Dark Souls 2: 12 Pro Tips from Deathmonkey N

Nick “Deathmonkey N” Hamilton is a Prima Games community member and level 100 Dark Souls II player. During our most-recent Dark Souls 2 live stream, he provided many valuable pro tips for R3d_Star. We’ve assembled them here so you can benefit from his knowledge as well . . .

• Return Estus Flask Shards to the woman you first meet in Majula to gain more Estus Flasks.
• Try to get through all possible dialogue with any NPC/Merchant you find, you are usually rewarded.
• Using a Shield to block attacks lowers your Stamina, and holding your shield up refills your stamina slowly. Dropping your shield when it’s safe to refill stamina is a good tactic.
• Practice timed roles with smaller enemies so you will be prepared to fight bosses later.
• Resting at bonfires refills your Estus flasks but also respawns enemies. However, after killing enemies in an area about 15 times, they will not spawn anymore.
• It’s safe to stay close to some enemies, but dodging on time when they attack is crucial.
• Picking enemies off one by one is a great strategy. Remember to use your arrows when possible to take out enemies from a distance.
• Choose healing times wisely for boss fights and fights with lesser enemies. When you feel you have an open attack window after dodging or blocking, that is your chance to heal up.
• Unless you aren’t satisfied with the difficulty level of the game, Do Not Burn a Bonfire Ascetic in a Bonfire, as it makes the game much tougher and brings more enemies.
• Be aware of what you are wearing once you get past 70% on your weight, as you will begin to do something called “Fat Rolling”— this makes dodging riskier and less reliable.
• Always buy a human effigy when you see a merchant that has one for sale. “Jolly Good Cooperation” is one of the best things to have in the game. To access co-op, consume a Human Effigy after Death, walk over the white signs on the ground (these are only visible when Human), and summon another player to your world to help you for a limited time.
• Super Pro Tip: NEVER GIVE UP! In Death We Learn! Praise the SUN!

You can find more Dark Souls II strategies from Deathmonkey N on his YouTube channel.

Plus, we’ve got a Free Dark Souls 2 Boss Guide so you won’t rage-quit after another failed boss fight.