Well, he was definitely big and looked like he was crawling, and I’m willing to assume he was deranged. At the time I was 95% certain I was due a Site of Grace, so I didn’t approach as I didn’t fancy another round of bull archers and crabs.
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I like how al they did to make the crabs scary and intimidating is to make them bigger, non of the usual from soft mutations, extra limbs or other added abominations are present, they were simply not needed. 
What level are you currently running? 
Melania battered! Had to respec in the end to do it but absolutely destroyed her with the Rivers of Blood sword.
Now to decide if I should crack on as a mad dual handed samurai sort or go back to glass canon…
Nice I have Leonas polestar (twinblade) at +9 and I do serious damage with it in a blood/fire build. I respecced to arcane but I kept enough Faith so I can use a lightning weapon if needed. I tore through the Godskin boss in volcano manor and the boss in Castle Sol, plus most of those areas since the change. For Rykard I used the sword you are supposed to use. I can tell you those snakes (retread from DS1) in Volcano Manor can’t do anything once I start my combo. It’s a very quick kill that hits so hard that they can’t really do anything.
The area you got that rivers of blood sword is such a pain. Can’t see anything, I have killed 2 invaders there already. Can’t find a sight of grace so I spawn in that super foggy area every time and have to find the slope down while dodging bears and giants…lol. Its crazy.
I am thinking of getting enough STR and FTH to wield the blasphemous Blade, but I am not sure if it would help me in endgame or not. The thing about the twinblade I am using is the special move does not use much FP so I can use it a lot, and it hits so hard.
I actually can’t remember where I got it! I’ve picked up so much stuff that I never check out. So when I read the “how to beat Melania” tip saying to use it I was delighted I had it to hand. Will probably dual wield RoB and Moonveil through the post Fire Giant section. Still got some big bosses too deal with in the horizon
Yeah I am thinking before I do the Fire Giant that I should go back and clear out the underground cities like the River bed. I never fought that boss. Need to kill that super annoying boss from Rannis quest as well.
What’s tricky is using a blood build in Moghwyn. Those guys aren’t really fazed by it and I’d like to get that white mask before fighting that boss. Those birds make it incredibly difficult to get the mask though. they just destroy me and the deeper I go into that area its very hard to stealth past them.
I’m so frustrated by the consecrated snowfield that I’m considering skipping that area and just head for the end…
for me this has always been the draw of the ‘souls’ games. I’m in a desolate dark world where everything wants to kill me. But I can see helpful hints and blood stains of past failures to guide me. (until the finger but hole meme existed)
Summoning help at a boss I’m struggling with and then reciprocating to complete strangers by helping them once I know the secret.
There is nothing else like it out there.
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I have to admit that I’ve never had so much fun playing a video game like Elden Ring… WOW, was kinda cool back then, but this game is a whole different beast… (even though I’m a pretty bad gamer and will need years to play through)
I know the kind of bad feeling I get sometimes from playing a game, when I could be productive… personally I think it is healthy to sort of accept that you will have down time creatively where you maybe play a big game like this. I made myself finish a song before starting elden ring as I knew it was gonna be all I wanted to do for a week or so. Nearing the end and I find myself messing with PVP to prolong the game, I think it is actually time for me to finish up the last few bosses and beat the game though before I burn out on it and leave it unfinished.
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Wow, it’s cool to briefly go through this thread and read the evolution of everyone’s enjoyment and discoveries of this game.
About 15 hours into it I told myself this was one of the greatest releases in gaming. After over a 100 hours of playtime I stand by that statement.
I’m on the Elder Beast and haven’t really taken it serious and been struggling. I think it’s the idea of finishing the game and it all being over with. I’ve enjoyed this experience so much that I don’t want to see the credits, and I’m not really into new game+.
Maybe I’ll venture back and help some of my fellow tarnished out with some of the harder bosses, and come back to slay a God when I’m ready to say goodbye.
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I skipped that noise. Looked up in a guide what it was at the end of it and was just a crafting stone. Not wasting another 20 minutes feeling dumb and uncoordinated. Always disliked platforming in FromSoftware games. Feel out of place and unnecessary.
Elden Beast defeated. Can almost “move on” from this now. Think there’s two optional bosses I’ll hunt down before calling it a day. What a journey.
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It was a particularly cruel section for its size, but after I’d done it I was able to do it again. I’m happer platforming on foot than on horseback, but it still makes me nervous for the wrong reasons.
Talking about nerves, last night’s session was devoted to getting into Redmane Castle. That’s a long, Grace-free experience right there - probably the most relieved I’ve ever been to see that faint golden whisp up ahead. After checkpointing I cheesed an iron maiden that was stuck behind a barrier, until I got too close and it broke through, which was great. Then a bit further past that I was clobbered by a knight, but I’d forgotten that as soon as I’d peeked through the gate at the front of the castle I’d equipped a sacrificial twig, so it didn’t turn out too bad. Masteful manipulation - I didn’t rest at the SoG becasue I didn’t want the flamethrower soldiers to return, then I didn’t rest because I didn’t want the iron maiden to return, then I died.
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I’ve often gone offline in previous games just to avoid invasion, after having some very untimely griefer invasions early on. I got over that eventually and learned to live with it, though I don’t think I ever won a duel, but I still appreciate them tweaking it in ER so that you have to opt-in to invasion but can still see messages and ghosts and such. I’m sure it’s upset all the wrong people, too, which is a bonus.
Did some nice work last night, took out the gargoyle bosses in 2 tries. At first did not see the point until I realized I could get in the coffin. Man, From really makes some stuff not so obvious. It’s just crazy how an entire world is revealed from there. And that world let me complete Fia’s quest by fighting a dragon that I took out the first try with my trusty blled/fire build and the +1 lightning talisman.
I need to beat that annoying boss now so I can complete farinas quest. What I am realizing is that I have completed a decent amount of storylines, and 80% was just done by my wandering around and trying stuff. I got really lucky that I had the twin armor before running across D’s brother and being prompted to give it to him. Just a wild storyline there if you all haven’t done it.
My character is 105 so Im not sure if I’m ready for clearing the land of giants area but Im already on the bottom area. It seems like I may be close to progressing that story line.
The one alt area that still gives me hell is Mogwhyn. those damn giant birds hit very hard.
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the worst for me is when they make a bottom of the list menu option to talk at a bonfire to progress the game that is easy to miss after they haven’t had you do it for about 100hrs of gameplay 
still love the game but if you feel stuck no shame is looking stuff up, often it is something like a not obvious menu option.
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I struggle with the Consacrated Snowfield, just lethal.
Also before you beat Fire Giant grab yourself the Rivers of Blood katana. It’s the best thing side Moonveil and definitely has a nerf coming. 
I honestly am not a huge moon veil fan. I have been rocking a twin blade blood/fire weapon and it wrecks so hard. Only reason I resist another blood weapon is because I already have my twin at +9, and can +10 if I want. But there are only so many smithing stones out there. Also I am just way more into arcane builds than Int. I have my dragon communion seal at +10.
If anything I may level up the blasphemous blade at some point.