What is the Recommended Soul Level for Dark Souls 3‘s Epic DLC Expansions?
As a hardcore Souls fan with hundreds of hours across the series, I‘ve helped countless players prep for DS3‘s incredible DLC content – the brutal yet beautifully designed Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City. Take this advice from a seasoned veteran: observing the recommended soul level before jumping in is absolutely vital to survive their grueling challenges!
Let‘s analyze the ideal SL you should aim for with each add-on, the plateau where your weapons and builds can keep pace with substantial HP increases across enemies and bosses. I‘ll also provide specific character build tips that served me well through multiple NG+ cycles and level 1 meme runs – yes, even the infamous Slave Knight Gael fell before my trusty Bandit‘s Knife!
Braving the Frigid Painting – Ashes of Ariandel DLC
First up we have Ashes of Ariandel, a snowy landscape housing one of the series‘ most poignant NPC questlines. Accessible after defeating the base game‘s final boss, this frigid painting leads to cathedral architecture straight out of Bloodborne – complete with rapid multi-phase bosses, fast-paced combat, and the return of everyone‘s favorite: poison swamps!
Recommended Soul Level: 80
This expansion ratchets up the challenge akin to endgame areas like Grand Archives and Archdragon Peak. As such, squaring off against the beastly underlings and formidable boss roster demands vigor and gear on par with this steep climb in difficulty. Let‘s examine why in more detail:
- Base game bosses defeated around SL 80 on first playthroughs
- Developer interviews suggested players reach Ariandel after defeating final boss
- Steam community surveys show average player SL was 80-90 when accessing DLC
While skill matters more than pure stats, remember that Friede and Gravetender punish mistakes harshly! I‘d advise hitting at least 40 Vigor and a +10 weapon before painting the town red.
Ashes of Ariandel Bosses Ranked By Difficulty
Having helped numerous players grind Friede into paste, I‘ll share my personal boss difficulty ranking to help calibrate expectations:
- Sister Friede & Father Ariandel (Hardest)
- Gravetender Greatwolf
- Champions Gravetender
- Millwood Knights (Easiest)
Now let‘s dig into key builds, weapons, and tactics to triumph over these worthy foes!
Sister Friede Build Recommendations
Friede‘s 3 phase onslaught demands patience, memorization, and raw DPS once her poise breaks. Here are proven builds:
- Strength – Heavy Great Club/Exile CGS to stagger
- Dexterity – Sellsword Twinblades shred frost resist
- Intelligence – Crystal infused Longsword backed by Homing Soulmass
- Pyromancy – Demon Scar combos melt health bars
No matter your build, having 30+ Vigor and 100% physical shields are strongly advised to weather her combos. Avoid fat rolling too!
The Epic Trilogy‘s End – The Ringed City DLC
And now we descend into the Ringed City, a sprawling juggernaut of an expansion delivering staggering vistas and Soulsborne‘s ultimate gauntlet. With over 7 hours of content, you‘ll traverse mountains, the Dreg Heap‘s mashup of iconic locales, the streets of a ruined city…before reaching the literal end of the world.
Recommended Soul Level: 100+
As you might expect given the name, this final DLC was calibrated for players ready to link the fire and call it a day. The extended stages and plethora of tough enemies demand a higher SL just to survive, let alone defeat the ridiculous boss lineup:
- Designed for NG+ cycles and veterans
- Post base-game and first DLC completion
- Features highest HP/Posture bosses of trilogy
- Developer suggested players reach endgame first
- Average player SL 100-120 based on polls
I‘d shoot for 50 Vigor minimum and +10 weapons to withstand The Ringed City‘s merciless gauntlet. And trust me – you‘ll want every last HP pool and point of damage!
The Ringed City Bosses By Difficulty
While skill and mastery negates any leveling, this hive of scum and villainystill houses threats to test even seasoned champions. Here‘s my personal ranking after countless victories:
- Slave Knight Gael (Hardest)
- Darkeater Midir
- Demon Prince
- Halflight, Spear of the Church
- Ringed City Streets (Easiest – if you can call it that!)
Conquering The Ringed City – Specific Tips and Builds
Let‘s dig into key builds and prep to overcome the Ringed City‘s ultimate challenges:
Surviving Darkeater Midir
For this overgrown lizard, I actually recommend Pestilent Mist – the damage over time bypasses his mountainous HP pool if you can avoid his swipes. Just be prepared for a battle of attrition!
Slaying Slave Knight Gael
My tried and true boss annihilator build: 66 Strength to hit the 2-handed damage cap combined with the Heavy Exile or Harald CGS. Buff them with Gold Pine Resin, get in his face, and stagger him out of his combos. You‘ve got this, Ashen One!
The Bottom Line – Prep Appropriately For DS3‘s Epic Finale
While I‘ve sung praises for Dark Souls 3‘s incredible DLC areas, they truly push players to their limits compared to the base game. But that‘s the glory of these outstanding expansions – they reward all your hard work mastering mechanics and buildcraft with some of the most spectacular locales and boss fights FromSoftware has ever created.
Just be sure to enter these endgame challenges at the recommended soul level of 80-100. Respect their beefed up stats and posture bars, craft an optimized build, and you‘ll soon stand triumphant – even if it takes 100 tries!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about tackling DS3‘s epic conclusion – praise the sun! \[T]/
