For the Glory of Alvina

Tolvo wrote:Another trick with that, pure stealth in use. If you get over to the parents whom which are alive you can hide using them. Run into them a bit and if you have small enough weapons or a talisman, empty, pyro glove slot switch to those. After running into an NPC as an invader you'll phase through, and stand inside of them. if you aren't wearing too bulky of armor you will be completely invisible. Hope this helps. I've gotten the jump on many farmers scanning an area for me through this.

EDIT: Though I don't use magic, I imagine as a Pyromancy, Miracle, or Sorcery heavy character you could get a cast off without them being able to see what you are doing since you are inside of the parent.

Very interesting. This sounds like another trick I'm going to have to use. I successfuly used your run around the bridge trick last night. A host and his golden boy chased me through Alvina's room and cautiously walked accross the bridge to attack me on the other side. In the meantime, I circled around and managed to land a chaos fireball, severely injuring the golden boy and forcing the host to back off while I killed his injured ally (chaos pryo is great in enclosed spaces!). The host ended up running away towards the mushrooms, which was perfect.

I've been working on inventory management too. I can switch quickly, but what that guy does so well is do it while also effectively fleeing/avoiding. Definitely an acquired skill, as I usually end up running into something or circling somewhat such that they catch me. What has helped me at least was cutting the amount of stuff in my overall inventory to the absolute minimum, so you can still see yourself through the inventory screen instead of a huge listing of weapons you won't even be using. As those videos show, it really does give him an advantage, because none of the farmers are able to switch tactics as effectively when he goes from using a quick weapon to a spear to then a greatsword. My favorite was when he swapped in the gravelord sword seemingly at random and then went to town with it. In many ways the game is like an elaborate rock-paper-scissors match, and because of great inventory management this guy effectively has more items to use than others.

Emergence wrote:With all the active Forest Hunters and Gravelords, I am surprised we haven't seen a coordinated Gravelord the Forest event.

Given the apparent interest in this thread, I think a formal event might be fun. We could all choose a few days to step up gravelording and forest massacring, with the goal of dislodging farmers for a brief period. Thoughts?

One amazing trick with that is shield switching, I usually go with the grass shield but if I get backstabbed I switch to a Target Shield and as I rise I turn and parry riposte the person waiting to attempt a chain BS.

I'm glad to see my ideas helping others, its great to see all of this information getting compiled here.

EDIT: My thoughts on that idea? Yes.

Tolvo wrote:One amazing trick with that is shield switching, I usually go with the grass shield but if I get backstabbed I switch to a Target Shield and as I rise I turn and parry riposte the person waiting to attempt a chain BS.

I'm glad to see my ideas helping others, its great to see all of this information getting compiled here.

EDIT: My thoughts on that idea? Yes.

Now that is a great idea - I have been trying to see how I could introduce my Occult parry dagger into my invasions since the parry box is the same or a bit larger than a shield (except maybe the target shield). I am trying to get the nerve up to parry/riposte more - I think I'm getting there slowly.

I am also going to try the "standing inside the MP trick" - getting a quick kill off using this tactic would be epic!!!

Tolvo - bro you are an encyclopedia of hunting knowledge.

strangejoy wrote:

Emergence wrote:With all the active Forest Hunters and Gravelords, I am surprised we haven't seen a coordinated Gravelord the Forest event.

Given the apparent interest in this thread, I think a formal event might be fun. We could all choose a few days to step up gravelording and forest massacring, with the goal of dislodging farmers for a brief period. Thoughts?

Strangejoy - you name the time and I will do my part on doing coordinated forest invasions. We need to make sure we coordinate this on both the PSN and XBOX. Man this idea has me really psyched for a mass forest invasion!!!

Thanks, I love to test out tons of stuff when I play so I usually find out little things that really turn the tide. For every trick I've found I've also fallen clear off a cliff, ran into a wall getting trapped, and walked right into a farmer waiting around the corner.

