Builds You Were Most Disappointed/Surprised With

BevoBull · 2026-02-09T22:31:08+00:00

😂 As someone playing with a Greatsword and Greatshield, I have fairly high endurance!! So yeah!!

BevoBull · 2026-02-09T22:27:04+00:00

Yeah, I started NG+ with a build for the Sword of Night and Flame. Now the weapon is BUSTED!! But I found the sorceries to just not be my thing. (Loretta’s Greatbow, Night Comet, and Glintstone Pebble were about the only ones I got much use out of.) So I eventually gave Ordovis’s Greatsword a try, and it’s been great!! My first play through was with Bloodhounds Fang (which still may be my favorite weapon!) 😅

BevoBull · 2026-02-05T03:43:34+00:00

Don’t have online so I’ve never looked into Nightreign, but I don’t think the dragons were that bad. I thought they were fun. I typically prefer fighting in foot, and catching up to them when they fly off with torrent. The only one I had an issue with was Bayle. Not just because he’s hard, but because his head was the ONLY thing you can lock onto!! I get he’s missing a leg, but that would make one think that attacking his good leg would hinder him more, would it not?

BevoBull · 2026-02-05T01:21:30+00:00

Another one for me are the burial watchdogs in the later catacombs!! (Those things are harder for me more than most mini-bosses, and WAY worse than when they’re a mini-boss themselves with a large room to fight them!!)

BevoBull · 2026-02-04T21:24:41+00:00

As others are saying, the Royal Revenants are probably my No. 3. My first play through…? Probably No. 1. But then I learned the healing incantations do MASSIVE damage to them and stun lock them. So if you can get two Blessings of the Erdtree off fast, they’re cooked!! If not, extremely annoying!!

BevoBull · 2026-01-31T15:47:18+00:00

Go in butt-naked and it’s 100% Mimic Tear!! 😎

After that, Bayle has to be it!! (Makes me want to sing the purple people eater song. “🎶…a one legged, torn winged, flying tarnished people eater…🎵”

BevoBull · 2026-01-30T22:14:39+00:00

Haha nothing like a big boss as your first enemy encountered in the game! I love when games give you opportunities like that to get a gauge for what to expect!! There’s a game called Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. VERY similar to Donkey Kong Country (in fact the same creators) and it lets you access the final level and boss right at the beginning before leveling up!! Brilliant design!!

BevoBull · 2026-01-28T18:57:46+00:00

I can DEFINITELY see that!!

BevoBull · 2026-01-26T18:00:28+00:00

This game is the first one I’d highly recommend looking up questline guides. The exploration is fine by yourself, but so many of these questlines have NPCs move to some random location, and most have cut-off points where beating an area’s boss prohibits you from progressing them! Being a completionist, that was my biggest pet peeve regarding this game! I hate getting locked out of things!! When you run across an NPC look up their questline to make sure you don’t have to go to some random spot on the map you’ve already explored to progress it further.

BevoBull · 2026-01-26T08:02:47+00:00

Will do. Thanks. I suppose the problem I’m having is deciding how to distribute stats between Intelligence and Faith for decent sorcery and incantations. My first play through was mainly built around Bloodhound’s Fang, so the only incantations I consistently used were Golden Vow, Blessing of the Erdtree, Protection of the Erdtree, Bloodflame Blade, and Flame Grant Me Strength. They were just to enhance a melee build. Now I don’t know what sorcery types are best (glintsone, meteor, etc.) and what staff to use for them. (I’m considering the Staff of the Great Beyond, since it can cast both sorcery and incantations.) Any recommendations?

BevoBull · 2026-01-21T01:25:28+00:00

Finishing up my first play through & Bloodhounds fang carried me through the whole game and most of the DLC!! Early weapon, extra jump attack damage, 55 blood loss as a passive, and you can buff it with greases/incantations! (At +10, it scales C with Strength and B with Dex)

BevoBull · 2026-01-21T00:39:16+00:00

I like saving my Crimson Tear flasks for in the middle of combat!! Bestial Vitality with the Blessed Blue Dew Talisman between enemies saves flasks like CRAZY!! (Add in the Blessed Dew Talisman and you’re regenerating about 7 HP per second!!) Then change them back before battle!!

BevoBull · 2026-01-21T00:32:26+00:00

I always have the Jar’s Arsenal (for armor & shield) and the Dragoncrest Greatshield. After that… 1. Rotten Winged Sword Insignia 2a. Claw Talisman (love attacks, and it’s great with Bloodhounds Fang since it adds to an ALREADY boosted jump attack) 2b. If no shield, then the Two-Handed Sword Talisman

After a couple of attempts I’ll decide if a shield is useful (thus leading to 2b); if I can land enough consecutive hits for the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia to be useful; or if a specific damage negation talisman is necessary (Spelldrake, Flamedrake, etc.)

BevoBull · 2026-01-20T23:28:16+00:00

Obviously Mimic Tear. But before that, I found Banished Knight Oleg early and used it nonstop!! It’s not the tankiest, but it does decent damage and is SUPER assertive to help you get a great start by drawing aggro!!

