Multiplayer PvE Guide

How to be efficient in Dark Souls 3 Multiplayer PvE


"JustAnotherGamer" commented with some boss weakness suggestions, so I dropped those in.
"ahkent" informed me that Embers are useless for Co-Op. Checked and confirmed. Although Divine Blessings stay because they are useful to summoners after long world progression when they can't rest at a bonfire to restore Estus and health.

Boss Fights

This is the most lucrative Co-Op mode for players the host has summoned.
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Take care of the host! (If the host dies, no more fun. Do your duty!) Bring extra divine blessings if you have them. Healing items are less applicable to boss fights, but can be useful if dropped before the battle. If you have a few extra skill points to move around, pick up Heal and a talisman or chime. This can be useful for yourself and your summoner. Instead of just healing items bring; stamina regeneration items, weapon buff items, etc.

Keep an eye on the host if you can, be sure they are not in danger of death. This involves taking the aggro away from the host.This is especially important during boss fights. Taking the aggro can make or break a boss battle.
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Boss Specific Tips:
Boss Weaknesses: (in general order of appearance, optional bosses at the end)

Vordt of the Boreal Valley: Dark
Dancer of the Boreal Valley: Dark, Bleed (suggested by "itztaytay")
Curse-Rotted Greatwood: Fire
Crystal Sage: Poison/Toxic
Abyss Watchers: Lightning
Deacons of the Deep: Physical Damage
High Lord Wolnir: None
Yhorm the Giant: Storm Ruler
Pontiff Sulyvahn: Thrust Damage
Aldritch, Devourer of Gods: Fire/Vow of Silence
Dragonslayer Armor: Frost
Twin Princes: Lorian: Frost/Lightning Lothric: Physical Damage
Soul of Cinder: Lightning/Frost (suggested by "JustAnotherGamer")

Old Demon King: Poison/Toxic
Ocerios, the Consumed King: Lightning
Champion Gundyr: Lightning
Ancient Wyvern: None... Duh. (Lightning/Frost if you fight it the hard way)
King of the Storm: Lightning
Nameless King: Fire (suggested by "JustAnotherGamer") Bleed (suggested by "itztaytay")

Other Boss Tips:
- Yhorm: Upgrade the Storm Ruler to +5, this can make quick work of the fight even with 3 summons.
- Aldritch: Use Vow of Silence, this can make this boss fight a lot easier to handle with 1 summon. 2 or more summons makes this fight easier by having more people to aggro his spells.
- Champion Gundyr: Pay close attention to when he switches to phase 2 and starts doing charging attacks. At NG+ with a level 130 character with 40 vigor, he took me down with his charge combo in one hit. This attack is a good chance to take aggro for the host once you learn how to dodge it efficiently.
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The most important take away from this section is know what you are doing with the boss before you try to get summoned, practice it a few times, gitgud. Also, and this should go without saying, the host is more important than you! (extra take away, use soul drop increase items, this will help you out when farming bosses for souls).

World Progression

This can be a really fun and rewarding thing to do with another player if done correctly.
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Take care of the host! (If the host dies, no more fun. Do your duty!) Bring extra Divine Blessings if you have them. If you have a few extra skill points to move around, pick up Heal and a talisman or chime. This can be useful for yourself and your summoner.

Defense! Keep an eye on the host if you can, be sure they are not in danger of death. This involves taking the aggro away from the host

Don't fool around when the host is trying to make progress. There is a time and place for everything, fool around AFTER progression!

If they miss a hidden path or illusory wall that you know about, show them! If all is well and no danger is found, use some gestures to get their attention. This should include any items they might have missed.

Don't baby the host! Most hosts will know what they are doing. As for the hosts that don't know what they are doing, don't hold their hand too much. Let them figure stuff out on their own. If they need a hand, help them out!

Invasions; these should be treated a lot like any other enemy. Know builds and how to deal with them to make this a little easier. Try to keep them aggro'd on you so the host can deal out some damage.
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Area Specific Tips:

Road of Sacrifices/Farron Swamp/Keep:
This can be a really fun area to Co-Op in. If your host seems lost as to where to go, take the lead in this area. Co-Op can be especially helpful here for a host that doesn't know how to open the door in the swamp. Gesture up, get them to follow the smoke from the flames to be extinguished. Bring some extra poison items in case they run out, but don't be over bearing about them using it. If they don't pick it up and use it, let them be. They might know what they are doing.

Irithyll of the Boreal Valley:
Outrider Knights can be a pain in the ass for new players, this is a good area to take the lead in if you can take out the Outrider Knights easy.

Catacombs of Carthus:
Be sure to show them the drop down shortcut to your right when you first enter the catacombs (point down gesture). Also assure that they are careful about the rolling skeleton ball, that can end a hosts life pretty easy.

Anor Londo:
This one people seem to summon a lot for the 2 NPC's at the stairs near the giant. As a host it can be super useful to have someone taking the aggro on atleast one of those NPC's. If the host seems like they haven't run through Anor Londo before, have them wait before the entrance of the room with the Black Knight Archer. They won't die from one of his hits, but it can slow things down and make the rest of Anor Londo more risky.
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The most important take away from this section is that the host is always more important than you. If the host is about to die and you can save them by getting yourself killed; do it. Even if the host doesn't make it with out you, you can know that you did everything that you could to save their progression.

Summoning/Hosting

This section will be less involved as there is or should be less to worry about as a host.
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Try really hard not to die, even if that means staying back some. The people you summoned are there to help you and to have fun helping you. It's not fun if you die. It is really annoying having a host that dies stupidly a lot. But accidents happen.

If you have any items you can share with your summons, do it! This can be a nice gesture and an action that can make your time spent with your summons longer or more successful.

Know the area. Before you summon someone to help you with a certain area or boss fight, try it yourself a few times first. Get to know the area or the boss, that way the summon doesn't have to do all or most of the work. With bosses especially, do some research on the wikis for some information on the boss (weaknesses, strategies, etc.).

To help a boss fight be more fun for your summons (and for yourself) summon as many players and NPC's as you can. Get the Dried Finger from the Shrine Handmaiden and use it to get an extra summon. (careful of invaders when using the Dried Finger).

Skip cut scenes for bosses. It can be really annoying as a summon to have the host sit through them. Like I said above try to beat the boss by yourself, then you can skip at least one cut scene.

Be friendly! If someone is using gestures in a social way, do it too! It makes you seem like a less lifeless host and more like someone that enjoys Co-Op. This can also be used to ensure that there is no dabilitating lag.

[Psicraft]

Actually, there is one glaring omission right at the end here:

Returning gestures isn't just being friendly. It also confirms that both players are properly synchronised. If you see a gesture, return it so both players know there's no lag issues.

[itztaytay]

dancer and nameless are both fairly weak to bleed as well

[yoga bitch]

can you even ember while you have phantoms
no
no you fkin cant
also divine blessings are rewards for extraordinary prowess and/or bravery that paid off
dont just hand them out

dont be a tool

[SeeingRed]

Also, the Nameless King is weak to fire. Just like his father.

[SeeingRed]

I've actually found that Soul of Cinder is decently weak to lightning as well as frost I believe.