Just so you know to make gelmir heros grave even better you can ride the chariot down the lava so you don't have to Quickstep it, you can drop on top of it from a ledge above where it hits the wall before the magma slope (sorry I can't quite remember how to get on the chariot)
I was just about to comment the same. The fact that Crystal Darts can be used to make them kill each other actually makes that fight one of the easier ones.
For anyone not wanting to test every wall to see if it is a real one or illusion, use one of the shackles Mogh's shackle or Margit's shackle, they dispel all illusions in the area around you if not the entire dungeon. (it has infinite uses (both of them))
they also trigger any pillar traps seemingly within a three mile radius so y'know. has some interesting interactions with some of the dungeon puzzles, especially in one particular hero's grave.
The amount of dead enemy models strewn around the Leyndell catacombs to imitate the ones you’ve already killed is fucking phenomenal. I only went into that dungeon very late game and I was feelin like it was something of a grind, until I noticed the area repeating
@@hafdef4929 i saw a message that said “give up” and only after finding out the loop i fast traveled to the grace again, and then went to the doors that those led to
@@hafdef4929 the trick with escaping loops is to go off the "main" path and do something unexpected, like not opening the chest and jumping off the ledge or out the window if it's safe.
@@Ghorda9 it’s more about picking up on the subtle details and figuring out which layer of the loop you’re on and which layers lead where, and it’ll usually expect you to seemingly go back to an area you already explored, even though you actually haven’t. The catacombs under the capital for example, there’s three layers. On Layer 3, if you follow the normal path, you’ll loop back to Layer 2, and just keep repeating. To break the loop, you need seemingly revisit a side part of the dungeon from Layer 1, but it’s actually on Layer 2. On the Layer 1 version there’s a raised fire trap, which you need to lower and ride up to reach the room, and in the room itself there’s an Omen and a Talisman. On Layer 2 version the fire trap is already lowered, which most people likely did on Layer 1, and in the room there’s neither an enemy or an item, but a path that’s normally out of view if you’re viewing the room from it’s entrance. It cleverly fools you into thinking you’ve already been in that room, killed the enemy and got the item, meaning you’re likely to not even fully enter the room, hell a lot of people probably never even rode the fire trap to get to the room in Layer 2. On my first playthrough I didn’t kill the Omen on Layer 1, I saw that heaping pile of shit in front of me and said “fuck that.” I pretty much instantly realized “wait, wasn’t there an enemy in here that I didn’t kill?” and found the correct path.
@@Slender_Man_186 for me i died the first time hopelessly lost. Second time i tracked which floor level / elevation and realized something was wrong. The final nail was i didnt bother lowering the fire trap in the first layer
In the deathtouched catacombs the lore reason behind the black knife having low health is because of D the deathroot hunter, he was trying to get the root and the black knife tried to kill him so they duked it out and D ran off so he didnt die once he wounded the black knife enough to get away safely.
That's really cool lore. I wish it matched up with gameplay more though. Why can an npc escape a boss room but we can't? We are both tarnished... But besides that error, its cool!
@@connortodd4538The not being able to escape a boss room has more to do with game mechanics than lore. Like if your character can throw fireballs they probably don't actually need to expend a magical invisible mana bar, and waiting for the green bar to replenish isn't how catching a breath works irl, there are some things that must be done for gameplay reasons
@@ghoulishgoober3122 I also like to think that it's the Tarnished being so prideful and determined that it's more of a mental barrier than a physical one. When they enter a room it is full commitment to fighting the boss, and they would rather die than feel the shame of running.
Rusty’s going to accidentally raise a legion of the best gamers ever seen by getting a bunch of elden ring fans hooked on Silksong when that finally comes out
I don't think you properly explored the Giant's Mountaintop Catacombs (at least I think that's the one). It literally changes as you go through it, or at the very least copies rooms making you think you've gone in a circle but next thing you notice the 5 land squirts have been replaced by a giant one. It's a really cool dungeon
One thing that can drastically change your experience with these tombs is Margit's Shackle. This item essentially sends out a huge hitbox in all directions. While it deals no damage, it can activate all sorts of mechanisms, including illusory walls, flame pillars, and even the device that destroys the chariots in the Auriza Hero's Grave. Grab it from Patches as soon as you can, it's a perfect companion for repeat playthroughs.
BTW: That lightning watchdog shoots lightning instead of fire, so it does have a way to harm you with lightning and water. However, the fact you managed to beat the boss without ut ever using this move is just as revealing to its worth.
The Lightning Watchdog actually does have a unique attack. Instead of the fire breath it has a ranged blast of lightning. Btw: Some sections of the Leyndell Catacombs allow you to teleport out because you can get stuck in them.
I think I saw that attack maybe once. It was kinda cool but I guess part of me was expecting his tail to like electrify the water around him or something lol
@@_kahimanawari Really? Didn't notice that. I obly noticed it in the Leyndell Catacombs because I accidently went one layer too deep and got caught in an endless loop.
@@Rusty._ The watchdogs do have a tail attack where they whip only their head around to look at you and slam their tail down when you get behind them. However it's so inconsistent since they usually just whip around with their sword. Dunno if the lightning one even has the attack since I've only seen it done by the fire watchdogs.
I’d love to see you talk about the caves and mines, i know a lot of them are uneventful but some really stand out to me. As someone who REALLY wasnt paying attention to what Rya said I just stumbled across the mine that’s a shortcut to Altus, and was blown away by its scope and beauty for what seemed like just another mine at first
My favourite cave in the game is the caelid dungeon in the Mini aeonia swamp. The whole place gave me the same feeling, as those Cave prisons that are usually Designed in games, because it is one.
Yeah I remember people in work telling me about "Finally got to altus, it took me forever to find the medallions!", but I had started a little late. Then in a couple days I was suddenly just thrown into altus, no medallions needed through some tunnel that looked like it was going to be worth 5 smithing stones. I was just looking for a way into the Caria Manor.
Even though it'd be nice if it was longer, I really like the ice cave where you can see other parts of the dungeon through transparent ice, was so aesthetic, wish they'd have made an ice themed legacy dungeon.
as someone who's spent several hours trying to get watchdog's and forked greatsword drops in the consecrated snowfield catacombs i'm extremely glad that hellhole got the derision it deserves
War-Dead Catacombs is one of my favorites in the entire game. Like Rusty said, just FINDING the damn place is a reward on its own. Of course, what true Soulsborne vet WOULDN'T ride all the way to the edge of Radahn's arena, especially after what FromSoft pulled with Gael in DS3. That's the whole reason why I found it, actually. Both of them are veteran soldiers who lost their minds, trapped in an endless, barren wasteland. And yes, the lore implications of this dungeon are top notch as well. The ashes you find inside make sense in the context of the location, and the putrid tree spirit kinda makes sense too. This was the first dungeon that I had to leave for later, because I just couldn't kill that rotting snake bastard. Overall, lovely place. Of course, nothing can beat the catacombs that have repeating rooms. I LOVE those ones. It was such a refreshing change of pace to exercise my mental capabilities, rather than just fighting things until I ran out of enemies. Piecing together the mind fuckery of those catacombs was a real treat, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
i found it thanks to the rosus statue on top of the arena. not that i wouldn't have walked to the edge of the arena anyway, i just found the rosus statue before getting to radahn.
I love those repeating room catacombs!! Especially on a first playthrough it will mess with your head cuz none of the other catacombs do anything like that.
@@catiminiclergus537 As you enter the wasteland, there's a rundown cathedral on the right where Shira invades you. Killing her drops the Crucifix of the Mad King. If you go far enough left instead, you can find a wandering Black Knight who drops a Titanite Slab.
TYSM RUSTY I REALLY APPRECIATE!! altho it had me reallocate my entire build to it and took some time i really appreciate that you actually mentioned me in the video!
My favorite dungeon is the one with the waterfall, that's a pretty cool one, and there's also a cool dungeon with some jail cells or something that was also a nice touch.
Roads End catacombs is well hidden too, it was the last dungeon I found in Limgrave and by that time I had already made it to Leyndell. And Gaol Cave is really cool for its environmental storytelling and unique items . I wish it was a bit more challenging but it was really ominous going deeper and deeper into this cave with all the exploding zombies in cages, and I just knew at some point those doors would all open and I would be screwed.
I feel like the minor erdtree catacombs' boss was actually kinda satisfying only due to the fact that with a few well timed crystal throwing knives you can just watch the watchdogs beat the everloving shit out of each other till one of them dies and you finish off the other
This might be an unpopular opinion, but i really like the Watchdogs. I like their design as unconventional gargoyle-like statues and their movements so unnatural, that they feel unsettling in a way. The fight is imo not too hard or too easy for optional dungeons. The duo fight with them sucks though and i cant stand them outside of boss rooms.
The watchdogs were actually the first boss I ever beat in a souls game so they along with the erdtree avatars (the second boss I ever beat) have a special place for me. My only disappointment is how often you fight them, the first time is great but every time after that it's more of a chore then anything
I don't think that's unpopular, they are a good boss, just over-used. They are great to come across the first time but then it becomes repetitive and boring because they all move the same, attack the same. It becomes predictable.
