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Poisoned Power-Stanced Dual Casteus +8 doing their job admirably.

Note: The Grave of Saints is a primary Player versus Player area where members of the Rat Covenant will summon you to their world to do battle (as a gray spirit). So if you don’t want to be summoned here then it’s worthwhile going here as a hollow or burning a Human Effigy at the bonfire.

If you are summoned then the fighting will begin from the starting area (where you first encounter the rats). Also note that there’ll likely be plenty of traps laid thanks to the numerous Pharros Lockstone faces dotted around the whole area (very few of them are helpful to you as a gray spirit).

Apart from a few items dotted around the area, most of this level is designed for Rat Covenant members. Your real objective is to reach and take out the optional boss here for either souls and/or the chance to join this morally-ambiguous covenant.

To the Boss

After saving at the bonfire , head out into the circular room and watch out for the rats that show up. Their bits will start to stack petrification and poison, so do your best to avoid getting cornered by a group of them.

If you head right once you run up the stairs, go down to the end of the corridor and look for a ladder to your right. Climb it, then head right again on the upper floor where you should see a bonfire . Make sure to rest here as the boss fight is just up past that nearby fog gate…

Boss Fight – Royal Rat Vanguard

Keep moving during the first phase and dash back to the entrance once the boss’ energy bar appears.

This fight begins with a bunch of regular rats piling in to the statue-packed room. Your first goal is to dispatch 10 of these vermin in an effort to make the main boss even appear.

  • If you’ve got an area-of-effect Pyromancy spell (like Firestorm), then you can round up a few rats together and then let rip for some mass killing (this cheap tactic will also work wonders on the main boss itself).
  • For those wanting a fairer fight; then pick them off one-by-one with ranged attacks and then once you see the boss energy meter appear quickly dash back to the fog gate you came in from.
  • The boss will always drop down right beside it and you can tell it apart from the regular rats as it has a Mohawk-like hairdo on its head.
  • It’s not got a lot of health (1410HP to be exact); so you can hit it hard to kill it quickly.
  • Be wary that its own attacks will deal a lot of petrification and poison damage so make sure you kill it quickly or roll away from its attacks.

Once it’s dead the other rats will just leave allowing you to go into the next room. Speak with the rat sitting up near the exit and you can join it if you want to fight others for Pharros Lockstones (your prize for killing those who ‘trespass’ on your turf).

Now drop down the hole and collect all items before you drop down onto the coffins below.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Bandai Namco Entertainment
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS3, PS4, XB 360, XB One
  • Genre
    Action RPG
  • Guide Release
    5 May 2014
  • Last Updated
    7 December 2020
  • Guide Author
    Andrew Mills

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You are an Undead, the bearer of a curse, who has gone “hollow” and half mad searching for a cure to restore your humanity. You have arrived in Drangleic, a place rumoured to harbour powerful souls that can help you regain your humanity and avoid this terrible fate. You must seek out these souls and save yourself and others from a fate worse than death itself. But it will not be easy…

  • A full game walkthrough.
  • The main differences between Dark Souls 1 and 2.
  • Keeping the Grim Reaper at bay with our top 10 essential survival tips.
  • An in-depth guide to the most important thing in Dark Souls 2 - the combat.
  • The character builds that saw us sail through the single-player story mode.
  • Learn what the new covenants do (and what you need to do to be able to join them all).
  • All the bosses made easy with helpful HD videos!
  • NPC info and much, much more!

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