These are the route notes and a guide for Any% Current Patch, works for both PS+ Warp or No Warp routes. I will lay out the optimal route and anything marked with a * at the end is a safety or back up strategy, however I will also have a clear divide between the 1-1 skip route and non-skip route. There will be video links to corresponding parts of a video guide series I made for these parts as well. Reminder that there's also the other guide playlist for any particular skip that you'd like more elaboration on.

---

Start

Start Magician Class Starting Gift Firebombs Turn off Deluxe Edition Items (if appl.) Skip tutorial

OPTIMAL ROUTE WITH 1-1 SKIP (Harder, with a bit of item drop rng)

Go to 1-1 Farm first fire sword dregling for Pine Resin Pick up Firebombs (5) Kill second fire sword dregling, and 3rd and 4th together* Roll around boulder

1-1 Skip Touch gate to trigger boss, equip catalyst on left hand as you cross through it

Phalanx

Chuck all Firebombs (last bomb can be duped) Finish off with Flame Toss Touch archstone and warp to Nexus

Buy dagger from Boldwin Equip dagger as you run up to Monumental Talk to Monumental Pick up Stone of Ephemeral Eyes* Quit out Go to 3-1

Prison of Hope Coffin skip Pick up Aged Spice near hand ball Arrow trap skip Pick up Clever Rat's Ring as you do skip, and set up HP (can also duck arrows while picking up ring*) Equip rat ring at door for reviver Kill reviver and pick up Special Key Reload

Pick up Widow's Lotus Set up Clever Rat's Ring (CRR) if needed*

Fool's Idol

Turpentine on dagger after fog (if appl.) Kill enemy closest to Fool's Idol* R1 stun lock until ~ 20% HP, finish off with Flame Toss and more R1's Touch Archstone and warp back

---

SIMPLER 1-1 ROUTE (No 1-1 skip, no farm needed)

Go to 1-1 Pick up Firebombs (5)* Roll through boulder

Can pick up extra firebombs (6)* Hit boulder trap, equip catalyst on left hand and equip Nexial Binding Pick up Pine Resin (4) Nexial Bind (or simply take a death from enemy or run back down the shortcut tower, if No PS+ Warps) PS+ Warp back to 1-1

Buff with Pine Resin near fog gate

Phalanx

Chuck all Firebombs Spread out more Hoplites with Fire Buff Sword if needed Finish off with Flame Toss Touch archstone and warp to Nexus

Buy dagger from Boldwin Equip dagger as you run up to Monumental Talk to Monumental Pick up Stone of Ephemeral Eyes* Quit out Go to 3-1

Prison of Hope Coffin skip Pick up Aged Spice near hand ball Arrow trap skip Pick up Clever Rat's Ring as you do skip, and set up HP (can also duck arrows while picking up ring*) Equip rat ring at door for reviver Kill reviver and pick up Special Key Reload

Pick up Widow's Lotus Set up Clever Rat's Ring (CRR) if needed*

Fool's Idol

Turpentine on dagger after fog Kill enemy closest to Fool's Idol* R1 stun lock until ~ 20% HP, finish off with Flame Toss and more R1's Touch Archstone and warp back

---

(The two different 1-1 / Fool's Idol routes are identical from here on out)

Talk to Maiden in Black, level MAGIC to 25 Go back to 3-1 Sage Freke Skip

Run across the seam Drop down to 4F and open door (Take off Crescent Moon* and replace Resin with Widow's Lotus, equip Nexial Binding) Pick up Aged Spice (1) Open Freke's cell, talk to him Nexial Bind

Talk to Freke, learn Soul Ray Remove Flame Toss and Water Veil, attune Soul Ray Go to 4-1

Grab Crescent Falchion Grab Soul Remains*

Island Edge's (Regen Ring) Skip Grab Regen Ring Set up CRR with arrow trap if needed* Equip Falchion on fog

Adjudicator

Soul Ray from ledge behind him Pop Lead Soul Touch archstone, pop Swolen Soul, warp back

Level MAG to 31, and ENDURANCE to 13 PS+ Warp to Latria (or warp via archstone)

Pick up Fresh Spice before main tower Heart Skip CRR with Mindflayer Soul Ray (or counter hit on explosion attack)

Maneaters

Keep space between yourself and him, and fight with Soul Ray Pick up Full Moon Grass* Touch archstone and reload into same area

