Ok the plate is actually used for snowboarding that's how he broke his ankle

I didn't know maliketh and rykard is hated,I know some people find maliketh is overrated but not hated and rykard usually considered fun little power trip

The double valiant gargoyle are so annoying. I have to back away from fights constantly because of the other one spitting poison across the map all the time

Hard disagree on Rykard fight. Fighting him using the Serpent Hunter was one of the most memorable moments I had in ER. Fully charging the weapon which often staggers Rykard before following it up with a heavy attack which causes the snake head reeling was satisfying as all hell.

Problem with horseback fight isn't the lack of variety in your attacks, it's Torrents tiny health pool & stagger bar. One attack from a DLC boss and Torrent gets knocked out and you'reknocked down with no invinsibility farmes to protect you as you sloooooowly get up.

Rykard is literally the Best gimmick boss, you don't go In for anything other thank the spectacle

I wish I could’ve seen Rykard in his prime. He was canonically an absolute beast at combat, so much so that ranni trusted him to fight and parry maliketh in his prime.

Gaius... holy shit... 🤬
Whoever made the hitboxes for his charge attack... ☠️☠️☠️

Yall know that there is a grace at the other side of the god skin fight

20:17 I wanted to tell you that there is a different back way into the Godskin duo fight where you can summon Bernahl (he basically does the whole fight for you 😭) and a site of grace right next to the door

18:45 watching him desperately try to get ONE hit on the dragon, only for it to fly at the last second and proceed immediately incinerate you xD

I personally love the fire giant fight because it shows how strong your character is, capable of taking down BUILDING SIZED GIANTS and I also like the serpent hunter because of the spectacle of the thing

I don’t know How nobody talks about the VALIANT GARGOYLES DUO in Nokron
These guys made me break mentally

For the fire giant, it's not a plate he wields, its a lid to the giant cauldron behind him where you sacrifice Melina.

10:58 death right bird was the absolute bane of my existence. He was the only boss left on the map for me to kill for so long I was so mad

Their is actually a shortcut to the godskin duo fight where you don’t have to pass the knights and you can summon Bernal to help you

I'm a staunch Commander Gaius defender; that is to say, I am now.

During my first playthrough, I despised him with an almost visceral intensity:

His opening charge was (and still is) pure, unadulterated "horse manure"; it seemed impossible to create space between him and yourself, and he attacked constantly and relentlessly, so it appeared to me that there was never a moment to retaliate.

But after learning how to fight him properly, I had to conclude that I was wrong; it's perfectly possible to create space and punish windows if you learn how to:

1. Position yourself efficiently.
2. Roll through his long combos (which is also unbelievably satisfying...).

Although not essential, it's not a bad idea to bring some ranged options — preferably of the Holy variety. (For example: the Sacred Relic Sword AoW, Discus of Light, Multilayered Ring of Light, etc.)

All that remains of his apparent BS moves is that awful opening charge.

Although there are several ways to deal with it effectively, none of them are part of your basic moveset — a fact that marks this attack as "unfair nonsense", in my eyes.
(Technically, you CAN roll through it, but it demands spatiotemporal pixel perfection to an insane degree, so it's still "equine excrement".)

I learned to use the ample invincibility frames you get while (dis)mounting Torrent to avoid getting hit.

By the way, his charge attacks in the midst of battle are easier to dodge through, and although you still have only a small window of opportunity to roll perfectly, this time it feels fair and satisfying.

And so it came to pass that this 'Wild Hog-rider' transcended his 'Deeply Detested D-tier Slogfest Status' and transformed into a 'High A-tier/Low S-tier Jousting Match' — at least, in my eyes anyway...

I just realized this intended short, pro-Gaius propaganda comment turned into a full-blown essay + Commander Gaius boss guide.

This was not my intention, but as I do have severe AuDHD, this happens all the bloody time.
I am simply no longer able to be brief or to get to the point quickly.

And I am perfectly at peace with that...

I personally think the second phase clone move is harder to dodge than waterfowl

I love when Fire Giant does its best Eddy Gordo move while rolling around the entire map. While its stomach spits miniature suns.  


Only thing worse than fighting him is forgetting you activated the summon pool and getting summoned to fight him.

9:48 This would be the 3rd time that there is a weapom gimmick boss fight starting with The storm King from Demon's souls, Yhorm the Giant and now Rykard.