The Iron Keep
The Iron Keep presents a formidable fortress that was too heavy for its base and is thus sinking into lava. This area holds the Dull Ember needed to unlock special upgrades at Steady Hand McDuff's workshop. In SotFS this item is found at the Tower Apart bonfire in the Lost Bastille.
General Information
- Previous: Earthen Peak
- Next: Grave of Saints
- Recommended Levels: 80 to 90
- Bosses: Smelter Demon, Pursuer, Old Iron King
- Bonfires: Threshold Bridge, Ironhearth Hall, Eygil's Idol
Iron Keep Map
NPCs
Summons
Items
Consumables- Petrified Dragon Bone
- Iron Key
- Petrified Dragon Bone
- Petrified Something
- Twinkling Titanite
- Pharros' Lockstone
- Large Titanite Shard x 2
- Old Radiant Lifegem
- Green Blossom
- Soul Of A Proud Knight x2
- Repair Powder x2
- Iron Arrow
- Lightning Winged Spear (Mimic)
- Destructive Greatarrow x10
- Simpleton's Spice
- Cracked Red Eye Orb
- Torch
- Porcine Shield
- Lightning Short Bow +1
- Dark Armor (Mimic)
- Black Knight Greataxe
- Covetous Gold Serpent Ring
- Covetous Gold Serpent Ring +1
- Blacksteel Katana (Drop from Alonne Knights)
- Zweihander
- *Life Ring +1
- Phoenix Parma Shield
Enemies
- Alonne Knight
- Alonne Knight Captain
- Ironclad Soldier
- Fencer Sharron (Red Phantom invader)
- Armorer Dennis (Red Phantom invader)
- Oliver the Collector (Red Phantom invader)
Bosses
Notes
- The second time you pass the location where Fencer Sharron invaded you, you will be invaded a second time but this time, by Armorer Dennis.
- In NG+, two red phantom Alonne Knight Captains will spawn in the Furnace.
- On the platform you with the lever that you used to roast two of the Ironclad Soldiers, with the use of long ranged attacks and some crafty timing to lure the enemies into the many traps in this room, including the lever-controlled platform, it is entirely possible to kill most if not all the enemies in the room standing on the platform with the lever, making navigation around the room that much easier.
Iron Keep Walkthrough
Dealing with the Fire
- To reach items along the lava paths in this level, you will need either max health or stack fire defense such as Flash Sweat and the Flame Quartz Ring +2.
- High fire resist gear, Dragon Tooth are useful too.
- Consuming 3-6 Radiant Lifegems can help to maintain HP.
- The small orange burr is also not a bad idea either, however, burr doesn't stack with Flash Sweat. Other
- Flash Sweat provides +300 fire defense.
- Rolling into one of the urns scattered across the map/water pools produced from the area's Pharros' Contraption mechanisms will also increase fire defense by 400.
- It appears a minimum fire defense of around 600 is needed to be able to reach any items.
- Killing the Smelter Demon will make his armor available from the armorer in Majula. This armor has one of the, if not the highest fire defenses in the game, proving useful in getting these items. The armor itself is not cheap but neither is anything of quality, and could be worth buying before attempting to get the items across the fire paths.
- With 1000+ fire defense, You'll still take damage but it should be minimal.
- A Ring of Soul Protection or Ring of Life Protection will allow you to grab the items without penalty at lower defenses.
- 797 fire defense allowed the hardest one to be reached (below the mimic) for instance, but did not provide enough time to exit. You will die after looting the chest but won't lose any souls or humanity if you were inclined to be human
Mage Magerold
As you enter the area, head down the stairs on your left for the Threshold Bridge bonfire, and a Human Effigy under the stairs. You need high fire resistance to survive this. Take everything mentioned above into consideration when traveling through the lava. Head back up the stairs, and head over the bridge, ignoring the stairs on the right. Halfway across you can see a broken part of the floor to your right, leading down to several lava platforms. A corpse holding a Bonfire Ascetic glows in the distance, but you can come back later doused with water and with strong Fire DEF. An Alonne Knight will attack you from the other side of the bridge. This bridge is also a well known arena for Dragon Remnants covenant.
Just before you enter the building, Fencer Sharron will invade, there is also a chance that Armorer Dennis invades. Through the door up the small set of stairs you will find more Knights and a Flaming Bull Head emitting a continuous fire jet, blocking a corpse holding an Iron Key . To obtain this key:
- Approach the corpse from the left side of the statue. Go very slowly and eventually you'll see the "pick up item" prompt.
- Also, at just around 8-10 second intervals there's a short - very short - break in the fire, in which you can take a step or two forward to get the key.
Clear the enemies, ignore the stairs and move through the hall to your right. The merchant Magerold of Lanafir will be ahead who can reduce your spells INT / FAITH requirement and as well as sells a Fragrant Branch Of Yore. Spend 10,000 souls with him to get a free Covetous Gold Serpent Ring +1.