@@JenIsHungry Yeah and then you start finding them as regular enemies in some Catacombs and I can just never be bothered, way too tank to deal with when you're not getting a proper reward They remind me of the big Miranda Flowers, not that hard to deal with but because they have so much health...why waste your time when you can just run past.
I agree and imagine thinking they're not great additions to soulsborne games over other lame-ass catacombs bosses like the duelist, who got a better review
cookbooks are some of the most useful items in the game. stonesword keys however you find basically everywhere. I've opened every single gate i found with them and I still have like 15
I think the idea behind putting the imps with the watchdog in the Impaler's Catacombs was to turn them against each other using crystal darts. It would have been nice of them to give you some kind of clue to do so though lmao
@Kill Bill I did to save up on MP when I wanted to draw some enemies towards me. I started spamming them a lot more once I found out that they cause Imps and Watchdogs to malfunction.
@@qwormuli77 Epic Merchant Tips: Hit enemy in head, hit enemy in glowing crit spot, there is someone at the ruins with the giant wolf dude howling on top of them. Not Merchant Tips: Crystal Darts vs Golems, Moghwyn Palace waygate, Enemy resistances increase as you trigger them, weather affecting resistances, resistances of actually tricky enemies like gargoyles, deathbirds, and crawly hands.
The first heroes grave was honestly one of the difficult ones to get through, simply because of the ghost guys. I did get through it, beat the boss, got the talisman, but still kinda scary as shit when you're playing with a friend who's over 700 in leveling and doesn't tell you what to be aware of before you enter. It's great, but not recommended for anyone under level 50.
no summons, did it as basically the second dungeon in the game, had to come back later but i still got most of the important stuff in it first; i just don't like the initial runback to the actual tomb, otherwise, not bad.
You can do it at 20-30 if you want. The only really hard part will be the boss. If your vigor is not high enough he can one shot you. But since it's a secret area and stuff can be really tough there I wouldn't recommend trying it lower than 20.
@@qwormuli77 Laughs in Oleg. seriously though Oleg alone is worth doing this one for. He's super aggressive, powerful, and tanky. He can basically solo most early and mid game bosses. If you use spirit ashes, get him!
28:46 Eh, kind of unlikely that this is the first time you see this boss since you can fight him as a boss in an Evergaol west of the Weeping Peninsula.
Something to take notes of, is that some regions, such as Limgrave/Caelid, have a alot more content above ground, castles/forts ETC, it's hard for me to really hold the dungeons in those regions are bad just due to the fact that they were not really supposed to be the main point of the area. And going even further, you have things like the eternal city that you find in Limgrave, and the great jar/crystal tunnels in caelid, that fulfill the roles of challenging side and interesting side content, IMO dungeons/tombs/catacombs should also include side areas that are not necessary to the main story, because otherwise you will give people the wrong impression. Yeah, Limgrave dungeons were shit, but you also get a shitload of quests, forts, and gaols to run, which IMO makes up for the half baked early game dungeons.
I liked Limgrave's dungeons exactly for how simple they were. It was through them and other side content I got strong enough to face Stormveil. Them being overly complex and/or difficult would miss the point, since Limgrave entirely is supposed to give you a slow and steady start to your journey. I took about fourty to sixty hours to clean everything Limgrave and Weeping Peninsula on my first playthrough, and it went by so fast. I honestly don't see why would the catacombs themselves or their bosses be particularly intricate. I think the very point of them throughout the entire game is to provide points of interesting with possibly intriguing rewards that don't take more than 30 minutes to clear. Of course there are exceptions, but every time I want to play some Elden Ring even if I have no time to do so at all, I seek a punctual bossfight I know I can easily access and enjoy, many times in a catacomb or in the overworld. The open world and the side content by extension provide options for multiple levels of engagement. That's kind of what an open world game is, isn't it? It provides freedom to do all sorts of stuff in all kinds of pacing. It's like people forget from time to time what Elden Ring is, it's like they judge it excluding the open aspect just because it's made in Fromsoft's style, when in reality it provides a much more satisfying experience if you view it and approach it as what it is: an open world game just as much as a Soulsborne. Could Elden Ring's side content be higher in terms of variety and sometimes quality? Yeah, it could. Is it okay to deflect criticism by saying Elden Ring's world is much more unique and varied than any other open world game's? No (even though it is). The side content could be better, just as it could be perfect, but does that mean it is bad or that it doesn't serve its purpose? Not at all.
Limgrave's dungeons in particular do exactly what they are supposed to, IMO. They are content for new Fromsoft players to have some challenges thrown at them and get better at the game's mechanics before taking on tougher challenges like Margit, Agheel, etc. They're simple but effective for that purpose.
Limgrave dungeons are actually perfect, even as a vet I can see that they’re the true tutorial for newcomers, a showcase of the tricks these games will pull. Always check every corner of an area for enemies and traps, don’t just rush in and try to big-dick everything you come across, an enemy with poise is to be feared, AND DEAR GOD DO NOT PANIC ROLL.
4:34 “Spawn two grafted scions you definitely can’t kill this early.” True, but you can’t guide them back to the one thing that can kill them…. The fire spewing pillar.
Lhutel was my summon for like 95% of the game she is really good if you are not using the mimic tear and hasn’t completed ranni quest line she is the best summon I think
That’s exactly what the devs intended with the dungeon design, so I’m not surprised. Rainbow stones are definitely a huge help there, and in the sewers in general.
Actually the ancient hero of zamor can first be encountered at an evergaol in the weeping peninsula. It would be cool if you could rank ever evergaol fight in the game :)
The best one is Bols because his name is Bols. Second best is fire thief Adan because he's thicc. In reality, gauging off both the fight quality and drop quality, it's Darriwil, Alecto, Zamor Hero, Crucible Knight, Bols, Adan, Alabaster Lord, Battlemage Hugues, Vyke, Ordina town evergaol, then Godefroy. Yes, I know Godefroy's talisman can be quite good on some builds. But the fact it's literally just a refight against an otherwise super unique and fun shardbearer feels like such a rip it's ridiculous. I would indeed rather get backstabbed by 5 invisible assassins and shot by magic roof sitting archers in Ordina than pretend I give a single fuck for Godefroy. And Vyke just sucks. His lightning attack seems to roll catch even if you time it perfect sometimes, and his dragonbolt buff is just painful to deal with. Have fun timing him out by running. Meanwhile, Hugues is just meh. Not a great ash. Alabaster Lord is meh, not a good spell. Adan is pretty good, fun fight and unique spell, idk how good it is. Bols is good, nice fight with a twist on the trolls, quite a good spell. Crucible Knight is great, I love fighting those guys. Super satisfying to get it down to an art where you never take a hit thanks to their reliable moveset, very little jank. Drop is meh. Zamor Hero is unique for the area, has a very good drop (even if it's instantly outclassed in caelid but new players don't know that). Alecto is fantastic, fun fight, unique attacks even for a black knife (I think, never seen the bladestorm thing from them but her), and of course Tiche, one of the best ashes in the game as a reward. And Darriwil is perfection. Not too hard or easy so long as you fight him early, but the real prize is fighting him with Blaidd. Then you get Bloodhound's Fang, an incredibly good weapon, upgrades with sombers, so you can get +9 before any bosses, yet can still be buffed and deals raw physical, unlike most somber weapons, which is a huge benefit. PLUS you get the Carian Filigree Crest from Iji for helping Blaidd, which is also pretty great on any weapon with a good skill. Personal favorite is Fallingstar Beast Jaw. Spam ash and watch even Gargoyles get staggered into oblivion by a rapid stream of gravity strikes. Dare I even point out Moonveil or Rivers of Blood with it. Or even just quickstep/bloodhound step. Or Flame of the Redmanes. Or literally nearly anything.
I think road's end was pretty interesting because normally a catacomb shows you the door immediately and your goal is to find the lever, whereas in the road's end catacomb they give you the lever but then you realize you took for granted how often you're just given the door. also the spiritcalling snail fight is more fun when you fight the crucible knight
A tip for the Minor Erdtree Catacombs boss fight, if you have crystal darts on you use them on one the Watchdogs. The Watchdog you threw the darts at will malfunction and start attacking the other one.
I think you are kinda missing the point early on that all of the catacombs in Limgrave are tutorial catacombs. They are designed to teach you how the rest of the game will work. Yes the copy paste bosses (watchdogs) are just that - but given the fact that the game has over 32 unique catacomb bosses it is rational that the first catacombs you face will not be end-game levels.
Elden Ring is pretty great overall but the catacombs were definitely the low points of my experience. There's way too many of them and none of them are particularly interesting or unique. There should have been like 10 at most and each one with its unique design and a unique boss. In its current state, catacombs are just an example of copy-pasted lazy content. FromSoftware prides itself on making unique and creative environments so the many recycled catacombs, caves and bosses stick out even more.
For sure but they def still could’ve done better. The first one I hit was the tombsword one in weeping peninsula and oh man was that underwhelming. Really could’ve used more interesting scenery or more enemy variety etc. honestly none are very exciting but it’s ok, not the reason I play
I like invisible bridges because they are a second reason to always have a decent amount of prism stones on you. the other reason being the increased vertical movement.
Fun fact: in the gel or hero grave, the reason why those boards are there when you drop down is to allow to stand on the riderless chariot and ride it past the lava to the boss room.
