Beat that Boss

The Demon Prince As the first, major obstacle in The Ringed City, the Demon Prince is a powerhouse. Upon first entering the arena, you immediately realize that your up against not one but two, slobbering demons. It's a tough but well-choreographed fight and you know you can pull through eventually. Finally, you fell the pair of beasts and wait for the satisfying accumulation of souls. But it takes too long. There's a growl and hiss and the last demon you killed reignites and massive wings erupt from it's back. Now, the true fight begins. The final form of this boss can be quite the challenge, especially since you have to deal with it after defeating the other two demons who are certainly not pushovers. The difficulty of this fight can vary widely depending on both the individual build and which demon you killed last in the first phase of the fight. The guide below is designed to acquaint you with the Demon Prince's move set and help you identify the openings that y...

Black Dragon Kalameet Black Dragon Kalameet initially makes your acquaintance by breathing a huge swath of instantly-killing black fire at you with no warning or mercy.  But revenge is ever so sweet.  After meeting Hawkeye Gough, he'll offer to bring the dragon down to your level making for one of the coolest cutscenes of the game.  Once grounded, the Black Dragon doesn't just roll over and die and takes it's place as one of the toughest bosses in the game.  However, while difficulty alone doesn't make an epic battle, Kalameet delivers a grandiose battle thanks to his beautiful design, vicious attack patterns, swiftness despite his size, and area-blasting, black fire manuevers. Recommended Gear Medium Armor (Highest rating without sacrificing the roll) A Fast, Lightning Weapon (Or a buffable weapon with a bunch of gold pine resin) Shield with at least 60 stability 15 or more Estus Flasks Green Blossoms Move Set Head Slash - Fast, medium-damagin...

Knight Artorias Perhaps the most anticipated new boss in the DLC, Knight Artorias lives up to his legend on the battlefield.  Throughout Dark Souls, tales of Artorias circulate in item descriptions, character dialogue, and even in a major boss fight.  Having the chance to finally face against the mythic knight stands as one of the highest points of the game.  Hyper-aggressive and utterly relentless, Artorias punishes those who let down their guard even for a second.  Nonetheless, once the timing of his attacks is known, this fight becomes much easier.  Recommended Gear Light-Medium Armor (Dodging is a must for this fight) A Fast Weapon (Zweihander is not recommended) Shield with Decent Stability Some sort of ranged weapon (Magic, Crossbow etc.) Move Set Air Somersault Slam - Fast, powerful move that he can chain into two or three hit sequences while tracking your movement. Dash Thrust - Fast, heavily damaging, ranged move where Artorias glid...

Credit: darksouls.wikidot.com The Four Kings Easily one of the most difficult bosses in the game, The Four Kings reminded me of games with a time challenge mode.  High poise and high damage output seem necessary to defeat this challenge along with a love of pain and suffering.  Magic casters be wary and pray that you have enough awesome spells to put this guy down quickly. Despite all of these warnings, I've got to say, I love this fight.  You can literally feel your pulse skyrocket as the battle goes on, sweat beading on your forehead as you desperately try and figure out how to dodge that one magic spell he throws at you.  All in all, a great fight... I just wish that I had known about the shortcut back to him the first time I played through this game. Recommended Gear Heavy Armor with High Poise A highly damaging weapon, big or small.  Additional Estus Flasks Move Set Horizontal slash - A moderately damaging attack but slow and easily b...

Credit: Die Letzte Dragonslayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough No other challenge in Dark Souls left me sweating harder, breathing heavier, or heart racing faster.  A true test of a player's willpower, Dragonslayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough will crush your soul if you aren't careful. However, the satisfaction of finally beating them was so glorious that I physically danced around the room in front of my roommates with zero shame. Recommended Gear Heavy Armor with decent poise Havel's Ring (Or just make sure you can dodge quickly) Pyromancy (If you have any, now's the time) A fast weapon (Fire upgraded would be a bonus) Ten Estus Flasks Move Set Ornstein Dash Thrust - Ornstein literally flies across the entire room and tries to stab you.  This is very difficult to dodge and moderately damaging. He will continue after you no matter if he hits a pillar or not. Three Slash Combo - Using a variety of horizontal and vertical swipes, he attac...