The Furnace
Start heading back out but take the stairway to your right in the hallway. At the top of the stairs, you'll find an Alonne Knight on the left, guarding a corpse hanging over a window with a Pharros Lockstone. Also in this room are Water Jars that can help with retrieving. To the right of the stairs is a small alcove which has an Illusory Wall -accessible as all others are, by pressing the "use" button on your respective controller. Inside is a ballista and a corpse holding 20x Fire Arrow, in the corner. Another Illusory Wall lies on the wall the ballista is aimed at. Activate the wall then quickly get on the ballista and use it to shoot the Greatbow Knight waiting on the other side. The room ahead is the upper level of the Flaming Head Bull room. The stairs through the door to your left take you back there. To the right is the Furnace room, but for now head left downstairs to grab the Iron Key out of the fire -if you haven't already- then, head back upstairs to continue on through the door enter the Furnace area.
Ahead of you on a walkway above is another Knight, and a Greatbow Knight on the bridge ahead, slightly out of reach. Move along the left and take out him out using ranged attacks, as he will just make things worse ahead. Another Greatbow Knight lies far in the distance next to the fog door. If you can take him out from here as well, it would be beneficial. Continue on to find two more Knights, and another Greatbow Knight up a ladder that you can find at the end of this path. Up the ladder, you'll also find a chest containing a Life Ring +1 and a Twinkling Titanite, while going to the bottom of the ladder, will grant you a Soul Of A Proud Knight, and Repair Powder. Head back to the level you started on and take the small stairs on the left.
There's a lever down here which you can pull to lower the walkway above. You can open the door here, but you won't be able to proceed in as a large flame shoots out, upon opening; roll out of the way as soon as possible. To progress, head up the stairs to find the closest walkway and travel on this newly accessible path. Head straight and kill the Knight here, before jumping off to reach the other side of the Furnace Room.
Detour before the Demon
To your left is a Boss Fog door, but lets wait on this for a minute. Turn right look left to see a platform with a broken set of metal stairs. Jump over to it and at the edge is a corpse holding a Petrified Dragon Bone, grab it then head inside and up the stairs. Climb up the ladder to reach the roof and a Pharros Contraption, and a chest containing a Zweihander. Activating the contraption spills out the infinite magical healing water. From the roof, jump down to the chest platform from earlier and head back over the jump towards the boss fog.
A corpse can be seen on the small ledge surrounding the pillar to your left. Angle your jump so you will roll towards the pillar wall and collect the Large Soul Of Nameless Soldier and a Red Leech Troches. Drop down to the platform with the lever below. Pull the lever, Ignoring the door here as well. The catwalk above is now fully level. Drop down in front of the lever onto the metal stairs. At the bottom you'll find a chest on lava containing Phoenix Parma.
Head up the stairs and rotate the wheel located on the Main Furnace. This turns off the furnace making the two previously unsafe furnace doors, safe. Move along the right ledge to drop down to the furnace door. Inside, there is a ladder and a corpse holding 2x Large Titanite Shard and a Petrified Dragon Bone. Head up the ladder to reach a walkway with another ladder and a corpse holding an Old Radiant Lifegem and a Green Blossom, on the far end. A Captain is also guarding this, if you didn't snipe him earlier. Head up the ladder, ignoring the doorways in front of you, and atop head left then drop down to the platform with the chest from earlier, containing the Life Ring +1 and Twinkling Titanite. Move off the edge to the right and follow the pathway back to the boss fog door, you will also find Lucatiel of Mirrah's summon sign a bit before the fog gate.
BOSS FIGHT: Smelter Demon
To the Belfry Sol Bonfire
After defeating the demon, move up the stairs. At the top, turn around to find a chest containing the Porcine Shield and 5x Flame Butterfly. Head forward to the Ironhearth Hall bonfire. You can now head back downstairs to face the Pursuer, who will spawn in Smelter's arena (you may have to fast travel away and come back to get him to spawn). Defeating him grants you the Ring Of Blades +1.
Back at the bonfire open the door and defeat the Captain ahead before heading through the archway to the right. Up ahead there are two Alonne Knights, an Ironclad Soldier, and not a lot of fighting space. Try to take them one at a time and be carefull, as the Ironclad Soldier will try to break pieces out of the bridge. Inside the larger room, there are another three Ironclad Soldiers, a bunch of Flaming Bull Heads lining the walls and a few Greatbow Knights, one of which is directly above you. Take him out with ranged attacks and pull the lever in front of you to treat two of the Ironclad Soldiers ahead, to a glorious firey death. Although it may seem tempting DO NOT pull it again as when the regular platform is present, you cannot reach a ladder and some chests on the far side. To your left is a door with a Pharros Contraption that opens up a path to a ladder. Climb up to reach the Belfry Sol Approach bonfire and a chest containing Thunder Quartz Ring +1. You can also reach Belfry Sol from here.
If you access this bonfire, you are forced to climb the ladder as there is no other way out except for warping. If you do not want to traverse Belfry Sol, it is possible at the top of the ladder to fall back down while pushing forward, this places you on the ledge above the bonfire. Traveling to Belfry will eventually allow you to return to Iron Keep via a small ledge above. On this ledge on the right wall is an Illusory Wall which opens up to a room holding two chests containing a Black Knight Greatsword, a Protective Chime, and the Grand Spirit Tree Shield. After looting, drop down and go back down the ladder into the lava-filled room with the flaming bull head's in the middle, where you first triggered the Pharros' Contraption to the Belfry Sol bonfire.
