NG++ is not much harder than NG+. (5-10%)
the biggest badass is the one you finished, so NG+.

Good...I didnt' know if i'd be able to handle the Flamelurker guy or the Old King if they got much harder....i was resorting to cheap methods and didn't feel good about myself....  :)

So what's the deal with "Ronin's Ring". I just had WWT in 2-2 and talked to Scirvir and got the pure graystone, but didn't kill him. When I realized he had that ring that I dont have, I went back, but he was no longer there. Will I have to do it on another playthrough now? Also, i read you can get it around the slug nest or something on world 5, but I don't remember seeing it there. Can anyone confirm you can get it there?

@epicurean

First, congrats on getting through NG+, I was one boss away from doing it, but you all know what happened T.T

Also, you can get Ronin's Ring on 4-2 on the slugs nest. In the middle part of the nest, there is a tunnel to the right side of the screen, in there you'll find an 4 slug ambush and a corpse with the Ring and the Gripless Katana there.

Ok...i think i got the "Slugs nest" confused with the one on 5-2. Glad I dont have to go through the game again.

Doing all the WWT events this play through...got through the first two levels of 1, and all of 2 and 3 now. I really hate the "Mixed DS" boss battle. They kick my butt.

Have you got your PS3 back yet? I was just thinking how much it would suck if I lost all my data up to this point. All I can say is I would be really, really mad. I've never worked this hard for a "trophy" before...

Haven't got it yet, but I think this weekend i'm getting a Slim, so i'll start there ;)

My anger has vent out completely now, I'm planning new characters and new strategies in which to approach the game when I start it once more.

The Man-eaters (Mixed DS) are really hard if you don't know what you're doing. Use Warding and a Spear, make sure you're not above half burden, and don't use a shield since their attacks get through shields anyway. Go for the tails, since if you cut them they'll lose half of their attacks, and try to separate both of them using the middle lamp.

I went hardcore on them on my first go, naked and with a Lava Bow, on NG+ I went naked and with Meat Cleaver, both ways did well enough against them.

I've been looking at the wiki while at work today...just realized it looks like the Dark Silver shield is better than the shields i've been using (Adjunctators and Dark Purple Flame +2)....it looks like it blocks 100% of Magic? Does that mean the "Rays" that those see-through ghosts fire in 4-2 can be absorbed? Or can your stamina not take it?

If you don't upgrade the DSS, it's blocked, but takes a huge amount of stamina. Should reduce stamina consumption as you upgrade the shield.

The magic blocking works exactly like Physical damage block, so it'll take a huge chunk out of your stamina, even at DSS+5, since the largest amount of Guard Reduction that you'll get is +69%, which is not much, and yes, it's 100% magical damage reduction, you won't take damage from magical attacks, but you'll take damage from Fire Attacks, so be careful with what attack you block.

My suggestion is to upgrade your endurance to level 40 (since your stamina caps at 160, so even if you raise endurance to 99, you won't have more than 160 stamina) so that you'll be able a bigger amount of subsequent blocks. Also Eternal King Ring helps a ton, since your stamina will recharge at a much faster rate.

To me, the best shield in the game is the PFS+10. It has an insane amount of Guard Reduction (+83%) and good Fire Reduction, plus it's weight is the smallest for the same class of shields (8.0 lb).

Yeah, I'm thinking maybe I'll equip the DSS for magic and the rest of the time use the PFS, but I've already set the one I'm using along the "Dark" path so that it would block magic better. Pretty sure I have another one I can start from scratch on, though.