Flame Lizard | Dark Souls 2 Wiki

Alright i figured out what's wrong with these things.
i'm betting they're a enemy that was scrapped, and then reused elsewhere.

I'm betting they where originally a lot smaller, a bit bigger than crystal lizards maybe.
A third the hp, and shot a projectile more like fire orb.
tiny enemies/characters dont really get detailed animations, and would have a hard time rotating to track a player on stumpy little legs, hence, the janky infinite rotation. an enemy like this wouldnt be all *that* intimidating, so the player could reasonably expect to beat a lot of them, as such, they have a rare drop for fireball (and theoretically better fireball spells).

now imagine for a moment, they decide that these things wouldnt fit in another area, and decided "**** it, scale them up, increase hp, and make them cast forbidden sun" cut, print.

would really explain what is, in my objectively correct opinion, the single worst designed enemy in the entire franchise.

Submit

The guy below me definately has a better idea, but you can actually strafe the first one up top, you run to the left of his head, and get inbetween his head and his arm, and walk into him. when he tracks, you'll get pulled to the side, safe from the fireballs (sometimes)
then get 1-2 hits in and repeat

Submit

Farmed the four in forest of the fallen giants with full item discovery gear until they all despawned. I got 2x Fireball, 1x Fire Orb and 2x Great Fireball, along with a billion cracked red eye orbs. Strategy was to poison + toxic the first two up top since they are immobile with poison/toxic mist, then for the two underneath I disposed of by spamming soul spear with a +5 Staff of wisdom, needing 8 spears total to kill both. The worst part about these enemies are their insane tracking, for whatever reason these creatures can just turn around on a dime, making strafing a mostly useless strat against them

Submit

Every souls game has "That Enemy", you know, that one enemy that is just absolutely horrible to fight, way too strong for the usually not worth it "reward" you get for killing them, and are more difficult than most bosses? Well as far as I'm concerned these derpy janky hellspawns are "That Enemy" of this game

Submit

These POS's have killed me far more times than most bosses in this game has, These things almost make Ds1 Titanite Demons seem fun.

Submit

Don’t even bother if your doing covenant of champions run you will cry

Submit

I am filled with hate

Submit

The pit would be fine if they didn't respawn, since it'd feel like you're progressing through that area, instead of just wasting your time.

Submit

Most well-designed DS2 enemy

Submit

Get hooked in the crescent on the left side of his head, infront of his left front leg, and sprint foward wrapping around him as he turns staying inside the little area between his head and foot. swing on them after the 3 round tracer burst

Submit

I love how the maker of these couldn't even animate an idle. They just said "Rotate them around Y to face the player and call it done"
Laziness Restored

Submit

You could replace fume knight with 2 of these F***s and it would be a harder fight. Hell I'd probabaly just give up past ng+1

Submit

Just grab the key and leave. There is no point in looking for the other items. They're just not worth it.

Submit

Reported for auto aim

Submit

This enemy is the perfect example of bad IA design, artificial difficulty and not tested, all of that made fighting one of whis lizards very unfairm i got perma stunlok with the headbutt attack and insta killed by the flamethrower because the character get up when the fire passed again on them.

Submit

Why do these guys carry around a few square miles of invisible walls strapped to their heads? They turn 10 degrees and I'm sent sliding into a corner where the camera proceeds to do the unholiest breakdance conceived by my mortal eyes

Submit

Dont even try to farm pyromancies from them, took me 6 hours to drop one orb/one great fireball

Submit

Even the bosses are easier to kill than these ****ing retarded flame lizards. Incredible design.

Submit

Y'know, I don't like crying to enemies or bosses, everything has a fair flaw or strategy to face it... but these things... at distance? they burn your ass, at close range? unpredictable attacks that are impossible to escape or block, hell, their spins are light-speed. It's cheese or getting cheesed

Submit

The only way I ever managed to melee these, is by ledging myself between their legs in a peculiar way, and spinning together with them at around 2-5 full rotations between attacks then hitting them once or twice while they spitballed.

May cause dizziness.

Submit

These things have a rare Flamethrower Attack that i just witnessed

Submit

Jesus Christ I genuinely forgot just how many reasons I had to hate this game

Submit

So I just had one of the lizards do a move I've never seen before. It did a wide reaching flamethrower attack that caused a burning status while I was on the ground. Performed by the lizard guarding the Rebel's greatshield and dlc key.

Submit

every dark souls game has a stupidly hard 4 legged encounter;
DS1: The optional cats near sif
DS2: Salamander pit
DS3: The two pontiff beasts (which really is nowhere near as bad as the others)

Submit

Screw these things, yet another cheap enemy. Their fireball locks on to the player as if they were turrets and they're able to quickly adjust their position when you are out of sight and cannot be out run. Also what's with the high hp??? No way should they be this annoying this early.
...

Submit

Use toxic, watch their HP drop to 0.

