(Actual post is BELOW this intro info!)
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(If you don't have time to read through the screenshots below, I've attached a video link of the full fight at the BOTTOM of the page!)
I'm journeying through Caelid when I see a sign, " Be wary of bird."
When I locate the giant black bird, I get annoyed with how dark the game can be color-wise but also it's to the birds credit that they're able to camouflage so well with the rotten trees and surrounding rocks.
I hit him with a Frenzied Burst incantation!
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If you're wondering what it look like ...
Somehow I time the second one and hit the bird again in mid-air!
They quickly stomp me and my goat-horse Torrent in a flash, with their demonic big-bird legs.
Already low on life, I ride way and drink a health potion.
And then I destroy that avian monstrosity.
1700 Runes and i get an extra health and magic potion -- pretty sweet.
I find Caelid Catacombs and open the door to another underground adventure.
I laugh at the message someone left behind after probably fleeing from the giant evil black bird ... that's what's great about online play, all the little messages, seeing how others died to avoid their mistakes, but most of all co-op which reminds me a lot of Lord of the Rings games from probably over a decade ago.
Always get the grace, never know when you'll unexpectedly die and being close to your fallen runes is a must ... or just use a goddamn Sacrificial Twig item and don't be like me haha
While I'm more of a magic build that starts or finishes with my sword, shields are still pretty important -- especially if you're low on defense like me. In dungeons, there's always some kind of ambush waiting around the corner for you so equipping a shield and holding "block" while exploring is a must ... unless you're the tankiest tank who can't be out-tanked by a literal tank.
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How I feel when I equip a shield.
Going to my pouch menu, I turn on my handy-dandy waist lantern.
Let there be light!
Don't forget to use the shield.
And I run right into a rot swamp, which brings me to my next tip: be weary of your surroundings.
I zap some poison flowers that pop out of the rot swamp.
Then laser the last of them.
"Be wary of LEFT."
Good thing I have my shield ready.
Hits to the shield eat away at your stamina.
I love the sparks that fly off when you shield-block enemy attacks.
And here I am punching an undead skeletal warrior with my fists because I forgot my sword isn't equipped.
And here's the enemy reminding me this is a SWORD fight, not a fist fight.
Luckily I get my sword on and do a counterattack after blocking his next attack.
Not sure why there's such an intense sound-effect for stabbing a skeleton but this is a game that heavily revolves around magic ... so magicky stuff is probably happening.
Don't forget to double-tap undead enemies, they always try to resurrect at least once so forget your manners and hit them while they're down lol
Magic potion.
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"So anyway I'm chugging magic potions and forget my sword's not equipped, so I try to punch this undead skeletal warlord with my bare fist ... THAT went well."
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I like that there's bloodstains in online mode because they can act as warnings as to why previous players die -- like here the skeleton took a while to rise so the other Tarnished got killed on the edge.
To avenge my fellow Elden Ring player, I give Mr Skeleton a tase of his own medicine and push HIM off.
But the drop below isn't that far so it must've been a killing blow that did my fellow Tarnished in, because as soon as I venture downstairs (with my shield held up) I'm met with some very angry arrows.
I return the favor with a lightning spear.
Due to not checking my surroundings again I wonder into some rot and get afflicted and am forced to use another remedy from my pouch menu.
I keep hearing this weird sound in the dark but when I finally lock-on to the enemy it's a giant magic flower that I somehow missed before.
The giant flower casts a lightning spell but I just walk out of the way since it's so slow.
Me waiting for the giant-flower's lightning spell to hurry up and finish.
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Me being patient.
Me forgiving the giant-flower for wasting my time!
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My warm forgiveness ...
Watching their guilt burn them from the inside out.
I summon a little extra fire because I'm not totally convinced it understands how much I don't like lingering in dungeons longer than expected.
These giant fire-ball explosions are so beautiful -- like fireworks.
I risk rot-poisoning to pick up these flowers because they're important for leveling up my ghost summons ... something I keep telling myself I'm going to do one of these days.
Curing my rot-effect with some pouch remedies. I love these front angles of my character.
Healing in front of the dungeon-boss door.
Running around due to forgetting how dungeon-boss doors work and finally pulling the level to unlock my way to the boss fight.
These little messages can be reassuring, especially if they end up being true. Can't tell you how many times someone left a message saying to jump off a cliff or no need to heal because the enemy ahead was "easy" ... but that's also me being gullible.
I don't even know what I'm fighting at this point but it's supposedly easy so soon as I step in I just fling a charged-up Lightning Spear to get this finished as quickly as possible.
Aaaaannnnndddd .... THUMBNAIL SHOT!
Other thumbnail shot!
He doesn't look too happy so when he teleports into my face I begin to run away.
Not sure how I managed this narrow dodge but it worked.
When I activate certain incantations I see a glimpse of these strange rune-like symbols: this one looks like a dragon made of lightning.
Using a nearby stone pillar for cover while dodging some kind of poison-spray attack. Not sure why it can't squirt something made of rot at me but I'm fine with it being the weaker standard poison.
Thunder clap!
Gonna need to buy some kneepads due to all this tumbling.
My timing is painfully off here and I end up striking at his shadow body instead of hitting his solid form, completely missing.
He returns the favor by stabbing me with not one but both of his blade arms!
Luckily when he tries to shadow-teleport behind me, I time my next sword attack just perfectly and land the winning-thrust .
I earn a brand-new ghost summon for the ugly bug warriors with the crazy-good string attack.
And I get 6800 runes, not bad at all.
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