Overview: (4)

Discover the Company of Champions covenant in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. Learn how it affects difficulty, enemy stats, and multiplayer.

Alright, so you've made it to Majula, and you're probably wondering about all the stuff you can do here. One of the first things you'll stumble upon are covenants, and there are two available right off the bat. We're going to talk about the Company of Champions, which is a pretty unique one, and honestly, a bit of a challenge.

Basically, joining the Company of Champions cranks up the difficulty of your game. Think of it like jumping straight into New Game Plus, or using a Bonfire Ascetic on every bonfire, but you're doing it while still in your first playthrough. Every enemy you face will hit harder and have more health. It's a serious test, but it's a way to ramp up the challenge without having to go through the whole game again or mess with ascetics.

On top of that, this covenant locks you out of cooperative play. That means you won't be able to summon any help, not even friendly NPCs like Lucatiel. Their summon signs just won't show up. However, be warned: other players can still invade your world and try to mess with you. So, while it's focused on making your PvE experience tougher, you're still very much a target for PvP.

Another effect of joining is that enemies will notice you from further away. They'll spot you much more easily, so you'll have to be even more careful about your approach. When you first join, you'll also get the Champion's Tablet. This item is your gateway to a leaderboard that shows off the players who've offered the most Awestones to the Victor's Stone. It's a cool way to see who's really dedicating themselves to this tough covenant.

While the Company of Champions is heavily geared towards PvE challenges, it does have a PvP element. If you manage to defeat those nasty red phantom invaders that show up in your world, they'll drop Awestones. These are the currency you'll need to rank up within the covenant, so taking down invaders is actually beneficial for your progress here.

Warning: Seriously, if you join this covenant, remember that you can't summon anyone, and you can't be summoned by others. This includes all your NPC buddies. Their summon signs will simply not appear, so you're on your own for the most part.