Scortched Trails
Whether or not you went through Belfry Sol, from here, go up the stairs to the left and take out the Greatbow Knights ahead, as well as the other one in the bottom left, from afar. A Crystal Lizard holding a Large Titanite Shard, a Titanite Chunk and a Firedrake Stone can be found down the stairs to your left, be quick or lose it to the lava. Farther down the stairs are pressure plates that will activate a lava bucket trap, so be cautious whilst approaching the corpse ahead. Loot it to receive a Large Soul Of Proud Knight and a Radiant Lifegem. Ahead is another lava path. Down and to the right is a Fire Seed, and to the left, a chest at the end which contains the Pyromancy Spell: Chaos Storm .
This path is the hardest by far so only attempt this when you have at least Flash Sweat, +100 Total Fire DEF Armor, Small Orange Spurr, and Doused in water.
Back at the top, continue along the platforms, timing your movements between the Flaming Bull Head bursts and work your way to the left, to the platform with a corpse containing a Large Soul Of Nameless Soldier. From here, turn around and head straight and shortly left is a ladder leading up. We will come back to this but for now head forwards to the opposite side of the room and take out the Ironclad Soldier by the fog door. Behind him is a corpse holding a Large Soul Of Nameless Soldier and a Monastery Charm. Turn around and head back to the ladder we passed before. Alternatively you can continue straight through the fog door but you will miss quite a few items. However, both paths eventually end in the same area so lets take the scenic route.
Scenic Route
Once up the ladder there are multiple Water urns, which are helpful for the lava path below. Up the stairs are two Alonne Knights waiting for you, and at the far end of the path is a chest. Opening this chest will earn you 10x Destructive Greatarrow, and an Oliver The Collector invasion.
Up the ladder is another Pharros Water Contraption. Head up the stairway in this room to arrive to a roof with three Alonne Knights. Be careful of the hole in the middle, and move along the left side to collect the Simpleton's Spice. There's also a chest on the right containing the Black Knight Greataxe. Now its time for the tedious trip down the hole in the middle. There are several walkways which you can fall onto. Be very careful, one wrong step and its a nice lava bath at the bottom. On the third walkway down, there's a corpse holding a Cracked Red Eye Orb and a Torch. Soon you will drop down onto a beam in a room with a large lava pot below you. From the beam, carefully angle your fall so you land on the outer rim of the pot and circle around to the corpse inside which holds Covetous Gold Serpent Ring. From here drop down to the beam by your side. On this beam, you'll also have to take care of another Alonne Knight. Head forward and drop down onto the stairway platform to your left.
Route to the King
The fog doorway directly ahead leads back to the original Flaming Bull Head room which brings us full circle. At the bottom of the stairs is a hallway with two Ironclad Soldiers and a blade trap. This hallway eventually leads to a large caged area with Flaming Bull Heads. Time your movements and circle around the statues. You can see a corpse in between the flames, however grabbing this item will most likely result in your demise. The trick to looting this is to enter the flames right before they turn off, damaging you only slightly but giving you a bigger buffer of time. Then roll out. It's recommended to collect it on your return trip here; trust us, or you can find out why for yourself.
To the left of the doorway ahead is a ladder leading up to a large caged room with more Flaming Bull Heads and another ladder directly in front on the far wall. You can either try to time it to run through the short breaks of fire, or you can hit it, which will make it start rotating, eitherway, get ready to run! Climb up to reach the Eygil's Idol bonfire and a lever located up the small set of stairs which turns off all Flaming Bull Heads! Woohoo! Climb all the way back down into the first Flaming Head Room, loot the now accessible corpse to receive a cheeky Lightning Short Bow +1 and go through the doorway to the right of the ladder. Find a set of stairs leading down to another Ironclad Soldier, and a sign to summon Manhunter O'Harrah on the right. Continue on to reach a very open lava area. You can see the Boss Fog Door in the distance. Move down the ramp way towards the stone stairs and get ready for battle.
BOSS FIGHT: Old Iron King
After defeating him move through the doorway located around the right corner and loot the chest for Petrified Something. Move down the stairs and light the Primal Bonfire. In the room after the bonfire you will find an obelisk that will teleport you to the entrance of the Crown of the Old Iron King DLC. After teleporting back to Majula, head to the giant Pit to reach the Grave of Saints.
General Information
- Previous: Earthen Peak
- Next: Belfry Sol
- Recommended Levels: 80 to 90
- Bosses: Smelter Demon, Pursuer, Old Iron King
- Bonfires: Threshold Bridge, Ironhearth Hall, Eygil's Idol
Iron Keep Map
NPCs
Summons
Items
- Dull Ember
- Iron Key
- Covetous Gold Serpent Ring
- Covetous Gold Serpent Ring +1
- Blacksteel Katana(Drop from Alonne Knights)
- Petrified Dragon Bone
- Zweihander
- Sublime Bone Dust
- Twinkling Titanite
- Pharros' Lockstone
- Life Ring +1
- Phoenix Parma Shield
- Porcine Shield
- Lightning Short Bow +1
- Large Titanite Shard x2
- Old Radiant Lifegem
- Green Blossom
- Soul Of A Proud Knight x2
- Repair Powder x2
- Iron Arrow
- LightningWinged Spear (Mimic chest)
- Dark Armor (Mimic chest)
- Destructive Greatarrowx10
- Simpleton's Spice
- Black Knight Greataxe
- Cracked Red Eye Orb
- Torch
Enemies
Bosses
Notes
- In NG+, two red phantom Alonne Knight Captains will spawn in the Furnace.
