It's so unfortunate that it is this way for everyone but it's the only way to deal with it. The area leading up to the flies is the only decent level design in that dlc in my opinion. I would say it's the worst dlc of DS trilogy.
For sure. Wolves aren't actually that aggressive.. the other big guys have some interesting moves though. Gotta watch out for big sweeping move and then backstab. Usually does the trick but they do hit hard if they get you lol. But you're right, stay in the attack with the big guys. Backstab when able.
The wolves aren't aggressive? As soon as you encounter one, that howl is coming, and within 30 seconds, an entire pack will be attacking you. That's not aggressive?
Yeah, those are all definitely strategies. Even with a shield, I've gotten overwhelmed by the pack. Maybe a greatshield would work better to add more poise. Typically, I just run or try to kill as many as possible before the larger pack converges.
Oh boy, you are NOT READY for what's after those 5 guys...
EDIT: I'm 100% sure we all were at your shoes and went to the point of skipping them bevause what's ahead is more PAINFUL
I killed them and the wolves, then got to a hill with the frost breathing grabby trees and saw a group of guys at the top. After the tree dropped me I started running, saw big guys with dogs, ran past them, used a homeward bone, and signed out for the night.
I feel like that intro area is as hard as the rest of the DLC combined. Like, those guys, the cliff base, the wolves, the hidden bigger wolf, once you clear that it feels like smooth sailing
Yeah those enemies are a pain in the ass. Shields, throwing spears, spewing fire everywhere. They can be a pain.
Maybe try back stabbing or riposting them so they die while you're temporarily invincible.
Or use something that hits hard, so you can get in and out before you get ganked
You are supposed to skip them, when the fake snow falls there is a part where you will be ganked and mauled by a pack of wolves, make a hard left until you see trees whose shot fireballs and keep down that hill until you get to a bridge, behind it there is a cave and a bonfire, light it and then just go back to the first bonfire and make suicide runs for each item there is between these bonfires, that's what I did xD
Fighting five enemies at once? That sounds like at least two groups were aggroed, but it's been a while, so I might be misremembering their patrols. Sneaking and pulling enemies a bit at a time was how I cleared the area for the first time.
Someone mentioned that the director for the DLCs directed DS2, which is considered a harder game. I like DS2, but I could see how jumping from DS3 base game to DLCs might seem overwhelming to some.
DS 2 had some great level designs. Ashes dlc level design is not fun though. Only a few others are legitimately worse in the trilogy in my opinion. The frozen outskirts specifically. I thought heides tower was bad as well. I would put the ashes dlc in that category.
There are a lot of mixed opinions on the quality of DS2 design levels. I generally enjoyed DS2 and the DS3 DLCs, apart from the damned floating angels and the wolf gankfest. Even stuff that was difficult was fun to learn to beat.
Yeah, I thought the ringed city dlc was awesome. The wolf area of ashes was just rough. I wrangled them all up and ran to bottom of hill before the knights/tower and threw an alluring skull so they all left me and I hid until they left. Then went after the knights 1 by 1 and eventually made my way to the tower. I did enjoy the area after the bridge. The area where you slide down into another zone that leads to opening door for friede boss.
Objective #1 Skip the 5 guys.
Obj #2 Dont rush after the fall but try to kill small wolve packs, 1 pack of 2 at a time. until the Big Wolf is dead (gives 3 large Titanite) if you died after this he doesnt respawn.
Obj #3 (if died, do #1 and skip #2 and run past the wolves) go straight until you see the big guys (if brave kill them) and a Tower run to tower and go to Top, worth it.
Obj #4 (do #1 and #3) only 2 or 3 wolves will follow you up to the 1st big buy and kill wolves and 1st big guy. Hug the left ruins before the tower for more goods on a field with trees ladies.
Obj #6 (do #1 #3 & #4) but instead of going to the trees there is another uphill with guess what... another pack of wolves and the Big wolve. Show dominance (if necesarry, lead the small wolves inside the tower for easier time) and drop at the end of hill a couple of times. Take right path bonfire in a cave.
Obj #7 (do #1) take a left. Leads to same bonfire but pick up a spell on the red field. Die, run or homebone out to bonfire :)
lol..I forgot about the big wolf. I wanted no part of that guy when he popped up. I think I was out of Estus at that point, so I ran straight past him.
