Dark Souls 2 Enemies Guide - Part 3

Continuing the list of enemies in Dark Souls 2, part 3 of the guide takes us from Huntsman's Copse to Iron Keep. Continue on your journey, valiant undead, and conquer the harsh realm of Drangleic!



Dark Souls 2: Enemies in Huntsman's Copse

Captive Undead
Another hollow enemy, another bunch of free souls. By the time you make it to Huntsman’s Copse it’s more than likely that you’ll one hit kill them.

Undead Laborer
Unarmed and only dangerous if you put the controller down and let them smack you.

Rogue
Rogues can be tricky due to the fact that they always attack in groups – mostly of 3. Some of them have ranged weapons in addition to dual wielding small weapons like daggers. Thin their numbers ASAP to avoid taking unnecessary damage.

Great Moth
You probably won’t notice the Great Moths until they shake down a bunch of poisonous junk on you. They hide up in the trees so ranged combat is the only way to take them down. Even if you hit them they won’t move aside from flapping their wings, so they are very easy to take down. Make sure you check your surroundings above you around Huntsman’s Copse because their poison can fill your resistance meter very quickly.

Artificial Undead
The Artificial Undead enemies wield two giant sickles waiting to cut you into ribbons. They hit hard, cause bleed damage and also pierce a blocking shield. Channel your inner ninja and start rolling around like a madman because you do not want to take many hits. They are pretty slow and their attacks make them vulnerable due to the huge swipes they take. Dodge around the attacks and get your own in before getting out of range again – rinse and repeat.

Armored Skeleton
Similar to the skeletons in Majula, but a little tougher. You can take them out but they’ll be revived unless you kill the Necromancer that accompanies them.

Necromancer
In addition to reviving the skeletons as mentioned above – they will also fire off powerful spells at you. They won’t respawn once you kill them in Huntsman’s Copse so get them out of the way before they cause real problems.

Torturer
If you aren’t prepared for the Torturers, you’re definitely going to have a ‘Dark Souls moment’. The absolutely vital part of fighting them is to not engage more than one of them at a time. Their location in Huntsman’s Copse is up the hill opposite of the huge iron bridge. They are perched on top ledges and will look like statues. Edge forward until one jumps off and backtrack to an area where you can fight without any danger of activating the next enemy. They will carry different weapons so adjust your strategy accordingly to the one you’re fighting. Don’t be afraid to be cautious while fighting the Torturers because they can be very difficult.

(Note: The Dark Souls 2 Undead Purgatory doesn’t feature any new enemies. Aside from the boss which you can find in our boss guide there are only skeletons and Necromancers waiting for you in there).

Dark Souls 2: Enemies in Harvest Valley


Mounted Overseer
The Mounted Overseers sit on top of huge hulking horrors and generally make them do their bidding. They will throw balls of dark magic at you which will really pack a punch. Most of them will be in areas surrounded by poison mist so melee fighting is pretty much a no go. They have a lot of HP so ranged battle may be painstaking but definitely the safer and more logical option.

Captive Undead (see Huntsman’s Copse)

Skeleton (see Majula)

Artificial Undead (see Huntsman’s Copse)
Be aware that Harvest Valley contains an area filled with a bunch of these enemies. Prepare yourself.

Undead Steelworker
They look like oversized goblins due to their green appearance, if you can’t recognise them by that then the giant hammer will give it away. They attack surprisingly fast given how big the hammer is and their appearance. Take your time and pick them apart.

Dark Souls 2: Enemies in Earthen Peak


Mimic
Treasure! Or not. From this point on in the game be careful about any chests you open as they could contain a mimic. Give it a friendly smack to see if a health bar appears, if it does hack away like your life depends on it. Make sure to only hit a chest once or twice maximum when checking for a mimic though as if you break the chest you’ll be given rubbish. No one likes rubbish.

Poison Horn Beetle
Pretty weak and offer no physical damage threat. They do however blow out a poison similar to the Great Moths in Huntsman’s Copse. Avoid the junk it spews out and get rid of them, work quickly if you find them in a group.

Manikin
Manikins will have fun ruining your day from melee and ranged battle. A lot of them wield different melee weapons in addition to having bows and throwing poison knives at you. Luckily they aren’t too strong but due to the variation and number of them they can be problematic. Keep your head on a swivel.

Grave Warden
Noticeable by their glowing blue weapons, the grave wardens aren’t to be taken lightly. Attack is the best form of defence if you have a large weapon as their low poise will make them stagger and vulnerable to multiple hits. Failing that blocking their attacks with a good shield will also make them stagger long enough for you to get a good hit in.

Desert Sorceress (Fire Mage)
Get up close and personal as fast as humanly possible. Their fire magic will really hit hard so you’ll want to avoid it at all costs. If you really want to use ranged combat make sure you pop in and out of sight between their attacks, the damage they deal is no joke. Look for nearby vats of poison as a quick and effective way to deal with these troublesome enemies.

Dark Souls 2: Enemies in Iron Keep


Alonne Knight
Agile and strong, the Alonne Knights will pose a threat to your life. In a melee fight they will swing wildly with their katanas and do considerable damage. They have low poise however so you can make them stagger fairly easily with a large weapon and then proceed to put them down. Some Knights in Iron Keep will be placed to purely shoot at you with their greatbows unless you approach them and get close enough. The arrows from the greatbows can really hurt so watch your surroundings when proceeding through the Iron Keep. Very vulnerable to magic.

Alonne Knight Captain
A little bit bigger and a little bit badder. The Captains possess better armour and a lightning imbued katana that will damage through your shield if you don’t have a decent lightning resistant shield. Aside from that they are pretty much the same as the normal knights in terms of what they are susceptible to.

Ironclad Soldier (see Forest of the Fallen Giants)
These enemies in the Iron Keep will be tougher than the Old Ironclad Soldiers encountered earlier in the game, boasting more health and attack power.

Mimic (see Earthen Peak)
Stay tuned for the next part of our Dark Souls 2 Enemies guide, coming soon!

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