In Dark Souls, after striking two o'clock Awakening Bells, defeating the bosses who guard them, the Gargoyles and Quelaag, and finished there Fortress of Sen, you will be taken to one of the most beautiful maps of the title and perhaps of the entire history of video games: Anor Londo. Here, once all the pitfalls have been overcome, a wonderful couple is waiting to welcome you, in their own way. Of course we talk about Ornstein the Dragon Slayer e Smough the Enforcer, bosses to be faced in pairs, but not necessarily alone: if you want, in fact, you can summon Solar, always ready to provide you with his precious support (which, in this case, will simply keep one of the two bosses away from you, since you cannot kill both together).
Do you know anything about them? No? Don't worry: that's what we're here for!
Strategy and useful advice
Before entering this battle, you must decide which of the two to kill first. Know that it is much easier if you kill Ornstein first, as he is much faster than Smough, therefore it will always be on you and then because the latter, in the second form, is much less dangerous. You can use the columns for shelter, but remember that they can be destroyed.
If you want to kill Ornstein first:
Always keep your distance from Smough and use the sprint Ornstein takes when you are some distance away from him to separate the two bosses and attack comfortably. Boxwood is weak to fire, so you can use pyromancies or a fiery weapon to do more damage. Attack him whenever possible, without being greedy and always keeping an eye on his mate. When Smough approaches, move away again to separate them and continue the fight. If you manage to attack calmly and not get hit by the attacks of the two bosses, once you kill Ornstein, you will see that Smough will absorb his energy, restore his life and prepare to fight his second form, an enhanced version, in words. poor. Always continue to attack without being greedy and pay attention to his movements, so as to avoid being excessively damaged by his blows.
If you want to kill Smough first:
If you decide to face the bossfight in this way, the whole thing is much more difficult. Ornstein is extremely fast, so he will be on you for the duration of the fight: try to attack only after the crash or an air attack, because, in these two cases, the boss will be vulnerable for some time and ready to take everything. your wrath! Always keep an eye on his skinny friend, because he will attack you often and willingly. Alternatively, you can use pyromancies or miracles (Smough is vulnerable to electricity, during the first phase) to attack him from a distance, but it is a partially unsuccessful strategy, given the difficulty of hitting him instead of Ornstein. Once the Lawbringer is defeated, his fellow Dragon Slayer will absorb his energy, restore his life, grow in size and learn new skills (as if the ones he had before weren't bad enough!). At this point, stay under him, paying attention to the crash, the backward jump and the impalement. You have very little time to attack him and don't be greedy: hit him only when you are sure you can do it, don't give him too many consecutive hits (because you would be exposed) and always keep an eye on him.
Furthermore, never remain without stamina, because it could serve you to escape when the boss decides to attack you with one of the three attacks listed above, capable of taking away a lot of life and leaving you exposed to the rest of his shots, which, at 99%, wants say that you will have to start the fight from scratch. Here too, the boss is vulnerable to fire, so we recommend using pyromancies while under him. Don't be heavy, as you need speed a lot in this fight, and don't use “Iron Skin”, as this will slow you down and won't help you with electrical damage, leaving you ready to be skewered like skewers! Continue to attack him only when possible and, with a lot of patience, complete the fight. If you are playing co-op, it is advisable that one catches the boss's attention and the other (or the others) attacks him (not).
