The Sister Friede Bossfight Reveals a Problem With The Core Game, And With The Souls Series As A Whole

[bonseez]

This is an unpopular opinion, but I think its the worst boss fight in the game. I've beaten DS3 SL1, no death, I know the game in and out. Even did all the optional bosses in the base game at SL1, nameless king and everyone. I speed ran the game as a personal challenge for a while, my best time was about 2 hours and 40 minutes (this is any% of the base game). Just wanna clarify my gamer cred. So now why I dislike this boss and feel its unfair.

The 1st phase of the fight is fun, the timings are really odd and it takes a while to get them down. The invisibilty mechanic is a nice twist. my only problem with friede is that she's too fast for the game. She feels like a bloodborne boss in DS3. Sometimes it feels like you cant keep up with her. The first time i faced her i beat her with a strength build, she greatly outpaced me. Now, even using a dex build it feels like i can only get 1 hit on her before she jumps away out of my reach. Her speed and odd timings reveal a problem at the core of DS3 though. Stored inputs. I constantly get ♥♥♥♥ on because of it. She attacks me, I press the roll button, but when you press it slightly too late, she hits you before you start the roll animation, it cancels the roll, but stores the input. Then, when your character is unstaggered, they will immidiately roll when you no longer want to. This can cause you to roll again into another attack they do, essentially punishing you twice for a mistake. This stored input system was in both DS1 and DS2, but the difference was the combat system was much slower, so this flaw never really showed or bothered me. They really needed to adjust the stored input system and make it less intense. Sometimes I can even see my character start to roll, but i'll get hit before the I-frames kick in, and it'll still store the input.

The main problem is the 2nd phase of the fight, gank fights are never good imo. I dont have much trouble with the 1st or 3rd phase, i actually really enjoy them. The 2nd phase just feels like a chaotic mess of fire and ice. It reminds me of how boring and just tedious fights like ornstein and smough were. Run around the arena, wait for an opening, attack, run around more. If you get attacked, dodge, and pray to god you dont get ♥♥♥♥ RNG and roll caught by the other boss. The problem with gank fights is sometimes you just get completely ♥♥♥♥ed by RNG. Its simply not fun to me the majority of the time. Im a patient person, so i'll run around the arena and play it as safe as I possibly need to, but the entire time im not having fun.

The 3rd phase is a really cool spectacle, over all just fun. Again though, her jumping away constantly is frustrating, and the stored input problem. I dont really have much to else to say about this phase. Overall I think this bossfight would be much better if the 2nd phase was completely removed, though I do like the cutscene that plays before the 2nd phase.

I just wanted to rant a share this, wondering if anyone else dislikes the friede fight like i do. Also just looking for tips to help me with this boss aswell.

[SilentSalem]

Use Friede's scythe on her. A lot of bosses in these games are surprisingly weak against their own weapons. The speed problem is completely eradicated when you use her scythe.

[The Sorrow]

Originally posted by SorisXPH:

Use Friede's scythe on her. A lot of bosses in these games are surprisingly weak against their own weapons. The speed problem is completely eradicated when you use her scythe.

This and summon at least one phantom. Friede is a duelist, she really shines 1v1 but she's very weak vs multiple targets. Long ago, when I was killing all the bosses solo, she was second only to Midir for me :)

[SilentSalem]

Originally posted by The Sorrow:

Originally posted by SorisXPH:

Use Friede's scythe on her. A lot of bosses in these games are surprisingly weak against their own weapons. The speed problem is completely eradicated when you use her scythe.

This and summon at least one phantom. Friede is a duelist, she really shines 1v1 but she's very weak vs multiple targets.
Long ago, when I was killing all the bosses solo, she was second only to Midir for me :)

Gael is an NPC summon available for this fight. Probably because it's a gank fight, Demon Prince is a gank fight too and they gave 2 npcs

[The Sorrow]

Originally posted by SorisXPH:

Originally posted by The Sorrow:

This and summon at least one phantom. Friede is a duelist, she really shines 1v1 but she's very weak vs multiple targets.
Long ago, when I was killing all the bosses solo, she was second only to Midir for me :)

Gael is an NPC summon available for this fight. Probably because it's a gank fight, Demon Prince is a gank fight too and they gave 2 npcs

That's what I mean. But demons are slow and very susceptible to BK weapons. idk why but I've never had any problems with them, at the same time I still don't like fighting Friede face to face.