It took me probably 5 runs in each zone of that map to get the right maneuvers to not die lol. Once you get the timing of the fire down you can roll at the right time and keep doing the “roll to their right” technique to not get hit by those first guys
I just started this place after going through The game up through Lothric castle and the DLC is such a sharp, massive jump in difficulty that it's the first part of the game that's not actually fun. It's the first time I've accepted that there are some enemies that you just need to run past except that these enemies are in huge groups that will chase you forever so you can't actually run past them.
Stock up on throwing knives and aggro/fight them one at a time. You’re in for quite the treat later on. It’s definitely acceptable to run past those first guys though as there’s that drop off anyway.
I just started the DLC last night as well and realized that for the first group of Followers you can just sneak behind them and through the right towards the falling snow. That way you can avoid all of them except for the torch Follower up on the hill but at least this way is only a single encounter. I gotta say though that I was wearing the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring so being silent might have been necessary but walking slowly behind them could work as well.
For dealing with the wolves I realized that only some of them howl and call the whole pack. It seems to me like the larger wolf of each group is the one that does so but I am not entirely sure yet. I found that keeping close to the wall and moving to the right allows you to sort of sneak on to the single howling wolf there and kill him before he calls the rest of the pack. From there I believe you can take on each howling wolf and its corresponding group one at a time until you clear them up. By the time I realized this though I had already killed the big wolf so I am not sure if he will notices you this way or not.
It's scaled to end game, so it might be better to wait until later in your run. I know it doesn't matter quite as much in NG+ as in a first run but it's still somewhat harder than base game content.
Running past everything is my go to strat on most of that dlc unless I need a specific gem or item.
It's so unfortunate that it is this way for everyone but it's the only way to deal with it. The area leading up to the flies is the only decent level design in that dlc in my opinion. I would say it's the worst dlc of DS trilogy.
If you’re actually aggressive you can take them out one by one pretty easily, same with the wolves.
For sure. Wolves aren't actually that aggressive.. the other big guys have some interesting moves though. Gotta watch out for big sweeping move and then backstab. Usually does the trick but they do hit hard if they get you lol. But you're right, stay in the attack with the big guys. Backstab when able.
You can parry the big guys too. Just not the weapon art
I never even tried. I only been down there three times. Dies twice and cleared it once. I'm horrible at partying but I'll have to try next time.
The wolves aren't aggressive? As soon as you encounter one, that howl is coming, and within 30 seconds, an entire pack will be attacking you. That's not aggressive?
But if you have decent shield they seem to attack one at a time and bounce off. Try throwing alluring skull and then firebombing the whole pack lol.
Yeah, those are all definitely strategies. Even with a shield, I've gotten overwhelmed by the pack. Maybe a greatshield would work better to add more poise. Typically, I just run or try to kill as many as possible before the larger pack converges.
>It's so unfortunate that it is this way for everyone but it's the only way to deal with it. I absolutely disagree. I kill everything.
Nice. There's always more than one way to do things. I've done it both ways and sometimes I'll kill everything, sometimes I don't.
I loved the dlc and killed legit every tree, wolf, knight etc. idk you can just run past it but you don’t need to
True and I did do that once lol.
Well, What is worth playing about Ashes of Ariandel DLC (except main boss fight of the DLC)
Captains ashes, sharp gems, onyx blade, vilheims set, slave set.
100%. I’m on my fourth run and this is the only time I’ve killed everyone in that area.
Oh boy, you are NOT READY for what's after those 5 guys... EDIT: I'm 100% sure we all were at your shoes and went to the point of skipping them bevause what's ahead is more PAINFUL
I killed them and the wolves, then got to a hill with the frost breathing grabby trees and saw a group of guys at the top. After the tree dropped me I started running, saw big guys with dogs, ran past them, used a homeward bone, and signed out for the night.
That's the spirit!
I feel like that intro area is as hard as the rest of the DLC combined. Like, those guys, the cliff base, the wolves, the hidden bigger wolf, once you clear that it feels like smooth sailing
Yeah those enemies are a pain in the ass. Shields, throwing spears, spewing fire everywhere. They can be a pain. Maybe try back stabbing or riposting them so they die while you're temporarily invincible. Or use something that hits hard, so you can get in and out before you get ganked
You are supposed to skip them, when the fake snow falls there is a part where you will be ganked and mauled by a pack of wolves, make a hard left until you see trees whose shot fireballs and keep down that hill until you get to a bridge, behind it there is a cave and a bonfire, light it and then just go back to the first bonfire and make suicide runs for each item there is between these bonfires, that's what I did xD
Fighting five enemies at once? That sounds like at least two groups were aggroed, but it's been a while, so I might be misremembering their patrols. Sneaking and pulling enemies a bit at a time was how I cleared the area for the first time.
