Drake |
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| 354 | 354 | 354 | 354 | 283 |
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| 213 | 707 | A | A | C |
| HP | 1152 (NG+ 1948 ) | |||
| Drops | 1000 Souls (NG+ 3000 ) Dragon Scale |
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Drake is an Enemy in Dark Souls and Dark Souls Remastered. Enemies are hostile creatures that respawn when players rest at a Bonfire or upon death. Special enemies that do not respawn are classified as Bosses, Mini Bosses or Invaders.
Drake Information
The drakes are distant relatives of the dragons that inhabit the Valley of Drakes. Though smaller than their cousins (at least, in Dark Souls terms), they posses powerful lightning attacks, can swoop around the battlefield, have a nasty bite, and possess a respectable 1152 health stat, making them tough foes for the amount of souls they drop.
Drops
- Dragon Scale (5% Chance)
Attacks
- Bite: A quick lunging bite that is easily blocked, but problematic when you're in the middle of an attack of your own. Commonly does at least 2 quickly before resting, leaving it open to a few swings.
- Lunge: A flying lunge with its talons that comes down from a distance. Heavy damage, but easily blocked or sidestepped and it leaves the drake open after the attack since it will be facing away from you if the full animation goes through. Be careful of being knocked off the cliff or bridge even if you block.
- Lightning Breath: A troublesome attack that electrifies the ground either in a line in front of the drake over with a sweep side-to-side. Difficult to dodge from a distance if you don't have plenty of room and can't roll fast enough, but it leaves plenty of time for swinging once you do. Be careful of surprising range, and note that a shield does not help you here, although a Thunder Stoneplate Ring will. If you're relatively close, running to the side makes dodging this move elementary. The side-to-side variant of this move always starts from the left (the dragon's left.) Running toward the dragon and veering off to your left will leave you completely safe and in position to land 2-3 melee hits.
- Flying Lightning Breath: The flying lighting attack is like the standing breath attack, except it doesn't leave the drake so exposed and is hard to dodge on the bridge or cliff; it does, however, have less range, so is easier to counter. Can possibly spam these aerial attacks. It is possible for drakes to suicide by jumping off the cliff with this move.
Notes
- They are NOT weak against Magic and Lightning, despite their draconian legacy, but Fire and Bleeding seems to be effective on them.
- Can be turned toxic with 5-6 dung pie hits in rapid succession, and will die of the toxin. However, these are difficult to land quickly because the dragon will likely be moving or firing lightning which must be dodged. Ergo, this strategy is only really useful if trying to fight across the bridge without sufficient weapons/spells to defeat them otherwise (and in possession of a large collection of dung pies.)
- Can be farmed for Dragon Scales; with the Covetous Gold Serpent Ring you have about or a flat 20% chance of a Dragon Scale dropping from each of the 6 Blue Drakes located in the valley.
Strategy
NEVER try to attack more than 1 at a time. Their large size and movement make lock-on attacks foolish in packs and even wide-swing weapons have a hard time when one is flying.
Bait the ground breath attack. While the drake is doing this run in get some hits. There is enough time to switch to two handed before he starts the attack, run in as it attacks, hit it once or twice, then switch back to sword and shield before the drake attacks again. The drake will commonly do the bite attack. Block then hit until the drake decides to do something else. Keep trying to bait the ground breath attack until dead. If the drake does any of the aerial stuff move to an open area or just dodge the breath until it finishes the attack animation. Try pulling one at a time by range or inching into aggro range. Try not to fight on the bridge or cliffs so that you don't risk getting knocked off. Try keeping the drake's back to the cliffs, because they may jump backwards and kill themselves, as the drakes can't fly for extended periods of time.