Here is an issue I see while hunters flee sometimes. They run without having a clue of just how far behind them farmers are, due to the lag they can catch up to you without you realizing it. My way of dealing with this is when I run away I keep the camera facing them. This goes with my earlier mention of walking the forest and doing circuits of it, learn it well. If you can learn the forest and run through it you can do the whole place blind, meaning you don't ever have to take your eyes off of the enemy. People will be totally off guard if while they are chasing you for a BS if you turn and Parry Riposte or pivot BS them out of nowhere, since most people run while looking forwards rather than backwards. As well this is great for stopping and suddenly dead angling and turning just as they come at you, best done with a large weapon of course.

EDIT: Broke, with working up the courage to parry Riposte you've just got to remember. If you die what, you get sent back to your world? Sure they kill you, but in the grand scheme of things does that even effect you negatively? It just denies you souls. As well if you keep it up you'll learn to do it on instinct, which is pretty sweet in fights if you ask me.

Brokewilly wrote:

strangejoy wrote:

Emergence wrote:With all the active Forest Hunters and Gravelords, I am surprised we haven't seen a coordinated Gravelord the Forest event.

Given the apparent interest in this thread, I think a formal event might be fun. We could all choose a few days to step up gravelording and forest massacring, with the goal of dislodging farmers for a brief period. Thoughts?

Strangejoy - you name the time and I will do my part on doing coordinated forest invasions. We need to make sure we coordinate this on both the PSN and XBOX. Man this idea has me really psyched for a mass forest invasion!!!

Alright, let's do this. What date are our forest regulars (including everyone posting on this thread) available? I want to make sure we have our finest lined up and ready to kill. DxV04, if you're reading this, what do you think from a gravelord angle?

Suggestions on names for the event? Specifics on the event? I'm thinking that we could keep a kill tally or a point tally something like this to motivate us. People should also be rewarded for coordinating with GLs (using BP mushrooms to kill hosts or preventing people from gangbanging GLs).

Tolvo wrote:Thanks, I love to test out tons of stuff when I play so I usually find out little things that really turn the tide. For every trick I've found I've also fallen clear off a cliff, ran into a wall getting trapped, and walked right into a farmer waiting around the corner.

Here is an issue I see while hunters flee sometimes. They run without having a clue of just how far behind them farmers are, due to the lag they can catch up to you without you realizing it. My way of dealing with this is when I run away I keep the camera facing them. This goes with my earlier mention of walking the forest and doing circuits of it, learn it well. If you can learn the forest and run through it you can do the whole place blind, meaning you don't ever have to take your eyes off of the enemy. People will be totally off guard if while they are chasing you for a BS if you turn and Parry Riposte or pivot BS them out of nowhere, since most people run while looking forwards rather than backwards. As well this is great for stopping and suddenly dead angling and turning just as they come at you, best done with a large weapon of course.

EDIT: Broke, with working up the courage to parry Riposte you've just got to remember. If you die what, you get sent back to your world? Sure they kill you, but in the grand scheme of things does that even effect you negatively? It just denies you souls. As well if you keep it up you'll learn to do it on instinct, which is pretty sweet in fights if you ask me.

Tolvo - you are right - I just need to get over the idea of always wanting to do my upmost to be victorious while not making any fatal mistakes. Attempting a parry and missing then getting killed as a result is my major hang-up but I am getting past this hang-up as my experiencing PVPing grows.

I am also trying to perfect the rear-ward facing camera angle as I sprint away from my opponents. I have seen one video of a forest invader doing this like an expert - I thought he may have been using a modified controller since this is very hard to do using a XBOX controller. I will keep trying to perfect it.

With your advice and assistance I will be forest invading beast yet !

You are actually probably a lot better than me in combat, I'm just more of a thinker than a fighter. It's probably why I'm more successful against 3 enemies than I am in duels.

I can't really say with any experience anything about doing that with the Xbox controller, I'm exclusive to the PS3 like Demon's Souls, I would try it at a friend's but no one I know is interested in this game.

Don't forget you've also taught me haha, I like the idea of Brothers in Arms exchanging ideas rather than masters passing on old information while others are getting the battle experience and discovering hidden tactics.

Here's a bit of a Silly tactic I use since I keep it in my quick exchange slot from time to time, the Channelers Trident. When using this you can turn the Treants and especially the MP's into utter monsters. You may eat an attack or take an arrow to the face, but as soon as you get up they will be utterly destroyed by the many swinging arms while you can heal, or merely finish them off.

