How Dancer Cheese Got Its Signature Patches

Dancer Cheese is a term used to refer to the exploitation of a glitch in the video game Dark Souls III. The glitch allowed players to kill the Dancer of the Boreal Valley boss character with ease by using the swordsman character as a summon. The player could then let the swordsman die and immediately quit the game. This method of beating the boss was patched by the game developers, but players continue to discuss other ways to cheese the Dancer.

The 'swordsman glitch'

The Swordsman Glitch is a strategy in Dark Souls III that players used to defeat the Dancer of the Boreal Valley boss. The glitch involves summoning the Master Swordsman (Uchi guy) as a player companion before initiating the Dancer boss fight. Once the fight begins, players would allow the Master Swordsman to die and then immediately quit the game. This strategy allowed players to bypass the challenging Dancer boss fight and progress further in the game without having to defeat her.

To perform the Swordsman Glitch, players needed to follow specific steps:

• Kill the Swordmaster outside the Firelink Shrine.
• Do not kill Vordt, another boss in the game.
• Kill Emma in the Cathedral, who gives you the banner.
• Approach the beheading knight to trigger the Dancer boss fight.
• Initiate the fight with the Dancer and let the Master Swordsman die.
• Quit the game immediately after the Master Swordsman's death to avoid facing the Dancer directly.

However, it is important to note that this glitch was patched, and players can no longer exploit it to skip the Dancer boss fight. The patch ensured that the Dancer boss fight could not be easily bypassed and encouraged players to develop alternative strategies and improve their skills to overcome the challenge.

While the Swordsman Glitch provided a temporary advantage to players, it was not the only strategy available to defeat the Dancer. Other methods, such as using bleed weapons, spells, bows, and the Dark Hand, could also be employed to take her down. Additionally, players could utilise pillars in the boss arena to block the Dancer's attacks and create opportunities for safe healing or counterattacks.

Using bleed weapons

In Dark Souls 3, the Dancer of the Boreal Valley is a tall, armoured knight with a spectral cape who wields a flaming sword in her left hand. She is a boss that must be defeated to gain entry to Lothric Castle.

One strategy for defeating the Dancer is to use weapons that induce bleeding, such as the Silver Eagle Kite Shield and the Uchigatana. The Bandit Knife is also recommended for its faster attack speed, which makes it easier to trigger bleeding. To maximise the effectiveness of bleed weapons, it is recommended to use one-handed blows as they cost less stamina and allow players to string more hits together, building up bleed damage over time.

Another strategy that involves using bleed weapons is a "cheese" strategy that exploits a glitch. By performing certain actions in a specific order, players can summon the Swordmaster NPC to aid in the fight against the Dancer. The Swordmaster's katana causes bleed damage, and he will eventually defeat the Dancer without the player needing to land a single hit.

It is worth noting that this "cheese" strategy may ruin the experience for new players, and it is generally recommended to beat the game once before attempting it. Additionally, glitches and exploits may be patched in future updates, rendering them ineffective.

In Elden Ring, a similar strategy involving inflicting bleed damage on a sleeping dragon was reportedly patched, rendering it ineffective.

Casting pestilent mist

Pestilent Mist is useful as an area denial tool, covering areas to dissuade enemy players from approaching. It also partially obstructs vision, allowing the caster to more easily cast various projectile spells. The mist persists for roughly 16.3 seconds, dealing damage at 5 instances per second for a total of 79 or 80 total instances of damage. It is important to note that the mist will also damage its caster, so one should not create clouds without good reason. Only one Pestilent Mist per player can exist at any given time, and it does not cause enemies to agro onto the player.

The recommended way to cast Pestilent Mist is by using Sainttree Bellvine on the left hand and then two-handing the staff. Bellvine is tucked in the pocket, and the casting time is much better or at least good enough. It can also be cast using the Izalith Staff, though it gains no scaling even when cast with this staff. It is best used against low-level sorcerers to kill certain bosses like Aldritch. It is also useful when paired with the Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring, as it effectively doesn't allow enemies to aggro.

Pestilent Mist can be used to kill certain bosses in unique ways. For example, casting it on the Dragonslayer Armour will prevent his phase 2 and grant a unique death. To achieve this, the boss must not be damaged by any other damage type. Additionally, casting it on the Curse Rotted Greatwood can completely avoid him from breaking the ground and entering the new arena, thus negating stage 2 entirely.

Using the Dark Hand

The Dark Hand is a unique weapon in Dark Souls that embodies pure corruption. It can be used as a shield in the left hand, although it has low stability and cannot be buffed with Magic Shield. When used as a shield, it can reduce damage by 80% across all damage types and allows you to parry incoming attacks.

The Dark Hand is also a powerful weapon when equipped in the right hand. Its heavy attack can be used to steal humanity from NPCs or other players, with the amount of humanity drained depending on the player's Darkwraith covenant rank. Ranking up as a Darkwraith will increase the amount of humanity drained with each grab. It can be used multiple times without making NPCs hostile, as long as no damage is done.

To obtain the Dark Hand, players can join the Darkwraith covenant or defeat Darkwraith Knights in the New Londo Ruins. It is also possible to obtain the Dark Hand through killing Dark Wraiths with a high item drop rate.

The Dark Hand is particularly effective against the Dancer of the Boreal Valley, allowing players to defeat her at any level. One strategy involves using the Dark Hand to fist the Dancer from behind at around level 10.

Overall, the Dark Hand is a versatile and powerful weapon in Dark Souls, offering both offensive and defensive capabilities. Its ability to steal humanity and reduce damage makes it a valuable tool for players.

Strategies for low-level casters

It seems that there are some differing opinions on the effectiveness of low-level casters. Some sources claim that casters are only powerful at higher levels, becoming powerhouses at around level 5, and that they are in a tough spot during the first two levels. The massive damage rule means that low-level casters are at risk of being one-shot killed, and they also suffer from lower max HP, poor AC, and a lack of self-defence features.

However, other sources claim that low-level casters are underrated, and can be effective in certain situations. For example, a wizard can cast sleep at level 1, which can trivialise encounters, and they can also contribute with a light crossbow. Casters can also be useful in combat where they can get hurt, as at low levels, all classes have a high chance of death when they get into attack range of an enemy.

So, what are some strategies for players using low-level casters? One option is to use enchantments on weapons. For example, +30 stamina and +25 spell damage/+15 stamina enchants can provide a nice buffer to ensure your caster never dies. Another strategy is to use a combination of spells and weapons, such as casting sleep and then shooting with a light crossbow. This can be an effective way to trivialise encounters and contribute to the party.

Additionally, it's important to consider the types of enemies you will be facing. At lower levels, many enemies will die quickly, so having a deeper mana pool may not be as beneficial as dealing more damage. However, as you level up, stronger spells can become more useful, such as web at level 5.

Overall, while low-level casters may have some drawbacks, there are strategies that can be employed to make them effective contributors to a party.

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