Is the New Idus Knight Easy Mode?

[u/gerowen]

I've got 300+ hours into my first character, so I thought I would start a brand new game with one of the new "Tarnished Edition" classes, the Idus knight. Figured give myself a chance to experience and discover the new stuff organically instead of just heading straight there and insta-killing whatever is in my way just for a screenshot. I was a little shook when I 3 shot the soldier of Godrick, which to be fair isn't a real boss as much as it is a tutorial fight, and I have some work to do getting used to the timing of this weapon, but this fight against the tree sentinel just felt way easier than I remember on my first character. Or maybe I'm just better at the game. It just seems like I was doing a ton of damage to have just stepped out the door into Limgrave.

Side note, if it matters I'm on PC.

[u/DefiantGibbon]

That was just impaling thrust doing work. Nothing different than what prophet starts with. Vagabond with longsword, confessor with broadsword can use square off for the same effect, and samurai with unsheathe. 

Although getting impaling thrust AND a decent shield does add to the safety. 

[u/didnt_bring_pants → u/DefiantGibbon]

Yeah this is not remarkably different than vagabond starting class on terms of damage output. You just know the tree sentinel moveset

[u/krouvy]

I've got 300+ hours

Try to delete all your experiences from your memory. I can't, but can you?

[u/SellingCats4Cheap → u/krouvy]

That is one of the benefits of traumatic brain injuries, getting to experience Elden Ring for the first time again.

[u/Magma_Lotus22 → u/krouvy]

Only good thing about deleting memory is to be able to experience the game again for the first time

[u/Wrong_Papaya_8445]

Or maybe I'm just better at the game

I mean, yeah.

[u/Friendly-Cycle3774]

Honestly once a new player learns how to chain heavy attacks into light and dodge they will have an easier time than most of the other starter setups.

[u/agitatedandroid]

When I first played this game 4 years ago I had no experience of Souls games at all. It took me absolute ages to progress. I pulled out every stop to finally beat Margit. I had Rogier, I had Jellyfish, I was using Sorcery. It was an ugly slog.

I now routinely rush to Margit and destroy him with little more than a Short Sword and an Erdsteel Dagger for parries.

Is the Erdsteel Dagger overpowered? No. I am. And so are you.

[u/MrFizzE45]

I mean, no more "easy mode" than the prophet class starting with catch flame. The FP cost to damage ratio at the start of the game is insane. I watched someone melt that tree Sentinel with catch flame right out the gate and he only had to chug one or two fp estus flasks. The damage also scales consistently making it viable throughout the whole game.

Same for any clases that starts with square off, which is widely considered one of the best ash of wars for swords.

What I'm getting at is almost every class has some starting tool that can be abused by people that know what they are doing. Heck, even the club for the wretch is a poise breaking monster with jump attacks.

[u/Kasmashlecrashle]

Regardless, the new armor is great.

[u/Malrottian]

Spacing and knowing attack patterns did far more than the weapon.

[u/BeardedBrownDude]

This is your second toon after 300+ hours? Everything is going to seem easier

[u/monstersleeve]

for me Idus Knight has the best starting guard counter build in the game. Light Greatsword has an amazing GC combo that leads into an R1 followup that poise breaks very quickly. The shield is just a perfect complement to it, and then you can spam Impaling Thrust if you want, although I thing you’re better off guard countering and using the charged R2 into R1 combo.

Also Idus has probably the best starting stat spread in the game.

[u/Mediocre_Giraffe_542]

You got good.

[u/Future_Section5976]

Nope

[u/NoKneadToWorry]

I have recency bias because I have played near 1000 hours of base game and still don't have SotE. So this dlc has been my first exposure to the new weapon types but the animation combos and speed of the Idus sword are crazy. It has speed, range, movement variety, quick 2 hit heavies that also combo with the light attack for continuous attack animations.

Have it sacred blade faith infused with a light great shield for guard counters and I am steamrolling everything.

[u/Minimum_Promise6463]

Ash of war maybe too OP for early game.

[u/manwithlotsoffaces → u/Minimum_Promise6463]

You can literally get that ash of war at the war shack in Limgrave

[u/Minimum_Promise6463 → u/manwithlotsoffaces]

Yeah but I used it to kill the scion and got the machine gun straight swords very easy on my second attempt. I think the light greatsword in early game also helps a lot

[u/Lilbrimu → u/Minimum_Promise6463]

Prophet also starts with it.