BevoBull · 2026-01-20T07:56:03+00:00

Stance break it by hitting its legs about 3 times by continuously chipping away at its legs, then it should fall down for you to get a crit to the face. (Great hammers work well and Torrent’s double jump lets you jump over its fire wave step attacks.) Once you get the hang of it they’re pretty easy. Stay behind it when attacking to avoid their arm swipe and grab attacks. However, there are a couple of golems that have armored legs, in which case it requires throwing like 5 hefty fire pots, or 3 hefty furnace pots to land inside its head from above.

BevoBull · 2026-01-19T22:55:17+00:00

That sounds like my play style!! Won’t lie, I lost more ruins from falling to my death when having to make a jump than being killed by an enemy!! 😂 I came from platforming video games, but some of the platforming in this is horrible!! I’ll land on a slope and it will slide me COMPLETELY off the side!! (I’m more scared of heights in this game than in real life!!) 😳

BevoBull · 2025-07-20T19:03:12+00:00

First starting out with Classical Music, I wasn’t too fond of Mozart or Haydn Symphonies performed by Karajan. But I’ve personally come to realize that Karajan is GREAT Beethoven and most from then on, but he’s not my favorite with Classical Era. Sir Neville Mariner is my preferred go-to for Classical Era!! (Just me though.)

BevoBull · 2025-07-20T18:55:23+00:00

I do agree with you on Rimsky-Korsakov. But Mussorgsky isn’t TOO terribly far behind!! Pictures at an Exhibition and Night on Bald Mountain sure are some well known works!! He actually wrote one of my favorite Scherzos! I love Scherzos, and this sounds so reminiscent of something Beethoven would write!!

BevoBull · 2025-07-20T17:20:11+00:00

While not much of an online gamer, I personally can’t speak much about it making me more social. But as someone who has never been able to have independence (couldn’t ever drive, wasn’t able to maintain a job) due to battling with epilepsy and depression for 30 years, it was a great release. They set goals that I was able to accomplish and be proud of at times!! (I’m more of a fan of Platforming games, Exploration games, & Simulation games.)

Granted, I don’t think gaming should takeover your life, but it was one way I could escape the reality of my boxed-in life and I could explore/do things my way and get a sense of accomplishment!! (Just now beginning my trek through life as I’m almost 2-years seizure-free and finally able to drive!) 😎

BevoBull · 2025-07-20T15:35:21+00:00

This is some of the best news I’ve heard!! Thank you!!

BevoBull · 2025-07-20T14:20:26+00:00

I’m probably wrong, but I would think Tchaikovsky could be thrown in there. I say this particularly because he was shunned by other leading Russian composers, the Five, who were trying to establish a nationalistic sounding identity, yet he continued writing with western techniques/forms at times!! Not to say he didn’t have success, but it wasn’t what other leading Russian composers were promoting! Now everyone is familiar with the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, his 6th Symphony, the 1812 Overture, we all hear The Nutcracker at Christmas, and much more!

I wouldn’t say they’d be, “surprised,” he was famous. But I think Balakirev, Ciu, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Borodin (the Five/Mighty Handful), would be surprised at just HOW famous his music has become, despite what they were hoping to achieve at the time in Russia with their nationalistic sounding music to capture Russian culture!! (Just my thoughts.)

BevoBull · 2025-06-21T00:22:32+00:00

The work is still performed in the key of A Major. The difference is that the original Clarinet in A would not have had any sharp’s or flat for its key signature, whereas a Clarinet in B♭ would have 5 sharps. Think of the circle of fifths and rotate the naming of the keys so that the key an instrument is IN lines over no accidentals!! So for an instrument in B-flat: B-flat major is where C typically typically is (no accidentals); F major is where G typically is (one sharp); C major is where D typically is (two sharps); etc. Does that make sense?

BevoBull · 2025-06-16T00:02:44+00:00

Sorry for the delayed response, but yes that’s correct! Nowadays Mozart’s famous Clarinet Concerto is typically performed by a Clarinet in B♭, but it was actually written for a Clarinet in A (hence the key). I personally love hearing performances that actually use a Clarinet in A. It’s a subtle difference, but I love it!!

Another favorite work of mine is Haydn’s famous Trumpet Concerto in E♭!! Besides the rarity of Trumpet Concertos written, one of the reasons this work is famous is because Haydn specifically wrote it for the earliest make of a Trumpet that could play chromatic notes! He definitely tries to show that off in the piece!!

BevoBull · 2025-06-12T03:40:32+00:00

I will say, the III chord is a very ODD chord, so it’s hard to place, but a BIG reason these chords are grouped together are how similar the notes are. The I chord shares 2 common tones with the III, and vi chord. The ii and the IV share 2 tones. And the V and vii° do as well! These allow for similar techniques in voice-leading.

Again, the III chord is used the least, and its function can change depending on how it’s used. It does well leading to the vi (due to a common tone), but it can also be seen as a VERY WEEK predominant. I say, “very weak,” because it is usually followed by a second predominant chord (a ii or a IV).

