Dark Souls - Undead Burg strategy and where to use the Residence Key

Undead Burg is, you could argue, the game's first proper area, leading on from the starting Firelink Shrine.

If you're looking for more help, our Dark Souls walkthrough and guide can help with all other areas of the game, including the dreaded Taurus Demon, Capra Demon, Ornstein and Smough bosses.

Undead Burg

Once you've made your way out of firelink and into the Undead Burg, you'll fight two sword hollows in an open area. Go to the bridge between two houses and deal with the firebomb hollow in the corridor, and inside the left building. For now, ignore the fog gate.

Head back over the bridge and destroy the barrels in front of you. Drop down to attain a Large Soul of Lost Undead. From here, make sure you're healed up and drop down to the ground.

You'll find hollows climb up the walls, take them out and proceed past the bridge. Be careful of an ambush, and proceed further down. There are three hollows waiting to climb up the bridge, take them out and pick up the Rubbish in front of you. From here, head upwards and up the ladder. Once you're on the ramparts, head down towards an item glow, which contains a Humanity. From here, head through the fog gate.

Once through, head to the left to pick up a Soul of Lost Undead, and then proceed up the stairs and through the fog gate. From here, head upwards after a short scene, and you will want to bust out the Fireballs in order to kite out 3 sword hollows, dealing with them one at a time. Then, head up and light the Undead Burg Bonfire and spend your souls.

Now, time for some backtracking. Kill the hollows that previously plagued you, then head back and through the door underneath the Archer for a Wooden Shield. Then head left past the bridge to two Spearmen. These are tricky, so parry their attacks or kick them off balance to get them sorted out. Then, destroy the crates to reveal a staircase down. Head right and behind a bookcase will be a hollow trying to ambush you.

Kill it and head through the archway and follow the path. Kill the three hollows ahead and climb up the ladder. On top of the roof you will find 10 throwing knives. Now, try to jump over to the platform you see ahead. From here go outside and right to find a Crossbow and Bolts.

Where to get and use the Residence Key

Head back and down the staircase where the spearmen were, and take the other exit. Here, you'll find an NPC selling some useful items. Pick up the Residence Key (you'll need it later) and a Heater Shield, which will block 100% physical damage. Then, head back to the Bonfire and proceed.

Head across the narrow walkway, be aware that enemies will be chucking bombs at you. Enter the room and immediately head for the corner. There are two hollows, with and undead soldier that will burst into the room to ambush you. Deal with these and press on. Go into the building on the right, deal with the hollow at the end and then head left. Inside the chest you will find 2 Black Firebombs.

Exit the building and head up the stairs. Kite the three hollows down the stairs and take them out. Head back up, hang a right and go up the ladder. Take out the 3 Firebomb Hollows, then head back where the ladder was go back down. Go into the closed door by using the Residence key we bought earlier, head out and grab two Gold Pine Resin. Keep hold of this for a boss encounter coming up soon.

Now, head up the spiral staircase in the other building to take out a crossbow hollow. Head back down, and use your Fireballs to kill the two Hollow soldiers waiting for you at the bottom.Head right, and right again to encounter your first Black Knight.

We hope you've been practicing your Parry, because this is the surefire way to take this black knight down, at the start of every attack string, knock it off balance and hit it for a critical. Alternatively, use ranged items to take it down. After killing it, you'll get a Titanite Chunk - this is pretty valuable early on, so hang onto it!

Now that the Black Knight is dead, head up the stairs and you'll find that hollows will roll a flaming bomb at you. Avoid this by running down and kill the following Undead Soldier. Head up, and if you have the Master Key, unlock the door ahead. Be warned, only do this if you fancy yourself a bit of a masochist. Head down and take on Havel the Rock. You will want to focus on Backstabs and Parries.

Just kite around him after his attack winds up, and backstab, or parry. If you kill him, he will drop Havel's Ring, which is useful if you're struggling with your Equip Load. Head all the way back up to where you were and up to the fog gate. Now destroy the barrels to the right and you'll find a Crystal Lizard scurry out. Drop down onto the staircase and do a plunging attack to kill it.

If you're looking for more help, our Dark Souls walkthrough and guide can help with all other areas of the game, including the dreaded Taurus Demon, Capra Demon, Ornstein and Smough bosses. Meanwhile, we have explainers on how to access DLC Artorias of the Abyss, the best gift and best class in Dark Souls, Dark Souls' best weapons, Dark Souls Covenants, Dark Souls Estus Flasks locations, Dark Souls Titanite Slab locations and NPC quests including Lautrec of Carim.

Time to head through the fog gate and fight the next boss, Taurus Demon.

After killing Taurus, push onwards and towards the staircase, break the case above it to find a Large Soul of Undead, then head down, and left out the door. Do not be alarmed by the figure in front of you- this is Solaire of Astora, after talking to him a few times and agreeing, he will give you a White Sign Soapstone, so you can now put it down and be summoned into other worlds.

Now, you will have to be quick for this one. A dragon will appear on this bridge and kill everything around you, so head to the right, loop around and run down the stairs as quickly as possible. Now, having escaped the dragon, head into the room directly in front of you, slowly. Kick down the ladder at the end of the platform to go back to the Undead Burg Bonfire and level up. Head back up after you're done, and go left.

Progress through the side of the ramparts, and then deal with the hollow to the right, and then kick the spear hollow off the side. Before heading into the doorway, kite out the rats to a wider platform, then kill these.

Head into the room and up to get to the Undead Parish, where the first bell of awakening lies.

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