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Finding the Royal Rat Authority:
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

Finding the Royal Rat Authority:

Defeat the Royal Rat Authority in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin by clearing out the smaller rats first. Learn strategies for sorcery, pyromancy, and miracles.

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Defeat the Royal Rat Authority in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin by clearing out the smaller rats first. Learn strategies for sorcery, pyromancy, and miracles.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    From the starting area, proceed down the path and around to a set of stairs.
  2. 2
    Pick up the Pharros' Lockstone and Large Soul of a Nameless Soldier on the floor near the stairs.
  3. 3
    Ascend the stairs to reach the next level of the starting room.
  4. 4
    Continue left and enter the first door on your left to find and light a bonfire (checkpoint (an auto-save point you restart from on death)).
  5. 5
    Do not proceed through the mist yet. Exit the room and continue along the path.
  6. 6
    Defeat the pack of enemies encountered.
  7. 7
    Cross the pair of rocky bridges.
  8. 8
    After crossing the second bridge, pick up the Large Soul of a Brave Warrior to your left.
  9. 9
    Turn around and head back the way you came.
  10. 10
    Proceed through the mist to initiate the boss fight against the Royal Rat Authority.
Tips
  • Phase 1: Killing the Smaller Rats
    • Halberd: Aggro the rats by getting close, then retreat towards the entrance. Turn and use a sprinting normal attack to spin and kill all four.
  • Sorcery: Use area-of-effect sorceries like Soul Vortex, Soul Spear Barrage, or Soul Shower. Homing Soulmass can serve as a secondary defense. Aggro the rats and cast when they are all within range of one cast.
  • Pyromancy: Lingering Flame, sold by Straid, is effective. Place Flames just outside the rats' aggro range, then aggro the rats and run behind the flames. Casting Flame Swathe along with Lingering Flame can speed up the process and potentially damage the boss.
  • Miracle: Use Lightning Spear to target each small rat from across the arena. Focus on the front-left one first. The base damage should be sufficient to kill them even with a low Faith stat. Killing them quickly prevents toxic damage.
  • Phase 2: Fighting the Royal Rat Authority
    • After the smaller rats are dead, focus on the Royal Rat Authority.
    • Run straight through its legs to get underneath its belly and attack its back legs.
    • Avoid spending significant time directly in front of the boss, as its horizontal swipes consume a lot of stamina even when blocked.
    • If you move too far away, the boss will perform a lunging dive attack that depletes your entire stamina bar if blocked.
    • A recommended strategy is to block the lunging dive, then immediately run beneath the boss to attack its hind legs.
    • Stay in this position as long as possible, attacking the hind legs, and reposition if the boss leaps away.
    • Be prepared for the lunging dive attack again.
    • When the boss begins spewing vile, burning liquid, quickly move out of the way. This will prompt it to use its leaping attack again.
    • Repeat the strategy of attacking the hind legs after dodging the leaping attack until the boss is defeated.

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