Dark Souls - New Londo Ruins strategy
How to tackle New Londo Ruins in Dark Souls.
New Londo Ruins is one of four areas you can explore after visiting Anor Londo and beating Ornstein and Smough in Dark Souls.
If you're looking for more help, our Dark Souls walkthrough and guide can help with all other areas of the game, including the dreaded Taurus Demon, Capra Demon, Ornstein and Smough bosses.
New Londo Ruins
Right, for this Lord Soul, we're going to want to head to Firelink Shrine and take the lift down to New Londo Ruins. This area is very strange, and you're going to face some ghouls hat can easily kill you, as your normal weapons will not be able to do any damage to them.
To do damage, enchant your weapon with a Transient Curse, or equip an Occult or Divine weapon to do damage. Another way is to get cursed by the Frogs in The Depths, but that will halve your health. With that in mind, get ready for an incredibly difficult traipse down towards The Abyss.
First, head towards the rickety bridge and turn around when you reach an archway to get an Estoc. The enemies in this area are all docile, so don't attack unless you need to. Then, make your way down to the platform before the bridge, and destroy the pot with the corpse inside to get two transient curses. Equip these and have them on hand, as we're going to need them to kill the Ghosts.
Then, after passing the bridger and killing the rist two ghosts, hang right and go through an archway to a small path towards an item. On your way 4 Ghosts will pop up, so deal with these quickly as the beam you're fighting on can easily fall down. Then, get the item for a Fire Keeper Soul.
Then, head up the stairs and up the path until you reach a small bridge and an archway, immediately to the left will be a Ghost waiting to ambush you, then more will spawn and come to attack you. Use a weapon with wide-range such as a greatsword in order to take them out all in one swoop.
Progress forward, then take the second left leading down some stairs. Then, take the first rigt and hug the right wall along the path, taking Ghosts out along the way to get two more transient curses, ignore the fog gate for now. Head back to where you came in and go towards the item to get a Parrying Dagger, but beware of the Ghost waiting in the wall, then head through the Fog Gate.
Then, kick the ladder immediately in front of you down, there will also be an item, guarded by a Ghost, get that for some souls, then take the path left. Follow this path and into the entrance of a building. No matter which direction you go, you'll be mobbed by ghosts, take them all out and take the first left.
Then, you will want to follow this until an exit on the left. Go forward on this path and downstairs you will find a Green Titanite Shard. Then head upstairs.
Then, hug the right wall follow the path forward and go upstairs, in this exit to the left you will find a composite bow. Then, exit this building and head up the stairs. Follow the path up to get some humanity, then roll onto the roof.
Get the Cursebite ring and drop back down into the building you're in, taking out any ghosts along the way. Then, head into a central room and inside a chimney will be a ladder leading up to Ingward, who will give you the Key to the Seal.
Then head back out of the building and back to the building where we found the composite bow. You can also buy Transient Curses from Ingward, so do that if you need it. Then, you will need to go down the stairs and use the key to the seal to open the door. Then, push the lever to open the gate to the Valley of Drakes, while also un-flooding New Londo.
Then, pull a lever inside to call the lift up, then head down. Immediately after landing, hang a left to fight your first Darkwraith, who are incredibly powerful and can also suck humanity out of you.
Then, follow the series of stairs up to what looks like a shack. Follow the path in the shack until you see an item, but to the left is another Darkwraith. These have some devastating combo attacks that you will want to avoid. Then, head through the Fog Gate.
Upon immediate entry, you will be faced with two Darkwraiths, kits these out to the area where you exited the shack and deal with them there. Then enter once again and look right, be aware of the exploding heads which surround the Mass of souls, which can attack you in addition to slowing you down with is ranged attack. Take this down with Pyromancies and Fire attacks. It has a lot of health, so prepare for a long fight.
Then head right and then on your right will be another Darkwraith. After this, head up the staircase on the right corner, and hug the right wall when you're up there until you reach a flight of stairs, go up and then hang a left to open a chest containing a Very Large Ember, which will allow you to get your normal upgrades to +15.
If you're looking for more help, our Dark Souls walkthrough and guide can help with all other areas of the game, including the dreaded Taurus Demon, Capra Demon, Ornstein and Smough bosses. Meanwhile, we have explainers on how to access DLC Artorias of the Abyss, the best gift and best class in Dark Souls, Dark Souls' best weapons, Dark Souls Covenants, Dark Souls Estus Flasks locations, Dark Souls Titanite Slab locations and NPC quests including Lautrec of Carim.
Then head back and up the lift you ignored earlier to unlock a shortcut. Go back down to the main room where we found the Mass of Souls. Then, go into the open area ahead in the water, fight a Darkwraith to the right and follow the path up, and on the right as you get to an open walkway out of the water you will find an illusory wall. Head forward and fight the Darkwraith there, then open the chest for a Titanite Chunk.
Then, go towards the chapel and to the left will be a body with six Cracked Red Eye orbs and another Darkwraith, then head back up the stairs to the chapel to get a large soul of Proud Knight.
When you go into the chapel you will be attacked by two Darkwraiths, kits these out to the stairway up, and then you will find another Mass of Souls alongside exploding Skulls. Take these out and then in the top right corner will be a Titanite Chunk inside a chest. Then, head out and towards the Fog Gate.
Next, equip the covenant of Artorias in your ring slot and ensure that you have as many healing items and buffs equipped as possible. We're about to head in towards one of the most difficult bosses in Dark Souls - The Four Kings. Take a step forward, into The Abyss.
Once done, there are three other areas and bosses you must tackle before you can head to the game's final area:
- Crystal Caves (from Duke's Archives)
- Tomb of the Giants (from The Catacombs)
- Lost Izalith (from Demon Ruins)