Drake Hunting

Apparently I have a problem. After playing this game for some time, I have learned to distaste one enemy of all Dark Souls; The Red Drake. It is not that he is hard to pass by, as it do regularly with ease. However, it is more so what it represents. The Red Drake has declared the bridge as his, when clearly it is mine, and my own. I own Lordran of everything... Except for that bridge.

I have tried to beat it by myself, believe me. However I only beat it twice. Once with a bow, and another with a Darkwraith Ornstein holding a lightning rod. Weeks have gone by, and the only enemy I have never beaten by my own hands is that damn drake. It cheats! It flies up in the air and lays a pillar of fire. Rolls are not useable, nor is blocking. Its physical attacks are deadly, but reasonable. Even it's fire breath is comprehendible. But that damn pillar? Nope.

I have tried sorcery, dragon weapons, miracles, Pyromancy, swords, hammers, spears... Even dragon claws at times of desperation. Nothing. I then decided to summon Lautrec and Solaire for help against it. We have died again, and again.

Many say that Ornstein and enough are the hardest to beat alone. Those who agree, screw you. I have fought this thing again and again. I have beat the golden boys alone past NG+ and +++. I can't even lay a hand on the drake without that damn pillar showing up! Errr.... I hate that things so much. That bridge is mine, and Ima take it Obe way or another.

Lightning Zweihander +5 works fairly well, it dies in 3-5 heavy 2 hand hits.
Also, fire protection.
Black Iron works for me (I have it on regardless of the situation) and the Flame Plate Ring is great to have.
When it knocks you down, it's best not to move to avoid getting hit again while getting up.
Then you can decide to heal or smack it around until it flies up again.
I've never had a problem with this thing before.

EDIT:Do not try to roll, you will be hit. Don't block either, the flame will drain your stamina and break your guard, causing more damage than being hit normally.

Haha very nice!

I believe only a few people will get the idea

That Drake kicked my *** in my first playthrough when I tried to get the drake sword by my own

Now I never kill him because he makes such a cool environment

Heh, maybe armor would work on NG. I have gone far enough in which it is one hit for me against it. It does more damage than any other being in the game, only rivaled by the smack of the chaos bosses themselves with their explosives and fire. I tried fire protection to no avail. This bastard would use me for after sause.

A lightning weapon? ***, I use a sunlight blade. Doing more than any lightning weapon, and using the Man Eater and the Demon Hammer... Nope. NG + times 5 ain't let me no win with such strategy.

ahaha, great post Cook, indeed he is a very troublesome one.

I find that within reason your only option is to magic him when he lands on the bridge and walks past you, then duck into safety and draw him out again etc.

He is a bad one for melee though, I have no intention of dying an innumerable amount of times just to find out a strategy that i believe works

also, NG+5?! haha if you wanna melee him on that kinda crazy playthrough, it's your funeral

I never even try to kill the drake. I think of him as my pet dragon.

I mentioned lightning because dragons are weak to lightning.
Also NG+ x5?
It's better to just avoid and not kill him in that case.

But he's their still. I know I have a problem, but the problem lies with the drake and it's purpose.

Yes, serious, however you made a grammar error. Funerals, not funeral. Still trying to, but trying it with back up now. My golden friends are ready to kick ***... Hopefully the dude can throw a spear easy peasy, while the other breaks threw the dragons guard.

Let me know if you want help from my mage.

killing this damn creature was pure luck for me on NG+
and yes i used lightning spears on him, but i cant figure out any real strategy on this fellow, its just pure luck, he can one-shot you easily and randomly... its scary! obviously flame res stuff should help here but ...nah, he still one-shots you easily.

you can try to hit him with a DSB from the top of the stairs and quickly switch to talisman and land a l.spear on it once he lands down, but once you go back down the stairs to avoid the breath, he starts healing so you're just wasting ammo really.

i'd really like to learn how to kill this %&@*#$ ...it pisses me off
help please

Heh, you can't. Wanna know why?

Summoned Lautrec and Dolaire to help me fight the Drake. The two golden boys... Pfff. I saw a balder knight hit Lautrec and Solaire, and it did around 500 damage to them. About 1/30 of their health was gone for Lautrec, and 1/25 for Solaire. Heh, they were under the fire pillar fighting it. Vroom! Down goes Solaire, and Lautrec with a third of HP left. He'll, I healed them with soothing and bountiful sunlight before drake fight.

*** that thing, man. They had more health than me. Grr. Gonna get a stone shield and trident. Might help with killing it faster.

