down when I walk up there. Beware of the hole to the right as they fall down this a lot, so try and fight them up top instead, safely away from the hole.
5. When you've finished with the crow demons be careful to not knock their corpses off the tower as the majority of the areas around it are inaccessible, i.e. the hole seen in image 2. The textures around this area also seem very glitchy, especially the small staircase at the top and the corners of the roof - if a part of the crow's body gets stuck on a step for example, it will often fall straight through the stairs so try to fight on a flat surface. The most annoying thing is when a souvenir finally drops and you see the corpse roll off the edge of the tower. Mash the 'A' button when nearby to loot the bodies, but be careful not to walk into them before you are sure they do not have a drop.
6. Use the homebound miracle to quickly return to the bonfire and repeat the process again.
The crow demons are very tough enemies and have an almost 1-hit kill move - they will put their wings behind their backs and leap forward onto your head. Just keep moving around and rolling to avoid this and spam your AoE spells and other strong attacks whilst keeping an eye on the crow demons around the outside of the fight. It would be preferable to complete this grind on your first playthrough as the crows are significantly weaker then.
Hope this guide helps, and like i said at the beginning - this is essential to reaching 100% completion as without the 10 souvenirs you cannot donate them to the Blade of the Darkmoon covenant, and therefore not obtain all the miracle spells.
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