[bonseez]

Originally posted by The Sorrow:

Originally posted by SorisXPH:

Gael is an NPC summon available for this fight. Probably because it's a gank fight, Demon Prince is a gank fight too and they gave 2 npcs

That's what I mean. But demons are slow and very susceptible to BK weapons. idk why but I've never had any problems with them, at the same time I still don't like fighting Friede face to face.

thanks for the reply. I also dont have any trouble at all soloing the demons, but friede still destroys me.

[Xenos]

For the second fight I ALWAYS just hack at Ariandel's legs until he dies, occasionally dodging an attack that may have hit me. Of the five or so times I've fought Sister Friede, I have always summoned Gael and she has never directly attacked me during the second phase. It's always been a pretty big joke to me.

[SilentSalem]

Originally posted by Xenos:

For the second fight I ALWAYS just hack at Ariandel's legs until he dies, occasionally dodging an attack that may have hit me. Of the five or so times I've fought Sister Friede, I have always summoned Gael and she has never directly attacked me during the second phase. It's always been a pretty big joke to me.

This. Gael makes Friede absolutely nothing in the second phase. The game gives a way around the gank

[metanoia]

I loved the whole fight and also loved Friede, awesome boss!

[xxivzx]

Don't like bosses who gank you? Let me tell you about this game called Dark Souls 2.

[vongogh]

I always get Gael to help though, fighting her is fueled by anger and hatred, so I enjoy it more if I happen to die more to her, if she dies in my second attempt, I feel unsatisfied. HARDER MOMMY!!!!!

[76561199036257063]

youre playing the game wrong. in ds3, you spam r1 with a straight sword. thats how you win.

[quacksouls]

Phase 1 of the Friede fight is easy. I would use Throwing Knives to help me keep track of where she is whenever she turns invisible. And use an ultra greatsword to stagger her. Phase 2 is manageable because I would summon Gael and poison Father Ariandel with the Storyteller's Staff. I find that the poison of this staff would last the whole second phase. I deal with Ariandel while Gael deals with Friede. If I'm quick enough because Ariandel doesn't crawl around the arena like he's on rocket-powered wheelchair, then Gael would survive the fight to help me gank Friede in phase 3. During phase 3, while Friede is distracted by Gael, I would try to first poison her with the weapon art of the Storyteller's Staff. Once Friede is poisoned, I would get a hit in here and there using an ultra greatsword. The stagger allows me to roll away and heal if I need to heal.

[76561199036257063]

Originally posted by quackquacksouls:

Phase 1 of the Friede fight is easy. I would use Throwing Knives to help me keep track of where she is whenever she turns invisible. And use an ultra greatsword to stagger her. Phase 2 is manageable because I would summon Gael and poison Father Ariandel with the Storyteller's Staff. I find that the poison of this staff would last the whole second phase. I deal with Ariandel while Gael deals with Friede. If I'm quick enough because Ariandel doesn't crawl around the arena like he's on rocket-powered wheelchair, then Gael would survive the fight to help me gank Friede in phase 3. During phase 3, while Friede is distracted by Gael, I would try to first poison her with the weapon art of the Storyteller's Staff. Once Friede is poisoned, I would get a hit in here and there using an ultra greatsword. The stagger allows me to roll away and heal if I need to heal.

storytellers staff is halfway between toxic and poison if i remember correctly.and it can be stacked with regular poison and toxic as well :3

[bonseez]

Originally posted by xxivzx:

Don't like bosses who gank you? Let me tell you about this game called Dark Souls 2.

the gank bosses in ds2 are all easy though, so it never bothered me.

[xxivzx]

Originally posted by bonseez:

Originally posted by xxivzx:

Don't like bosses who gank you? Let me tell you about this game called Dark Souls 2.

the gank bosses in ds2 are all easy though, so it never bothered me.

DS2 overall is easy as much as it is disappointing, meaning very. Use the deprived class, and join the Company of Champions covenant for some good bang for you buck.