[Gryllen]

Well managed to beat my boss and reached final unexplored area. Of course it starts with 3 phase boss fight. Have also one miniboss to beat that should be doable after some practice. Should keep me busy for few playing sessions.

[Traveller]

Too tired last night - another busy day today, but I've got to have another pop at Lady B.

[Traveller]

Hah, got her! 3rd attempt. That was awesome, although I still never managed to successfully counter her sweep move.

[amphibian]

Briar King, on 03 April 2019 - 10:00 PM, said:

Wiped off General Jizz for my 4th bead.

I’m so far behind y’all.

Are you still having issues with attacking early?

[Traveller]

I found him really tricky. These mini bosses are really there to teach you those parry techniques though. I found another purple ninja last night, he was easy after Lady B, but it's still the same - tap block at the right time to get a higher tone to the sword clash, and no loss of your own posture, as theirs goes up instead.

Hold block, and the sword rings are dull and you lose posture.

I'm really enjoying these human swordsman fights; all the Souls games pit you against massive demons and such; this is different though, a general or ninja or whatever, countering and finding the right balance of block and attack.

I'm at Ashina castle now, got another bead from lone ninja, now heading up rooftops.

[Gryllen]

Ashina castle rooftops are fun. Later on after progressing in story there will be more purple ninjas to kill. One more as a miniboss also.

[Traveller]

Gryllen, on 04 April 2019 - 06:45 AM, said:

Ashina castle rooftops are fun. Later on after progressing in story there will be more purple ninjas to kill. One more as a miniboss also.

Any recommendations regarding skill tree?

This post has been edited by Traveller: 04 April 2019 - 12:33 PM

[Gryllen]

For rooftops I don't know if there is anything really special needed. As the enemies there tend to jump shuriken is useful, and in prosthetic skill tree there are skills that let you attack after using certain prosthetics. Also useful against jumping enemies is aerial takedown or sth, but I guess it was purchased from some merchant, not available on skill trees.

If you have ashina sword arts skill tree unlocked then there are passives that boost posture damage on deflects and decrease what you take. Very useful for coming bossfight. Currently I have no combat arts equipped, cause they seemed to be inefficient against certain bosses (as some tend to be giants who don't care or flinch when you attack them) and mess up the flow of battle when triggered by accident.

This post has been edited by Gryllen: 04 April 2019 - 02:06 PM

[Traveller]

Thanks, didn't mean just for the rooftops but as you're much further ahead, just wondered if there were any really worth aiming for, and which ones aren't worth the points. Like, there's a second suppress sound skill; does it make a noticable difference to stealth?

Whereas the Mikiri counter and shinobi eyes power up seem really useful, even for bosses. (I even used it to block the purple ninjas kick, its great.)

[Traveller]

Kill all his friends first. Hide until he goes back to his start place. Sneak behind him and backstab for first hit, THEN run and talk to the ally by the lake.

He should distract him enough for you to hit him enough for the second stab.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 04 April 2019 - 10:56 PM

[Traveller]

Hah hide n seek.. just wait!

On Drunk fight.. you seem to jump in and try to take the whole group at the same time? If you're in sneak mode, and creep round, you should be able to lure out one at a time - then run and hide until they stop hunting, then go back and lure another. I run in for a backstab kill, then run away. When they're all dead, take on the big guy. My ally took him on, I attacked from tbe sides and back, and he went real quick - and my ally was still alive at the end.

Have fun with the snake, awesome sequence.

I had a duel with an elite ninja in a dojo in Ashina castle - used Mist Raven every time he attacked, it worked a treat.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 05 April 2019 - 05:39 AM

[Gryllen]

For the elite in Ashina dojo I used sabimaru and watched him die to poison.

[Traveller]

I only just found sabimuru, after I got him. The castle is a bit of a maze now, I expect I'm missing lots of stuff. I found one prayer bead behind a secret wall, and I still have slots on the prosthetic that I don't own yet.

Found a serpent temple last night, with a route to Ashina outskirts, but apart from another bead it seemed like a dead end.

Went back to the castle and found sabimuru, but there's supposed to be a vendor there somewhere I haven't found yet, and some guards were talking about a guy in a black hat. Couldn't see anyone around that area though.

Found a grave though - wondering

Spoiler

if the game is more closely linked to Dark Souls than first appears, and Sekiro has been raised from the dead by the heir? Already found the memory where the heir describes it as a curse rather than a gift - just reminds me of DS.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 05 April 2019 - 07:13 AM

[Gryllen]

To find the vendor turn right into the alleyways before the stairs and explore. Tha black hat guy is near the old grave idol, jump onto the low wall and you should see house with broken roof. Jump into the hole and he is there.

[Traveller]

Sneak past snake, there's a new area and the mounted boss up there, more prayer beads etc. I finished that area before the Hirata bit you're stuck on; you'll be able to level up health and strength and then go back later.

There's also quite a nice exp farming area by an idol, and a new skill tree to open up.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 06 April 2019 - 09:16 AM

[Malankazooie]

Shadows die twice? More like Shadows die ∞

[Traveller]

Did you hide in the palanquin, and poke him in the eye? Dash out, away towards the next branch, grapple up as you jump, (you have to get it as you jump) and ledge hop up to safety.

I love that whole sequence; especially hiding against the ledge underneath him while he's sniffing about.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 06 April 2019 - 03:26 PM

[Traveller]

Just make a run for it!

I've hit a new boss. Trying different tactics but he's slaying me and there's no chance of a sneak attack to even things out. I'm gonna die loads to this guy.

On the plus side I found the umbrella shield, which works so well against missiles and dive bombing critters.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 06 April 2019 - 03:29 PM

[Traveller]

Do you need run and slide to unlock shinobi eyes? I've unlocked the other skill earlier on the tree but shinobi eyes is still locked? I don't really need run and slide but it seems a bit silly if you need to unlock multiple branches to unlock skills, otherwise why have branches?

[Traveller]

I left castle boss, he's going to need some time investment like Lady B.

Went exploring instead, found a dungeon, an elevator, and an absolutely beautiful mountain area at the top.

Didn't stay though, returned to the first area and found a new mini boss with a really wide spear attack. Almost unblockable. So used a lot of oil and set him on fire after a sneak attack for his first bar. Finished him off with a flurry of attacks and kept spamming the mikiri, which seemed to work by getting me round his attacks to keep hitting him.

Found a new tool too, a lunging spear attack for 'removing armour.' Betting there's a specific boss that works on.

Just had fun farming early areas using new tools, I now realise the value of being able to hold more emblems, so I want those skills as well as aiming for shadow rush.