Alternative
This isn't an easy strategy. Nor is it practical. It is meant to just bring some joy and amusement when you need it. The flying breath attack the drakes do. When they fly in the air and shoot their electricity straight down over your head this is an oppertunity, not a bane. If you can bait them into doing this attack, they can in fact, fly over the edge and fall when they land for a laughable death. This is how I have been kill the drakes and I have tested this theory with multiple drakes at once. (Up to three, though it is difficult beyond one) The best way to bait them, although it may take some time to find just the right distance, I usually back them up to the bottom of the hill near the Darkroot entrance and then hit them and quickly run to the edge. 7 out of 10 times, they execute their flying attack to catch me in which case I roll out of the way and let them fly themselves over the edge, turn to roar, then drop straight down. Even though it's not an easy strategy to perform it is a lot of fun and it does work.
Locations
| Location | Health | NG+ | Souls | NG+ | Respawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley of Drakes | 1152 | 1948 | 1000 | 3000 | Yes |
AnonymousI need a- one scale... black knight halberd in my hand... one more run 'fore I bone... gold serpent ring got a hold on me...
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Letting these guys follow you into New Londo might result in a noise complaint.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I've lost around two hundred thousand souls trying to grind these ****ers for scales cause of how they turn around and knock you off the bridge, also good game design where they just fall of the edge after performing an air attack which prevents me from gaining a potential scale. Probably my least favourite enemy, I hate them with a burning passion.
- Anonymous
They're staggered in a single light attack from a 2H greataxe. You can stun lock them if you time your hits as their reeling animation ends.
- Anonymous
Actually the WORST thing of the game is farming these, ive been less frustrated with bed chaos. Their area sucks, them turning around can push you to your death, they are so cheaply designed that they can even suicide because they were not designed with the area in mind
- Anonymous
What is the lore behind them being able to breathe lightning instead of fire and actually being weak to fire?
They don't even seem to be connected with the gods to justify their lightning breath, and for a creature with draconic scales for their skin, their fire and lightning defenses are the complete opposite of what they should be.
- Anonymous
I can't believe these guys drop a dragon scale when I've farmed them for I don't know how long with max discovery
- Anonymous
i dont know if its just a remastered thing but their collision becomes stupid when they do a wing animation i always get stuck between their bodies and wings or in their thunder attack they have a phantom collision and is especially annoying at the red tearstone ring location
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
man these guys are a lot of fun to torture with your brand new weapon/spell that you get, especially the moment where i got a crystal soul spear, crazy fun
- Anonymous
Chaos Zwei +5 with 10 Humanity takes these f***s out in two R2's. First R2 staggers them too.
- Anonymous
Farming these things for dragon scales to get the dragon torso stone was so asssss, wouldn't recommend doing it if you're not absolutely desperate to get it.
- Anonymous
If your character is not ranged magic based and have to farm these drakes in melee combat I can highly recommend a +5 Chaos Uchigatana. It has everything these Drakes are weak to. Slashing, fire and bleed. Three R1's will stagger a Drake and two more after will kill it. You want to bait their lightning breath so you can walk to their side and wail on them. The three hit stagger is essential to prevent other annoying attacks on that narrow bridge. It's still a painfully slow and tedious way of getting those Dragon Scales, even with 410 Discovery.
- Anonymous
Annoying when they fly around, like one fly move after the other. most of my time fighting these is chasing them around
- Anonymous
These f***s can go f*** themselves to f***ing death!!! Enemies like this are the f***ing reason f***ing Elden Ring is f***ing better!!!
- Anonymous
My farming method:
-step off elevator, cast Power within
-two hand my maxed silver knight sword, sprinting straight toward first drake before bridge, veering right of it when it readies lightning breath. LA, HA *stagger*, brief pause LA, HA, *stagger* LA. Dead.
-sorint across bridge toward second Drake, staying on the right side of the bridge until it readies breath, veer left and run past and slightly behind it. LA, HA, *stagger* LA, HA, *stagger, LA. Dead.
-take a few steps forward, keeping tomride side of bridge, Drake on left will approach. When targetable, cast chaos orb twice, staggering the first time and killing with the second. Move to left side of bridge, take a few steps forward, and do the same with the approaching Drake on the right
-sprint toward rear drake, veering to right when it readies breath, and attacking from the side with LA, HA, *stagger*, LA, HA *stagger,*, LA, dead.
