Acquiring the Ashen Mist Heart:

Learn how to acquire the Ashen Mist Heart in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. This guide covers the steps to get the item and details the optional Ancient Dragon boss fight.

After defeating the agile guards, continue down the hallway and into the next area. Speak to the massive dragon in front of you to obtain the Ashen Mist Heart. This concludes your tasks in the Dragon Shrine, and you are now prepared to proceed to the King's Door in the Forest of Fallen Giants.

OPTIONAL: Ancient Dragon boss fight

You can choose to fight the Ancient Dragon by attacking it, but be warned that this battle is extremely difficult. It is highly recommended to read the strategy guide below before attempting this fight. Defeating the Ancient Dragon rewards you with a Giant Soul, which is necessary for the King Vendrick boss fight.

Stats / Weaknesses:

• The Ancient Dragon has a massive amount of health.
• Most of its attacks will likely one-shot you unless you have very high defense and a high stability shield.
• Its most dangerous and common attack is breathing fire onto the floor after flying up, covering a large area.

Phases:

1. Fire Breath Attack: When the dragon flies up, it will breathe fire onto the floor. The startup for this attack is obvious; run away to avoid it.
2. Melee Engagement: When the dragon lands, stand in front of it to bait its straight forward fire breath. This allows you to run towards it and land a few hits.
3. Tail Engagement: Staying near its tail provides a constant direction to run towards, potentially avoiding flames if you are at the end of its tail. Be aware of its tail slam attack, which inflicts significant damage but is easily avoided.

Strategy:

• This fight is a test of endurance and skill; making a mistake is the primary reason for failure.
• Summoning other players is generally a liability, as it greatly increases the dragon's health.
• If you summon, the dragon may perform a straight flame or flying fire breath attack targeting the summons as they enter the fog gate. Summons must wait a significant time for the host to draw the dragon's attention away.