No, there is 5 by the snow drop of at the 1st bonfire. 2 at the spot and 3 to the right up hill by a tree and they agroo easily.
Someone mentioned that the director for the DLCs directed DS2, which is considered a harder game. I like DS2, but I could see how jumping from DS3 base game to DLCs might seem overwhelming to some.
DS 2 had some great level designs. Ashes dlc level design is not fun though. Only a few others are legitimately worse in the trilogy in my opinion. The frozen outskirts specifically. I thought heides tower was bad as well. I would put the ashes dlc in that category.
There are a lot of mixed opinions on the quality of DS2 design levels. I generally enjoyed DS2 and the DS3 DLCs, apart from the damned floating angels and the wolf gankfest. Even stuff that was difficult was fun to learn to beat.
Yeah, I thought the ringed city dlc was awesome. The wolf area of ashes was just rough. I wrangled them all up and ran to bottom of hill before the knights/tower and threw an alluring skull so they all left me and I hid until they left. Then went after the knights 1 by 1 and eventually made my way to the tower. I did enjoy the area after the bridge. The area where you slide down into another zone that leads to opening door for friede boss.
I never think to use alluring skulls in the heat of the moment. It's either, run, fight, die or some combo.
Lol same. I happened to pick some up at the bottom of the hill and was like why not try them. They happened to be there lol.
Objective #1 Skip the 5 guys. Obj #2 Dont rush after the fall but try to kill small wolve packs, 1 pack of 2 at a time. until the Big Wolf is dead (gives 3 large Titanite) if you died after this he doesnt respawn. Obj #3 (if died, do #1 and skip #2 and run past the wolves) go straight until you see the big guys (if brave kill them) and a Tower run to tower and go to Top, worth it. Obj #4 (do #1 and #3) only 2 or 3 wolves will follow you up to the 1st big buy and kill wolves and 1st big guy. Hug the left ruins before the tower for more goods on a field with trees ladies. Obj #6 (do #1 #3 & #4) but instead of going to the trees there is another uphill with guess what... another pack of wolves and the Big wolve. Show dominance (if necesarry, lead the small wolves inside the tower for easier time) and drop at the end of hill a couple of times. Take right path bonfire in a cave. Obj #7 (do #1) take a left. Leads to same bonfire but pick up a spell on the red field. Die, run or homebone out to bonfire :)
lol..I forgot about the big wolf. I wanted no part of that guy when he popped up. I think I was out of Estus at that point, so I ran straight past him.
Kill the big wolve, will help in the future.
I lured it to the tower where I sniped it. Clear the enemies first, of course.
My strategy was to level the hell out of strength and swing with a big old weapon
It took me probably 5 runs in each zone of that map to get the right maneuvers to not die lol. Once you get the timing of the fire down you can roll at the right time and keep doing the “roll to their right” technique to not get hit by those first guys
I just started this place after going through The game up through Lothric castle and the DLC is such a sharp, massive jump in difficulty that it's the first part of the game that's not actually fun. It's the first time I've accepted that there are some enemies that you just need to run past except that these enemies are in huge groups that will chase you forever so you can't actually run past them.
Stock up on throwing knives and aggro/fight them one at a time. You’re in for quite the treat later on. It’s definitely acceptable to run past those first guys though as there’s that drop off anyway.
Wait till you fight three more stronger enemy sets after this before you reach your first bonfire…fun!!!
I just started the DLC last night as well and realized that for the first group of Followers you can just sneak behind them and through the right towards the falling snow. That way you can avoid all of them except for the torch Follower up on the hill but at least this way is only a single encounter. I gotta say though that I was wearing the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring so being silent might have been necessary but walking slowly behind them could work as well. For dealing with the wolves I realized that only some of them howl and call the whole pack. It seems to me like the larger wolf of each group is the one that does so but I am not entirely sure yet. I found that keeping close to the wall and moving to the right allows you to sort of sneak on to the single howling wolf there and kill him before he calls the rest of the pack. From there I believe you can take on each howling wolf and its corresponding group one at a time until you clear them up. By the time I realized this though I had already killed the big wolf so I am not sure if he will notices you this way or not.
I am guilty of just sprinting through for the loot after I completed them in an honest way. Too much gank for my liking.
It's scaled to end game, so it might be better to wait until later in your run. I know it doesn't matter quite as much in NG+ as in a first run but it's still somewhat harder than base game content.
I got invaded in the same area with the big wolf haha took a while and 10 estus but it was fun