Early game pyromancer - how to play properly?

[PictusCZ]

Hi guys,

I would like to ask you for advice/opinion, how to play an early game pyromancer. I read several times that Pyromancer should be one of those easier-to-play classes, recommended for beginners, but I feel I am missing something, because I felt much more confident playing a Knight. The possibility of using some pyro seems fine, but... I feel like I die a lot more than I would like to and my performance is not stable, as opposed to knight.

Right now, I am using an +1 Astora straight sword, Silver Eagle knight Shield, and I cast fireballs (with my Flame being +2). My stats are about 20/20 int/faith, I put some minor points to Attunement, and that's it. I finished Undead Settlement and got to Road of Sacrifices.

Still, I feel unsure how to play the early game pyromancer properly. Should i focus on casting fireballs and use melee attacks only when I run out of FPs/there is no time/room to cast? Or should I be primarily focused on melee attacks with a sword in early game stages and only use fireballs as "something extra"? Or any other tips/advices?

Thank you all!

[Alariel]

Early game I would focus on melee attacks. Get a raw infused weapon. Broadsword has most damage, but Longsword the better moveset imo.
A pyromancer can use a lot of different spells. Check sorceries and miracles too.
Per ex. healing miracles, Rapport, Hidden Body.

You need to get the NPCs Cornyx, Irina and Orbeck soon as possible and spend your souls buying their spells.

Great Combustion for melee range.
The pyromancies are very useful in Farron Keep. Most enemies there are weak to fire damage.

You will find powerful pyromancies in Catacombs and Demon Ruins.
Later in game you can infuse some weapons with dark and chaos.

[Alariel]

Also: with 20 int/ 20 faith you are fine for now.
Focus on upgrading your weapons to +3 / +4 to deal more damage.
Dark Hand is a powerful melee weapon too. ( Equip it right hand)

[PictusCZ]

Yea, I plan to do some combined approach with miracles and sorceries. Already have Cornyx, I will have to wait a sec for Irina, as I currently have low HP to survive the fall into low areas of Undead Settlement and don't have Orbeck to purchase Spook (which should prevent Fall damage).

As for the stats - if fth/int is fine for now, what to focus next? Does Dexterity speed up casting (as it should for sorcerer, I guess)? Or maybe put more into Attunement (to unlock third slot and get more FP?), or sholud i focus on Endurance/Vigor, to improve my melee survivability (being able to take more damage/do more swings)?

As for weaponry - on my Knight, I used Longsword from start to finish, maybe I would stick to then with Pyromancer, too, as I am already used to this weapon and it's moveset. Or is Broadsword that better?

Anyway, thanks for the tips!

[Malu]

rush Irithill dungeon, things become way easier when you get the Profaned Coal and Dark Pyromancies

[PictusCZ]

Maybe, but I think I am still quite far from that right now and not good at rushing. But I am glad to hear that things are gonna get easier :-)

[Malu]

Oh yeah, save from the DLC (where elemental damages, especially fire and dark, suck) the rest of the game is a cakewalk with high level Pyromancies

[PictusCZ]

I don't have DLCs atm, so it should be cakewalk, nice... So it's just "get through rough and humble beginnings and shine later" for a pyromancer, OK?

[Malu]

yep, more or less

[Ambugaton]

Originally posted by PictusCZ:

I don't have DLCs atm, so it should be cakewalk, nice... So it's just "get through rough and humble beginnings and shine later" for a pyromancer, OK?

I hear a lot that the DLC sucks for pyromancers but I just have to disagree. The two most dangerous mobs? One is really resistant to dark, the other really resistant to fire. But conveniently the one resistant to dark gets chewed up by fire, the one resistant to fire gets chewed up by dark. Fact is, in the DLC the pyro is still pretty OP. The only boss that's truly resistant to both fire and dark? well you have access to the one spell that makes that boss kind of a joke.

Have fun. I never liked playing casters. FInally tried a Pyro and I loved it.

And btw, you shouldn't have to have any big falls to get to Irina. And yeah, you get access to some badass pyromancies from the dungeon but even knowing that I purposefully didn't get them early my first playhrough as a pyro... makes getting them when you do that much more satisfying :P

[PictusCZ]

Originally posted by Ambugaton:

And btw, you shouldn't have to have any big falls to get to Irina. And yeah, you get access to some badass pyromancies from the dungeon but even knowing that I purposefully didn't get them early my first playhrough as a pyro... makes getting them when you do that much more satisfying :P

Well, you gotta jump down from a cliff behind Eygon, right? And that takes a bit of HPs... I feel that right now, my vigor is not sufficient to survive such fall... Or is the fall dmg calculated as % of your max HP rather than absolute value? Or how else could I reduce damage from that fall, if not Spook?

[Ambugaton]

Originally posted by PictusCZ:

Originally posted by Ambugaton:

And btw, you shouldn't have to have any big falls to get to Irina. And yeah, you get access to some badass pyromancies from the dungeon but even knowing that I purposefully didn't get them early my first playhrough as a pyro... makes getting them when you do that much more satisfying :P

Well, you gotta jump down from a cliff behind Eygon, right? And that takes a bit of HPs... I feel that right now, my vigor is not sufficient to survive such fall... Or is the fall dmg calculated as % of your max HP rather than absolute value? Or how else could I reduce damage from that fall, if not Spook?

You don't have to make that jump at all :) Have you found the mortician's ashes?

[PictusCZ]

Originally posted by Ambugaton:

You don't have to make that jump at all :) Have you found the mortician's ashes?

Aaah, I see... :-D Well, I was always the "Do it the harder way" player... :-D Thanks for the tip ;-)

[Alariel]

Came home right now and saw some more questions:

- about fall damage on the way to Irina: a SL 1 player can survive it. Ember up, unequip ALL gears, (no armor, rings, weapons), dont "jump", very carefull drop down.

- about to level dex: more dex will increase your cast speed. But imo you don't have points to waste on dex at the moment. Wear Sage Ring instead, it gives +30 virtual dex . Maximal cast speed you get with 50 dex. With this ring you would be very fast already, but you need it only for some bosses or PvP.

- I would level up attument for sure and get 4 slots for now. Also a bit vigor for more hp, until you are comfortable with it.
- If you are looking for a dark infused weapon later on: check out the Claymore, it does pretty well.

- And if you die a lot: cast Tears of Denial. You can cast it at the bonfire, then change your spells in bonfire menu and Tears are still active. Voila: one "free death".
Or equip it for boss fights. Per ex. for Dancer I equip only ToD and Dorhy's Gnawing on my SL 40 pyromancer, makes Dancer to a cacewalk.

- It's a shame you don't have the DLCs, there are to find some nice items for pyromancers.
It's no problem to beat the DLCs with a pyromancer.

[PictusCZ]

Just got to the Farron Keep... And hell, pyromancer kicks a...es here! :-D

[PictusCZ]

Abyss Watchers - down on the first try... Just burned them with Fire Orb. Awesome... Thank you all for tips, guys! :-)