- On the platform you with the lever that you used to roast two of the Ironclad Soldiers, with the use of long ranged attacks and some crafty timing to lure the enemies into the many traps in this room, including the lever-controlled platform, it is entirely possible to kill most if not all the enemies in the room standing on the platform with the lever, making navigation around the room that much easier.
Iron Keep Walkthrough
Dealing with the Fire
- To reach items along the lava paths in this level, you will need either max health or stack fire defense such as Flash Sweat and the Flame Quartz Ring +2.
- High fire resist gear, Dragon Tooth are useful too.
- Consuming 3-6 Radiant Lifegems can help to maintain HP.
- The small orange burr is also not a bad idea either, however, burr doesn't stack with Flash Sweat. Other
- Flash Sweat provides +300 fire defense.
- Rolling into one of the urns scattered across the map/water pools produced from the area's Pharros' Contraption mechanisms will also increase fire defense by 400.
- It appears a minimum fire defense of around 600 is needed to be able to reach any items.
- Killing the Smelter Demon will make his armor available from the armorer in Majula. This armor has one of the, if not the highest fire defenses in the game, proving useful in getting these items. The armor itself is not cheap but neither is anything of quality, and could be worth buying before attempting to get the items across the fire paths.
- With 1000+ fire defense, You'll still take damage but it should be minimal.
- A Ring of Soul Protection or Ring of Life Protection will allow you to grab the items without penalty at lower defenses.
- 797 fire defense allowed the hardest one to be reached (below the mimic) for instance, but did not provide enough time to exit. You will die after looting the chest but won't lose any souls or humanity if you were inclined to be human
Mage Magerold
As you enter the area, head down the stairs on your left for the Threshold Bridge bonfire, and a Human Effigy under the stairs. You need high fire resistance to survive this. Take everything mentioned above into consideration when traveling through the lava. Head back up the stairs, and head over the bridge, ignoring the stairs on the right. Halfway across you can see a broken part of the floor to your right, leading down to several lava platforms. A corpse holding a Bonfire Ascetic glows in the distance, but you can come back later doused with water and with strong Fire DEF. Two Alonne Knights will attack you from the other side of the bridge. This bridge is also a well known arena for Dragon Remnants covenant.
Through the door up the small set of stairs you will find two more Knights and a Flaming Bull Head emitting a continuous fire jet, blocking a corpse holding an Iron Key . To obtain this key:
- Approach the corpse from the left side of the statue. Go very slowly and eventually you'll see the "pick up item" prompt.
- Also, at just around 8-10 second intervals there's a short - very short - break in the fire, in which you can take a step or two forward to get the key.
Clear the enemies, ignore the stairs and move through the hall to your right. The merchant Magerold of Lanafir will be ahead who can reduce your spells INT / FAITH requirement and as well as sells a Fragrant Branch Of Yore. Spend 10,000 souls with him to get a free Covetous Gold Serpent Ring +1.
The Furnace
Start heading back out but take the stairway to your right in the hallway. At the top of the stairs, you'll find an Alonne Knight Captain on the left, guarding a corpse hanging over a window with a Pharros Lockstone. Also in this room are Water Jars that can help with retrieving. To the right of the stairs is a small alcove which has an Illusory Wall -accessible as all others are, by pressing the "use" button on your respective controller. Inside is a ballista and a corpse holding 20x Fire Arrow, in the corner.
Another Illusory Wall lies on the wall the ballista is aimed at. Activate the wall then quickly get on the ballista and use it to shoot the two Alonne Knight Captain waiting on the other side. The room ahead is the upper level of the Flaming Head Bull room. The stairs through the door to your left take you back there. To the right is the Furnace room, but for now head left downstairs to grab the Iron Key out of the fire -if you haven't already- then, head back upstairs to continue on through the door enter the Furnace area.
Ahead of you on a walkway above is another Knight, and a Greatbow Knight on the bridge ahead, slightly out of reach. Move along the left and take out him out using ranged attacks, as he will just make things worse ahead. Another Greatbow Knight lies far in the distance next to the fog door. If you can take him out from here as well, it would be beneficial. Continue on to fight the Captain ahead, and the otherCaptain (top ledge) and a Greatbow Knight (bottom ledge). Shoot them from here and the Captain will engage when agro'ed. After taking care of them continue up a ladder that you can find at the end of this path. Up the ladder, you'll also find a chest containing a Life Ring +1 and a Twinkling Titanite, while going to the bottom of the ladder, will grant you a Soul Of A Proud Knight, and Repair Powder. Head back to the level you started on and take the small stairs on the left.
There's a lever down here which you can pull to lower the walkway above. You can open the door here, but you won't be able to proceed in as a large flame shoots out, upon opening; if you do choose to open the door now, roll out of the way as soon as possible. To progress, head up the stairs to find the closest walkway and travel on this newly accessible path. Head straight and kill the Knight here, before jumping off to reach the other side of the Furnace Room.