Tolvo wrote:One amazing trick with that is shield switching, I usually go with the grass shield but if I get backstabbed I switch to a Target Shield and as I rise I turn and parry riposte the person waiting to attempt a chain BS.

I just started doing this in the last few days. Great idea. Doesn't always work, but it has no lower success rate than trying to roll out of the chain bs, plus of course if it works the payoff is much bigger and more satisfying. It can even save your life not only from the chain BS, but by letting you quickly go into the riposte animation where you are immune for a few moments. Can really help if you are surrounded and getting spammed. Plus let's face it, nothing freaks the farmers out like you showing you can and will parry them, because then their whole clever greatsword spam plan goes up in smoke.

I also use a Hornets ring with a +4 Chaos Gargoyle Halberd, so if I riposte them they die, outright. Mask of the Mothers, Giants +5, ring of protection, they're dead flat out.

Even if you miss the parry more than enough times the damage will get reduced to nothing and you can roll away surviving the encounter. As well with certain items you are more than likely going to get the parry off, as broke mentioned his occult weapon. I love to use the target shield, but for flare every now and then I'll switch to a rapier, katana, or dagger in my offhand, sometimes even a Shotel or Falchion, though that's just adding a flare.

A little advice on dealing with weapons, if you see them using a spear, Dragonslayer, Silver Knight, Demon, Crystal, dodge randomly. You'll get hit long before the try to strike, it's just the nature of those weapons with lag. Keep moving at all times and keep your shield up. If you see a Rapier, Knife, critical weapon, be ready for BS fishing. Especially if they have Smoughs or another high poise armor, do not make the first attack. Merely let them start to strafe and then return the favour, these people are just waiting for you to attack to kill you, so don't give them that option.

EDIT: I know this information is pretty basic, but you never know if a person new to the forest will be going through this thread looking for ideas.

EDIT 2: By the way, don't keep complementing me! I'm one of those people who are best left humble, I can get a big head way too easily.

as for gravelords... i think one name that came up was "Age of the dead" but that was intended for a pure gl event... also i've got one gl and one forest hunter at present, i'll partake in which ever force needs more people. im also making a princess guard char and i'd like to see if i can heal blue phantoms with the miracles if i invade via cracked orb.

I don't think it would work since Red Spirits can harm eachother and can harm blue spirits as well, but who knows? A name for the event? Hmm...

The, "We will Bury You!" event? You could also try tagging the word Bro onto something, Brolords, Broters, Brorest, that seems to be popular right now. Farming Pay the Price, Forest Justice, though those two sound a bit Darkmoon like. The Bell Tolls, Death rides a Cat, Smoky and the Hunter, all of my ideas are terrible let's face it. I think I should make a list of names not to use.

Tolvo wrote:You are actually probably a lot better than me in combat, I'm just more of a thinker than a fighter. It's probably why I'm more successful against 3 enemies than I am in duels.

I can't really say with any experience anything about doing that with the Xbox controller, I'm exclusive to the PS3 like Demon's Souls, I would try it at a friend's but no one I know is interested in this game.

Don't forget you've also taught me haha, I like the idea of Brothers in Arms exchanging ideas rather than masters passing on old information while others are getting the battle experience and discovering hidden tactics.

Here's a bit of a Silly tactic I use since I keep it in my quick exchange slot from time to time, the Channelers Trident. When using this you can turn the Treants and especially the MP's into utter monsters. You may eat an attack or take an arrow to the face, but as soon as you get up they will be utterly destroyed by the many swinging arms while you can heal, or merely finish them off.

Yeah - i think the rear facing camera angle trick is easier on PS3 controller than XBOX controller - but I will keep practicing it though.

I need to go back to Archives to try and get me one of those Tridents. I almost had one when I a channerl I killed dropped one but I died before retrieving it:( . I invaded once with a hunter who used the trident immediately when I invaded and I almost got to check out my increased damage output but the other hunter OHK'd the host before I got a chance. .

Everyone keep the tips coming - this is great. Also we need to start working on the invasion day event strangejoy was speaking about. I could probably set-up a central chat hub (for non-US participants) and conf. call bridge (for US-based participants) when the event occurs.