Submit

If you're struggling against the ones that only spit fireballs, use this tactic: get up close, let them face you and start the attack, roll to the right on the first one, roll again on the second one, the third one will always be in the same direction as the second one, so attack it while it's attacking and recovering. Repeat this until you kill it, and be careful to not get stuck in the corner against the one that blocks the cave entrance.

Submit

Oh you're standing literally right in front of me? Lol fireball ranged attack

Submit

This is the most childish and obnoxious enemy in all of dark souls. Literally no way to deal with these guys with melee at all, they hitbox everywhere amd cant even be blocked. Only way to deal with them is just cheese with arrows. But whatever, act like a baby get treated like one.

Submit

New to DS2, but I'm basically most of the way through the game. I thought I was doing something obviously stupid, good to see based on all the comments that the enemies are just flat bull*****

Submit

Melee Guide posed by u/Wowgreatmovie1 on r/DarkSouls2 Don't know if there already is a "guide", but i wanted to give my observation that i gathered after fighting these things for hours last night. I do not recommend fighting them even with knowing their moveset and weaknesses. Their cheap attacks are a real pain in the ass. If you really want to kill them, do it ranged, please. Do no suffer the same fate as me. Useful information: Their tails are just fashion. They don't have a tail attack. The tails also can't be damaged and they don't count to the main bodys hitbox. Okay, here we go: The two salamanders behind the iron door have 7 different attacks: 1; The classic triple fireball. They will not use it unless you're far away from them. This one hits hard, is incredibly accurate, has a large aoe and a fast fire rate too. Dodge dodge dodge from afar, and circle up close on the lizards side. 2; The fire breath. Rarely used, but incredibly lethal up close, because they can turn around in half a second while doing the attack and it's a one-hit. When you see their throats getting loaded up, run out of their range. Also, the fire breaths range is longer than it shows, the flames disappear, but they can still damage you and travel invisible further. So keep a big distance. 3; A 180 degree tongue lick. Probably the easiest to dodge and it leaves him a bit open for 1-2 strikes. 4; A straight tongue shot. Second easiest to dodge, because it's his attack with the least amount of hitbox overall, but when you're exactly before his mouth, almost undodgeable. The tongues hitbox is about 3x as large as it really shows. Seriously, i've stood where their side head pieces end, and it still got me even though there was no connection between their mouth/tongue and my character. 5; A 180 degree head swing, a bit like the previously mentioned 180 degree tongue lick. Unpredictable and fast, but doesn't have the range of the tongue lick. 6; The flying stomach slam. This one is the easiest to predict, because you can see their stomach and feet getting ready when they're about to jump. DON'T grab onto their bodies when they do it, get a bit away, because the hitbox of the attack is horrendous. Every area of their body you touch will damage you (the tail is the only safe part). Yes, they jump away from you, while you are behind them and they hit you. Makes no sense and is exactly why they are so hard, because of ridiculous cheap attacks like this. Also, after the land, don't instantly grab onto their body again, the attack hasn't instantly ended when they land, they can still damage you while they are lying on their stomach and standing up. It's safe again when their legs are positioned normally again. 7; Now the last and most dangerous move: The "Forward walk". Absolutely unpredictable, because it's hilariously fast. Even if you're on the side or behind them, they will start this attack, turn to you around in less than half a second and damage you. The cheapest attack in the whole game, if not all soulsborne games. Every other attack of the fire salamanders has a counter or is somehow predictable, except this one. Doesn't matter where you stand, where and how you dodge, when they spam this move you're dead and you can't do anything against it. First off, fight always against one, that should be obvious. The two on the upper level of the pit only have the triple fireball attack, which makes them much easier. The only real problem is getting close to them. Sprint, dodge, jump, get somehow on their side legs and keep circling around, they can't reach you there. Circle around and regenerate stamina while they shoot, attack when they load up. Easy. Now to the real threat. The melee ones, how's the tactic to defeat them? We start at the iron door, where we sprint to the one at the left side of the cave/pit. STAY on this side and don't try to go after the salamander when he makes a stomach slam to the other side. Wait for him to come back, but don't stay too far away or he will start doing the triple fireball attack. Now, the trick is: Stay on his lower right leg (From our characters perspective, the left leg, next to his tail). That is the "safezone". Attack when he ends an attack of his, and don't get greedy. 1 heavy attack with a fast weapon or 1 light attack with a slow weapon. They don't rest long after an attack. Also, when you see an attack of theirs starting, NEVER press against their body. It could be either a stomach slam or a forward walk, which have a whole body hitbox. When they do a stomach slam, chase their path, but don't grab their bodies after they land, wait next to their tail until they positioned themselves again. Of course, if you have a weapon with a good range like a spear, you can get an attack in while they stand up. Keep circling around and NEVER leave this safezone. Sprint and dodge forward "into them" and a bit to the left side, so you don't touch their body. 3 of their melee attacks are useless here. That's mostly it. Hope that they use the forward walk as rarely as possible. They have everything. Their attacks are unpredictable, fast and spammy. Their movement is incredibly fast for their body size. They can make a 360 turn in half a second. Their range and aoe is crazy high. They don't rest long after an attack. They have ranged attacks. Their health and damage is disgusting, which is even worse in NG+'s. Well, hope that for those that do want to try melee them this helps.