With NordVPN your ISP won't throttle you, NordVPN will, and most of the time it will keep you on a "5 second connection, then reconnect, 5 second, then reconnect" server. Then their support staff will refuse to help you and say that you are the one with issues on: - 3 different countries - 6 different ISPs - 8 different devices (yes, even smart TVs) It is clearly not the servers from the country you are repeatedly connecting to (because it's your own country, closest to your location because you live in that country). It's such an innovation and an improvement.
Caelid - Minor Erdtree Catacombs was a helluva skill-check for figuring out the dynamic spacing and timing between those two. For a RL 1+0 run, it was definitely one of the more difficult obstacles.
Another awful thing about Caelid Catacombs is that on release the stake of Marika there was broken, making you respawn at the entrance instead of boss room.
Yo, dude! Congrats on getting a sponsor! I'm glad I'm not alone with enjoying the gimicky challenges of the Hero's Graves. I really do wish there was a bit more variety in the dungeon boss design. So many Shades, Watchdogs, and Tree Spirits.
If you're like me and have trouble with dealing with all the vulgar militia and the giant octopus in the Hidden Path to the Haligtree, bring a sleep pot and sleep the octopus hanging from the ceiling. As long as you're careful with your weapon swings it should make the lever behind it basically free
Lots of people like to hate on Consecrated Snowfields and Mountaintops of the Giants due to how little there seems to be. I find this sort of funny because I've noticed that those two areas have the most creative dungeons, landmarks, and events in the game. Consecrated Snowfields has by far the most unique dungeons in the game, no debate. It also has the most unique feeling out of all the areas. along with Ordina and the unique walking mausoleum, it just felt so special. Same goes for mountaintops of the giants. It had a couple of unique dungeons too. To me, ignoring the horrible scaling issues, those two areas felt like the only big areas where they really decided to go style over substance. It's kind of a shame people are so negative towards them, and ignoring all the great things. I'll give people a pass if they thought Consecrated Snowfields was gonna have reindeers though.
reindeers... REINDEERS... ＲＥＩＮＤＥＥＲＳ... ̴͔̳͔̩̦̺̽̐͐̋̓͗̿̎̇͝R̸̷̢̰͖̠͉̣̞̰͍̫̽͑͆̉̑͂͘͠͠Ë̵̵̢̨̳̺͍̣̞̭͔͍͈͙̮͙̻͇̣͗͝I̶̷̧̡̮̤͉̟̻̗̳̪̦͋̔͆̈̃́̽͒͛͂̆͐̒͒͘͝͝͝N̵̶̢͎̠͙̻̞̰̊͗̾͊̈́̓̓D̷̷̢̮͖̠͉̣̞̰͍̫̎͐̄́̏̍̒͂̑͂Ȇ̵̷̢̢̳̺͍̣̞̭͔͍͈̠͉̣̞̰͍̫͂͝E̵̴̢̳̺͍̣̞̭͔͍͈͔̳͔̩̦̺̽̐͐̋̓͗̿̎̇͝͝R̸̰͖̽͑͆̉͘͠͠S̶̠̞̘̦̯̼̣̥̩̮̏͆̿̆̀!!! from: the people who played reindeer fuck valley in ds2.
I think the issue with the catacombs and dungeons is that they all look the same- so people forget which ones go where. Like yes the cool ones may be there but when I think of the cool ones I don't think of the locations they are in I just think of the default rooms and enemies.
Also they're soo late in the game that by that point you're either all in on Elden ring, or you gave up and don't care at all anymore. Plus farum azula, and the haili tree are both amazing late game areas so the game doesn't end on a lame area. So if two areas out of 10 are meh (not bad, just meh) then they did a great job. Plus like you said there's tons of cool stuff in both the mountain tops and snowfield. Also hard pass on reindeer. I still have nightmares about the horses in DS2.
@@BagelBoi4000 You're right, Mountaintops of Giants was my least favorite open world section in the game but after watching the video, I realised it had most of my favorite mini dungeons in the game. Still my least favorite open world section though.
The spirit caller snail was actually pretty cool to me. I didn't realize what it was at first and didnt read the boss name, so i killed the crucible knight and waited for my reward... and waited... then i realized the health bar never went down, i had been paying attention to the overhead health bar, oh shit another knight just appeared. What the fuck is going on? Snail? It was a pretty memorable experience, personally.
Something that definitely helps the catacombs feel like less of a slog is bringing both crystal darts and a blunt weapon. Crystal darts cause imps, watchdogs, and any other type of construct type enemy to go berserk and attack other enemies. Blunt weapons 1-2 shot imps and skeletons, the heavier variety outright launches them across the room. Pair with a shield and use guard counters to instantly break their poise everytime. The omens can also be abused in this way. If you want you playthroughs to be easy you'll always want to have an upgraded blunt weapon on hand!
So this is probably an unpopular opinion but I love the Cemetery Shade boss fight, I love their creepy design, their weapons are unique, and how they just walk around staring at you until you make a move and then they instant transmission behind you, say "Nothing personnel, kid" and attack, I absolutely love it. It becomes a sort of weird dance and it's amazing. I'll never forget the first time I fought one in the Caelid Catacombs and it took me around 45 minutes to an hour to beat, I couldn't really land any of my attacks on him because of his dodges so around the 30 minute mark I decided to just parry him to death and eventually that strategy succeeded, definitely one of my top 10 favorite bosses in the game, possibly top 5
I feel like Fromsoft is starting to rely too much on giving bosses (some enemies too) massive poise. It takes so much of the strategy and fun out of combat when most things can ignore whatever you’re doing and just flail wildly at you After beating Elden Ring I’m back playing Bloodborne and started up a Demon Soul remake playthrough and it feels so much better when enemies actually *react* to getting hit and not just w/ that artificial feeling “posture break” in ER Imo the posture breaking system is a bandaid because what combat should actually reward you for is well timed dodges, parries, having good positioning etc and it shouldn’t just auto rotate enemies (it looks so bad in ER) and let them spam like it’s Street Fighter
I’d say I generally agree with you but on the other hand I am a bit shocked to hear an Elden Ring player say that. Just because Elden Ring still has strong poise breaking compared to most other games I’ve played. The difference is usually other games have certain OP attacks or abilities that are guaranteed poise breakers unlike ER. Im not sure what the solution is, the main thing I’d hope for is more time before boss poise starts regenerating.
In the last place, there was an illusory wall behind that chest, and you smacked every single wall besides that one. It leads to the Silver Scarab that increases drop rate. Super useful item!
Why in hell is Rusty NOT using Mogh's or Margit's shackles? Rusty didn't use Crystal Darts and he didn't use the shackles which reveal illusionary walls? Rusty's grade went from C- to D+. Rusty - you need to redo this video using Crystal Darts and either of the two shackles available. Redeem yourself so you can reach S tier. Rusty just redo it
The giants catacomb was such a cool dungeon. I thought I was looping until I saw the giant poison thingy and it was an instant realization and I loved the dungeon for it. Even challenged myself to run it two more times to see if I missed anything.
fun fact and strat for any of the tombs with watchdog bosses with extra enemies: use crystal darts on them until they get shocked. This makes their team go after them (unless they're already obsessed with you, then it takes some finagling to get them to reprioritize). Crystal darts work on imps, watchdogs, and giant golems, and the effect lasts ~30 seconds I think, which isn't much but in some instances can be a niche strat.
Your character at the end-screen reminds me of the courage the cowardly dog enemy that goes "Returnnn the slaaaaaab~" . Not an insult, just a weird memory that got dug up
Cemetery Shade was actually a good addition to the game in my opinion, it's basically a living Bloodborne reference. Think about it: - Extremely aggressive - Trick Weapons - Dodges by dashing - Horrifying design - Brainsucker attack
I really love the design of a fragile boss that actually avoids your attack, instead of facetanking ungodly amounts of punishment without flincing. A fun fight, too, as long as it isn't the one with skelebro adds.
@@qwormuli77 I like the fight too, it benefits from both the thrill of a very agressive and dangerous boss and the satisfaction of melting the enemy's health bar at the same time, incredible really.
@@dodojesus4529 No, but it makes it more likable. When you see a reference to something you like, that normally brings good feelings, so it makes me like the boss more, good or bad.
Ordovis’ Spinning Blade is unique to that Crucible Knight. Also worth mentioning that the dual Crucible Knight boss fight had to be fixed in a patch because both Knights would attack you at the same time
The War Dead catacomb is a misopportunity. It could be an S-rank if they made the boss a bit more unique. Imagine if the boss are two commander one from redmane and the others from malenia (the valkries?) fighting each other with their troops, the troops only aggro if you hit them but only the one got hit that will aggro, but if you hit their commander all of the troop from the side you hit will aggro to you. That would be much cooler and a chance to pull sort of the Abyss watchers boss.
I feel like the Unsightly Catacombs wasn’t giving fair justice here. You talked about the lore for the War Dead Catacombs, I feel like Unsightly Catacombs has just as much lore. The perfumers are know to treat the misbegotten, it’s a nice bit of environmental story telling. Also Perfumer Tricia’s description is very nice. Your other points are fair, so I feel like it should be in at least B tier.
