Dark Souls 2 Guide: The Lost Bastille, The Three Ruin Sentinels - Alessia, Yahim, Ricce

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The Lost Bastille

Climb the stairs and enter the open cell to the right, where you’ll discover two Common Fruits. Carry on up the stairs to the bonfire in the open cell on the left. Continue up the stairs once again, and then follow the path down. Take no notice of the white knight sitting on the ground ahead, and instead search for an opening in the wall to the left. Below that is an enemy, who you can surprise by dropping down and attacking him. Two dogs will appear, and you’ll need to deal with those too.

However, if this sounds a bit risky to you, there’s an easier method. Use the ladder in the alcove ahead and to the left. That way you can fight the dogs first, while the enemy slowly moves towards you. He uses a lance and therefore it’s safe to fight him from behind. His attacks have considerable range and cover a wide arc in front of him. Even when you’re behind him, you need to take care to stay out of the trajectory of his attacks.

Once defeated, the enemy drops a Twilight Herb. Take it, then smash the wooden structure in the corner to find an Alluring Skull. There’s another one behind you, so smash that too, and then climb through the small opening behind it. There’s a coffer further in containing a Large Titanite Shard and an Estus Flask Shard.

Return to the corridor and take down the remaining threats. Continue down the corridor until you reach a lever and pull it. That releases two dogs, so take care of them. Work your way down the hall and into the opening on the left. Set the bonfire ablaze then head through the doorway to find several chests in the next room. Open them to obtain five Titanite Shards, two Large Titanite Shards, ten Iron Arrows, and ten Heavy Bolts. Collect all of the items, and then talk to the man at the end. If you return after you’ve died a couple of times, you’ll be able to open the chest he's sitting on and obtain a Craftsman's Hammer and a Twinkling Titanite.

Leave the room and head up the stairs to the right to engage another lance enemy. Dodge to the right or left as you approach to avoid the barrel that he knocks down the stairs. Continue down the hall and take out the dog that attacks. Head down the path to the right, before you reach the barrel ahead. At the end of the path is a Gold Pine Resin. Continue down the hall, take down the dog and the lance enemy at the end, and continue up the stairs and into the room ahead.

Speak with Lucatiel on the far side of the room to receive a Human Effigy, then head back the way you came. Just before you reach the stairs, use the broken wall to the left to reach the balcony. Head down the passage to the right and through the door ahead. Do not go through the doorway yet.

In the room on the left, there are five enemies that'll engage you the moment you're spotted. Two more enemies patrol the stairs, so watch out for them. If you're careful, not all of them will spot you, but either way don't fight in the small room. Run back out to the balcony and engage the enemy there to make the battle a little easier, since they all can't get at you at the same time.

When you open the door, step inside, then immediately back out. Do this right, and only three of the enemies will see you. Take out the trio, then go back through the doorway. If you see the two patrolling enemies on the stairs, head back out and take them on. If not, wait until they appear, then take them down. When the first five enemies are down, enter the room to the left, then immediately back out so you have room to take on the last two enemies.

When you've killed all of them, go downstairs in the middle room. When you reach the bottom head through the hallway to the left and watch out the enemy that may be climbing down the ladder. Pick up the item at the end of the hall to find a Soul of a Proud Knight and another Human Effigy.

Climb up the ladder here (or use the stairs), but whichever way you go, don't open the door in the room with the stairs. There's nothing behind the door, and if you go through the doorway you fall to your death. Yay Dark Souls 2! Don't you just love it?

If you took the stairs, use the lever to open the gate in the room the guards were in. Defeat the one or two additional guards that attack (one may have climbed down the ladder earlier), then head down the hall. Search the next open cell on the right to find two Radiant Life Gems, then head through the mist at the end to take on the three Ruin Sentinels in a battle royale.

The Three Ruin Sentinels: Alessia, Ricce, and Yahim

The fight starts as soon as you're clear of the mist. You're dropped down onto an elevated platform and ambushed immediately by Yahim. If you have a proper shield, you can block the first attack with no damage inflicted. Otherwise, you need to dodge when you land on the platform to insure you avoid Yahim's initial attack.

Remain on the platform while you battle against Yahim, because if you do fall, you'll have the other two to contend with. Stay close to Yahim, and you'll only have to deal with two types of attacks: a linear attack with a moderately lengthy animation that lets you see it coming a mile off, followed by a circular attack that sweeps a large area in front of Yahim, or two consecutive circular attacks.

All of Yahims moves can be blocked with a decent shield. The linear attack is relatively easy to avoid with a well-timed dodge, but the circular attacks are better to block with a shield unless you can get behind Yahim. Even if you're behind Yahim, the circular attack covers almost a 240 degree radius, so back up a bit to ensure you avoid the attack.

If Yahim falls down to the lower floor, wait. He'll jump back up. Make sure you avoid Yahim's attack as it jumps back to the upper platform. Wherever Yahim falls off, he usually jumps back up to that area. However, watch what he's doing closely, since he occasionally moves around below and jumps up somewhere else.

