[OLD] Dark Souls II: SotFS - Any% (4 Rotten - Late RTSR)

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - Any% (4 Rotten - Late RTSR)

[I] USEFUL LINKS

All credits goes to PrepayingDeath for this run

PrepayingDeath's former WR in 55:52 RTA no load : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LJWWG3Eqh4
Speedrun Tutorial by PrepayingDeath : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KONcOWM8t4g

For people who are looking for a route using Red Tear Stone Ring: https://rentry.co/tcict
RTSR route and current world record by Pseudostripy: https://youtu.be/s4kgdv_pw5M

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[II] RUN DESCRIPTION


[THINGS BETWIXT & MAJULA 1]

Start Bandit with Bonfire Ascetic
Unequip Armor and bow
Binoculars Jump before Majula
Light bonfire in Majula after talking to Shanalotte to get Estus Flask

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[FOREST OF FALLEN GIANTS]

Head to Forest of Fallen Giants
Menuing while door opens
Take soul in the river & equip it
Open Cardinal Tower door
Use soul while talking to Melentia, buy 1 firebomb
Light bonfire
Destroy wall with the firebomb for shortcut

Kill Last Giant with two-handed axe
Darksign as soon as you can
Pop Last Giant soul & buy blacksmith key, 2 brightbugs
Get Silver Serpent Ring +1 (equip it) and talk to her to go to Majula

Kill Pursuer with Ballista, equip blades ring & Pursuer soul
Warp to Lost Bastille using crow's nest

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[LOST BASTILLE 1 & MAJULA 2]

Light Tower bonfire & warp to Majula

Open blacksmith door, rest at bonfire
Use Pursuer soul & buy mace, rapier, 6 shards & Rapier+3 to Leningrast
Kill Maughlin with rapier (4 R1 & 2 R2)
Talk to Sweet Shalquoir & buy her Silver Cat Ring, Homeward Bones x2, Alluring Skulls x10

Majula's Pitdrop with Cat Ring equipped : https://youtu.be/KONcOWM8t4g?t=521

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[GUTTER]

Drop down and avoid exploding hollows on your way to the Gutter
Take Branch of Yore at the left of the 2nd bridge
Gutter Parkour
Take Branch of Yore before Black Gulch

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[BLACK GULCH 1]

Use a Brightbug at the beginning of Black Gulch (to prevent Forlorn or Woodchilds invasion)
Depetrify the statue
Light the Hidden Chamber bonfire & equip Tseldora's Set
Kill Rotten with Rapier
Bone back & burn an ascetic
Warp to Majula

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[MAJULA 3]

Level Up: 26 End, 20 Dex, 10 Adp
Buy 1 Fragrant Branch of Yore to Melentia
Equip Soul of the Rotten and alluring skulls

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[SHADED WOODS 1]

Take bones and lifegems behind Benhart
Alluring skull for enemies
Pop soul of the Rotten + menuing
Light bonfire
Shoot tree with bow to distract ghosts
Buy Gold Pine Resins to Vengarl
(It should be around 18-19 but you will need 15 GPR for the run unless you're dying during a bossfight)

Kill Najka with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier

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[DOORS OF PHARROS & BRIGHTSTONE COVE TSELDORA]

In Doors of Pharros, kill Lizard with Mace after Axes-Dwarf (2 R1)

Take great shard next to the cliff (after boulder)
Alluring skull for enemies next to the door
Kill Congregation with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier (you can skip wearing Tseldora's Set for this fight but keep Silver Serpent Ring)
(You can also use Alluring Skulls to distract hollows during the fight)

Clim ladder, take ascetic next to Cromwell
Kill Lizard with Mace jumping attack
Kill Lizard in the right of the door
Take Chunk in left
Take Chunk in house
Alluring skull & take stuff in spikes area
Bone back, warp to Majula

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[MAJULA 4]

Rapier+10
Warp to Lost Bastille

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[LOST BASTILLE 2]

Kill Sentinels with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier
Kill exploding hollow & pop souls of bosses (Najka & Sentinels)
Take Ascetic in the elevator
Bone back, warp to Black Gulch

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[BLACK GULCH 2]

Kill Rotten 2 with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier
Bone back, burn Ascetic

Kill Rotten 3 with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier
Bone back, burn Ascetic

Kill Rotten 4 with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier & Brightbug
Bone back
Warp to Majula

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[MAJULA 5]

Pop Old Dead One Souls
Buy 3 brightbugs, lifegems if needed (around 20)

Pop Rottens' souls

Level Up : 18 Vgr, 45 End, 40 Dex, 40 Str

(You don't need Tseldora's Set and Silver Serpent Ring anymore)
Warp to Shaded Woods

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[SHADED WOODS 2]

Take the left path
Pass Shrine of Winter
Head to Drangleic Castle

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[DRANGLEIC CASTLE]

Open door + menuing & use Gold Pine Resin on your Rapier

Open door by killing stone soldier on the left
Light King's Gate bonfire
Take stuff downstairs
Kill Dragonriders with Bow strat & Gold Pine Resin on Rapier : https://youtu.be/KONcOWM8t4g?t=2162
Take ladder in the right, kill wall ghost
Open door, bring 1 hollow next to the statue & kill it to unlock elevator
Back to bonfire, light it & rest

Use elevator & take King's Passage Key, darksign back
Open King's Passage
Kill Mirror Knight with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier and using Consistent Knight Strat: https://www.twitch.tv/prepayingdeath/clip/VenomousAcceptableSnoodRalpherZ

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[SHRINE OF AMANA]

Proceed through Amana & keep your mental health
You can use an Old Radiant Lifegem to tank Archdrakes damages in the second part of Amana
Kill Demon of Song with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier

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[UNDEAD CRYPT]

Run through Undead Crypt
Distract Shields Knight by shooting an arrow : https://youtu.be/KONcOWM8t4g?t=2975

Kill Velstadt with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier and Brightbug
(Use brightbug right after entering the arena)
Take King's Ring, darksign back

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[ALDIA'S KEEP]

Warp to Shaded Woods, road to Aldia's Keep, equip King's Ring
(Take RTSR & equip it, setup by Syan's Knight in front of the door)
Jump over the handrail by using the dragon skeleton : https://youtu.be/KONcOWM8t4g?t=3170
Kill Guardian Dragon with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier, Brightbug & RTSR

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[DRAGON AERIE & SHRINE]

Climb ladder before bonfire & use the zip-line to skip Dragon Aerie
Go through Dragon Shrine
Get Ashen Mist Heart from Ancient Dragon, darksign back while talking to him

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[MEMORY OF JEIGH]

Warp to Forest of Fallen Giants
Distract hollow with an alluring skull or just kill him
Bow Jump to Memory of Jeigh (without Cat Ring if you're using RTSR for Giant Lord) : https://youtu.be/KONcOWM8t4g?t=3534
Kill Giant Lord with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier, darksign back

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[THRONE OF WANT]

Warp to King's Gate bonfire
Kill Throne Defender & Throne Watcher with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier & Brightbug
Use an Old Radiant Lifegem right after entering the arena to tank damages

Kill Nashandra with Gold Pine Resin on Rapier: https://clips.twitch.tv/WrongTsunderePlumPupper