Detour before the Demon
To your left is a Boss Fog door, but lets wait on this for a minute. Turn right look left to see a platform with a broken set of metal stairs. Jump over to it and at the edge is a corpse holding a Dull Ember, grab it then head inside and up the stairs. Climb up the ladder to reach the roof and a Pharros Contraption, and a chest containing a Zweihander. Activating the contraption spills out the infinite magical healing water. From the roof, jump down to the chest platform from earlier and head back over the jump towards the boss fog.
A corpse can be seen on the small ledge surrounding the pillar to your left. Angle your jump so you will roll towards the pillar wall and collect the Large Soul Of Nameless Soldier and a Red Leech Troches. Drop down to the platform with the lever below. Pull the lever, Ignoring the door here as well. The catwalk above is now fully level. Drop down in front of the lever onto the metal stairs. At the bottom you'll find a chest on lava containing Phoenix Parma Shield. Head up the stairs and rotate the wheel located on the Main Furnace. This turns off the furnace making the two previously unsafe furnace doors, safe. Move along the right ledge to drop down to the furnace door. Inside, there is a ladder and a corpse holding 2x Large Titanite Shard and a Petrified Dragon Bone. Head up the ladder to reach a walkway with another ladder and a corpse holding an Old Radiant Lifegem and a Green Blossom, on the far end.
A Captain is also guarding this, if you didn't snipe him earlier. Head up the ladder, ignoring the doorways in front of you, and atop head left then drop down to the platform with the chest from earlier, containing the Life Ring +1 and Twinkling Titanite. Move off the edge to the right and follow the pathway back to the boss fog door. If you are in Human form, you can also summon Lucatiel of Mirrah on this same ledge.
BOSS FIGHT: Smelter Demon
To the Belfry Sol Bonfire
After defeating the demon, move up the stairs. At the top, turn around to find a chest containing the Porcine Shield and 5x Flame Butterfly. Head forward to the Ironhearth Hall bonfire. You can now head back downstairs to face the Pursuer, who will spawn in Smelter's arena (you may have to fast travel away and come back to get him to spawn). Defeating him grants you the Ring Of Blades +1.
Back at the bonfire open the door and defeat the Captain ahead before heading through the archway to the right. Up ahead there are two Ironclad Soldiers, and not a lot of fighting space. Try to take them one at a time. Inside the larger room, there are another three Ironclad Soldiers, a bunch of Flaming Bull Heads lining the walls and a few Greatbow Knights, one of which is directly above you. Take him out with ranged attacks and pull the lever in front of you to treat two of the Ironclad Soldiers ahead, to a glorious firey death. Although it may seem tempting DO NOT pull it again as when the regular platform is present, you cannot reach a ladder and some chests on the far side. To your left is a door with a Pharros Contraption that opens up a path to a ladder. Climb up to reach the Belfry Sol Approach bonfire and a chest containing Thunder Quartz Ring +1. You can also reach Belfry Sol from here.
If you access this bonfire, you are forced to climb the ladder as there is no other way out except for warping. If you do not want to traverse Belfry Sol, it is possible at the top of the ladder to fall back down while pushing forward, this places you on the ledge above the bonfire. Traveling to Belfry will eventually allow you to return to Iron Keep via a small ledge above. On this ledge on the right wall is an Illusory Wall which opens up to a room holding two chests containing a Black Knight Greatsword, a Protective Chime, and the Grand Spirit Tree Shield. After looting, drop down and go back down the ladder into the lava-filled room with the flaming bull head's in the middle, where you first triggered the Pharros' Contraption to the Belfry Sol bonfire.
Scortched Trails
Whether or not you went through Belfry Sol, from here, go up the stairs to the left and take out the Greatbow Knights ahead, as well as the other one in the bottom left, from afar. A Crystal Lizard holding a Large Titanite Shard, a Titanite Chunk and a Firedrake Stone can be found down the stairs to your left, be quick or lose it to the lava. Farther down the stairs are black pressure plates that will activate a lava bucket trap, so be cautious whilst approaching the corpse and the Greatbow Knight ahead. Loot the corpse to receive a Large Soul Of Proud Knight and a Radiant Lifegem. Ahead is another lava path. Down and to the right is a Fire Seed, and to the left, a chest at the end which contains the Pyromancy Spell: Chaos Storm .
This path is the hardest by far so only attempt this when you have at least Flash Sweat, +100 Total Fire DEF Armor, Small Orange Spurr, and Doused in water.
Back at the top, continue along the platforms, timing your movements between the Flaming Bull Head bursts and work your way to the left, to the platform with a corpse containing a Large Soul Of Nameless Soldier. From here, turn around and head straight and shortly left is a ladder leading up. We will come back to this but for now head forwards to the opposite side of the room and take out the Ironclad Soldier by the fog door. Behind him is a corpse holding a Large Soul Of Nameless Soldier and a Monastery Charm. Turn around and head back to the ladder we passed before. Alternatively you can continue straight through the fog door but you will miss quite a few items. However, both paths eventually end in the same area so lets take the scenic route.
