Board Thread:Dark Souls/@comment-25039211-20150813223638/@comment-78.156.67.52-20150904235740

You've probably done it by now, but my strat is pretty consistent and I never veer too far from it, so I'll share.

Shed some clothing and get fast, you want fast roll, and a light outfit with good Lightning/Physical defense. Rings: Cloranthy and Dark Wood Grain, if possible; the flipping gives you some timely invincibility.

Go in with Solaire, he's a useful distraction. Weild Queelag's Furysword, upgraded as much as possible, and enter the arena with 10 liquid humanity in your inventory for maximum damage. If you have a Magic or Enchanted Great Scythe, it will do a fine job against Ornstein, but I generally just stick with the Furysword for its fast attacks, and one weapon, dual-weilded, will keep your character light and fast-moving. Don't bother with a shield, just get good at flipping away.

Once you're in and they're both gunning for you, try to lead Ornstein away from Smough, facing both of them, but moving/flipping backwards, around the arena. Always be moving, and get a sense of where the pillars are, and how to position yourself so that Ornstein jumps/Smough lumbers into them. Ornstein will lunge at you from afar, and when he's doing that, and you've successfully side-dodged, or he's just missed you on his own, he's giving you a few valuable seconds to get some sword swings in. Try to get your 4-hit combo fast attacks in on Ornstein when:

a) Ornstein has just leaped behind, or slightly to the side of you, and

b) Smough is caught-up with fighting Solaire, or is at least 4 seconds from catching up to you and laying the hammer down

If you'd rather finish Smough off first, you can still lead Ornstein away, and just book it back to Smough to get some swings in, then try to patiently separate them again. Either way, if you focus on one of them, the Furysword attacks should be speedy enough so that Solaire doesn't kill the "wrong" one of them too soon or (more likely) get killed himself.

Second stage of the battle, with either of them, get up close and personal and swing away, but try to keep the camera in a position where you can see *exactly* when they're powering up for their big moves, and give yourself time to dodge-roll away. Second stage is also a good time to bring out the heavy-hitting pyromancies or sorceries.

I'd recommend for NG, kill Smough first, then Ornstein. For NG+, kill Ornstein first, then Smough. The reason for this is that Giant Ornstein is a hard-hitting beast on NG+ and beyond: very hard to deal with if you don't have a powerful build.

Hope some of that was useful.