Submit

There is also a glitch associated with the flame salamander. When killed right before using the side to side fire breath attack (a move I noticed has been forgotten on the move list) it fades away but there's a continuous explosion coming from the place where it dies for the remainder of time it would've taken for it to have finished the attack. Sounds like the explosion from its fire ball attack except rapid fire and can easily destroy you if you're in range. Here's a rather poor quality video documenting it:

Submit

There is also a glitch associated with the flame salamander. When killed right before using the side to side fire breath attack (a move I noticed has been forgotten on the move list) it fades away but there's a continuous explosion coming from the place where it dies for the remainder of time it would've taken for it to have finished the attack. Sounds like the explosion from its fire ball attack except rapid fire and can easily destroy you if you're in range. There's a rather poor quality video posted on YouTube documenting this if you search for flame salamander glitch.

Submit

Those lizards are impossible to kill up close with their fireball wipes out my cleric in 1 hit

Submit

The worst "animation" I've seen on an enemy in a Dark Souls game. Second to none. Not even Falconers or those poor Alonne Knights when you see them from afar.

Submit

Similar to the SotFS Falconers, the lack of animation paired with the absurd tenacity of their character lock makes Flame Salamanders look INCREDIBLY stupid when they spin in place with their nose glued directly to your frantically strafing crotch. Just one of the dumbest looking and badly designed monsters in gaming history.

Submit

I've gotten plenty of Fireball and Fire Orb pyromancies to drop from them in the pit. But never Great Fireball. Not even once, and I have farmed the hell out of that location multiple times. Sorry, I don't buy it.

Submit

If you use the iron key to open the door down near where the boss is, you can then summon Luet from just outside the boss room and use him to tank the salamanders while you hack them from the rear.

Submit

It's a Diplocaulus

Submit

be warned if you're a melee character, the columns in the flame lizard pit do not actually block their fireball breath

Submit

so i strafed around the one in the bottom of the pit during his dive attack, moved in for the kill after he landed and the invisible shockwave hitbox did about 300 dmg to me and killed me. if these guys were humanoids wearing armor they would be the perfect single example of everything wrong with the design of ds2

Submit

I just love how they can do a full 360+ without moving a muscle and not even magic is involved. Just imagine a flamethrower operated by an office chair, which is aided by a laser targeting system. The Flame Salamander is exactly that.

Submit

Do the ones in the Memory of the Old Iron King also drop pyromancies?

Submit

Cannot beat the ones in forest of fallen giants. I'm in NG+ with a fully upgraded thorned greatsword.

Submit

You have to admit they look very derpy

Submit

are the flame lizards realy weak to poison? if so were to get poison items?

Submit

if you're part of the Covenant of Champions these also drop awestones and is by far the most effective way of farming them.

Submit

dark souls 2 ladies an gentlemen

Submit

If you want to go down undamaged, first shoot it from the top... When it only has very little health left (killable with 1 shot), do a plunge attack... An animation will play and you take no fall damage... And you're down the pit!

Just poison the other one.

Submit

Strong contender for "Most bullshit, unfair enemy in the game",from a tipple flame breath that with less than 40 points in hp will be lethal with two hits, and tracks the player with laser guided accuracy to the point it actually looks comical, the way this huge lizard is able to track your movements, no mater how fast, as it breath attack, To a tongue jab attack that literally starts, winds up, attacks, and lands the hit in a space of less than 3 frames, or roughly 0.3 seconds, Barely, BARELY above the physical limit of what the human body is, at peak reflex performance (the fastest a human body was ever recorded responding to stimuli of any sort, even reflexively, is around 0.17 seconds) making defending against the attack more a matter of "were you already blocking, with stam to burn, before the salamander even started his wind up animation" . Sure, they have a HUGE weakness to poison, but even that band-aid does not cover the gaping flesh wound that is an enemy that is utterly unfair on so many levels that a human body, with normal human reflexes is barely even capable of avoiding all its attacks, and not without luck on your side to. This enemy's attacks are a fantastic example of from, and b-team, at they absolute*****tiest.

Submit

The pit can be accessed by a leaping attack to the Flame Lizard closest to the elevators leading to the Iron Door. When done properly you will land on his head and commence with an attack animation (thrusting your weapon into the top of the Flame Lizards head), this will negate all damage from the fall.

Submit

For any pyromancy build, you can stack toxic and poison mist, use both, then when they wear off, use one more poison mist to finish off the lizard.

Submit

it seem to be super weak to poision. i only had to shoot it twice with poision arrows before it died on NG

Submit

With the heavy crossbow and 20 - 22 wood bolts you can kill one flame salamander meaning the cost of killing one salamander is 525 souls x 2 due to there being 2 and the cost is 1050 souls

Submit