Maldron the Assassin

Description

A particularly devious Red Phantom found in Brume Tower and Eleum Loyce.

Equipment

• Heide Greatlance
• Rebel's Greatshield
• Alva Helm
• Heide Knight Gauntlets
• Royal Swordsman Set
• White Ring (Frozen Eleum Loyce only)

Location

Brume Tower
At the Foyer bonfire, go back outside the way you originally came in. Go down the stairs and then across the long chain to another tower. He spawns behind a ruined wall, ready to ambush.

Frozen Eleum Loyce
Just past the Lower Garrison bonfire, in a nearby building and up the stairs. Appears without an invasion message disguised as a White Phantom.( In this encounter, because he is not counted as an invader, you will receive no souls or items upon killing him, effectively making him a useless nuisance. One of the benefits of his nature as a non-invader(?) is that you can still use the bonfire if he is present to escape the encounter when he runs away.)

Drops

• Alva Helm (Frozen Eleum Loyce only)
• Royal Swordsman Set (Frozen Eleum Loyce only)
• Human Effigy (Frozen Eleum Loyce only)
• Awestone (Brume Tower only, if you're a member of the Company of Champions covenant)

Strategies

• Brume Tower
  • He runs down the stairs and behind the enemies when he gets low on health. Use a Seed of a Tree of Giants to get the enemies around him to kill him. Maldron also seems to randomly trigger his "run away"-routine even when full health.
  • Wear the Ring of Binding or the Hollow Skin when engaging him, as the Ashen Idol in the tower rapidly causes Curse.
  • After entering the area (stepping off the iron chain bridge), it is advisable to hug the right wall and go down the stairs. Maldron will not be aggro'd, leaving you enough time to clear out the tower before fighting him.
  • His attacks can stunlock you and will drain stamina quickly if blocked. Dodging and attacking from behind/backstabbing is recommended. You can also simply make him fall to his death via the force miracle or repeatedly guard-breaking him.
  • If attempting to engage Maldron after receiving Vendrick's Blessing, the Crown of the Sunken King when worn will prevent curse build up as a side effect of preventing hollowing.

• Frozen Eleum Loyce
  • He will initally try to appear friendy by using the White Ring and gestures, before attacking.
  • After initiating combat, he will flee down to the area with the Covetous Demon. If gates are closed he will try to run away and hide before healing himself with Estus.
  • Maldron will not be counted as an invader, and thus cannot be aggroed with a Seed of a Tree of Giants. However, because he's counted as a standard enemy, using one will cause him to aggro onto other invaders.
  • Use knockdown attacks and repeat them when he wakes up to prevent him from running away. You can use Promised Walk of Peace hex or Spider Fang heavy attack to slow him down.
  • He is arguably at his weakest so long as the gate to the Covetous Demon is closed and the area is clear. At that point, he will repeatedly sprint to different corners of the area and throw Corrosive Urns at you when you approach, enabling you to attack him during this time, ideally with an easy backstab. He will only fight back for a few seconds at most before attempting to run somewhere else and repeat the process.
  • When he begins running away, he may get caught on the Witchtree in the topmost doorway. If this happens, let them both stay until the Witchtree casts Unleash Magic. It will affect Maldron so long as he's close, and greatly reduce his health. This is also a good opportunity to backstab him as he won't attack until he's gotten out of the building.

Notes

• He can heal with Estus even though he is a Red Phantom.
• Occasionally he throws Corrosive Urns.
• Rarely he may use a Silver Talisman when he uses it, he can still attack as normal, making his moves now unpredictable.
• He may end up falling off the stairs and to his death while trying to run from you.
• If you die while near him in Brume Tower he will perform the Mock gesture. If you die while near him in Frozen Eleum Loyce he will perform the Decapitate gesture.
• Use Lloyd's Talisman to prevent him from healing.
• Though his weapon is very clearly a Heide Greatlance, it doesn't do any lightning damage.
• Using a Bonfire Ascetic on the Upper Floor in Brume Tower will respawn him. Likewise with the Lower Garrison bonfire in Frozen Eleum Loyce.
• It is possible to block his path when he first attempts to run away. When standing in the right spot, the player can hack him to pieces as he seems to be stuck in pathfinding mode for his escape and will not return blows.
• His lance has extraordinary tracking, so it's best to dodge right before his thrusts land rather than to try dodging out the path of his attacks like you would a normal player.

Footnotes

1. Dark Souls II Collector's Edition Guide description

Statistics

Brume Tower

Bonfire Intensity	HP	Souls
1	4,200	1,800
2	4,920	3,600
8	10,000	7,200

Frozen Eleum Loyce

Bonfire Intensity	HP	Souls
1	4,300	2,700
2	4,830	5,400
8	9,800	10,800

Weakness	Effectiveness
Strike	?
Thrust	?
Slash	?
Projectile	100%

Resistance	Reduction
Fire	?
Magic	?
Lightning	?
Dark	?

Status Ailment	Susceptible?
Poison	Yes
Toxic	Yes
Bleed	Yes

Attack	Parryable?	Blockable?	Notes
Move	?	?	-