DS2 Scholar AA route

New AA Route

DO NOT USE THESE SOULS: Sentinels, Najka, Both rats, Velstadt, Giant Lord, Darklurker, Nadalia
NOTE 1: Smelter Demon is not necessary, though if slower it’s only by a few seconds
NOTE 2: For Lucatiel I like to do Flexile-Smelter-Sinner 1. You can do Sinner 2 if Lucatiel dies to Flexile.

Start Explorer + Ascetic
- Get cart souls
- Buy Bomb and Axe
- Go talk to Cale (7) and exhaust dialogue, darksign back
# Last Giant (Axe, Ooze)
- Melentia: Key, 2x BB, Bomb, max lifegems, exhaust dialogue
# Pursuer (Ballista)
- Get Ember, talk to Lucatiel (3)
- Unlock McDuff, buy Large Shard x6
- Open blacksmith door, head to Heide
# Dragonrider (Gravity)
- Talk to Licia (4)

- Level up 12 DEX
- Blacksmith: Rapier, Mace, 31 Arrows, 7 shards, Macce +1, Rapier +3
- Cat: Cate Ring, max Bones
- Get Rats bonfire
- Get Token of Spite (before Gutter)
- Get gutter branch + first Gulch bonfire
- Talk to Lucatiel (6), unlock secret bonfire, get Lockstone
# Rotten (Rapier, Ooze)
- Bone back
# Rotten 2 (Rapier, BB, Ooze)
- Bone back, warp to Majula

Huntsman's Copse:
    - Level up 14 VIG/ 17 END/ 19 FTH/16 INT/13 ATT
    - Kill Skelly in mansion
    - Buy Ring of whispers, max bones and skulls (pop Rotten soul)
    - Buy Chime + Homeward + Force from Licia
    - Buy Staff + Dark Weapon, get the Felkin bonfire
    - Get bridge bonfire, grab token of Fidelity and bone back (or fancy jump)
    - Get Prison key and get the prison bonfire (invader is annoying so preferably kill)
    - Get the gesture from Creighton
# Skeleton Lords (Mace, BB)
- Buy Soul Appease from Chloanne + send her to Majula
- Get chunk in poison pool
- Talk to Lucatiel (4)
# Covetous (Rapier, Ooze)

- ATTUNE DW + HOMEWARD
- Warp to McDuff, infuse Rapier dark and upgrade +7, warp to Gulch
# Giants (Rapier, DW)
- ATTUNE SOUL APPEASE
- Warp to Tomb, Hype skip, get key + staff in second chest, homeward back, Get Whispers of Despair
# Mini Rats (Rapier, Soul Appease, Skull)
- Warp to Rotten, attune Dark Weapon
- Unlock Gandalf
- DLC 1:
    - 10x Rusted Coins in elevator room before fireball'd bridge
    - Focus Souls (on right before fireball'd bridge)
    - Flynn's Ring
    - Denial (room with Spikes)
    - Sanctum Key then bone back
    - Promised Walk of Peace (cave with weird tree)
    - Dark Greatsword

Warp to Heide
# Dragon + Ornstein (Rapier, DW)
- Get the Dragon Parma from Guardian Dragon
- Targray: covenant + gesture + buy a Boltstone, Homeward back
- Talk to Lucatiel, buy Yearn from Carhillon, SUMMON LUCATIEL
# Flexile (Rapier, DW)
- Warp to Majula

- get Branch + 3 BBs + max lifegems
- Talk to Benhart, Pyromancer and give clothing, Benhart again (gesture)
- Talk to Vengarl, get equipment + gesture
- Get Clear Bluestone Ring + Chloranthy Ring
# Najka (Rapier, DW)
- Get Twisted Barricade
# Royal Rat Authority (Rapier, DW, Soul Appease)
- Talk to rat for covenant
- Take campfire bonfire and SUMMON BENHART
# Congregation (Rapier/DW/Soul Appease)
- Buy spells from Cromwell (Perseverance + Great Heal + Scraps of Life + Heavenly Thunder + Emit Force)
- Kill lizard for chunk, get lower bonfire, grab chunk, then 3x Chunks + Slab
# Freja (Rapier, DW)
- Kill Tseldora guy for branch, primal bonfire then bone back, warp to Bastille