-i generally don't worry about the last Drake on the ledge leading to the undead dragon, it's position is just too precarious. But, if you must, Ive found the best method is sprinting around the path, hugging the mountain wall to the left, and dodging/jumping past the Drake on the left, then using the same LA/HA stagger attack pattern again.
- Anonymous
Been farming these with a Morningstar +5. At 20 STR they stagger every other hit and bleed on about the 5th hit if you can keep the pressure on. Close as quickly as possible and land 3 hits. After that you can just pause for stamina and swing twice; the first hit will stagger them while the second hit sets up the NEXT stagger, essentially stunlocking them. They can still do the move where they fly backwards spitting lightning, so just keep them between you and the cliff.
- Anonymous
Continued tests, have acquired Crystal Soul Spear. At 59 Intelligence and without buffs, it will kill a drake in two hits. When using only the Dusk Crown or Bellowing Dragoncrest ring, as well as while using both, it still only kills in two casts.
HSA, GHSA, and Soul Spear haven't changed when unbuffed from the former 5/4/3 values. When using Crown plus Ring, it remains at 3/3/2 in order to kill. As I have yet to acquire Logan's catalyst, I will assume that it will reduce the GHSA casts to kill down to 2 when the Ring and Crown are used alongside. Take this with a grain of salt however as I haven't tested that yet.
- Anonymous
5 HSA, 4 GHSA, 3 Soul Spear, to kill with Sorcerers Catalyst at 52 Intelligence without any buffs from the Crown of Dusk or Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring. With the crown only, it goes down by one for each. The same happens while only using the ring. Using both at once however reduces the casts needed to kill with HSA down to 3, and GHSA, while still needing 3 to kill, is very close to killing in 2, leaving only a sliver of health. Soul Spear remains unchanged, still requiring 2 to kill. Will continue tests, eventually using Crystal Soul Spear and Logan's Catalyst.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Having to kill these for the stone dragon chest for my fist only run, pray for my sanity
- Anonymous
I'm in the Valley of Drakes farming for souls, and Heavy Soul Arrow can kill them in 6 hits at 30 intelligence and using the Sorcerer Staff. It stuns them too. Be careful if you do this though.
- Anonymous
I'm farming in the Valley of Drakes for souls, and at 30 intelligence and with the Sorcerer Staff, you can kill the drakes with 4 casts of Great Heavy Soul Arrow, and 6 Heavy Soul Arrows. It's dangerous, but if you want to, it can work.
- Anonymous
My salt levels are unmatched when I farm these. They can slide you off the cliff and bridge edges just my moving and when they loop that flying attack back and forth giving you no opportunities to hit them is infuriating. The worst thing that happened to me however was once being thrown off the bridge by the drake extending its wing during its fkn death animation. I killed it and while dying it killed me! Holy **** these things make titanite demons come across as nothing in terms of glitchyness in their collisions and hitboxes
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
The one on the bridge is a complete ********, can flick you off the edge just by turning around and I recently died to its death animation. That’s right, I killed it and when it flicked its wings before falling to the ground and disappearing they knocked me off the cliff. The salt was so real
- Anonymous
A little question for the experts among you: as someone who doesn't really know about fantasy, I would like to know what the difference is now between dragon, drake and wyvern. If this is the right place for the question.
- Anonymous
Loved his new album "New Londo", bass was so heavy I fell off a cliff
- Anonymous
Lifehunt Scythe +5 takes them out in three one-hand hits at 25 str/dex, so long as the first is a running attack. That first hit will also break their poise if they're doing their easily-avoided, stationary lightning attack, making the second two easy. Unless they're on the bridge, they almost always open with that lightning attack if you sprint at them. On the bridge, though, they'll often take off and do one of the flying attacks, instead (which they'll in turn often continue to spam to make farming a headache.) I've found that casting one of the Soul Mass spells before sprinting in at them seems to make them more much likely to open with stationary lightning in that situation. The extra damage doesn't really make any difference, but I think the threat of ranged attack triggers a breakpoint in the AI's attack choice.
- Anonymous
I’ve been killing the 4 drakes i can with Great Chaos Fireball after running through Drowned Londo, and not to crap on Slabs, but I’ve got 2 Titanite slabs before I’ve got 10 Dragon Scales. There has to be something wrong with that...
