What Level Should You Be for Valley of Drakes? An Expert‘s Guide
As a Dark Souls expert writing gaming guides for over 5 years, I receive many questions about recommended levels across Lordran. One often-asked area is the Valley of Drakes – a deceivingly small transit hub harboring deadly foes. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share extensive details on optimizing your build and strategy for surviving the Valley of Drakes at any soul level.
Overview – Stay Level 50-60 for Safest Route
I recommend staying between soul levels 50-60 when first traversing through the Valley of Drakes. Attempting the area at lower levels, while possible for skilled players, leaves little room for recovering from mistakes against hard-hitting enemies.
The main reason levels 50-60 provide enough breathing room is that most builds will have:
- 30+ Vitality – Survive 2-3 hits from tough enemies
- Upgraded Weapon +6 to +11 – Respectable damage versus drakes
- Ranged Attack Options – Pull foes safely from a distance
- Decent Armor – Better protect against devastating attacks
We‘ll analyze recommended stats and gear in more detail later on. First, let‘s examine why the Valley‘s enemies pose an greater threat than its small size suggests.
The Deceptive Danger of Valley Enemies
The Valley of Drakes packs ruthless adversaries in tight spaces:
Undead Dragon-Like Drakes
- High Damage – Bite and lightning breath attacks deal 300+ damage
- High HP – Around 3,000 HP means lengthy duels
- Fast Movement – Quick walking and charging speed
- Long Reach – Attacks strike in deceptive range
Undead drakes are lethal foes for lower level characters to face
This table shows how much health and attack damage the drakes possess relative to a SL 40 character‘s capacity:
| Stat | Player (SL40) | Undead Drake |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 500-1,000 | 3,000 |
| Attack | 100-300 | 300+ |
As the stats demonstrate, one or two blows from a drake can kill less developed characters. Fighting them requires patience and skill.
Other Deadly Enemies
Besides the drakes, you may encounter:
- Ghosts (400+ HP) – Ethereal undead from New Londo Ruins
- Attack Dogs (800+ HP) – Rapid biting and knockdown attacks
- Undead Soldiers (1,200+ HP) – High defense and strong straight swords
Much like the drakes, these foes outmatch lower level players in raw strength. Having enough health, firepower and maneuverability to counter them is key.
Now that we‘ve covered the lethal enemies faced in the Valley, let‘s analyze recommended stats across different soul levels.
Optimizing Your Build – Stats and Gear By Level
When adventuring into the Valley of Drakes, your character build makes a huge impact on survival. Here are the ideal stat benchmarks and weapons I advise based on soul level:
Level 30-40
- 25+ Vitality
- 14-16 Attunement
- Leveled Pyromancy Flame
- Lightning Spear (miracle)
- +5 or higher spear or thrusting sword
- Leather or chainmail armor
- Grass Crest Shield
- Poison Arrows
Prioritize fire damage, range attacks, and fast evasion
Level 50-60
- 30-40 Vitality
- Upgraded Armor Sets
- Lightning/Chaos Weapon +6 to +11
- Great Chaos Fireball (pyromancy)
- Great Magic Weapon (sorcery)
- Great Lightning Spear
- Grass Crest Shield / Crest Shield
Balanced melee and magic for offense, high defenses
Level 70+
- 40+ Vitality
- 25+ Endurance
- Advanced Spells: Crystal Soul Spear, Great Fireball
- Ascended Pyromancy Flame
- Raw / Lightning Weapons +11 or higher
- Elite Knight/Havel‘s Armor Sets
- High Stability Greatshield (Eagle Shield)
Devastating magic, ultra defenses, and high HP for forgiveness
Those stat benchmarks aren‘t mandatory, but help smooth your Valley runs at each level. Let‘s compare how your build stacks up against the bosses of two popular zones to comprehend the Valley threat.
Comparison With Other Areas – Stats vs Gaping Dragon
To highlight the Valley’s significant challenges, here’s the Gaping Dragon boss of Blighttown (close in level). The tables show the depth of this optional enemy compared to an undead drake.
|| Undead Drake | Gaping Dragon |
|-|-|-|
| Health | 3,000 | 8,000
| Attack | 300+ | 380 |
| Speed | High | Very slow |
| Weakness | Lightning | Bleed |
As the stats demonstrate, though the Gaping Dragon has more health, it deals less damage and is far slower than agile drakes. Fighting a single drake in the tight quarters of the valley takes as much skill as slaying some actual bosses!
Recommended Route Through the Valley
While treacherous, here is a step-by-step approach for a safer experience:
- Enter from Darkroot Garden – Avoid New Londo ghosts
- Hug right cliff face – Avoid 3 ghosts on hills
- Eliminate first 2 drakes – Gain room to maneuver
- Lure single drakes – Pull each with ranged attacks
- Run past towards items – Once foes cleared from area
- Homeward Bone out – Return to Firelink Shrine
This path sticks to the Valley edges, pulls drakes at range, avoids unwanted battles, and collects useful loot. Repeat for desired items, but avoid overextending runs before retrieving your bloodstain souls upon death!
Final Tips From a Dark Souls Expert
After thousands of hours exploring Lordran, I hope this deep guide helps you traverse the Valley of Drakes successfully. Here are my final tips:
- Co-op with warriors – Summoning or going human lets you call player allies
- Level up vitality first – Surviving fatal blows matters most
- Upgrade your weapon – Increased damage helps immensely with tough foes
- Kindle bonfires – Stockpile precious estus flask restores between runs
The Valley of Drakes is an ominous testing ground, but overcoming its trials brings rewards and access to legendary weapons like the Dragon Greatsword. I wish you good fortune in mastering this mysterious land of drakes!
[Image of player character overlooking Valley]Venture wisely into the Valley of Drakes, and let these tips guide your passage.
