Underneath my yellow skin

Tag Archives: Crumbling Farum Azula

Love and hate in the last new area of Elden Ring

Yesterday, I was writing about Crumbling Farum Azula, which is the last new area of the game. It’s an amazing environment, but I do not like going through it. I have said that it’s my fault because I inhale the games, so I’m fatigued by the end. That’s on me. I could have taken breaks. I could have been more measured in how I played the game. It’s my nature to be obsessed with something until I finish it, which the From games play into so aptly.

Couple that with how ramped up the last areas tend to be, and it’s no wonder that my squishy caster wants none. of. it. I was at 18 Vigor for the first hundred hours of the game. I still can’t believe I had skimped so much on my HP. but it makes sense because as a caster, I need to put endless levels into Mind (which gives FP), Intelligence, and Faith. A bit of Arcane.

To be fair, I could have chosen Int. OR Faith, but I never do. Well, not since the second Souls game, though. I love spells and incantations, and I hate having to decide which I’d rather do. It’s always the same. I resolve to put levels into two or three stats, and then I start putting them in this and that, just a few, and beforeI know it, I’m ignoring health for everything else.

I know it’s called being a Glass Cannon, but that would mean I actually had to have the cannon part, which I did not. I usually put a few points into health, but in this case, there were just so many other things  Iwanted to level. I usually put my health to 20 at the very least if not 25, but for whatever reason, I simply ignored Vigor in this game.

Until. And this is a *MASSIVE SPOILER*, but also a well-known thing by this point. And realize that there will be *SPOILERS* for the rest of the post.

Until the Mimic Tear. This is the best spirit ash by far. Some will argue Tiche is, but it’s the Mimic Tear. Because, of course, someone who is the clone of you? Yeah, they are going to be HARD.

Here’s the thing, though. The Mimic Tear takes health to summon rather than FP. You can probably see where this is going. It takes 660 HP in order to summon the Mimic Tear. 18 Vigor is 598. I had to level up my vigor to 21 (680) just so I could summon Mimic Tear, and that left me with 20 HP. There was no way that was acceptable, so I pumped more levels into Vigor. I think I made sure I was up to 25 by the end of the game. Maybe 30. Which still was barely enough. I think that character has 38 Vigor, which is still not much.


Continue Reading

The last new area in Elden Ring

Yesterday, I was bitching about*SPOILER FOR END GAME SHIT*–Miquella’s Haligtree. I had just done the area again for the second time and hated it nearly  as much this time. The only reason I didn’t hate it as much was beacuse I felt no remorse for hooning it through the area.

This is the way it’s normalized to play these games. The first time trhough, you go carefully through the area, killing each enemy. After that, you’re free to run like the wind because you’ve done it once properly.

At least that’s how I play it. I have no issue this time just ignoring the death room. That’s the room with the Erdtree Avatar, two big soldiers, three shit-munchers, two ballistae (with shit-munchers) and I don’t remember what else. The thing about that room, too, is that it’s not necessary to go into it. That’s when I put down the controller and walked away.

Crumbling Farum Azula is the last new area. It’s hard as nails and has two dragons with lightning. It’s funny because in the previous games, dragons were weak to lightning. In this one, though, nope. They live on the lightning. They fucking use the lightning. And, in true FromSoft fashion, they are so fucking difficult. There are two named dragons in this area, and one of them in considered the secodn-hardest boss in the game by many. The other is not as bad, but still.

I ran through the area yesterday because I wanted to grab a talisman I missed. The normal shit-munchers were taking half my bar with their lightning attacks. It’s not normal lightning–it’s pinkish-orange. And it does so much damage. When I went through as my squishy caster, it was so misrable. I hated it a gerat deal. I summoned two humans for the big dragon because my god I was worn-out by then. He has four arms and two phases, and he’s just terrible. I should try him solo, I guess. With my Mimic Tear, of course. But…I just don’t want to.

I had no joy in this area. As is the case when I’m at the end of a From game, I was full of hate. That’s how I get at the end of the From games in general. I know it’s temporary, but it’s still paniful. Theoretically, I could take a break when I wear myself out and then come back, but I am not going to do it. I know that. I’m going to keep going, gorging on my hatred and my weariness, until I finally beat the game.

Oh my god.

The last boss.

I’ll get to that in a sec.


Continue Reading