Should I Play Ashes of Ariandel or The Ringed City First in Dark Souls 3? A Souls Expert‘s In-Depth Gameplay Guide

As a long-time Souls player and content creator, one of the most common questions I see debated is: should I play the Ashes of Ariandel or The Ringed City DLC first in Dark Souls 3? In this comprehensive gameplay guide, I‘m going to dig deep into the key differences between both expansions in terms of story connections, difficulty, gear/loot, and length to recommend the ideal play order for new and returning players. Grab your Estus Flask – we‘ve got lots to discuss!

Story Connections – Uncovering the Painted World‘s Past

One fact that can‘t be ignored is how tightly bound the worlds of Ariandel and Ringed City are within Dark Souls lore and storytelling. Without spoiling too much, both paint a picture of forgotten lands erased from memory and record. Ashes of Ariandel centers around the cold Painted World of Ariandel, ruled by Father Ariandel. This connects closely with The Ringed City‘s journey to the world‘s end – the Dreg Heap and Ringed City being the final remaining fragments at the edge of the Dark Soul‘s influence.

I could write pages analyzing the intricate story dots between these DLCs, but to spare going hollow, I‘ll leave it at this: playing Ashes of Ariandel first enriches the lore connections immensely. Terms, characters, and places referenced in The Ringed City will have so much more meaning if you‘ve uncovered Ariandel‘s history first.

As a Souls lore aficionado, I can‘t recommend enough experiencing them in order storywise. The Ringed City is very much the climax and conclusion to plot threads seeded in Ariandel – giving closure to the Painted World‘s tale. From Software weaves an incredibly tight, interlinked mythos between both chapters. Don‘t rob yourself of their excellent storycraft!

Boss Fights & Challenges – Skills Tested to the Limit

Now to the real meat (or Estus Soup?) of these DLCs – the relentless, unforgiving boss encounters! Veterans know the Souls magic lies in overcoming complex, mechanics-driven battles requiring perfect technique and composure. On this front, you‘ll face steep challenges in both expansions:

Ashes of Ariandel Bosses

• Sister Friede & Father Ariandel (3 phases!)
• Champions‘ Gravetender & Gravetender Greatwolf

The Ringed City Bosses

• Slave Knight Gael (3 phases)
• Darkeater Midir
• Demon Prince (2 demons in 1 fight)
• Halflight, Spear of the Church (PvP)

As you can see, The Ringed City clearly wins in terms of number of bosses – and their difficulty matches that quantity. Both Sister Friede and Slave Knight Gael are regarded by many fans as two of the toughest fights ever in Souls history. However, Friede especially serves as the perfect final exam after running Ariandel‘s gauntlet, before stepping into the Ringed City‘s next-level challenges.

Starting with Ariandel builds up key player skills through its bosses – Friede testing dexterity, positioning and greed punishment, Gravetender demanding spatial awareness and aggression. These lessons prime you for the elevated tests in Ringed City like Midir‘s HP pool and positioning, Demon Prince‘s phases and tells, and Gael‘s relentless aggression in phase 3.

If looking to truly git gud at Dark Souls boss battles, playing Ariandel then Ringed City is the surest path to mastering combat, in my experience.

Loot & Gear – Decking Yourself Out

What‘s a Souls game without shiny new gear to deck your character out? Both DLCs offer awesome new weapons, spells, armor sets, and more to amp up any build. Here‘s a tease of the arsenal added across both expansions:

Ashes of Ariandel Gear

• Weapons: Valorheart, Crow Talons, Follower Sabre, Onyx Blade
• Spells: Way of White Corona, Frozen Weapon
• Armor Sets: Vilhelm‘s Armor, Millwood Knight Armor
• Other: Titanite Slabs x2

The Ringed City Gear

• Weapons: Ringed Knight Straight Sword, Frayed Blade, Ledo‘s Great Hammer
• Spells: Old Moonlight, Black Flame
• Armor Sets: Harald Legion Armor, Ringed Knight Armor
• Other: Titanite Slabs x5

The Ringed City certainly takes loot quantity and quality up a notch – you‘ll gain more gear stat-wise from those extra levels. However I‘d still suggest experiencing Ariandel first to get your feet wet with new weapons styles before Ringed City blows the doors open. Learn to wield the Crow Talons effectively, and you‘ll master the Twin Princes‘ Greatsword and its weapon arts. Ariandel makes for great onboarding!

Plus who doesn‘t love getting early titanite slabs for strengthening gear? You‘ll want to raid Ariandel just for those – especially with The Ringed City‘s brutal boss stat requirements. Gear up early!

Length & Replay Value – Engrossing Return Journeys

While first playthrough runtime is important to consider in deciding order, replay hours are just as vital for value. Let‘s break down content length across categories:

So in terms of pure number of hours, The Ringed City has the edge – around double Ariandel‘s length if aiming for full completion across both play styles. However, Ariandel‘s condensed size makes it prime for replayability. With skippable cutscenes and familiarity with layouts, subsequent runs barely scratch 90 minutes. It‘s easy to return just for Friede and Vilhelm fights, or helping new players as a Sun Bro.

In contrast, The Ringed City‘s longer gauntlet demands much more commitment per run. Those deeply challenging bosses are not to be taken lightly on replays either – which is extremely rewarding, but limits replay potential compared to Ariandel. Short and sweet has its advantages!

Verdict – Play Ashes of Ariandel First

So in summary, while both DLCs represent pinnacle Souls content, I strongly recommend tackling Ashes of Ariandel first – for enriched lore context, onboarding to combat challenges & gear systems, tightly paced replayability and ultimately primer for The Ringed City finale.

Prioritizing Ariandel sets up the ultimate 1-2 punch while allowing you to play to this content‘s strengths – a short but shockingly sweet appetizer before Ringed City‘s epic main course. Veteran and newbie players alike will get the most satisfying skills progression and lore impact by playing Ariandel first.

Let me know in the comments if this guide helps you decide on your play order or conquering these brutal challenges! I‘m here to help however I can. May the flames guide thee, and praises upon the sun \[T]/