Part of what I love about this game is how 2 people can love the game and have completely opposite opinions about things. 18:29 Unsightly Catacombs is one of my favorites. Patricia is an excellent summon for a pure melee build, the lore and environmental storytelling is on point, and I really enjoy the boss fight.
1. On future play-throughs I'll be skipping almost all of the catacombs since most of them are exclusively stuff for spirit summons. At least the ones that have other gear are either good or have the items worth getting in an accessible location. 2. It's "Prattling *PATE*". (Like the name, not with an 'L' like the dish.) There's no legitimate reason for this to bother me, but it really does for come reason. 3. I'd like to remind the YT algorithm that I want to see Rusty's videos in my feed when they come out. YT, please fix whatever fuck-up your summer interns did that has turned my feed to crap for over a month now. "New content from creators I like + similar content from creators I might like" is not *that* complicated. Stop giving me "List of videos you've already watched with that fact obscured until you click on it", especially since it probably screws the creators I like since it results in a click-through that immediately bails and then confuses the algo about what I want. I'd tell you via official channels, but we all know that you just throw that shit in the trash. So *maybe* your AI reads complaints from people's comments...
'Pate, Rusty its Puh-ATE PATE RUST-' xD But for you, Max! There's a send feedback option in the top right, when you click on your profile pic! Send them a screenshot with it and tell em where they're goofin!
I remember in Auriza side tomb, when transported to the "identical other side" I immediately noticed something's off as the throwing imp on the ledge was alive even though I sniped him before, that's how I knew I'm in a completely different place.
A little elden ring tip I learned that I don't know if you know. You can use rainbow stones to see If there is a hidden pathway. It also tells you if a fall is survivable. It breaks if not
I do feel some of these rankings are due to problems caused by you not crafting anything. Rainbowstones, Bone arrows, Flavoured pots and even darts are great for certain catacombes
rainbow stones can really make a difference in some of these tombs, it's a good trick for knowing where you can drop down and where you've been before in maze like ones.
@@wolftales5203 Guillotine is a French word, so he's saying it correctly. Whereas "Prattling Pate" is a reference to a character named Pate from Dark Souls 2. He's probably not a plate.
i think the typical easy-going layouts of the catacombs in your starting place are there to train and let the player experience how it would work so that in a more complicated ones (in later regions like Gelmir, Lyendell,...) you'll get used to it easier. So i don't think it's fair ranking it individually. Same bosses because i, as well as many other folk, don't wanna dying and going through the whole catacombs again and again just to learn the movesets of a boss which i'll probably never face again until next playthrough so i think this is cool.
I agree that the first few catacombs are easy on purpose to teach you the basics of how catacombs work. Plus the later ones ramp waaaaay up in difficulty, creativity, and loot. Also D is the best bro and should always be summoned to fight with you in the catacombs. I will accept not other answers. Hanging with D makes me hate Fia much more.
Free tip for the Fringefolk Hero Grave: When you get to the bridge with the two Scions you can shoot the one hanging over the item with a bow. This causes it to fall off the ceiling and die instantly. You can lure the second one into the flame thrower statue, it probably won't kill it, but it does do a lot of damage.
The sad thing about all of this is that a lot of players lose their patience with catacombs in Limgrave in Liurnia, and stop seeking them out by the time they actually get good in Altus and Mountaintops...
I was told in the catacombs that have the duo watchdog fight, you can use crystal darts on one of them and they will start to fight each other making the battle a little more easy.
@@mauricehopes9105 Nah dude, even at the appropriate level that one still sucked ass. They like to offset the two dogs' jump attack by just a little bit so when you try to roll the attack, the second guy will almost always get you. So you end up running around the room for most of the fight. Much easier to just cheese it with crystal darts.
I was trying to do that challenge, but I never got a no hit run so I just didn’t submit it because I thought someone else would no hit lol. I put real time in there
Soo cool discovery bout the Golden Epitaph, you actually just need it equipped to stop undead from resurrecting. I realized this while killing the dog zombie things in the dragon palace when I spammed magic nonsense to clear out the gang without any real faith investment
I feel like you might have missed some catacombs. The one that's in Subterranean Shunning Grounds is a full mind fuck, and is probably my favorite catacombs. It's the one where you go through 3 levels of very very similar pathways that all vary only slightly to give you the idea that you might be progressing. It's the one at the bottom of the platforms with the American Snipers(Lobster Edition). I also remember one that had a secret area with 2 shadow watchdogs in this secret elevator that you have to go down into to get the light to shine on them. It might've been the one with the shadow troll you mentioned, but I just remember farming those 2 fuckers for the UGS they can drop. I think it was in the snow areas, but I could be wrong since it's been awhile. I'm playing through the game again after a break, so my memory is a little hazy, especially the snowfields area where I've only been through twice.
The cemetery shade and watchdogs placement was a lore thing. The dead are buried at the foot of the Erdtree, and they watch over it. It is easy to miss the many stories from has buried (totally intended)
I personally loved the light mechanic catacombs. The one with the hidden elevator light with the troll is easily in my top 5 list of catacombs because it stands out far from the rest (in a good way)
Dude these boss placements in catacombs and enemies actually mean something. The watchdogs guard the roots. And the catacombs. The catacombs are where the dead travel to be reborn through the erdtree. Of course your going to see skeletons. And erdtree watchdogs. Why would they have different layouts for every catacombs built in the lands between.
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I don't remember which it is, auriza or leyndell, (I think the Leyndell one) but iirc one of them actually has THREE, not two layers of mindfuck
Hey Rusty, this channel I’ve got here I’m ass slamming all the bosses and have killed all bust Godfrey and radagon, main bosses anyway
Just so you know to make gelmir heros grave even better you can ride the chariot down the lava so you don't have to Quickstep it, you can drop on top of it from a ledge above where it hits the wall before the magma slope (sorry I can't quite remember how to get on the chariot)
Hey brother, you're probably aware now, but most of these dungeons have rare drops
funny how you rate some of the most hated tombs so highly. also did you play offline or something because the invisible parts all had signs on them
Fun fact, the duo Watchdog boss is probably the best opportunity to use Crystal Darts. You can make them kill each other while you watch. It's great.
Whatttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭 I'm literally devastated by this statement.
can also use them on the imps
I was just about to comment the same. The fact that Crystal Darts can be used to make them kill each other actually makes that fight one of the easier ones.
@@Shaiyo5 legitimately easier than fighting them individually
Oh I didn’t know they did that
For anyone not wanting to test every wall to see if it is a real one or illusion, use one of the shackles Mogh's shackle or Margit's shackle, they dispel all illusions in the area around you if not the entire dungeon. (it has infinite uses (both of them))
they also trigger any pillar traps seemingly within a three mile radius so y'know. has some interesting interactions with some of the dungeon puzzles, especially in one particular hero's grave.
Great tip, thanks!
Great tip! Will use it on the DLC if it ever comes out.
@@matosz23 There will be a DLC, it's been confirmed by leaks.
@@deer8071
Thank you.
The amount of dead enemy models strewn around the Leyndell catacombs to imitate the ones you’ve already killed is fucking phenomenal. I only went into that dungeon very late game and I was feelin like it was something of a grind, until I noticed the area repeating
I got stuck in there for an hour and died, i thought it was a trick and never went back
@@hafdef4929 i saw a message that said “give up” and only after finding out the loop i fast traveled to the grace again, and then went to the doors that those led to
@@hafdef4929 the trick with escaping loops is to go off the "main" path and do something unexpected, like not opening the chest and jumping off the ledge or out the window if it's safe.
@@Ghorda9 it’s more about picking up on the subtle details and figuring out which layer of the loop you’re on and which layers lead where, and it’ll usually expect you to seemingly go back to an area you already explored, even though you actually haven’t.
The catacombs under the capital for example, there’s three layers. On Layer 3, if you follow the normal path, you’ll loop back to Layer 2, and just keep repeating. To break the loop, you need seemingly revisit a side part of the dungeon from Layer 1, but it’s actually on Layer 2. On the Layer 1 version there’s a raised fire trap, which you need to lower and ride up to reach the room, and in the room itself there’s an Omen and a Talisman. On Layer 2 version the fire trap is already lowered, which most people likely did on Layer 1, and in the room there’s neither an enemy or an item, but a path that’s normally out of view if you’re viewing the room from it’s entrance. It cleverly fools you into thinking you’ve already been in that room, killed the enemy and got the item, meaning you’re likely to not even fully enter the room, hell a lot of people probably never even rode the fire trap to get to the room in Layer 2.
On my first playthrough I didn’t kill the Omen on Layer 1, I saw that heaping pile of shit in front of me and said “fuck that.” I pretty much instantly realized “wait, wasn’t there an enemy in here that I didn’t kill?” and found the correct path.
@@Slender_Man_186 for me i died the first time hopelessly lost. Second time i tracked which floor level / elevation and realized something was wrong. The final nail was i didnt bother lowering the fire trap in the first layer
In the deathtouched catacombs the lore reason behind the black knife having low health is because of D the deathroot hunter, he was trying to get the root and the black knife tried to kill him so they duked it out and D ran off so he didnt die once he wounded the black knife enough to get away safely.
That's really cool lore.
