Opinions on Sword Effects

Greetings all,

I am new here, and new to the game.  Your tips for beginners was very helpful, and has helped me build a successful avatar that doesn't die too often (I followed the advice of going "low and slow", and it's worked out well).

I am at the point in the game where I have been to Blighttown, but have only gone in and gotten the katana Iaito and the Shadow Set of armor.

Due to farming Humanity and Green titanite Shards in the Depths, I am at a point where I can upgrade Iaito with the Magic effect (it's Iaito +9 right now, normal weapon), but I also like what the different vids on the Wiki's show as the effectiveness of Fire weapons.

My questions is, which effect would you guys rather have?  The Magic effect or the Fire effect?
Does one of these affect more enemies throughout the game than the other?
Does one typically do more damage than the other?
Are there more enemies that are resistant to one effect over the other?

I like both effects, but I was wondering what the Pro's thought about this choice.

Again, thank you all for any insight that you give, and this is one of the best sites I've seen for it's help and information.

Magic/Enchanted give your weapon magic damage and scales with intelligence, so if you have 35 or more, I'd go with Enchanted(they're both the same, but Enchanted is better).  The main enemies in the game that are  resistant against magic are the ones in Duke's Archives.

Fire/Chaos gives your weapon fire damage, but doesn't scale with anything so this would be the best choice if you had the minimum stat requirements to use the Iaito.  Chaos is generally superior to fire(and even lightning) since it gets even stronger the more humanity you have up to 10.  The main enemies in the game that are resistant to fire are the ones in Lost Izalith.

So it's situational which one is more effect over all.  Chaos is my favorite path, but I have a lot of high intelligence characters that use enchanted.

^What Lunar said. If you're keeping your toon at low levels then go elemental (fire or lightning) otherwise go for scaling in line with your stats. So a magic Iaito would scale with INT.
However - you said you've already upgraded it to +9 and fire only needs +5 as does magic.. I'd save the iaito and upgrade it to +15 when you get the large ember (after draining the water in New Londo), then you can buy resin and buff it with fire/lightning/poison or use magic weapon spell to add magic damage. That way you have a great weapon (with bleed) that you can use on any enemy

EDIT: Welcome to the forum and have a good time - everyone is really helpful here too and enjoy the game

Thanks you guys very much for the advice!

I'll probably farm a bit more and go get another katana, then I'll have two, then I can have one of each (everyone needs a good back-up plan...).  lol

BTW, I'm looking to get into the Darkwraith Covenant (dat armor is sick)... does anyone know if the Four Kings are weak against anything in particular?

Again, thank you for all of the advice. 

Dark Magic! I've just done an SL10 run on Four Kings and they fell like kindling. They're probably the hardest boss for me take down on my own. 
http://darksoulswiki.wikispaces.com/Four+Kings

Yeah... I've got to go through Darkroot though first, kill Sif so I can get the Ring (I've done some reading ahead.  Which was also part of the beginner's tips; "Plan your Attack"  lol), and then it's on to New Londo Ruins.

In just exploring around Firelink Shrine, I went down the elevator and found New Londo, I also found Transient Curses so I can actually do something to said Ghosts.  Do the Ghosts drop more?  Because that stuff is expensive...

They do. What system are you running and SL?

I'm on the 360.

And like I said, I did some farming, but a bunch of it was before I read the part of advice where it said that leveling isn't so important as making sure that your Weapon is the best that you can make it, and that your Armor is well taken care of.

So I'm SL 50 right now, but I was smart and really only focused on Vitality, Endurance, Strength, and Dexterity. (It was said that the best is to focus on only four attributes, and since I was already doing that I think I'm ok)

if you are new to the game, then that is the usual path MOST players took on their first playthrough I can bet on it

I still play that way myself, as I love it! I am melee/pyro dude

What area's have you completed in the game? at SL50 you should be at Anor Londo already

Before going into Sens, I suggest going down, down into the catacombs and doing a bit of exploring there to find an important item that you will need in Anor Londo, and well for the rest of the game!

Everyone has different approaches and different views, some people barely ware any armour but roll and backstab like ninja's.. that is there way to play :)some Tank and have maximum armour, shields and dont mind getting hit, some are pure mages and some are dexterity builds..

that is the beauty of this game!

I've completed Undead Burg, Undead Parish, the Depths, and ventured as far into Blighttown as the first bonfire.

Like I said, I did a lot of farming.  I have no doubt that I could defeat Quaalog (sp?) and move through Sen's Fortress, but I was trying to get the materials to buff my weapons a bit.  I farmed 100,000 Souls in Undead Parish (which took patience...), but was foolish and blew it mostly on level when I should have used it on weapon upgrades.

But I still like the build I have.  Starting Class is Thief, I've got the Shadow Set and Iaito.  He has a couple of Pyromancies that he uses on a situational basis, but other than that he usually sticks with the Spider Shield.  Based on what's above, I kept Iaito at +9 (working on getting more Large titanite to get +10), and I went and got the Katana from the Merchant in Undead Burg (forgot the name of the sword) and turned that into a +5 Magic katana.  I'm going to explore more, probably going to kill Sif tonight and then (attempt to) tackle New Londo Ruins to try to get into the Darkwraith Covenant.

So I'm making my way through the game, I like where I'm at and I'm learning a lot as I go and visit the different Wiki topics frequently.  lol  Trying to convince the wife to free up the funds for AotA because it looks amazing. 

If its your first build then just have fun and level up as much as you like. My first character was a cleric and I spent 143 hours on her before even beat Anor Londo. The beauty of this game is the repeat playability and flexibility of play styles. Don't be afraid to mix it up and try new things - you will learn a lot through trial and error.