Scenic Route
Once up the ladder there are multiple Water urns, which are helpful for the lava path below. There is also a mimic. Kill it to obtain the Dark Armor, and a Lightning Winged Spear. Up the stairs, at the far end of the path is a chest. Opening this chest will earn you 10x Destructive Greatarrow.
Up the ladder is another Pharros Water Contraption. Head up the stairway in this room to arrive to a roof with three Alonne Knights. Be careful of the hole in the middle, and move along the left side to collect the Simpleton's Spice. There's also a chest on the right containing the Black Knight Greataxe. Now its time for the tedious trip down the hole in the middle.
There are several walkways which you can fall onto. Be very careful, one wrong step and its a nice lava bath at the bottom. On the third walkway down, there's a corpse holding a Cracked Red Eye Orb and a Torch. Soon you will drop down onto a beam in a room with a large lava pot below you. From the beam, carefully angle your fall so you land on the outer rim of the pot and circle around to the corpse inside which holds Covetous Gold Serpent Ring. From here drop down to the beam by your side. On this beam, you'll also have to take care of another Alonne Knight. Head forward and drop down onto the stairway platform to your left.
Route to the King
The fog doorway directly ahead leads back to the original Flaming Bull Head room which brings us full circle. At the bottom of the stairs is a hallway with two Ironclad Soldiers and a blade trap. This hallway eventually leads to a large caged area with Flaming Bull Heads. Time your movements and circle around the statues. You can see a corpse in between the flames, however grabbing this item will most likely result in your demise. The trick to looting this is to enter the flames right before they turn off, damaging you only slightly but giving you a bigger buffer of time. Then roll out. It's recommended to collect it on your return trip here; trust us, or you can find out why for yourself.
To the left of the doorway ahead is a ladder leading up to a large caged room with another ladder directly in front on the far wall. Climb up to reach the Eygil's Idol bonfire and a lever located up the small set of stairs which turns off all Flaming Bull Heads! Woohoo! Climb all the way back down into the first Flaming Head Room, loot the now accessible corpse to receive a cheeky Lightning Short Bow +1 and go through the doorway to the right of the ladder. Find a set of stairs leading down to another Ironclad Soldier. Continue on to reach a very open lava area. You can see the Boss Fog Door in the distance. Move down the ramp way towards the stone stairs and get ready for battle.
BOSS FIGHT: Old Iron King
After defeating him move through the doorway located around the right corner and loot the chest for Sublime Bone Dust. Move down the stairs and light the Primal Bonfire. In the room after the bonfire you will find an obelisk that will teleport you to the entrance of the Crown of the Old Iron King DLC.
At this point, the real game starts and DS2 shows its true face
- Anonymous
Best place to grind imo for a cleric build (Mace+Lightning spear). I wonder though after you climb the ladder in the the room that was previously on fire the is a bridge with two furnace/chimney things. If you hit them with fire they break and catch fire, is there any significance to this? Other than the odd chance the enemy will bump into them and take damage?
- Anonymous
When I entered scorched trials section, a forlorn invaded me. It didn't invade in shaded ruins.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
'DETOUR BEFORE THE DEMON' EDIT NEEDED: there's a hidden archer at the opposite end of the walkway to the boss fog gate. When you approach the archer two knights drop down and ambush you. Thanks for the jump scare, Fextra, you complete bar steward.
- Anonymous
So what if you don't have all that fire resistance gear? Is it just the items that are inaccessible or is it the whole level? Help a brother out here would ya, Fextra. Jee-zus.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
>runs past every single enemy
>"guys why is this area just a giant gank squad?"
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Can you undo the lava bucket trap? It seems to stay activated when I reload the area
- Anonymous
While still not easy this place is dramatically toned down in SOTFS by just moving a few enemies around.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
This is 10% PAIN
20% PAIN
15% concentrated power of PAIN
5% PAIN
50% pain
And 100% reason to remember the PAIN
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
My first time going through DS2 right now (SotFS). The aggro range of knights in this place is unreal. I do enjoy dropping the knights and turtles in the lava after ironhearth bonfire, but it got old after doing the runback to old iron king 7,8,9 times. Just now realizing there was another bonfire right before the boss :\
- Anonymous
It warms my heart to see people still playing this game and posting on this community.
Idk what phantom it is, but right before Eygil's Idol bonfire in NG+, holy **** what an infuriating fight. Tiny space where you can either roll into fire or back into the hole you came from, dying of fall damage, while facing an opponent with 5000000 poise who jumps straight through the fire to smash my skull.
- Anonymous
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I love DS2 but each time I get here I remember just how awful the area and the whole path that leads to it is.
- Anonymous
Worst area in the series. WTF were they thinking with this crap place
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
I must have repressed the memory of running through this area because I forgot how many knights will attack and persue in this area. Great for farming, but brutal for progressing.
- Anonymous
Longtime souls vet and I was really getting into SOFS. Then I got here and I’m seriously considering quitting. Quite possibly the most unbalanced and unfair design I’ve ever seen. Super thin hallways with either walls on each side or lava so it’s impossible to get around an enemy and even a turn of the lock on can make your character trip, which is balanced of course by the 20 knights or turtles hiding in every corner. What a letdown
It honestly feels like they balanced areas with unreasonable amounts of mobs just cause they disappear after you beat them 12 times. Would have been so much better if they designed areas without this pointless gimmick.