I wish it matched up with gameplay more though. Why can an npc escape a boss room but we can't? We are both tarnished...
But besides that error, its cool!
@@connortodd4538The not being able to escape a boss room has more to do with game mechanics than lore. Like if your character can throw fireballs they probably don't actually need to expend a magical invisible mana bar, and waiting for the green bar to replenish isn't how catching a breath works irl, there are some things that must be done for gameplay reasons
we shouldve been able to summon him for it@@connortodd4538
@@ghoulishgoober3122 I also like to think that it's the Tarnished being so prideful and determined that it's more of a mental barrier than a physical one. When they enter a room it is full commitment to fighting the boss, and they would rather die than feel the shame of running.
@@dingdawng then what about when we use memory of grace?
Rusty’s going to accidentally raise a legion of the best gamers ever seen by getting a bunch of elden ring fans hooked on Silksong when that finally comes out
hey you can't just expose my plot like that
Yes he can
You say that as if I’m not an Elden Ring fan who is going to be hooked on Silksong regardless.
THE GODS SHALL RISE
ALL HAIL RUSTY
Elden fan waiting for silksong since 2020
I don't think you properly explored the Giant's Mountaintop Catacombs (at least I think that's the one). It literally changes as you go through it, or at the very least copies rooms making you think you've gone in a circle but next thing you notice the 5 land squirts have been replaced by a giant one. It's a really cool dungeon
@Kill Bill pretty sure you can still backtrack though...?
Yeah I was waiting for him to talk about this one because it's the only one where I actually had fun and was impressed
@Kill Bill it's two helixes on top of each other
I’m pretty sure the looping one is the catacombs in the sewers under lendyll
@@revolution2762 more than one
One thing that can drastically change your experience with these tombs is Margit's Shackle. This item essentially sends out a huge hitbox in all directions. While it deals no damage, it can activate all sorts of mechanisms, including illusory walls, flame pillars, and even the device that destroys the chariots in the Auriza Hero's Grave. Grab it from Patches as soon as you can, it's a perfect companion for repeat playthroughs.
BTW: That lightning watchdog shoots lightning instead of fire, so it does have a way to harm you with lightning and water. However, the fact you managed to beat the boss without ut ever using this move is just as revealing to its worth.
The Lightning Watchdog actually does have a unique attack. Instead of the fire breath it has a ranged blast of lightning.
Btw: Some sections of the Leyndell Catacombs allow you to teleport out because you can get stuck in them.
any catacombs that has a drop u can teleport out of
I think I saw that attack maybe once. It was kinda cool but I guess part of me was expecting his tail to like electrify the water around him or something lol
@@_kahimanawari Really? Didn't notice that. I obly noticed it in the Leyndell Catacombs because I accidently went one layer too deep and got caught in an endless loop.
@@Rusty._ Yeah, that would have been cooler. They should've done more with the water.
Thanks for the heart btw.
@@Rusty._ The watchdogs do have a tail attack where they whip only their head around to look at you and slam their tail down when you get behind them. However it's so inconsistent since they usually just whip around with their sword. Dunno if the lightning one even has the attack since I've only seen it done by the fire watchdogs.
Auriza Hero's Grave deserves a lot of points for the shear terror and shock of seeing three chariots at the same time.
I’d love to see you talk about the caves and mines, i know a lot of them are uneventful but some really stand out to me. As someone who REALLY wasnt paying attention to what Rya said I just stumbled across the mine that’s a shortcut to Altus, and was blown away by its scope and beauty for what seemed like just another mine at first
My favourite cave in the game is the caelid dungeon in the Mini aeonia swamp. The whole place gave me the same feeling, as those Cave prisons that are usually Designed in games, because it is one.
Yeah I remember people in work telling me about "Finally got to altus, it took me forever to find the medallions!", but I had started a little late. Then in a couple days I was suddenly just thrown into altus, no medallions needed through some tunnel that looked like it was going to be worth 5 smithing stones. I was just looking for a way into the Caria Manor.
Mines when one-handing: 😡
Mines when two-handing/using whips: 😎
caves and mines in general are way better than the catacombs
Even though it'd be nice if it was longer, I really like the ice cave where you can see other parts of the dungeon through transparent ice, was so aesthetic, wish they'd have made an ice themed legacy dungeon.
as someone who's spent several hours trying to get watchdog's and forked greatsword drops in the consecrated snowfield catacombs i'm extremely glad that hellhole got the derision it deserves
Why did you have to point out that there’s a farmable great sword that I don’t have on my strength build?
@@EnCroissant my condolences. best farm spot's in the room to the right after the second frost trap, good luck!
@@EnCroissant oh my gooooooddddd 😡
I tried for a while then had to stop.
Still haven't gotten them...
@@EnCroissant it also has one of the highest strength scalings in the game, and looks really cool, so it’s very much worth farming!
War-Dead Catacombs is one of my favorites in the entire game. Like Rusty said, just FINDING the damn place is a reward on its own. Of course, what true Soulsborne vet WOULDN'T ride all the way to the edge of Radahn's arena, especially after what FromSoft pulled with Gael in DS3. That's the whole reason why I found it, actually. Both of them are veteran soldiers who lost their minds, trapped in an endless, barren wasteland. And yes, the lore implications of this dungeon are top notch as well. The ashes you find inside make sense in the context of the location, and the putrid tree spirit kinda makes sense too. This was the first dungeon that I had to leave for later, because I just couldn't kill that rotting snake bastard. Overall, lovely place.
Of course, nothing can beat the catacombs that have repeating rooms. I LOVE those ones. It was such a refreshing change of pace to exercise my mental capabilities, rather than just fighting things until I ran out of enemies. Piecing together the mind fuckery of those catacombs was a real treat, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
i found it thanks to the rosus statue on top of the arena.
not that i wouldn't have walked to the edge of the arena anyway, i just found the rosus statue before getting to radahn.
I love those repeating room catacombs!! Especially on a first playthrough it will mess with your head cuz none of the other catacombs do anything like that.
Uuuhhhhh
What did I miss in Gael’s arena? Oo
@@catiminiclergus537 a titanite slab and an npc invasion.
@@catiminiclergus537 As you enter the wasteland, there's a rundown cathedral on the right where Shira invades you. Killing her drops the Crucifix of the Mad King. If you go far enough left instead, you can find a wandering Black Knight who drops a Titanite Slab.
TYSM RUSTY I REALLY APPRECIATE!! altho it had me reallocate my entire build to it and took some time i really appreciate that you actually mentioned me in the video!
god gamer
I am nothing if not true to my word. Lol
Holy tarnished, act as a lord, I command me kneel!
True Elden Lord 🙏
Thy ass befits a crown
You forgot that you can ride the chariot in gelmnirs hero grave to go through the lava.
I didn't like the video for all the spoilers it gave as to strategy but even less now I know they were woefully incomplete
My favorite dungeon is the one with the waterfall, that's a pretty cool one, and there's also a cool dungeon with some jail cells or something that was also a nice touch.
Roads End catacombs is well hidden too, it was the last dungeon I found in Limgrave and by that time I had already made it to Leyndell. And Gaol Cave is really cool for its environmental storytelling and unique items . I wish it was a bit more challenging but it was really ominous going deeper and deeper into this cave with all the exploding zombies in cages, and I just knew at some point those doors would all open and I would be screwed.
Yeah the ladder reminded me of Stone Fang
I feel like the minor erdtree catacombs' boss was actually kinda satisfying only due to the fact that with a few well timed crystal throwing knives you can just watch the watchdogs beat the everloving shit out of each other till one of them dies and you finish off the other
This might be an unpopular opinion, but i really like the Watchdogs. I like their design as unconventional gargoyle-like statues and their movements so unnatural, that they feel unsettling in a way. The fight is imo not too hard or too easy for optional dungeons. The duo fight with them sucks though and i cant stand them outside of boss rooms.
The Watchdogs are probably my favorite mini boss. Love how unnatural they move. Also like the Black Knife Assassin and Cemetery Shades as well.
The watchdogs were actually the first boss I ever beat in a souls game so they along with the erdtree avatars (the second boss I ever beat) have a special place for me. My only disappointment is how often you fight them, the first time is great but every time after that it's more of a chore then anything
I don't think that's unpopular, they are a good boss, just over-used. They are great to come across the first time but then it becomes repetitive and boring because they all move the same, attack the same. It becomes predictable.
@@JenIsHungry Yeah and then you start finding them as regular enemies in some Catacombs and I can just never be bothered, way too tank to deal with when you're not getting a proper reward
They remind me of the big Miranda Flowers, not that hard to deal with but because they have so much health...why waste your time when you can just run past.
I agree and imagine thinking they're not great additions to soulsborne games over other lame-ass catacombs bosses like the duelist, who got a better review
'Rusty wouldn't be Rusty if he wasn't pissing someone off', can we make this a shirt?
cookbooks are some of the most useful items in the game.
stonesword keys however you find basically everywhere. I've opened every single gate i found with them and I still have like 15
You should totally rank all of the mines and caves in separate videos this was really entertaining to watch
I think the idea behind putting the imps with the watchdog in the Impaler's Catacombs was to turn them against each other using crystal darts. It would have been nice of them to give you some kind of clue to do so though lmao
@Kill Bill I did to save up on MP when I wanted to draw some enemies towards me. I started spamming them a lot more once I found out that they cause Imps and Watchdogs to malfunction.
