Dark Souls 2 Crown of the Old Iron King Boss Guide: Smelter Demon

As the first boss you come across in the Iron Keep of Dark Souls 2 DLC Crown of the Old Iron King, the Smelter Demon sets a high bar of difficulty. Players need to approach the demon with a pinch of caution, just because it’s the first of the DLC doesn’t mean it’s going to be an easy fight. The Smelter Demon mostly deals damage with his sword, but there is also an overwhelming risk from his flames. Being fire-resistant will be critical for this encounter, so I hope you’re ready for it! If you don’t quiet feel up to the challenge of beating the Smelter Demon, it is an optional battle so you may return at a later stage, once you have built your character up to handle the task. Returning to the Smelter Demon’s location after the fight will see you confront a Pursuer fight instead of Dark Souls 2 Crown of the Old Iron King boss. This is a one-time battle; so enjoying it while being successful would be nice. What lies below are some hints and tips for beating From Software’s Smelter Demon on PlayStation and Xbox, use them wisely.

Before storming into your battle with the Smelter Demon, you may want to consider summoning an NPC. Conveniently placed, you will find the summon sign for Lucatiel of Mirrah by the fog door in the area. Make your way to the wall on the right and you should come across the spot for making the NPC summon. However, in order to summon Lucatiel you needed to exhaust her speech at three places and acquire the Ring of Steel Protection +1. Remember this Crown of the Old Iron King boss is optional, so go back and talk to Lucatiel some more if you can before the encounter begins. While Lucatiel can be very useful as an NPC summon, do not let yourself depend on it. There is a glitch in the Dark Souls 2 Crowd of the Old Iron King DLC that causes Lucatiel to be stuck and fail to reach your side. The likelihood of the NPC summon failing is higher is playing with someone else, but it can occur under normal conditions too.

When facing the Smelter Dragon, you will need to perfect your dodging skills, as they are a vital component in managing this confrontation. Not only is well executed timing important, but you also need to be aware of where your dodging efforts will leave you. The Smelter Dragon has a rather wide frame, which will simply trap you if you lead it too close to the wall while dodging. You’ll become stuck and so does the camera, limiting your chances of seeing a way out of the situation. Furthermore, there is another glitch in Dark Souls 2 Crown of the Old Iron King that leaves you stuck in a wall, unable to move. Some players have found that having your character gesture can help free them from this predicament. For the instances when dodging isn’t going to do the trick, you’re going to have to rely on your equipment for survival.

When considering your Dark Souls 2 armor build, select items that posses a high level (if possible) of flame resistance. If you have cured the girl at the shaded woods entrance of her petrification, the Flash Sweat item will be accessible to you and thus helpful in defending yourself against the Smelter Dragon. The second recommended item for beating this Dark Souls 2 Crown of the Old Iron King boss is the Flame Quartz Ring, or any other flame resistant rings. These small details will make the difference between life and death; I know which side I’d like to be on. But items can also bring down the Smelter Dragon, as well as save you from it. The first boss in Crown of the Old Iron King possesses high armor, making it weak against magic attacks, but poisonous elements can also cause devastating affects for your opponent. Therefore Toxic Mist Pyromancy would be a strong suggestion to bring into this encounter with you, in addition to poisonous arrows, swords and resin.

But when the Smelter Demon sets his sword on fire, as he periodically will, you will find any poison arrows to be ineffective and arrows possessing magic will only do slight damage. Instead, it will be more advantageous to strike the Smelter Demon with melee attacks during the sword ignition, albeit the damage inflicted will be below the usual rate at that time. However it is important to remember that the Smelter Demon tends to target players that stay close, keeping agile and mobile is a good way to avoid being targeted while having more flexibility in dodging the incoming attacks.

Dark Souls 2: Crown of the Old Iron King is now available on PS3, PC and Xbox 360 consoles for your enjoyment, or destruction. If you do manage to overcome the Smelter Demon, we have a handy guide to defeating the Fume Knight you’ll meet later in the game.

 
Have you got any Hints and Tips for playing Dark Souls 2? Let us know in the comments below!

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