When facing Alonne Knights, definitely have the stone ring equipped. I was able to juggle them with longsword R1s with it which makes them so much easier to kill
- Anonymous
Did someone delete the page info?
There's only mention of Dull Ember and a bit of flavor text...
I've followed this wiki's progress route thus far, even deviating from Iron Keep after Earthen Peak as it was suggested, clearing GoS, The Gutter and Black Gulch.
Oh well, I mostly used this as point of reference to go by and to checklist for items when I finish area to see if I didn't miss out on stuff.
Gonna have to snoop around more for this one :')
- Anonymous
After playing DS1, DS3, Sekiro, Elden Ring and Bloodborne, this area here is where I have died the most of all.
The run up to the smelter demon may be the most frustrating boss run I’ve seen in this series.
I’m sure the deaths were largely due to frustration and sorry attempts to rush past (don’t…), but holy hell, my squishy melee build really failed me here.
Anyways. Smelter Demon is not terribly difficult once (if) you make it there. Target lock it and circle to the LEFT always. You’ll find lots of opportunities to punish him this way. Soak yourself in the holy water opposite the boss fog to increase fire resistance for a couple of minutes. It’s worth the lockstone, truly. Wear the knight armor that drops from the enemies here to increase fire resistance further. If you keep running out of estus, equip great heal (if you have faith) for the run up phase. Or use lifegems to save estus for the boss. Good luck.
- Anonymous
Might as well just use this as a soul farming run until the knights stop spawning. There's even a merchant selling jester gloves to increase souls right there in the keep.
- Anonymous
The skeleton after the long lava Bridge in the Iron keep (1st bonfire) didn't come back with the item after using ascetic and it wasn't a key item. Anyone know why?
- Anonymous
There’s something about this place. I love it and I also f’n hate it
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Besides the awkward placement, this is one of the most immersive locations in the game. I totally believe that some rich idiot from a noble line in medieval times would build a castle in the middle of a ****ing volcano given enough time and manpower, just to flex.
- Anonymous
What are the square chimney things for on the bridge after the furnace? If you strike one, it explodes and constantly jets fire afterwards, is it some kind of mechanism or just a hazard?
- Anonymous
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Why would they put the fat turtle guys in areas where you can't move around them?
- Anonymous
afaik Fromsoft is the only guys who will shamelessly exploit their own shitty controls by making you do platformers
- Anonymous
Ignoring the DLC, the run to the Smelter Demon is probably the worst stretch between a bonfire to a boss in any of the Souls games IMO... Just absolutely painful in a way none of the others are. No shortcuts, only a million knights.
- Anonymous
Good area for farming, though. Alonne Knights drop 700 souls in NG and in a single run to Smelter Demon, I am able to get around 9k souls. Was able to farm a lot of souls up to the point they stopped respawning.
- Anonymous
Couple of moths ago, when farming Sun Medals, I thought putting my sign near the bridge will be a sure bet. It was - to a degree. I was summoned pretty frequently, but unfortunatly half the time by dumbasses who CHARGED straight in, thinking that having phantoms makes them invincible or something. The area with hanging bridge, when you immediatly aggro like 4 knights + archers? LEERROOYYY!!!! Even with couple other phantoms, it was a struggle to keep the hosts alive. I often tried to show a host - look, here you can turn off the furnace. Nope, they jump off to the platform with two Alonne Captain Archers with knights, and I couldn't get back to them. It soured me to helping people that way, farming falconers was boring but not frustrating.
- Anonymous
I don’t have a problem with the number of enemies here, but the enemy aggro range is ridiculous. Running to smelter demon is near impossible thanks to the freaking snipers that cross map you with their homing great arrows.
- Anonymous
I actually think this area is kinda genius from a lore perspective. The Old Iron King is the reincarnation of Gwyn, so the Iron Keep has many echoes of Anor Londo. The Alonne Knights are obviously similar to the black/silver knights of Anor Londo, and there are plenty of sections where they use giant bows to snipe you off ledges and fall to your death. There's also another section where you carefully run along some rafters while avoiding enemies, and the Iron King also seems to have enlisted the assistance of some Demons.
What's really disappointing is the lack of enemy variety, though. There's 3 types of enemies here, one of which is just a bigger version of another. In Anor Londo you had Giants, Giant Priests, Winged Demons, a Titanite Demon, KKK assassins, Gargoyles, Knights (regular and bow-wielding), and even a Mimic.
- Anonymous
i love and hate these guides. they give invaluable information and then **** your ass by ending the guide with "you go do this DLC lawl". the ****? where do i go next?
- Anonymous
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"Hmmm yes today we will put 30 knight type enemies in a row, with the only variation being STRONGER enemies"
- Anonymous
The alonne knights are super disappointing, they seem so cool yet even if I rush to iron keep early game they die in just a couple hits they do decent damage but damn they have low health
- Anonymous
"map/water pools produced from the area's Pharros' Contraption mechanisms will also increase fire defense by 400"
It's actually 300 (SotFS). Just tested it. Went from 185 on my stat screen too 485.
- Anonymous
“When I first came here all there was was lava. Well, they said it was DAFT to build a castle in lava, so I built it all the same, just to show ‘em!
...
It sank into the lava.”