@Kill Bill smart people.😂
@Kill Bill there are many ways to play this game
Ye, that would have been prime material for a purchaseable merchant tip, Instead of the few more inane ones.
@@qwormuli77 Epic Merchant Tips: Hit enemy in head, hit enemy in glowing crit spot, there is someone at the ruins with the giant wolf dude howling on top of them.
Not Merchant Tips: Crystal Darts vs Golems, Moghwyn Palace waygate, Enemy resistances increase as you trigger them, weather affecting resistances, resistances of actually tricky enemies like gargoyles, deathbirds, and crawly hands.
The first heroes grave was honestly one of the difficult ones to get through, simply because of the ghost guys. I did get through it, beat the boss, got the talisman, but still kinda scary as shit when you're playing with a friend who's over 700 in leveling and doesn't tell you what to be aware of before you enter. It's great, but not recommended for anyone under level 50.
no summons, did it as basically the second dungeon in the game, had to come back later but i still got most of the important stuff in it first; i just don't like the initial runback to the actual tomb, otherwise, not bad.
You can do it at 20-30 if you want. The only really hard part will be the boss. If your vigor is not high enough he can one shot you. But since it's a secret area and stuff can be really tough there I wouldn't recommend trying it lower than 20.
Is anything at all difficult in the game when following a ~max level phantom?
@@qwormuli77 Laughs in Oleg.
seriously though Oleg alone is worth doing this one for. He's super aggressive, powerful, and tanky. He can basically solo most early and mid game bosses. If you use spirit ashes, get him!
28:46 Eh, kind of unlikely that this is the first time you see this boss since you can fight him as a boss in an Evergaol west of the Weeping Peninsula.
no thats zamor ancient hero the one you’re referring about is the one you get after killing astel natural born of the void
Something to take notes of, is that some regions, such as Limgrave/Caelid, have a alot more content above ground, castles/forts ETC, it's hard for me to really hold the dungeons in those regions are bad just due to the fact that they were not really supposed to be the main point of the area. And going even further, you have things like the eternal city that you find in Limgrave, and the great jar/crystal tunnels in caelid, that fulfill the roles of challenging side and interesting side content, IMO dungeons/tombs/catacombs should also include side areas that are not necessary to the main story, because otherwise you will give people the wrong impression. Yeah, Limgrave dungeons were shit, but you also get a shitload of quests, forts, and gaols to run, which IMO makes up for the half baked early game dungeons.
I liked Limgrave's dungeons exactly for how simple they were. It was through them and other side content I got strong enough to face Stormveil. Them being overly complex and/or difficult would miss the point, since Limgrave entirely is supposed to give you a slow and steady start to your journey. I took about fourty to sixty hours to clean everything Limgrave and Weeping Peninsula on my first playthrough, and it went by so fast.
I honestly don't see why would the catacombs themselves or their bosses be particularly intricate. I think the very point of them throughout the entire game is to provide points of interesting with possibly intriguing rewards that don't take more than 30 minutes to clear. Of course there are exceptions, but every time I want to play some Elden Ring even if I have no time to do so at all, I seek a punctual bossfight I know I can easily access and enjoy, many times in a catacomb or in the overworld. The open world and the side content by extension provide options for multiple levels of engagement. That's kind of what an open world game is, isn't it? It provides freedom to do all sorts of stuff in all kinds of pacing. It's like people forget from time to time what Elden Ring is, it's like they judge it excluding the open aspect just because it's made in Fromsoft's style, when in reality it provides a much more satisfying experience if you view it and approach it as what it is: an open world game just as much as a Soulsborne.
Could Elden Ring's side content be higher in terms of variety and sometimes quality? Yeah, it could. Is it okay to deflect criticism by saying Elden Ring's world is much more unique and varied than any other open world game's? No (even though it is). The side content could be better, just as it could be perfect, but does that mean it is bad or that it doesn't serve its purpose? Not at all.
@@Erick-tv8oq You summed up my thoughts on them perfectly
Very well put
Limgrave's dungeons in particular do exactly what they are supposed to, IMO. They are content for new Fromsoft players to have some challenges thrown at them and get better at the game's mechanics before taking on tougher challenges like Margit, Agheel, etc. They're simple but effective for that purpose.
@@Erick-tv8oq exactly. No need for a masterpiece dungeon in Limgrave.
Limgrave dungeons are actually perfect, even as a vet I can see that they’re the true tutorial for newcomers, a showcase of the tricks these games will pull. Always check every corner of an area for enemies and traps, don’t just rush in and try to big-dick everything you come across, an enemy with poise is to be feared, AND DEAR GOD DO NOT PANIC ROLL.
4:34
“Spawn two grafted scions you definitely can’t kill this early.”
True, but you can’t guide them back to the one thing that can kill them…. The fire spewing pillar.
Lhutel was my summon for like 95% of the game she is really good if you are not using the mimic tear and hasn’t completed ranni quest line she is the best summon I think
Not bad, Lhutel I've used and another named Omenkiller Rollo.
It’s pate rusty. PATE! Not plate. Pate.
I honestly wanna see Rusty rank every Elden Ring summon ashes. This video was amazing, so I feel like that video would be just as much. Lmao.
there’s also that spiritcaller cave that makes you fight the godskin enemies but one at a time back to back, and then whack another snail
i don't know how but i ran thru the Leyndell catacombs 7 TIMES without finding the switch😫
It's a trick maze. I was in there confused for over an hour
I was running through for a half hour before noticing what was going on
That’s exactly what the devs intended with the dungeon design, so I’m not surprised. Rainbow stones are definitely a huge help there, and in the sewers in general.
Actually the ancient hero of zamor can first be encountered at an evergaol in the weeping peninsula. It would be cool if you could rank ever evergaol fight in the game :)
The best one is Bols because his name is Bols. Second best is fire thief Adan because he's thicc.
In reality, gauging off both the fight quality and drop quality, it's Darriwil, Alecto, Zamor Hero, Crucible Knight, Bols, Adan, Alabaster Lord, Battlemage Hugues, Vyke, Ordina town evergaol, then Godefroy. Yes, I know Godefroy's talisman can be quite good on some builds. But the fact it's literally just a refight against an otherwise super unique and fun shardbearer feels like such a rip it's ridiculous. I would indeed rather get backstabbed by 5 invisible assassins and shot by magic roof sitting archers in Ordina than pretend I give a single fuck for Godefroy. And Vyke just sucks. His lightning attack seems to roll catch even if you time it perfect sometimes, and his dragonbolt buff is just painful to deal with. Have fun timing him out by running.
Meanwhile, Hugues is just meh. Not a great ash. Alabaster Lord is meh, not a good spell. Adan is pretty good, fun fight and unique spell, idk how good it is. Bols is good, nice fight with a twist on the trolls, quite a good spell. Crucible Knight is great, I love fighting those guys. Super satisfying to get it down to an art where you never take a hit thanks to their reliable moveset, very little jank. Drop is meh. Zamor Hero is unique for the area, has a very good drop (even if it's instantly outclassed in caelid but new players don't know that). Alecto is fantastic, fun fight, unique attacks even for a black knife (I think, never seen the bladestorm thing from them but her), and of course Tiche, one of the best ashes in the game as a reward.
And Darriwil is perfection. Not too hard or easy so long as you fight him early, but the real prize is fighting him with Blaidd. Then you get Bloodhound's Fang, an incredibly good weapon, upgrades with sombers, so you can get +9 before any bosses, yet can still be buffed and deals raw physical, unlike most somber weapons, which is a huge benefit. PLUS you get the Carian Filigree Crest from Iji for helping Blaidd, which is also pretty great on any weapon with a good skill. Personal favorite is Fallingstar Beast Jaw. Spam ash and watch even Gargoyles get staggered into oblivion by a rapid stream of gravity strikes. Dare I even point out Moonveil or Rivers of Blood with it. Or even just quickstep/bloodhound step. Or Flame of the Redmanes. Or literally nearly anything.
you should rank the caves. you'd be pleasantly suprised how unique in layout they are
I think road's end was pretty interesting because normally a catacomb shows you the door immediately and your goal is to find the lever, whereas in the road's end catacomb they give you the lever but then you realize you took for granted how often you're just given the door. also the spiritcalling snail fight is more fun when you fight the crucible knight
A tip for the Minor Erdtree Catacombs boss fight, if you have crystal darts on you use them on one the Watchdogs. The Watchdog you threw the darts at will malfunction and start attacking the other one.
lightning watchdog once surprised me with his tail and the water slammy ... got me lol
I think you are kinda missing the point early on that all of the catacombs in Limgrave are tutorial catacombs. They are designed to teach you how the rest of the game will work. Yes the copy paste bosses (watchdogs) are just that - but given the fact that the game has over 32 unique catacomb bosses it is rational that the first catacombs you face will not be end-game levels.
Damn, you not only ranked them, but even gave a short guide on clearing each one for people that haven’t done them. Appreciated.