He's not too hard to solo if you have a ranged attack (spells or arrows, but spells preferred), you'll just have to devote a good amount of time to it, and no I'm not talking about cheesing it from below the bridge. That method is dumb. This method is cool

1. Get him to jump down onto the bridge and run past him towards the building with the bonfire and the Sunlight Altar.
2. Don't go all the way into the building or else he will fly away. Instead, run behind the wall to either side of the archway and back yourself into the corner farthest from the bonfire.
3. Wait for the Drake to lose sight of you and stop spewing fire, then walk out (don't run), target him, and peg him with a Greater Lightning Spear/Soul Spear/*insert very powerful ranged option here*
4. Quickly duck back to your corner, then repeat steps 3-4 until he is dead.

This might take a while because sometimes the game makes sure he doesn't lose sight of you for a good amount of time. I actually did this earlier today and it took him 30 minutes to stop spewing fire into the building once. However, it doesn't usually take more than a minute or two between attack opportunities, and on a first playthrough you can kill him in only a few spellcasts.

That's not manly though. I mean to fight it with an arm and heart of steel. I want to see it wither and die in front of my screen when I see it melt away. I want to take it's soul the proper way, and not do a repeat of sniping it from afar.

And the fire pillar is the only problem. The fire breath does less, way less, than the fire breath. Hell, it only took away twice the amount of HP as the balder does, which is nothing compared to that damn pillar. I got the stoneshield BTW. Sacrificing my silver ring with Havel, which upsets me some. I really liked that ring.

I don't think I've ever managed to beat him past the first playthrough, I've gotten close but I always die. The problem is that after he first lands you can slash at him for a bit, at this point he usually flys to the other side of the bridge and lets his fire breath go. I can never reach him in time before getting hit by the breath, even if I run underneath the stairs. Not to mention the damage he does is so inconsistent, half the time his breath does 1/4 damage to my health and the other half I get 1HKO.

Well cook, you seem set in your ways, old dog

Please don't go hollow though, with both you and glyph gone i dunno who would gonna solve the mysteries of this game for us

I secretly think he is the boss of the game. I've only ever killed him with a Dragonslayer bow.

I have to agree though, he is the most difficult boss past NG even though he isn't really considered to be one. I usually run past him but it just aggravates me seeing him there so on occasion I'll attempt to kill him. I can't imagine fighting him on NG++++ which I'll be at soon, lol.

I go back to an old Demon Souls trick and use the red tearstone ring. let the rats poison you or throw some dung and let your health drain until the ring activates. In NG+5 you better load up on all the arrows of every kind and if that doesn't work then it's time to to him and admit that the bridge is his and he's just one big bully.

My partner at arms is helping me win this now. He and Lautrec will help me win what is rightfully mine. Hopefully that is the case. We shall see.

In my NG+ playthrough I killed him by using HCSM. I waited for him to land, casted HCSM, balls fly away, and then quickly go underground.

But to be honest, I think I've never killed him in pure melee.

Now my Slvl 111 pure STR (and a bit of dex) build has a worthy challenge! Also I'm Dragon! So it will be Dragon vs Dragon (or drake lol).

Sigh, I defeated the dragon... But I feel off now.

I was battling it with Havel and savored ring of protection, as well as a mask from the gravelords. Equipment I usually frown upon. I did not get the finishing blow, rather whiskey got the last shot with his spears. He hit him about 4-5 times, while I hit the dragon 3 times before running to cover from anticipated pillar.

I'll try again in NG + x 6 (or NG7). I beat everything at one point by myself, even the four King's by myself in the last NG without a single death from them (I got good at rolling without flip ring... Really). But I needed help from a sorcerer, even thou he is friend, to beat that damn thing. Yes...

I'll try again next playthrough. This time I'll aim for what I am to kill it, and not seek support from neither unlined equipment and others. One on one. Then perhaps I can truly call myself the follower of darkness and light. My hammer is hungry, and I need something new to challenge it once more. Perhaps I'll do the four King's again tomorrow. I killed them with a sword, now with my hammer. I miss my hammer ;(

Acidic_Cook wrote:My partner at arms is helping me win this now. He and Lautrec will help me win what is rightfully mine. Hopefully that is the case. We shall see.

She.

And we did it without Lautrec.

Sorry, I did not know. Forgive me if I think that most on the Internet are male. Plus, he is easier to type on my iPod than she, so. Either way, it doesn't matter. We won. That lizard is dead, until I face him alone again. This time those pillars will not stop me. Even if I die countless times, it is the only challenge I have not overturned. Soon it will be the lasts. Then only the puzzles will remain.

How are you all killing him with Bows? Hitting him from below the bridge like a pansy? Can you snipe him from the Black Knight tower? He's out of range if you go to Solaire (Loc #1), from the Sunlight Altar?

hows the ash lake hydra in ng+infinitum? also try and kill a bp mushroom parent in ng+ or greater. they will one shot you despite maxed giants armor and high vit. they also have ridiculous poise and health.