Yeah I think the trident is going to become near mandatory in the forest. It buffs every ally you have in there, including other forest cov phantoms. Bring a pile of repair powder or the repair spell for it, as it wears down quickly every time you activate it, and you may need to use it repeatedly if a chase ensues. Note also that it has fairly high stat reqs, particularly the 24 in intelligence, so plan ahead.

Anybody know if the buff is affected by your equip, such as dusk crown (for power increase) or lingering ring (for duration)?

Does the trident buff work if you don't meet the stats? None of my toons have all of the stats (it's a pretty broad array of reqs).

Re: the name of the event, I like some of the suggestions, but it needs to be something that specifically evokes both the forest and the gravelords. For instance, "Darkroot Damnation."

All your forest are belong to us? jk. Hunters Miasma or Purple Phantom Raid? (red/blue=purple)

I'm not sure if you can use the dance move if you don't have the stats. I only have the trident on one char, who met all the stats. It's an int build but with 20 str and 20 dex for the dragonslayer bow, so the channeler trident fits in there nicely. And both weaps are great for the forest

keepers of the forest graves?
forest of the damned?
the wood of bones?
necromancers alliance?
(or summoners alliance as alvina summons hunters and gls summon bps.)

I've been practising the BS get up parry/riposte in 1 on 1's when I get invaded. Its pretty tough with lag but I managed to land one for a OHK and it was priceless.

I joined the Forest Covenant today and Im planning to level it up to +3 on this playthrough. Wish me luck.

I wish you great luck in the hunt Wyrm!

I've personally given up on coming up with names, after saying out loud "The Hunter's Flow," I think I should be banned from coming up with names.

You can use the dance move as long as you meet the str requirement, that's it. As for equipment buffing it I'm not sure, I'll give it a test out the next time I'm in the forest.

Broke, using 10 humanity and the Gold Serpent Ring?

Man I am starting to run out of tips off the top of my head haha.

Alright, another fleeing one for people who are casters. This is one of the few spells I actually use as a hunter, since most of the time I usually just use weapons in every slot with one shield. Essentially there are times where it will seem you are about to be caught, the farmers are on your tail and you just need another second. This goes well with the camera tactic, turn and suddenly cast force then run. The objective is to catch them off guard and startle them making them wait for the animation to end before they can continue chasing you. With this you can also Pivot BS a person who has been forced if you wish to also deal some damage with it, this can also be done with WotG but since it can miss I prefer to use Force, as I'm always just trying to get breathing room.

Hell yeah, WyrmHero!

Alright, so I have a new weapon recommendation for forest hunters after doing some testing with it myself.

Murakumo: It is somewhat slow swinging and the damage isn't exactly spectacular, but the dead angling and huge arc of this weapon is great for Farmers. Now here is a heads up, this weapon is pretty easy to parry, if you suspect a parry go with a jumping strike, it will wreck them, possibly stagger, and open a window to hit. I use a Chaos Variant due to how I screwed up my character's stats, but I imagine +15 with a buff is actually very devastating, I'll do around 360-420 damage with each hit usually. If you are facing someone who looks like they are BS fishing switch this one out, because it is somewhat easy to punish. Now then, if you are against someone using a great shield this weapon is excellent. A particular tactic I love is causing them to funnel onto the bridge then I start with the dead angling, and destroy them with one Stamina Bar, it also can outright kill a decent amount of farmers with a BS when using the hornets ring, however I typically take the wolf ring with this sword. The reason being that to dead angle with it there will be a small window where you will take a hit, but just accept it. The fast that they are hitting you spells doom for them, because once you turn and start tearing in you will deal a massive amount of damage to them. It does eat up a lot of stamina, so I suggest at least a Glor, Child, or Grass Shield in the mix, or eating grass. For duels I find this weapon though to be very poor, due to how easy it is to punish and the fact that duellists are more likely to parry given their skill level as opposed to farmers.

I'm going to test this weapon out in the forest some more, if anyone wants to know about weapons and how they fair against farmers I'll equip it and test it out, mind you my character can't wield everything. I'm limited to 30 STR and 22 Dex, given how much I screwed up. But i find that certain weapons both have positives and negatives with the survival and group damage focus found in the forest, as well as the focus on critical hits getting in.

So as I said, I'll test weapons for people who are interested.