Elden Ring is pretty great overall but the catacombs were definitely the low points of my experience. There's way too many of them and none of them are particularly interesting or unique. There should have been like 10 at most and each one with its unique design and a unique boss. In its current state, catacombs are just an example of copy-pasted lazy content. FromSoftware prides itself on making unique and creative environments so the many recycled catacombs, caves and bosses stick out even more.
My favourite part of this video is watching through it and realizing I missed half the stuff and multiple bosses in these catacombs
One thing to note about limbgrave is that its the starter area so the dungeons are mainly there to teach you some basics.
For sure but they def still could’ve done better. The first one I hit was the tombsword one in weeping peninsula and oh man was that underwhelming. Really could’ve used more interesting scenery or more enemy variety etc. honestly none are very exciting but it’s ok, not the reason I play
Shoutout to Azura Side Grave for being the only “catacomb” I needed prismstones to help navigate.
I like invisible bridges because they are a second reason to always have a decent amount of prism stones on you. the other reason being the increased vertical movement.
icefrost hachet saves your entire time finding invisible bridges.
Fun fact: in the gel or hero grave, the reason why those boards are there when you drop down is to allow to stand on the riderless chariot and ride it past the lava to the boss room.
the unequip before the mimic teat is even better if you equip a Scarab mask before enter, cause they have negative absortions
With NordVPN your ISP won't throttle you, NordVPN will, and most of the time it will keep you on a "5 second connection, then reconnect, 5 second, then reconnect" server.
Then their support staff will refuse to help you and say that you are the one with issues on:
- 3 different countries
- 6 different ISPs
- 8 different devices (yes, even smart TVs)
It is clearly not the servers from the country you are repeatedly connecting to (because it's your own country, closest to your location because you live in that country).
It's such an innovation and an improvement.
Personally I like the Demi-human mob ashes maxed out. They’re great for drawing aggro and are fairly tanky!😁
Caelid - Minor Erdtree Catacombs was a helluva skill-check for figuring out the dynamic spacing and timing between those two. For a RL 1+0 run, it was definitely one of the more difficult obstacles.
Another awful thing about Caelid Catacombs is that on release the stake of Marika there was broken, making you respawn at the entrance instead of boss room.
Small tip: by jumping onto flame pillars from right next to it, the jump itself also triggers the status change from them.
Yo, dude! Congrats on getting a sponsor! I'm glad I'm not alone with enjoying the gimicky challenges of the Hero's Graves. I really do wish there was a bit more variety in the dungeon boss design. So many Shades, Watchdogs, and Tree Spirits.
If you're like me and have trouble with dealing with all the vulgar militia and the giant octopus in the Hidden Path to the Haligtree, bring a sleep pot and sleep the octopus hanging from the ceiling. As long as you're careful with your weapon swings it should make the lever behind it basically free
Lots of people like to hate on Consecrated Snowfields and Mountaintops of the Giants due to how little there seems to be. I find this sort of funny because I've noticed that those two areas have the most creative dungeons, landmarks, and events in the game. Consecrated Snowfields has by far the most unique dungeons in the game, no debate. It also has the most unique feeling out of all the areas. along with Ordina and the unique walking mausoleum, it just felt so special. Same goes for mountaintops of the giants. It had a couple of unique dungeons too. To me, ignoring the horrible scaling issues, those two areas felt like the only big areas where they really decided to go style over substance. It's kind of a shame people are so negative towards them, and ignoring all the great things.
I'll give people a pass if they thought Consecrated Snowfields was gonna have reindeers though.
reindeers... REINDEERS... ＲＥＩＮＤＥＥＲＳ... ̴͔̳͔̩̦̺̽̐͐̋̓͗̿̎̇͝R̸̷̢̰͖̠͉̣̞̰͍̫̽͑͆̉̑͂͘͠͠Ë̵̵̢̨̳̺͍̣̞̭͔͍͈͙̮͙̻͇̣͗͝I̶̷̧̡̮̤͉̟̻̗̳̪̦͋̔͆̈̃́̽͒͛͂̆͐̒͒͘͝͝͝N̵̶̢͎̠͙̻̞̰̊͗̾͊̈́̓̓D̷̷̢̮͖̠͉̣̞̰͍̫̎͐̄́̏̍̒͂̑͂Ȇ̵̷̢̢̳̺͍̣̞̭͔͍͈̠͉̣̞̰͍̫͂͝E̵̴̢̳̺͍̣̞̭͔͍͈͔̳͔̩̦̺̽̐͐̋̓͗̿̎̇͝͝R̸̰͖̽͑͆̉͘͠͠S̶̠̞̘̦̯̼̣̥̩̮̏͆̿̆̀!!! from: the people who played reindeer fuck valley in ds2.
I think the issue with the catacombs and dungeons is that they all look the same- so people forget which ones go where. Like yes the cool ones may be there but when I think of the cool ones I don't think of the locations they are in I just think of the default rooms and enemies.
Also they're soo late in the game that by that point you're either all in on Elden ring, or you gave up and don't care at all anymore. Plus farum azula, and the haili tree are both amazing late game areas so the game doesn't end on a lame area. So if two areas out of 10 are meh (not bad, just meh) then they did a great job. Plus like you said there's tons of cool stuff in both the mountain tops and snowfield.
Also hard pass on reindeer. I still have nightmares about the horses in DS2.
@@BagelBoi4000 You're right, Mountaintops of Giants was my least favorite open world section in the game but after watching the video, I realised it had most of my favorite mini dungeons in the game. Still my least favorite open world section though.
How? Both of those areas seemed unfinished when I went through them.
How have I never seen a cemetery shade? Guy looks cool AF.
The spirit caller snail was actually pretty cool to me. I didn't realize what it was at first and didnt read the boss name, so i killed the crucible knight and waited for my reward... and waited... then i realized the health bar never went down, i had been paying attention to the overhead health bar, oh shit another knight just appeared. What the fuck is going on? Snail?
It was a pretty memorable experience, personally.
Something that definitely helps the catacombs feel like less of a slog is bringing both crystal darts and a blunt weapon. Crystal darts cause imps, watchdogs, and any other type of construct type enemy to go berserk and attack other enemies. Blunt weapons 1-2 shot imps and skeletons, the heavier variety outright launches them across the room. Pair with a shield and use guard counters to instantly break their poise everytime. The omens can also be abused in this way. If you want you playthroughs to be easy you'll always want to have an upgraded blunt weapon on hand!
So this is probably an unpopular opinion but I love the Cemetery Shade boss fight, I love their creepy design, their weapons are unique, and how they just walk around staring at you until you make a move and then they instant transmission behind you, say "Nothing personnel, kid" and attack, I absolutely love it. It becomes a sort of weird dance and it's amazing. I'll never forget the first time I fought one in the Caelid Catacombs and it took me around 45 minutes to an hour to beat, I couldn't really land any of my attacks on him because of his dodges so around the 30 minute mark I decided to just parry him to death and eventually that strategy succeeded, definitely one of my top 10 favorite bosses in the game, possibly top 5
I killed bro in 3 hits, definitely cannot relate
21:11 that one shot a lighting bolt at me the second I got close so he is different
I feel like Fromsoft is starting to rely too much on giving bosses (some enemies too) massive poise. It takes so much of the strategy and fun out of combat when most things can ignore whatever you’re doing and just flail wildly at you
After beating Elden Ring I’m back playing Bloodborne and started up a Demon Soul remake playthrough and it feels so much better when enemies actually *react* to getting hit and not just w/ that artificial feeling “posture break” in ER
Imo the posture breaking system is a bandaid because what combat should actually reward you for is well timed dodges, parries, having good positioning etc and it shouldn’t just auto rotate enemies (it looks so bad in ER) and let them spam like it’s Street Fighter
I’d say I generally agree with you but on the other hand I am a bit shocked to hear an Elden Ring player say that. Just because Elden Ring still has strong poise breaking compared to most other games I’ve played. The difference is usually other games have certain OP attacks or abilities that are guaranteed poise breakers unlike ER. Im not sure what the solution is, the main thing I’d hope for is more time before boss poise starts regenerating.
In the last place, there was an illusory wall behind that chest, and you smacked every single wall besides that one. It leads to the Silver Scarab that increases drop rate. Super useful item!
Why in hell is Rusty NOT using Mogh's or Margit's shackles? Rusty didn't use Crystal Darts and he didn't use the shackles which reveal illusionary walls? Rusty's grade went from C- to D+.
Rusty - you need to redo this video using Crystal Darts and either of the two shackles available. Redeem yourself so you can reach S tier. Rusty just redo it
Do you guys think Vaati knows why the Watchdog is obviously a cat
The giants catacomb was such a cool dungeon. I thought I was looping until I saw the giant poison thingy and it was an instant realization and I loved the dungeon for it. Even challenged myself to run it two more times to see if I missed anything.
All my homies hate the shadow watchdogs in the giant slayers hero’s grave
In regards to Auriza side tomb. You find the Perfumer's Cookbook that gives the Ironjar Aromatic in there. It's a pretty good consumable
The perfumer summon actually ROCKS! Seams to me like enemy AI has trouble with it....
....Also, I love prattling PATES!
fun fact and strat for any of the tombs with watchdog bosses with extra enemies: use crystal darts on them until they get shocked. This makes their team go after them (unless they're already obsessed with you, then it takes some finagling to get them to reprioritize).