When you've defeated Yahim, remain on the upper platform. If you have a ranged attack, run over to the short end of the platform and attack Alessia as it makes its way over to your position. When it gets close, back up to avoid an attack as it jumps up to the platform. Use the pillar on the wall to judge your distance. If you're behind the pillar, you're far enough away to stay clear of the attack.

When it's on the platform, Alessia uses the same attacks as Yahim. However, it will use its shield to block your attacks, so wait until it's lowered before attacking. Immediately attack Alessia after it misses its initial jumping attack. You can usually pull off one or two attacks depending on your weapon speed. Circle around Alessia to avoid the linear attack, followed by a circular attack. Attack Alessia two or three times after evading, then move to the corner of the platform.

At this point, Ricce jumps up to the platform in the same spot where Alessia jumped up. You have two choices in how you wish to continue the battle. If you stay on the platform, it's very close proximity battle in which the two Sentinels will use the same attacks as Yahim, only they'll use shields to block attacks occasionally. Staying on the platform limits your movement, but also limits what attacks the Sentinels can use.

If you drop down to the floor below, you take fall damage as you land. Shortly after, both Sentinels drop down to continue their attack. If you keep away from the bosses, they use a shield throw that is quick and extremely damaging. However, once their shields have been thrown they lose the ability to block your attacks. It's easy to determine when a shield is about to be thrown because of the lengthy wind up animation.

With enough room, the Sentinels will jump high into the air, launching a linear attack as they come crashing down on top of you. This attack can be evaded with proper timing, and even blocked with a decent shield. It's best to evade it so you can counter attack without having to worry about losing stamina due to blocking.

If the Sentinels begin to spin around, back away or guard against the attack. This attack can hit multiple times depending on the distance between you and the Sentinels. However, with a solid shield and enough stamina, all of the attacks can be blocked.

Fighting the Sentinels on the bottom floor requires you to stay moderately close and keep both Sentinels within view at all times. After each blocked or evaded attack, counter with your own attack. You can generally hit the Sentinels once or two after every attack. Do not get greedy and try to attack more than that or else you risk being hit by their next attack.

Whether you decide to fight on the upper platform, or on the floor below, focus on one Sentinel at a time. If the other is wide open to attack, hit it a few times, but maintain a focus on one Sentinel. You want to take out one so that they can no longer team up to attack you simultaneously or in rapid succession. Once only one Sentinel remains, it becomes a much easier battle.

With the Sentinel bosses down, head through the small doorway on the side of the room. Go up the stairs to reach the top of the room you were just in, then head around to the right. Go through the doorway on the right and grab the Soul of a Nameless Soldier on the right as you enter the corridor. Walk slowly toward the end of the corridor, and dodge back as soon as you hear a monster. This avoids an otherwise random explosion.

Continue into the next room, and light the bonfire to the left. There's a ladder to the right of the bonfire, but before you climb down, head back to Majula to level up with the souls earned from killing the Sentinels. While in Majula, head over to the well near the large house and attack it to knock the stone into the well and obtain an Estus Flask Shard.

Head back to the bonfire you just left, then down the ladder. Kill the dog in the corner, then pick up the item it's guarding to obtain a Large Club. Open the coffer in the room to find a Priest's Chime. Head back up to the room above and make your way up the stairs on the far end. Continue through the doorway at the top and open the door at the end.

Watch out for the lance enemy that comes from the left as you head through the doorway. Head down to the far left side of the walkway and roll into the barrels and crates on the right. Be careful not to roll off the ledge. Pick up the item before the barrels and crates to obtain a Human Effigy, then head through the doorway on the opposite side of the walkway.

Kill the enemy through the doorway to the left, then head down to the end of the walkway and through the opening in the wall to the right. Move down to the rooftop below and all the way to the far right side to find three Flame Butterflies.

Head back into the room you just left and climb up the stairs and through the doorway at the top. Be careful of the explosive barrels and head to the far left side of the room to find an enemy waiting for you. These enemies dive toward you if you approach them. When they hit the floor some will explode with a yellow powder that inflicts significant damage. Use ranged weaponry if you have it, otherwise be very cautious when fighting. Be prepared to dodge back as soon as they get close.

Take care of the enemy, then ignore the door and head up the stairs. Pull the lever to open the gate ahead. Three more enemies await in the corridor ahead. Run back into the previous room and take down the two that follow. The third enemy waits in the corridor. Take him out, then head into the next room and break the pottery on the right to reveal two more enemies.

Finish off the enemies, then head up the stairs and use a ranged weapon to take out the enemy by the explosive barrel. Continue up the stairs to find two more enemies, then open the door and pick up the Skeptic's Spice at the end of the room. Climb into the cage to the right to head down to a floor below. Open the coffer in the room to obtain a Wilted Dusk Herb.

Head back into the cage, then leave the room and either open the gate using the lever, or head up the next flight of stairs. At the moment, you can't do much upstairs. There are six enemies on the floor above as well as a bonfire, but the bonfire cannot be reached at present. Clear the enemies if you wish, then pull the lever to open the gate.

Move around the path to the immediate right and take out the guard in the corner. Pick up the item to obtain eight Life Gems, then quickly head down the path and into the mist. There are archers above the mist that rain arrows down on you, so do not delay. Go through the mist to reach Sinner's Rise.