- Upgrade Rapier+10 + infuse Bolt
# Sentinels (Rapier, DW)
- Get Hush (arena hidden wall)
- Unpetrify Straid and get his bonfire
- Get Sinner's bonfire
- SEND ELEVATOR BACK AND SUMMON LUCATIEL
# Sinner (Rapier, DW)
- Primal bonfire, warp to Majula

- Level up 24 VIG/25 END/14DEX/16 ATT/19 INT
- Buy Radiant lifegems + 1 BB (pop Sinner’s soul)
- Warp to the Forest
- Get DLC 2 key in Forest of Fallen Giants and go to Copse
# Chariot (Rapier, DW, Yearn)
- Get spells from Tichy Green, kill him, warp to Earthen Peak
# Mytha (Rapier, DW)
- Take first Keep bonfire
- Buy from Magelord: Jester Gloves and Cap + Fall Control + Coins (later if fail before invader arrives)
- SUMMON LUCATIEL
# Smelter (Rapier, DW)
- Take the bonfire after Smelter
- Take the bonfire before OIK
# Old Iron King (Rapier, DW)
- Bone back, Ascetic
# Old Iron King again (Rapier, DW, BB)

DLC 2:
- Ashen Idol at start
- Ashen Idol in first "lever" room
- Get Fire Snake (side room next to Idol)
- Get Recollection (Scepter tower, second room)
- Grab Tower key, get the 4 Idols before Fume Knight
# Fume Knight (Rapier, DW, Brightbug)


Run to Drangleic Castle
- (Kill lizard), Get Drangleic bonfire, get Farahm set, talk to Grandahal, get mushroom
# Dragonriders (Rapier, DW)
- Talk to Benhart (3)
- Get Soul Greatsword (chest after elevator statue), get the flame butterflies
- SUMMON BENHART
# Mirror Knight (Rapier, DW)
- Get Soul Bolt (left after boss)
- Get Fire Tempest (in water before meme foggate)
- Get RITB + Homing Crystal Soulmass (use mushroom)
# Froggy Frog (Rapier, DW)
- Agdayne: Get spells + Gesture + max shrooms
- Get Crushed Eye Orb (right after Agdayne)
# Velstadt (Rapier, DW)
- Get ring, homeward and warp to Woods

DLC 3:
    - Get Dark Dance (right before lever golem on ledge)
    - Get Splintering Lightning Spear (invisible ladder)
    - Get Soul Flash (behind elevator)

- Get bonfire at start of Aldia's Keep
- Get Soul Geyser (in corrosive pool)
# Guardian Dragon (Rapier, DW)
- Get Feather from Herald
- Get Petrified Egg + Crystal Weapon
- Get Ashen Mist from Ancient Dragon and homeward back

- Go to pursuer area, talk to benhart outside (4) and inside (2), Finish it for SoaG
- Go to Giant Lord, SUMMON BENHART
# Giant Lord (Rapier, DW)
- Talk to Drummond, hat + gesture, get SoaG
- Pursuer memory to get Benhart gear

DLC 2 again:
- Get the 4 Wedges
- Ashen Idol before Alonne
# Sir Alonne (Rapier, DW, BB, mushroom) + PICKUP WEDGE
- Ashen Idol next to Chunks+Slab
- Ashen Idol in second "lever" room + get the ring fire resistance +3
- Ashen Idol in side tower
- Ashen Idol next to Scepter
- Get Fire Snake (chest next to last Idol), warp to Straid

- Go to Freja, ascetic, get Great Fireball from spooder room chest
# Freja (Rapier, DW, skulls)
- Homeward, warp to Straid

- Buy Sunlight Blade, glitch attune while it you warp to Majula
- Buy 3xBB + Tichy Green set
- Buy shards and chunks, 2 Boltstones
- Level up 42 FTH/13 STR/20 DEX/20 INT/30 END, make sure to have 27k left
- Upg RITB + Lightning, infuse Chime too
- TALK to McDuff again for his quest

- Go to Shaded Ruins
- Talk to Tark (ring of whispers) for gesture + branch, homeward back
- Get Repair (chest with petrified dude in front)
- Go to Gandalf, get homing Soulmass
- Woods Dungeon
- Gulch Dungeon, then go to Crypt, ATTUNE Sunlight Blade
# Vendrick (Rapier, Sunlight Blade) (With !4! giant souls) (1 counter hit for RTSR, except if 2-handed attack)