Drop to your death, unequip chest piece and gloves

Pick up stain (and soul items in back*) Set up CRR with centipedes (counter hit from regular tail attack) Running 2 handed running R1 to kill centipedes, 2x Soul Ray + 2 2h R1s Soul Ray 2 centipedes, running 2h R1 to move last Mindlflayer

Old Monk

Use Spice as you enter room Soul Ray through chairs if possible Use all Souls items Touch archstone, press start, close, warp back

Level INT to 25, rest into MAG*

Learn Cloak and Homing Soul Arrow, attune them Kill Freke for Magical Sharpness Ring with Homing Soul Arrow (HSA), then hit with Soul Ray (SR) Equip Sharpness ring and Regen Ring*, ho to 5-1

Take counter hit from fire spear guy Chasm Skip Cloak before giant goblin Take one more hit from fire spear guy Push ticks, SR goblins on bridge Pick up Full Moon before fog gate*

Full Moon heal*

Leechmonger

HSA -> SR, SR (HSA -> SR, HS-> SR, if at full health*) Equip armor, and replace CRR with regen ring Touch archstone and reload area

Swamp of Sorrow drop Grab Legendary Soul*

Cloak if Black Phantom near* Grab Cat Ring

Grab Thief Ring

Cloak after fog gate past 2 giant goblins Replace Regen with CRR at boss fog

Dirty Colossus

Hit Dirty's body and meaty hand once with sword (not wooden arm) HSA -> SR, HSA -> SR Use Aged Spice Touch archstone Use 2 Crescent Moon Grass, 3 if fall damage taken

Be around 50% HP before at Maiden, and at least 110 MP

Maiden

Hug right Drop to Maiden Once in CRR, use Widow's Lotus HSA -> SR, HSA -> SR Use Crescent Moon, use all souls Grab archstone, use pureblood soul, warp back

MAG to 45 (or more if you can) Rest of Souls on Fresh Spice from Boldwin* Go to 2-1

Thief Ring as you wait for boulders to clear Spider Skip

Armor Spider

HSA, HSA, equip Cat Ring

Set up CRR with 2 pickaxe miners Cat Ring quit out skip

Pick up Full Moon and Stone of Ephemeral eyes*

Flamelurker

HSA x2 Quit out at fog gate, set up cinematic for pillar skip

Dragon God

Phase through first batch of pillars, first ballista Break through second batch of pillars, second Ballista HSA for final hit 1 Fresh Spice, 2 Crescent Moon for half health (or Full Moon for full health*) PS+ Warp to Boletaria (or archstone warp to 1-2)

Go to 1-2 Thief Ring at first fog gate* Cloak and set up CRR for Tower Knight

Tower Knight

Get behind HSA (SR and regular melee for full health*) Equip Thief Ring, touch archstone

Roll through first boulders Enemies break boxes, take hit to die, quit out Roll through second boulder Take a hit if near full HP from last boulder, quit out

HSA blue eye knight Spear red eye knight shield block Put on CRR before Penetrator

Penetrator

HSA near shadow, then one more HSA after Fresh Spice use, cat Ring as he dies PS+ Warp to 4-2 (or warp to)

Hit switches Bait skeletons off cliff

Set up CRR with reaper near Ritual Path skip if full health* Ritual Path skip Cloak, switch Cat Ring to CRR Trigger Old Hero

Old Hero

HSA -> SR, 2 more HSA Fresh Spice near full after death

Storm King

Soul Ray 6 small mantas, then cloak Position for Storm King, Cloak once more 4 Soul Ray on Storm King Switch to Thief Ring PS+ Warp to 1-4, or Nexial Bind

Warp to 1-4 if no warps Set up CRR with crossbow archers Running attack at knight at top of stairs (or bait down or HSA*)

Delay your run for dragon bridge after second fat official Stick to right of Ostrava and roll after he attacks (or HSA*) Fresh Spice on elevator, along with rings With Regen, get HP higher but not higher than 30% (165 is max for base hp)

King Allant

HSA until dead Nexial Bind

Talk to Maiden Run to last boss

True king

HSA after fog, get closer HSA, one handed R2 HSA, 1h R2 HSA, 2 hand, R1's

Walk to fog, press start when Demon Destroyed comes up, close hit Maiden, then quit out Check IGT, then load character for final cutscene confirmation