- Anonymous
this area is so annoying even at sl 110, until you figure out that there are switches that you can activate to instantly kill most enemies. Just too cramped with area of effect damage and enemies cleverly hidden everywhere. ONce you get into the 2nd to last hall, there's some stupid archer constantly shooting at you from a far off corner . took me forever to even spot him.
- Anonymous
i walk 2 feet in the iron keep and i already have 30 alonne knights chasing me.. thanks from software
- Anonymous
The smelter demon run-up bit with the bridge archer might be the hardest thing I've ever seen in one of these games. Without the enemies despawning I genuinely don't think I'd be able to clear it. Maybe I just don't have enough estus or maybe I'm underleveled but god damnnnn.It's fun though!
- Anonymous
best way to talk out the presurer is a + 6 or above grearsword
- Anonymous
my DEF fire is blocked. Therefore i can't reach the lava floor. Mmmmmmmh?
- Anonymous
Can anyone tell me how you start the pursuer fight after the smelter demon? He's not showing up the coward :(
- Anonymous
the best strategy for this map, and not try to kill the boss but rather farm as many Npcs as you can and go back to the fire and repeat the process until they stop showing up
- Anonymous
Honestly; all the healing water locations I find to be a waste for the lockstones.
- Anonymous
First time here, I read a message saying watch out for dark phantom. As soon as I sat at the bridge bonfire, I got invaded by one. Turns out it wasn't an NPC like i was expecting so it threw me for a loop. Regardless, I still won with 5 hp left ;-)
- Anonymous
I actually enjoyed this area quite a bit, the knights are stupidly easy to block (damage won't even bleed through like with the Lion Warriors or Bellkeepers), have ***** all poise and can be wailed on with a hammer, and it lends itself to very comfortable and predictable pulling which in turn also leads to quick and easy one on one fights. The Smelter Demon has been one of the better fights in the whole game so far, and while I'll admit that the first run up to the old iron king is frankly tedious for such a cheap ass boss, it's very reliable and the sheer amounts of souls you can make in this area is honestly insane.
- Anonymous
what a terrible way to ruin a great looking area by putting 30 knights in every *****ing corner of the map
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
So many parts of this wiki are off, is there any way we can get a mod to update it?
- Anonymous
SOTFS version : the water Urns give you +200 Fire Resistance, not 400. So you better combo with a Flash Sweat.
- Anonymous
Tip: In the area with the collapsing platforms over the lava, 2 things.
First, the platforms don't collapse from stepping on them, but instead there are hard-to-spot switches on the black strips that cause them to collapse. Don't touch the switch and the platforms don't fall.
Second, if you, like me, tripped the switch at the start of the area and made the ladder impossible to reach, don't worry. It isn't impossible. If you avoid collapsing the platforms to the sides of the ladder platform, you can perform an unarmored run and jump to reach it. Don't freak if you die in the attempt, I very nearly rolled off the other side of the platform.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
awful, cheap area. one of the lowest low points of dark souls
- Anonymous
Note: On spawning the Oliver the Collector spirit at the Chest, the dude spawned before I even opened it. So it seems as long as you're in the area he can spawn.
- Anonymous
no summon sign for Manhunter (or anyone for that matter) anywhere between flaming heads and old iron king fog fate. I am in human form, so not sure why its not there?
- Anonymous
This place makes no sense even after defeating the invadors they keep coming. I lost all my souls and humanity, I am unable to progress at all since yesterday. The mage just spam soul spear, the girl has a knife/wip? And the tank is just insanely tough. It was probably great when the game came out and there was ton of coop but now I'm completely stuck bc there's no one to help.
- Anonymous
Okay I tried to go twice but has soon as I reach the door I get invaded by red phantom...WAY stronger than me judging by; damage, gear and defense. Is it suppose to be this way ?
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I'm playing on normal Dark Souls II, and I can't figure out how to get here. Can someone help me?
- Anonymous
So on SOTFS I also got invaded by a forlorn. I didn't know if it was a cosplay or not. It felt like a cosplay, but I couldn't tell. Judging by this, I guess it was some dude.
- Anonymous
Newbie here, I read that there's an illusory wall before going down to Iron Keep from the last ledge of Belfry Sol. But it didn't open... Do I need to do something first, or is it a bug?
- Anonymous
I need to know how to get here and how to get to the land before the iron keep and this isn't helping
2 red NPC invaders appear (one at a time) just across the bridge, at the start of the Iron Keep.
A tip for if you find them difficult to defeat is to get a Seed of a Giant and watch the Alonne knights attack them for you.
- Anonymous
After defeating the Old Iron King I looted the chest and got a Sublime Bone Dust, not a Petrified Something. (Playing NG, not Scholar of First Sin)
- Anonymous
Any clue what the water does from the Pharos lock stone here guys? In between first fb and smelter demon up top archer spot
- Anonymous
Does anyone know where I can find info in the ds2 wiki about something that looks sort of like a giant burning head or something that appeared with an aoe fire explosion at the old iron king primal bonfire ?(I'm playing the ps3 sotfs) .After it lit me on fire, I was able to talk with it, it more or less said you've gotten far, you've got a long ways to go , see you later.
playing through this makes me want to be in blightown again
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