
Area of effect spells such as the firestorm type pyromancies, gravelord sword dance, or Wrath of the Gods/Force can be very useful in warding off an invader or preventing the host from being backstabbed. The key to many is that your melee and spell attacks will not harm your host, but will often defeat or repel enemies or even cancel backstab attempts. In addition to the co-op oriented Princess Guard miracles, there are a number of other spells and types of equipment that can go a long way towards keeping a host alive even in the face of a skillful invader or dangerous computer enemies, and that should be considered for any serious co-op build.

You could be the best player or PvPer in the world, and it won't matter if a mob or invader simply avoids you and kills the host before you can stop them. Just as many players will make "PvP builds" or "PvE builds," a "co-op build" can be much more effective than one designed for other purposes that you just happen to co-op with from time to time. While any build can be used in co-op with varying effectiveness, if you are serious about co-op you should consider making specific co-op dedicated builds.Tying in with point #2, just look like you're prepared for the area, it may just be the deciding factor.
How long can you have a building sign in dark ro full#
When going up against the Demon Firesage, who requires a lot of mobility, would you rather summon the phantom who is wearing full Havel's armor with a Grant, or the one in Gold-Hemmed robes with Logan's Catalyst? Sure the guy in Havel's may have invested in enough Endurance/have the right rings to be able to run and roll just as well as the one in lightweight robes, but you have no way of knowing that yet.

Put as little burden on them as possible and make sure you can take care of yourself. Yes, the host can heal you with their Estus Flasks, but your job isn't to rely on the host, it's to assist the host. Other options include having a lot of backup Humanity (the consumable item), a Sanctus shield for stretches where you are just travelling through the level, or using the Ring of the Evil Eye. This typically means investing in enough attunement and faith to at least cast the miracle Heal. Remember, you only benefit from assisting if you survive to the end, so make sure you're actually prepared for what you're trying to help with. Don't attempt to help a host fight Chaos Witch Quelaag without any Purple Moss Clumps for the journey there, don't go into the Moonlight Butterfly without magic or arrows, and please do not try to help with the Centipede Demon without an Orange Charred Ring. Second is that if you leave it right in front of the boss area, then hosts are more likely to summon others who have placed their sign earlier in the level instead of you. The first is that hosts that would need help with bosses have a greater chance of dying on the way to the boss area and losing their human form, and thus their ability to summon you. With only a few exceptions, it is better to help the host through as much of the level as possible for a couple of reasons. The most likely possibility of getting summoned at the boss arena instead are by hosts that have survived through the level but lost summons along the way, and who want to summon replacements without backtracking all the way to the bonfire.

As a general rule, place your sign as close to the first bonfire before the boss area as possible.