- Go to Sinner, ascetic
# Sinner (Rapier, Sunlight Blade, Brightbug)

- Drangleic Dungeon
# Darklurker (Rapier, Sunlight Blade)
- DO NOT HOMEWARD BACK, talk to Gandalf before for spells (need to talk again for covenant reward)

# Watcher & Defender (Red Iron Twinblade, Brightbug, Sunlight Blade, mushroom)
# Nashandra (Red Iron Twinblade, Sunlight Blade)
- Homeward back
- Ascetic bonfire
# Watcher & Defender (Red Iron Twinblade, Brightbug, Sunlight Blade, mushroom)
# Nashandra (Red Iron Twinblade, Sunlight Blade, mushroom)
DO NOT USE EFFIGY

- Buy all of Rosabeth's spells
- Go to the death count statue, learn gesture, discover way of blue
- Buy all of Carhillion of the Fold's spells
- Buy Chloanne’s spell + shards, upgrade Chime +10
- Go to Licia and buy her spells, invade her for the spell
- Discover covenant of champions and join
- Kill Maughlin
- Get 12K ladder + mini ladder + gesture + talk for achievement at Gilligan
- Talk to Cale for achievement, homeward

- Warp to Felkin, buy his spells, talk to him for equipment
- Talk to Lucatiel for achievement
- Go to Navlaan and complete his questline (you have all items already; BE HOLLOWED), Buy ascetics + spells
- Warp to Straid, get his spells + gesture (hexes achievement there)
- Go to Iron Keep, discover covenant from Magelord + talk for Covetous Ring

MEDAL FARM
- At Tseldora camp bonfire:
    - Ascetic the bonfire once, then kill the 2 huge boars, Attune Profound Still + Soul Appease
    - Equip Clear Bluestone Ring + Gold Covetous Serpent Ring + Dragon Parma + Jester Hat
    - Profound Still + 2x Soul Appease
    - Rusted Coin every 5 minutes
- Got to Valley, get Charmeleon
- Discover covenant + gesture + offer medals

- Warp to Smelter bonfire, get belfry bonfire, get immolation (chest end of belfry)
- Get Chaos Storm (on fire rocks, equip Hexer set + roll in water pot + Mushroom + fire rings)
- Belfry farm:
    - Equip invasion Ring + covenant ring
    - RITB + Armor or ring (for poise) to kill
Get covenant reward (you should be getting the all sorceries achievement)

At this point you should have:
31 Sorceries, 25 Miracles, 23 Pyromancies, 23 Hexes, 19 gestures

Go to NG+
Pop 2x Nashandra’s soul on Forest’s door
Melentia: Buy Branch + BBs
6 Rotten strats for 2M souls (equip Tseldora’s set except chest piece which is Tichy Green’s robe)
Level up VIG to 50, rest in END
Do the endgame as fast as possible

Go to NG++
Use Soul Vessel to go back down to 24 VIG if you want RTSR for Rotten
Get both branches on the way to Rotten
8 Rotten for 3M souls
Go to Drangleic, talk to Chancellor for spells + gesture

GG


ATTUNEMENT NOTES: (ga = glitch attuned)
After Covetous    Homeward  - Dark Weapon
After Giants        Homeward  - Soul Appease
After Rats        Homeward (ga) - Dark Weapon
After Flexile        Soul Appease - Dark Weapon
After Sinner        Homeward (ga) - Dark Weapon - Yearn
After Straid        Homeward (ga) - Sunlight Blade (ga) - Yearn
Going to Dungeon1    Homeward (ga) - Sunlight Blade (ga) - Force
Asap after Credits    Homeward (ga) - Sunlight Blade (ga) - Yearn
For Medal Farm    Soul Appease (ga) - Profound Still
After Medal Farm    Homeward (ga) - Sunlight Blade (ga) - Yearn
After Velstadt NG+    Homeward (ga) - Sunlight Blade (ga) - Dark Weapon

BRIGHTBUGS NOTES:
Gets:
    - 2x after Last Giant
    - 3x going to Najka
    - 2/3x after Sinner
    - 3x after Alonne
Uses:
    - Rotten 2
    - Skellies
    - Old Iron King 2
    - Fume Knight
    - Sir Alonne
    - Sinner 2
    - Throne Duo + Nashandra
    - Throne Duo + Nashandra NG+