Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss is FromSoftware-developed DLC/additional content for Dark Souls. It is included in Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition and in Dark Souls Remastered, but it is not the 2011 base game by itself, not the whole Prepare to Die Edition package, and not the 2018 Remastered release.
Content warning: Dark Souls is mature-rated for blood, violence, partial nudity, and online-interaction caveats. This guide stays non-graphic and focuses on gameplay.
This is a spoiler-light preparation guide. It does not give the exact DLC access route, exact boss tactics, builds, item locations, collectible routing, or lore explanations. Use it when you want to know how to approach the DLC without turning your first trip into a checklist.
Essential Tips
1. Keep the DLC Scope Separate
Artorias of the Abyss is Dark Souls DLC, not a separate sequel or a Remastered-only feature.
If you own Prepare to Die Edition or Remastered, the DLC is part of that package. If you are on an original console version, treat it as separate DLC or a bundled Artorias-era edition. Advice for base Dark Souls fundamentals is still useful, but technical and online claims from Remastered should not be assumed for every version.
2. Confirm the Package Before Searching In-Game
Solve ownership and version questions first.
The DLC appears through different packages depending on platform and edition. Before checking in-game triggers, confirm whether you are playing PTDE, original console Dark Souls with DLC access, a DLC-bundled console package, or Remastered.
3. Do Not Treat It as Opening-Hour Content
The DLC is optional and should be approached after you understand base-game Dark Souls.
The access path is not a simple menu selection from a new character. Bring a character that already has a reliable weapon, enough healing discipline, and a route sense from the base game.
4. Start With Your Familiar Setup
Use the weapon, shield, casting tool, armor weight, and stamina rhythm you already trust.
Artorias adds new gear, but the first clear is easier when your baseline is stable. Test new DLC items after you have a return point and understand the nearby enemies.
5. Make Bonfires and Shortcuts the First Goal
Progress is not just boss kills.
Dark Souls bonfires refill you but respawn enemies, so each push into Oolacile should have a practical objective: find a checkpoint, open a loop, learn a route, or spend souls before risking another blind branch.
6. Respect Oolacile’s Terrain
The DLC has forests, streets, lower paths, and spaces where footing matters.
Move slower than you would in a cleared base-game area. Oolacile Township in particular is source-noted as easy to fall in, so stamina, camera control, and retreat paths matter as much as raw damage.
7. Expect Enemy Groups to Be the Real Test
Do not let a new area turn every fight into a crowd fight.
Pull enemies apart, retreat through known ground, and use corners carefully. The DLC adds new enemies and hostile layouts; surviving the route often means preventing small mistakes from stacking.
8. Keep Boss Prep General Until You Choose Spoilers
There are multiple DLC boss encounters, including optional content, but this guide avoids scripts.
Go into first attempts looking for spacing, safe healing moments, stamina costs, and how long an opening really lasts. Save exact weaknesses, phase details, summons, and special rewards for a dedicated boss guide.
9. Treat Battle of Stoicism as Historical PvP Content
The arena exists, but online activity can vary by platform.
The DLC includes Battle of Stoicism PvP with duel, team, and deathmatch formats. Current matchmaking activity, leaderboards, and platform service behavior can age, so do not build your PvE clear around arena assumptions.
10. Protect the Blind Lore Experience
Artorias pages can spoil more than mechanics.
The DLC is lore-dense by Dark Souls standards. If you want a blind first run, avoid full walkthroughs and boss pages until you decide you need them.
DLC Scope Notes
| Topic | Takeaway |
|---|---|
| Base Dark Souls | Provides the core combat, bonfire, souls, equipment, and online systems |
| Artorias of the Abyss | Adds Oolacile content, new enemies, bosses, NPCs, gear, spells, and PvP arena context |
| Prepare to Die Edition | PC release/package that includes the Artorias content |
| Original console releases | DLC or DLC-bundled Artorias package context can vary by platform |
| Remastered | Includes the main game plus Artorias, but Remastered-specific online/technical claims need a scope note |
| Battle of Stoicism | DLC PvP arena feature; matchmaking and platform behavior can vary |
Combat and Exploration
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Scout before committing: Spend the first pass learning enemy placement, ledges, retreat paths, and where the next safe reset might be.
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End attacks with stamina left: The DLC’s tougher encounters punish empty bars. One fewer swing is better than losing the ability to roll, block, or retreat.
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Use terrain deliberately: Doorways, corners, slopes, and wide spaces change how many enemies can reach you at once.
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Check magic pressure before changing the whole build: If a route feels unusually punishing, adjust resistance, shield choice, spacing, or pull strategy before rebuilding the character.
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Treat every new enemy as a lesson: Learn its reach, recovery, and grouping behavior before trying to farm, sprint past, or grab nearby loot.
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Separate area progress from boss progress: A clean run to the arena matters. If the route drains too many resources, solve the route before blaming the boss attempt.
Resource Management
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Spend souls before blind branches: Unknown DLC paths are a bad place to carry a large soul pile.
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Keep Humanity purposeful: Use it for a plan, not because it is sitting in your inventory.
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Do not scatter upgrades mid-DLC: Test new weapons before investing scarce materials into them.
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Bring route tools: Arrows, repair options, status cures, and a return item are more useful when scouting than one more risky damage consumable.
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Refresh at the right bonfire: A closer or better-supported bonfire can matter more than forcing progress from a poor reset point.
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Treat online assumptions as platform-specific: Co-op, invasions, and arena systems can depend on platform, edition, and current service behavior.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not enter Oolacile with an untested weapon - Learn the DLC with a moveset you already trust.
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Do not sprint through new streets or lower paths - Falls, ambushes, and stacked enemies can turn one shortcut guess into a full reset.
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Do not spend all stamina on a single punish - Keep enough stamina to defend after the enemy recovers.
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Do not chase visible loot before finding a return route - A pickup is not worth losing the route, souls, and healing plan.
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Do not fight every group in the open - Pull enemies back, use terrain, and reduce the fight before committing.
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Do not swap armor past your intended roll speed by accident - Extra defense is not free if it changes movement and stamina recovery.
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Do not attack DLC NPCs casually - Services, dialogue, and rewards can disappear if you remove an NPC from a first playthrough.
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Do not rely on Battle of Stoicism for progression - Treat arena play as optional online content, not a requirement for clearing the DLC.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Scope | Treat Artorias as Dark Souls DLC included in PTDE and Remastered, not as either full edition |
| Readiness | Enter with a stable base-game character and familiar equipment |
| Exploration | Prioritize bonfires, shortcuts, terrain, and safe retreats |
| Combat | Preserve stamina and split enemy groups before they snowball |
| Spoilers | Save exact access, boss, item, build, and lore details for dedicated guides |
| Online | Battle of Stoicism exists, but activity can vary by platform |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss.
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