Board Thread:Dark Souls/@comment-24.197.153.76-20140801202442/@comment-147.194.135.69-20140801225142

I'd like to point out that it's impossible to actually get a fifth King during the battle, they can only come at you with a maximum of four at a time. On higher difficulties, though, they might have enough health for you to need to kill more than four to beat them.

Anyway, here's how to cheese them. First, put on Havel's full set. Make sure you've leveled Endurance enough for it not to overencumber you - fatroll is fine, you really won't need to roll, with this strategy. Next, put on the Spell Stoneplate Ring for as much magic resistance as possible. If you're a Faith build, you can stack Great Magic Barrier on top of that, or if you're a mage, you can use Magic Shield, but it really isn't necessary as long as you're using Havel's, at the very least.

A lot of people don't realize that the damage the Four Kings do is strictly magic - even their sword does nothing but magic damage. As well, if you hug right up next to a King, it'll all but prevent him from doing any ranged magic attacks. Plus, his sword swipes will become easier to avoid, and, most importantly, if they do hit you, they'll do almost no damage because you'll be hit with the hilt rather than the full length of the blade. You'll go from losing half your health in one hit to losing a fifth or sixth, which is fully manageable.

So, with all the explanations out of the way...What you do is, drop into the Abyss, pop a Green Blossom or whatever personal buff you find most useful, use Charcoal Pine Resin on your weapon, and just rush the first King you see. Hug right to legs and strafe around him, chopping him up with whatever weapon best fits your build. Don't stop unless you really, really need to heal - using this strategy, you'll be surprised by how much longer you'll survive. After several hundred hours of gameplay, the Four Kings are the only boss that can still make me groan, but this strategy has seen me to victory with every single character and playstyle I've ever tried my hand at. Hope it helps you, too :)