Dark Souls 2 (PS3/PS4) Gamechive (Dragon Shrine, Part 2/2: Ancient Dragon Boss) (NG)
1"Dragon Shrine (Part 2 of 2): Ancient Dragon Boss"—Located on a giant platform atop the Dragon Shrine, this old, battle-scarred dragon rests peacefully. Simply speaking to it yields the Ashen Mist Heart, a key of sorts, that allows the player to access the memories of the four withered giants scattered around Drangleic, as well as the dragon's own memories (accessible via the dragon in the cavern where the Duke's Dear Freja was defeated). The Soul of the Ancient Dragon is received by visiting the Dragon's Memories (not a boss drop). These events propel the game towards its finale. Engaging the dragon in battle is optional, but its defeat gains the player an additional Giant Soul. The more Giant souls a player possesses, the easier will be the eventual fight with King Vendrick.
This wyvern has similar moves to the dragons previously encountered, in that it can fly, attacks with fire breath, and several melee attacks. It has a large HP bar and high defense, and can be a very difficult battle for the unprepared. Fire-based protection with the appropriate armor, rings, and/or magic will help greatly, as will stamina regeneration. You can use a bonfire ascetic on the Dragon Aerie bonfire to gain a chance of receiving a Fire Quartz Ring (+2) drop from one of the dragons. Wear discovery gear!
This boss has no real weaknesses, so bring your best offensive and defensive strategies for the defeat.
There are two NPC summons for this fight: Melinda the Butcher and Head of Vengarl. It would appear helpful to summon these NPCs for the battle, however, no matter what strategy you employ, it proves impossible to have either of them survive the fight. In addition, their presence boosts the health and defense of the boss, which is a bad thing since they often die quickly. Your best bet is to tackle the boss solo, or summon an online player for assistance.
This gamechive features three solo versions of the fight. The first utilizes a two-handed Gyrm Shield defense strategy (strength required), which provides 100% melee and fire resistance, coupled with a lightning-based offense. The second utilizes a fire-imbued Phoenix Parma shield and magic-based offense approach (upgraded-and-infused Wisdom Staff and Duke's Dear Freja defeated 3 times for extra Crystal Soul Spears), and the third combats the dragon as a human dragon in the Dragon Remnants covenant (Dragon vs. Dragon)! For strategies on beating this boss in NG+ (second game journey and beyond), reference: http://youtu.be/LD1M6pS7gLA
A Soul of a Giant (not the Soul of the Ancient Dragon) and a Petrified Dragon Bone is received for defeating this boss. The Soul of the Ancient Dragon is received by visiting the Dragon's Memories access point (via the crystal) in the Brightstone Cove Tseldora cave where the Duke's Dear Freja was defeated.
The Soul of the Ancient Dragon can be traded with Weaponsmith Ornifex (in Brightstone Cove) to obtain the Curved Dragon Greatsword at the cost of 1,500 souls.
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