Summary
Equipment durability is a divisive topic for action games likeDark Souls 2, as the mechanic can often conflict with a cohesive gameplay feel as weapons and armor breaking at key moments rarely appears to be a planned challenge. However, in the case of Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon, the durability inDark Souls 2makes mastering a single weapononly part of the puzzle for defeating the boss.
Locked behind theCrown of the Sunken KingDLC forDark Souls 2, Sinh is a unique encounter, due to the way that players will need to be prepared in order to survive the encounter. While preparation is already an important part of success in theSoulsborneseries, the extra strain that Sinh imparts changes the minor benefits of keeping a collection of consumable items or a robust build into a necessity.
Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon Gives as Good as He Gets
The Decay Hiding Under Sinh’s Surface
The mechanic that makes Sinh unique is the fact that his scales are corrosive, and will quickly drain the durability from any weapons that strike him. In most of FromSoftware’s catalog, this would be a minor annoyance, possibly requiring the player to repair their weapons between attempts. However, evenDark Souls 2’s best weaponshave the least durability of any equipment throughout theSoulsborneseries, with weapons readily breaking from one boss encounter to the next without Sinh’s corrosive scales.
As a result, most weapons brought into the fight against Sinh won’t last long enough against the dragon’s corrosive scales to kill the boss without either dropping in damage output or breaking outright. This doubles the war of attrition between the player and Sinh, where the player isn’t only managing their healing items against the boss' health bar, but also the durability of their weapons. For players wandering into this encounter unprepared, Sinh can then become one of thetoughest fights in theDark Soulsseriesbecause of this steady loss of damage output.
Preparing for Sinh’s Corrosive Backlash
One way to prepare for Sinh’s corrosive scales is to bring a hefty amount of repair powders, a rather pricey consumable item that can be purchased from Chancellor Wellager in Drangleic Castle. Other than the costly repair powders, there is also the Repair sorcery that replenishes its casting limits from one encounter to the next. Of course, for players diving into thepowerful magic builds ofDark Souls 2, casting spells from a distance might be a better course of action than relying on the Repair sorcery.
Another possibility for making it through the Sinh encounter is to utilize a more flexible build, one that doesn’t hinge on a single weapon at a time. This would then give the player multiple weapons to burn through before reaching the end of the fight, bypassing the need to pull back in the middle of the fight and repair. Considering how long the repair animation can take, the powder can make any ofDark Souls 2’s weapons impracticalagainst Sinh if players need to duck away and heal their gear along with themselves.
Sinh Makes the Most out of Durability in Dark Souls 2
Considering that weapon durability has been almost completely phased out by the time ofElden Ring’s release, the brittle weapons ofDark Souls 2are a quickly divisive design decision for what is already acontroversial entry in theSoulsborneseries. However, by building in a near certainty for weapons to break against Sinh, it forces the mechanic to become a critical part of combat in a way that it rarely does anywhere else. The result is a unique way to highlight weapon durability, taking the mechanic from a minor annoyance to an actual concern that dictates how players prepare.
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
WHERE TO PLAY
Gamers are in for a big surprise in DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin. An unforgettable journey awaits you in a breathtaking world where each dark corner and unexpected encounter will test your resolve. Go beyond what you thought was possible and discover incredible challenge and intense emotional reward. Whether you’ve previously played DARK SOULS™ II, or are new to the award-winning franchise, you are in for an entirely different experience with this exclusive, “Director’s Cut” version of the game.The definitive edition of DARK SOULS™ II. DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin includes all the DARK SOULS™ II content released to-date in one package and much more!A brand new experience and challenge. Enemy placement has been overhauled, resulting in a completely different play dynamic than experienced before. The safe zones that some players remembered are no longer safe! A new NPC invader called Forlorn will also play a key role in changing the gameplay experience. Hardened players will have to forget everything they thought they knew about DARK SOULS™ II.Online play has been enhanced with the addition of a special item to regulate souls acquired in battle - it’s now possible to match up more consistently online. The number of players who can participate in an online session has also been increased, from 4 to 6 people, completely changing the online play dynamic.DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin brings the franchise’s renowned obscurity & gripping gameplay to a new level. Join the dark journey and experience overwhelming enemy encounters, diabolical hazards, and unrelenting challenge.
