How to Master Soul of Cinder – A Comprehensive Tactical Guide
As the incarnation of every Lord of Cinder that linked the First Flame, Soul of Cinder represents the ultimate challenge to attaining the dark soul in Dark Souls 3. Boasting devastating combos, unpredictable moveset shifts between phases, and ridiculous damage for the SL120 meta, this boss battle tests your skills to the absolute limit right before game‘s end.
Many fans and reviewers cite Soul as potentially the hardest boss in series history thanks to his unrelenting, multi-faceted movepool. But with diligent practice and the right countermeasures, even so-called "casul" newcomers can conquer this Lord of Lords. For only by learning Cinder‘s rhythms deeply can we dance perfectly to ignite the flames anew.
So steel your will, sharpen your steel, and let‘s delve into mastering this epic final foe!
Know Thy Enemy: Soul of Cinder‘s Arsenal
Cinder wields no less than seven distinct styles of melee and magic attacks across his moveset, necessitating encyclopedic knowledge to overcome:
- Straight Sword – Quick one-handed slashes, dashing thrusts
- Curved Sword – Flurried swings, spinning weapon art combos
- Thrusting Sword – Medium range precise pierces
- Greatsword – Slow, heavy two-handed smashes
- Sorceries – Crystal homing soulmass, soul streams
- Miracles – Lightning stake punishes, healing over time
- Pyromancies – Chaos fire orb barrages, floor eruption
| Attack Type | Speed | Damage | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greatsword | Very Slow | Extreme | Long |
| Spells | Varies | High | Varies |
| Other Weapons | Fast to Medium | Medium to High | Medium to Short |
Having intimate knowledge of these movesets allows reacting appropriately as he switches wildly mid-combo at times. While mastering through repeated deaths, pay close attention to his weapon stance and effects to deduce upcoming attacks.
Vigorously strafing and spacing is paramount against his long-reaching greatsword sweeps in phase 2. Meanwhile cautiously circling just outside his straight sword‘s radius baits whiffed thrusts easily punished.
Optimizing Your Build
While most decent builds can eventually triumph through grit alone, optimizing your setup specifically to counter Cinder‘s toolbox makes reaching that victory road much smoother.
Prioritize Lightning Damage
According to community data aggregation, Soul of Cinder possesses a notable weakness to lightning damage compared to other types. As such, I highly recommend infusing your equipped melee weapon with either lightning or blessed gems for additional holy damage.
Great choices include:
- Dragonslayer‘s Axe – Can be buffed further with Gold Pine Resins
- Lothric‘s Holy Sword – Built-in faith scaling
- Sunlight Straight Sword – Fast moveset plus skill buff
Some sorcerers enjoy pounding him with the Sunlight Spear miracle as well for outrageous damage.
Stack Magic + Fire Resistance
While only moderately vulnerable to magic, stacking enough resistance can make a difference surviving Cinder‘s deadly soul stream barrage in mage stance.
The best medium weight armor providing huge magic defense includes:
- Silver Knight Set – Easy to grab in Anor Londo
- Black Witch Set – Found in Smouldering Lake
Pyromancers should take similar precautions against his fire attacks using gear like the Dragonscale Set.
Summon Your Spirit Squad
Veteran purists may insist on soloing every boss, but for learning initially I encourage utilizing AI or player phantoms. Dividing Soul‘s attention allows safely observing his chains.
Before boss gates, you can find summon signs for:
- Sword Master Saber – Samurai guy wielding twin katanas
- Lion Knight Albert – Wandering noble with a fiery greatsword
- Patches – If you befriended this snarky cleric
Jolly cooperators Edwin, Solaire, and Gertrude are also popular helpers that can tank hits.
Just beware his ramped up HP and damage affecting phantoms!
The Ultimate Strategy Guide
Now let‘s break down a complete 15 step process to methodically learn and defeat Soul of Cinder.
1. Internalize His Telegraphs
Each attack sequence starts with subtle body movements telegraphing his next weapon style:
- Straight stance: Straight Sword or Thrusting Sword
- Lowered stance: Curved Sword
- Delayed backstep: Charge thrust
- Raised stance: Greatsword
- Blue glint: Sorceries
- Golden glint: Miracles
- Fiery glint: Pyromancies
2. Customize Camera Settings
Set distance to near, adjust heights to clearly track weapon. Toggle lock off briefly if circled.
3. Equip Lightning Protection
Armor with solid lightning defense helps against his spear spells.
4. Keep Mid-Range Initially
Baiting long pokes lets punishing his recovery.
5. Dodge LEFT
His greatsword sweeps tend to favor right so favor that side.
6. Manage Your Stamina
Never exhaust fully – use intermittent blocks to regenerate more safely.
7. Stay Vigilant of Telegraphs
Some combos transition across three styles, so track stance and effects closely.
8. Punish Phase Change Openings
His shift to greatsword leaves a brief but golden punish window.
9. Keep Health High
15 estus +5 recommended. Ember for 30% HP boost too.
10. Use the Pillars
When desperate, pillars block some spells and attacks.
11. Summon Trusty Phantoms
Reduces pressure, but boosts his HP so still risky.
12. Exploit Guard Breaks
2-3 hits on block causes his break – then riposte!
13. Learn Roll Timings Patiently
Panic dodging easily caught in endless chains.
14. Persist Through Many Deaths
Expect at least 50+ deaths before mastery clicks.
15. Refine and Repeat
Keep fine tuning strategy until achieving consistent wins.
With dedicated practice using these advanced tips, the lord of lords will soon crumble before you might! The dark soul awaits, champion!
Now I pass the torch – what strategies helped you guys finally beat Soul of Cinder? And what build reigned supreme? Let everyone know in the comments!