A good method i found to grind the drakes, is to have a +5 black knight greatsword and enough poise to to tank one electric blast. The way you engage is to run straight at them while they're facing you, this will often trigger the straight or sweep electric blast, move to there left and do the running attack then youll tank one piece of lightning blast and imedietly do a normal attack, this will stagger them and one more slash should finish it.
i find that a sprinting light attack, immediately followed by a jump attack while two-handing my plus five Black Knight Great sword with an AR of 598 works rather well as the first hit always stuns them. this combo will always kill them with no extra hits needed but it depends on how much you want to risk as messing up the jump will really give you a poor experience and a face full of either teeth or lightning and will always give you tears. XD
- Anonymous
I'm using poison arrows with a longbow outside aggro range once the poison kicks in stop firing and as soon as the poison wears off loose more rinse and repeat but it requires a lot of poison arrows
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Incredibly easy to kill as a sorcerer and farm for souls/scales even at low SL.
Entering from the darkroot elevator the hill by the elevator can be safely stood on to avoid all breath attacks of the first two (before the bridge and middle bridge). Bate them back and then run up to the top of the middle section of the hill. It has a three stage hump that if you stand the furthest back then lock-on to turn yourself around the middle hump will block you from everything and the drakes will just repeat the two standing breath attacks.
The remaining three on the other side of the bridge can be baited out one at a time. If you keep backing away they will eventually hit a point where they start backing away slowly. You can get in at least a single cast depending on their location before they start forward again. Keeping at max lock-on range you can easily roll/run away if they start a dive or breath attack. Repeat until all three are dead.
I have not tested this yet with bow/x-bow/pyro yet but I imagine the same strategy should work.
- Anonymous
I killed three or four at once by climbing up up the ladder where you get the red tearstone ring and allowing the all the drake to gather around the bottom of the ladder. I equipped the red tearstone ring and then did a plunging attack on all the drakes while using a black knight greatsword and wearing stone armor. This decimated their health, though it didn't kill them outright. Luckily though, I did one or two R1 attacks with my greatsword and finished them all off. It probably helped that my weapon was buffed by the red tearstone ring which activated due to the damage I took from the plunge attack.
4 flying breath attacks: circular, forward, backward, and forward-backward. simply side-step. drake #1 seems to be the only drake that doesn't prefer aerial attacks.
melee: use eagle, effigy, or havel's shield along with the thunder stoneplate ring and the stone armour set if you can get them. if you're just within aggro range, most likely is lunge, if closer, but not in melee range, most likely to use frontal breath attack, except #1 prefers sideways breath attack. drake #6 (on thin path) strongly prefers aerial attacks, but will not fall off the path unless it's jumping backwards (maybe not even then).
ranged (easy version) : slowly walk until you reach the "Valley of Drakes" location notifier, aim for the head of drake #1, and you can spam it with arrows, almost always crit'ing. drake #2 has a ridiculously long tracking range, and thus cannot be sniped as close as the location notifier, probably can around the corner where you cross paths with drake #6, however sniping drake #2 will draw it out from the bridge, making it easier for inexperienced players (as in "barely survived the bell gargoyles" kind of inexperienced. for contrast, i've not gotten any of the Lord Souls, but i do have the Lordvessel). closest you can snipe #3 safely is just before the long grass next to the corpse on the bridge. closest you can snipe #4 safely is at the feet of the corpse, and #5 is in the patch of long grass on the left just after the corpse.
the drake around the corner (#6) can be sniped from the bridge, but take a lot of arrows, as the Black Bow of Pharis +10 (33 str, 20 dex) deals only 7 damage, or 12 on a crit (while dealing 32 damage normally, and 48 on a crit, to the others (and i've only just noticed the damage on the bow scales better with dexterity)).
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Use the boss scythe weapon from Priscilla and keep whacking them with it. After you've triggered the bleed once on Ng+ it only needs 2 more hits to die. Quicker than with poison or toxic.
Shield does in fact help a bit with the lightning
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