Attacks
Ornstein, I form:
- Combo with the spear - easily parable series of hits, which the boss will execute with his weapon; after the combo, you can attack
- Air Strike - attack in which Ornstein will jump and try to hit you with his spear, which you can parry (if you have enough stamina and a very stable shield) or dodge
- Electric bullet - the boss will throw a homing electric shock from his spear, which we recommend you take cover by standing behind one of the columns or rolling with the right timing (the projectile is very slow, so it's not difficult to avoid)
- Sprint and lunge - when the boss poses with the spear up, it means that he is about to sprint: avoid the attack at the last moment or take cover using one of the columns
- Electric Lunge - If you are close to him when he is about to throw an electric bullet, Ornstein will perform a lunge, which will cause you physical and electrical damage
Ornstein. II form:
- Spear Sweep - Ornstein will perform a sweep, capable of covering a large radius; stay under it, so you will avoid it
- Space Jump - the boss will jump backwards, performing a sweep at the same time; roll in the direction it moves to avoid it (this time, if you stand under it, it will hit you)
- More powerful dash and lunge - identical attack to the one described above, but capable of causing a greater amount of damage; as before, dodge at the last moment or use a column for cover
- Crash - Ornstein will blow up and land causing a wide-ranging electrical explosion; as soon as you see him jump up, run as far as possible to avoid taking massive damage (the attack cannot be parried and can take your entire life)
- Impalement - attack capable of eliminating you in a single blow, spearing you, lifting you into the air and knocking you to the ground; will do this attack after charging the spear of energy: we advise you to roll sideways, since even if you are under it it can still catch you
Smough, I form:
- Strike with the hammer - blow that will execute by crashing the hammer in your direction; it is very simple to avoid but is not comparable with a normal shield
- Horizontal Attack - Smough will perform a pirouette with the hammer in his hands, resulting in an attack capable of 360 ° damage; you just need to back away enough or parry to avoid it (if you parry it, know that you will probably run out of stamina)
- Crash - the boss will jump into the air and crash to the ground, causing massive damage; avoid it by simply walking away
- Air Strike - Smough jumps and hammer attacks; it's not hard to avoid this attack with a few rolls, but you have to keep an eye on the boss to do so
- Charge - the boss will charge you by holding the hammer and then bringing it upwards; this attack is capable of taking your entire life, if it catches you, so dodge it in time by rolling to the side
Smough, II form:
- Most Powerful Air Strike - identical attack to the one described above, but capable of causing a greater amount of damage
- Electric Crash - Smough will blow up and land causing a wide-ranging electric blast; as soon as you see him jump up, run as far as possible to avoid taking massive damage (the attack cannot be parried and can take your entire life)
Drop
Here's what you can get from the fight:
- 30.000 anime
Killing Smough last:
- Soul of Smough (combine with hammer or mace +10 for Smough's Hammer)
- Smough's armor, for sale at Domhnall of Zena.
Killing Ornstein last:
- Soul of Ornstein (combine with a spear or halberd + 10 for the Dragon Slayer Lance)
- Ornstein armor, for sale at Domhnall of Zena.
- Lion ring
Ornstein and Smough are, without a doubt, among the most fascinating figures of Soulslike iconography, either for the splendid boss-fight of which they are protagonists, or - above all - for the splendid lore that accompanies them.
In particular, the first of the two is one of the most redundant beings of the entire saga, being present, albeit with different interpretations and representations, in all three chapters. Ornstein, the Dragonslayer earned this nickname for having played a fundamental role during the war against the Dragons, being his electric spear one of the few weapons capable of scratching the leathery creatures. Lord Gwyn himself named him as one of his four most trusted knights (some claim that he was even their leader) and his loyalty to the cause proved fundamental, even later, when he decided to defend, to the end, the life of the Princess Gwyneviere. In Dark Souls III, in the latest DLC that actually closes the saga, it is possible to meet a giant warrior who remembers in all respects the knight who now seems to have lost his way, wandering non-stop.
A very different speech for Smough the Executioner (or the Executor), whose honor and loyalty go in a diametrically opposite direction with respect to his strength and his size. It is said, in fact, that Smough wanted more than anything else in the world to become one of the knights in the service of Gwyn, but that he was "blocked" by an insane habit: that of devouring human beings. The narrative, indeed, makes it clear that Smough, once he defeated an opponent, crushed him with his gigantic hammer, and then devoured his remains.
How two very different figures ended up together, fighting shoulder to shoulder, is one of the many fascinating mysteries of the universe created by FromSoftware.
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