Crystal darts work on imps, watchdogs, and giant golems, and the effect lasts ~30 seconds I think, which isn't much but in some instances can be a niche strat.
Yes! Heros graves! Finally someone gave them their due.
Your character at the end-screen reminds me of the courage the cowardly dog enemy that goes "Returnnn the slaaaaaab~" .
Not an insult, just a weird memory that got dug up
Cemetery Shade was actually a good addition to the game in my opinion, it's basically a living Bloodborne reference. Think about it:
- Extremely aggressive
- Trick Weapons
- Dodges by dashing
- Horrifying design
- Brainsucker attack
It's basically those lanky muppet creatures the witches summon.
I really love the design of a fragile boss that actually avoids your attack, instead of facetanking ungodly amounts of punishment without flincing. A fun fight, too, as long as it isn't the one with skelebro adds.
@@qwormuli77 I like the fight too, it benefits from both the thrill of a very agressive and dangerous boss and the satisfaction of melting the enemy's health bar at the same time, incredible really.
Being a reference doesnt make it good.
@@dodojesus4529 No, but it makes it more likable. When you see a reference to something you like, that normally brings good feelings, so it makes me like the boss more, good or bad.
Ordovis’ Spinning Blade is unique to that Crucible Knight. Also worth mentioning that the dual Crucible Knight boss fight had to be fixed in a patch because both Knights would attack you at the same time
They still attacked me together. I parried and riposted them. Only way to reliably no-hit them.
The War Dead catacomb is a misopportunity. It could be an S-rank if they made the boss a bit more unique. Imagine if the boss are two commander one from redmane and the others from malenia (the valkries?) fighting each other with their troops, the troops only aggro if you hit them but only the one got hit that will aggro, but if you hit their commander all of the troop from the side you hit will aggro to you.
That would be much cooler and a chance to pull sort of the Abyss watchers boss.
I think making it a three way fight between you and the two commanders would have been interesting by itself. Missed opportunity for sure.
Elden Ring is so big videos like this end up adopting the tone, and in general all of the trappings, of a travel guide.
I feel like the Unsightly Catacombs wasn’t giving fair justice here. You talked about the lore for the War Dead Catacombs, I feel like Unsightly Catacombs has just as much lore. The perfumers are know to treat the misbegotten, it’s a nice bit of environmental story telling. Also Perfumer Tricia’s description is very nice. Your other points are fair, so I feel like it should be in at least B tier.
Turns out, Impaler's Catacombs comes with free DLC foreshadowing.
Here's hoping Messmer doesn't summon imps...
“This guy’s guarding the snail like a linebacker”😂. Crucible knight must suck at his position
Part of what I love about this game is how 2 people can love the game and have completely opposite opinions about things. 18:29 Unsightly Catacombs is one of my favorites. Patricia is an excellent summon for a pure melee build, the lore and environmental storytelling is on point, and I really enjoy the boss fight.
1. On future play-throughs I'll be skipping almost all of the catacombs since most of them are exclusively stuff for spirit summons. At least the ones that have other gear are either good or have the items worth getting in an accessible location.
2. It's "Prattling *PATE*". (Like the name, not with an 'L' like the dish.) There's no legitimate reason for this to bother me, but it really does for come reason.
3. I'd like to remind the YT algorithm that I want to see Rusty's videos in my feed when they come out. YT, please fix whatever fuck-up your summer interns did that has turned my feed to crap for over a month now. "New content from creators I like + similar content from creators I might like" is not *that* complicated. Stop giving me "List of videos you've already watched with that fact obscured until you click on it", especially since it probably screws the creators I like since it results in a click-through that immediately bails and then confuses the algo about what I want. I'd tell you via official channels, but we all know that you just throw that shit in the trash. So *maybe* your AI reads complaints from people's comments...
'Pate, Rusty its Puh-ATE PATE RUST-' xD
But for you, Max! There's a send feedback option in the top right, when you click on your profile pic! Send them a screenshot with it and tell em where they're goofin!
I had no idea you could just hit the spiritcaller snail in the corner. I thought you had to kill the crucible knights every time to do damage to it…
perhaps you meant to say "mind if I GRADE some catacombs"?
I remember in Auriza side tomb, when transported to the "identical other side" I immediately noticed something's off as the throwing imp on the ledge was alive even though I sniped him before, that's how I knew I'm in a completely different place.
15:50
feels bad when he doesnt know that you can throw crystal shards at the erdtree watchdogs to make them hostile to everything.
A little elden ring tip I learned that I don't know if you know. You can use rainbow stones to see If there is a hidden pathway. It also tells you if a fall is survivable. It breaks if not
I do feel some of these rankings are due to problems caused by you not crafting anything.
Rainbowstones, Bone arrows, Flavoured pots and even darts are great for certain catacombes
rainbow stones can really make a difference in some of these tombs, it's a good trick for knowing where you can drop down and where you've been before in maze like ones.
dude keeps saying plate instead of pate
And giyotine
@@wolftales5203 Guillotine is a French word, so he's saying it correctly. Whereas "Prattling Pate" is a reference to a character named Pate from Dark Souls 2. He's probably not a plate.
Those dungeons with many skeletons is good to farm human bones, which are used for making a pot.
The useless for some can be gold for others
Dominula is another good Human Bone Shard farm for your Rancor Pots 🙂
i think the typical easy-going layouts of the catacombs in your starting place are there to train and let the player experience how it would work so that in a more complicated ones (in later regions like Gelmir, Lyendell,...) you'll get used to it easier. So i don't think it's fair ranking it individually. Same bosses because i, as well as many other folk, don't wanna dying and going through the whole catacombs again and again just to learn the movesets of a boss which i'll probably never face again until next playthrough so i think this is cool.
I agree that the first few catacombs are easy on purpose to teach you the basics of how catacombs work. Plus the later ones ramp waaaaay up in difficulty, creativity, and loot.
Also D is the best bro and should always be summoned to fight with you in the catacombs. I will accept not other answers.
Hanging with D makes me hate Fia much more.
Free tip for the Fringefolk Hero Grave: When you get to the bridge with the two Scions you can shoot the one hanging over the item with a bow. This causes it to fall off the ceiling and die instantly. You can lure the second one into the flame thrower statue, it probably won't kill it, but it does do a lot of damage.
The sad thing about all of this is that a lot of players lose their patience with catacombs in Limgrave in Liurnia, and stop seeking them out by the time they actually get good in Altus and Mountaintops...
Where are you getting this information?
@@reyjr4 I know it’s true for me
@@aperson6562Skill issue
I was told in the catacombs that have the duo watchdog fight, you can use crystal darts on one of them and they will start to fight each other making the battle a little more easy.
Yep that works. It was the only way I could get through that catacomb on my wizard. I was probably under leveled though.
@@mauricehopes9105 Nah dude, even at the appropriate level that one still sucked ass. They like to offset the two dogs' jump attack by just a little bit so when you try to roll the attack, the second guy will almost always get you. So you end up running around the room for most of the fight. Much easier to just cheese it with crystal darts.
@@Rayden440 Using an intended feature is not a "cheese" lol
I was trying to do that challenge, but I never got a no hit run so I just didn’t submit it because I thought someone else would no hit lol. I put real time in there
Soo cool discovery bout the Golden Epitaph, you actually just need it equipped to stop undead from resurrecting. I realized this while killing the dog zombie things in the dragon palace when I spammed magic nonsense to clear out the gang without any real faith investment
I feel like you might have missed some catacombs. The one that's in Subterranean Shunning Grounds is a full mind fuck, and is probably my favorite catacombs. It's the one where you go through 3 levels of very very similar pathways that all vary only slightly to give you the idea that you might be progressing. It's the one at the bottom of the platforms with the American Snipers(Lobster Edition).
I also remember one that had a secret area with 2 shadow watchdogs in this secret elevator that you have to go down into to get the light to shine on them. It might've been the one with the shadow troll you mentioned, but I just remember farming those 2 fuckers for the UGS they can drop. I think it was in the snow areas, but I could be wrong since it's been awhile. I'm playing through the game again after a break, so my memory is a little hazy, especially the snowfields area where I've only been through twice.
The cemetery shade and watchdogs placement was a lore thing. The dead are buried at the foot of the Erdtree, and they watch over it. It is easy to miss the many stories from has buried (totally intended)
The worst part about the minor Erdtree catacombs is that the stake of Marika doesn't even work.
Tha must be an issue on your end, I did it a few days ago and was able to revive at the stake
@@noexcusesjustpudding didnt work for me either and some other players have experienced that bug, no idea how to fix it tho
I personally loved the light mechanic catacombs. The one with the hidden elevator light with the troll is easily in my top 5 list of catacombs because it stands out far from the rest (in a good way)
Dude these boss placements in catacombs and enemies actually mean something. The watchdogs guard the roots. And the catacombs. The catacombs are where the dead travel to be reborn through the erdtree. Of course your going to see skeletons. And erdtree watchdogs. Why would they have different layouts for every catacombs built in the lands between.
4:17 I just laughed so loud everyone here at work just stared at me like I was crazy. You just got my sub.
it’s like the zerolenny video but less funny