@LasomBra2nd

The four kings are kinda weak against fire and lightning.  It's easy to beat them on level 1 as long as you have the right supplies

Estus level 2 or 3
15 or 20 estus
Havel's or stone golem armor
Lightning spear(found in Sen's fortress)
Grass crest shield and/or green blossoms

As long as you have all that it should be fairly easy to just tank the 4 kings out and spam R1 until they die.

@Halicarnassus

That's what I'm discovering.  It's a ton of fun, and I know I'm getting involved in my Avatar when I wander into a new area and I start to dread what may happen to him.  lol  But it's a lot of fun, and I find myself having a ton of "AHA!!!" moments when I figure out something or figure out what I'm doing with my weapon builds. 

@LunarFog

Thanks for the tip on the Kings!  Do I need the Transient Curse items to hit the Kings?  Or does that only apply to the Ghosts in upper New Londo?

My attack plan so far (once I get there) is to two-hand whatever Katana I take in there with me, and just keep as close to the Kings as possible whilst wailing away on them.  I watched the video on the Boss battle with them, and I think that with the build I've got it's probably the best strategy.  If I remember correctly, there's a Bonfire just outside the entrance to the Abyss, isn't there?

@ Lasombra2nd

If you have a magic katana you probably won't do much damage to it.  You don't need transient curses to hit it.  

The damage the 4 kings does is weird though. Any time they hit you with magic, it does a TON of damage, but if they just hit you with their sword, it's practically nothing.  So staying close to them is definitely the best idea.  I'd suggest heavy armor since you won't even have to worry about dodging.  It'll save more stamina for attacking.

@LunarFog

Right on, thanks.  I'll probably just go in there with Iaito +10 (unless I'm able to Ascend it to +15 by then...) and hope that the Bleed kicks in on them.  If it doesn't affect them, then oh well.  I'll just stick close like my plan.

So, tonight I'll definitely roll (carefully.  lol) through Darkroot Garden.  I may stop by Firelink on the way to see if there's any additional Pyromancies that I might want to nab.  Then after I kill the Wolf Sif, I'll start exploring New Londo Ruins.

Thank for all the tips and advice!  I can tell I'm going to get just as hooked on this game as I am on the Elder Scrolls. 

I'd be on fast roll for Four Kings, I've never poised through an attack so it's best to take no damage than to take some damage.

If you have the Crest Shield, it will do you many favors in this fight, stick it on your back and pull it out when they start to do that 360 AOE attack(Or any magic attack that is), from past experiences dodging that attack aggros other Kings.

Just dodge and attack, bringing the Mask of the Child and Blossoms is good for your stamina recovery.

If you don't mind farming, do the following:

You're focused on STR/DEX so do not make a fire, lightning or magic weapon.  Just keep it regular, upgrade it to +15.

For bosses or tough monsters, use a resin.  Fire costs 500 souls per use but on a katana, adds 180 fire attack.

Maybe get a 10 or 12 attunement and use pyromancy.  For very little investment, it can offer a lot of flexibility.

Souls and humanity will be tough to come by until you know the game better.  Queelag is a great place to farm souls, lots of action there (just stop levelling if you're level 50, otherwise people won't be able to summon you).

Beware of over leveling.  There's a bunch of negative effects:
1)  Each area has an expected level, based on just moving through the game.  For level 50, that is the level of Sens/Anor Londo.
2)  Each level you increase means less people to summon, and more dark wraiths to invade you with better gear/build.  If you overlevel, prepare to do a bunch of soloing.
3)  Your gear matters more than your level.  Focus on that first.

And good luck!  4 kings with a str/dex build, with a +15 katana with fire resin applies with power within won't last long.  Will still take practice though.

my advice for 1st playthrough is always the same:
stop reading, stop asking
go and explore, just you, your weapon and your brain angainst the rest of them

LunarFog wrote:@ Lasombra2nd

If you have a magic katana you probably won't do much damage to it.  You don't need transient curses to hit it.  

The damage the 4 kings does is weird though. Any time they hit you with magic, it does a TON of damage, but if they just hit you with their sword, it's practically nothing.  So staying close to them is definitely the best idea.  I'd suggest heavy armor since you won't even have to worry about dodging.  It'll save more stamina for attacking.

Actually, if they hit you with the blade of the sword that does quite a lot of damage too. But if you're close enough they will only hit you with the hilt, which does not do significant damage at all.

Cool guys, all good info.

I've not leveled in a while now.  I had hit level 50 and then found that advice about focusing more on the weapons than the level.  So I've been at level 50 for a bit, and I'm very happy with where I'm at (level-wise), and the results of my combats are very satisfactory.

I must admit, I'm nervous about the Kings.  lol  But with that video and the advice you guys have given, I know I'll eventually succeed. 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Fire Resin can be bought from the female Merchant in undead burg, right?  I'm pretty sure she sells it.  I think I'll stay with my +15 Normal katana (once I get it there, and use the Souls I've been saving to buy the different resins.

Or who knows.  For those Skeletons that constantly regen (discovered this the hard way... lol), I may turn my second katana into a Divine Katana just so they stay down.    but I've got a while before that, so I'll just do what I do and explore some more.

Best way is to do it without any advice, research, etc.  But everyone plays differently!

Stop watching videos. Stop reading. Just play.

You will make mistakes, do stupid stuff and generally screw up all of your plans.

That's what a first character should be, you have plenty of time to make a darkwraith with a fire katana when you're comfortable enough with the game to beat the kings at like level 2. You get so many character slots for a reason. Don't be afraid of mistakes, embrace them as a chance to learn.