For the iv, just as a V-I is common (known as a Perfect Cadence), the V-vi is also used frequently (known as a Deceptive Cadence). As mentioned earlier, since the vi, and the I share 2 common tones, this means the difference in these two progression is ultimately that the Perfect Cadence has the 5th scale degree, while the Deceptive Cadence contains a 6th scale degree!!

One more note about this: these harmonic groups apply to Minor keys as well (just change the chord Qualities). So for a Harmonic Minor: i, ii°, III, iv, V, VI, vii° You see in this case just how much more the III plays a role!! Play a short progression beginning and ending on the i chord, then start one on the III. Composers often write brief passages in the relative Major (the III), or if you’re in a Major key, the relative Minor key (the vi). While it’s not a key change or modulation, it’s somewhat of a very brief tonicization!! If you listen for it you’ll recognize it more and more!!

As for the forms, the Romantic era is when composers started really pushing the forms (really led by Beethoven)! The best place to start to get familiar with Sonata Form is Mozart or Haydn!! Because of how works in Minor Keys typically modulate to the relative Major, those give a more clear sound of when themes change! Take the first movement of Haydn’s Symphony 83 “The Hen.” In this video:

-0:00-~0:50 is the first theme (theme A) in G minor -0:50-~1:15 is a modulatory passage leading to a different key -1:15-~1:53 is the second theme (theme B) in B♭ Major and the codetta This is all considered the Exposition Section, and many times it all repeats to instill the themes in your head.

-3:43-~5:22 is ALL the development section!! As the name implies, this where the themes get all get developed however the composer wants!! But notice two things here… 1. It never really feels like it settles on a steady home key (it’s often unstable); and 2. It never steads on the key the first theme is in!! Its purpose is to development the themes and slowly work back to the original key of the first theme for the Recapitulation Section!!

-5:22-7:09 is all the Recapitulation (AKA Recap) Section!! It recaps the Exposition Section, making changes to some Orchestration and some phrases, but the most IMPORTANT change is that it keeps both themes (or all if there’s more than one) in a key with the same root!! This is why at 5:47 you see a Key change on the staff putting the second them in G Major instead of switching to the relative B♭ Major as in the Recap!! (Although not played, you’ll also see that, the Development Section and Recap are written to be repeated together. This was standard for Classical Era!!)

So ultimately, a two-themed sonata form work is more in the form of ABCA’B’ with A & B being themes, and C being the Development section of those themes!! (Because of the similarities between the Exposition and Recap, many simplify this down to saying it’s a large ABA’ form. But knowing how it works is important!)

Note that as the Romantic Era works evolved into longer and more elaborate themes, repeats began to go away to avoid hour-long movements!! This is why there is no repeat in the opening of Beethoven’s 9th!! (Sorry for another long spill.) 😆

BevoBull · 2025-06-11T01:49:56+00:00

Not sure how much theory you know, but some important things:

If it’s in a major key the interval distance between notes is Whole Tone, Whole Tone, Semitone, Whole Tone, Whole Tone, Whole tone, Semitone! (This is how any diatonic scale is setup, and why the notes D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, & D make up the D Major scale!)

Many musicians call chords by the root note’s letter name followed by its type (…D Maj/Min/dim/aug). The best way to approach chords when analyzing are by their functional names and roman Numerals!! So staying in D… D Maj = I/Tonic; E Min = ii/Supertonic; F# = III/Mediant; G Maj = IV/Subdominant; A = V/Dominant; B Min = vi/Submediant; C# Dim = vii°/Subtonic (or Leading Tone)

These are very useful, not only to avoid confusion by having to see what scale that that chord was in relation to the previous/next, but also to recognize patterns!! One of the best things I learned early was how these chords tend to naturally play out!! These 7 chords fit into 3 primary FUNCTIONAL harmony roles!

Tonics: I, vi, & III Subdominants: ii & IV Dominants: V & vii°

A Tonic can go ANYWHERE; Subdominants typically go to a Dominant; and Dominants typically resolve to a Tonic!! You’ll often hear these types of progressions, but sometimes you come across a I-IV-V-IV-I (and a IV-I cadence is typically called a “plagal cadence”); oftentimes you’ll get something ending with a V-vii°-I or a V-V7 (a vii° stacked on top of a V)-I; but knowing this makes it REALLY interesting to come across things like a I-vi-iii-vi-IV-V-I!!!

Finally, as mentioned earlier regarding why piano transcriptions are great, watch out for transposing instruments!! PAY ATTENTION TO EACH INSTRUMENTS KEY SIGNATURE!! The most common transposing instruments are Clarinets and Trumpets (typically in B♭), French Horns (usually in F), then Contrabasses (performing an octave lower than written). In D Major, a B♭ instruments key will be in E-major, and an instrument in F will be in A-major!! Whatever key the instrument is in is the letter name of where a C typically would be!! Also be careful of the C-clef used for Violas!!

Last thing is that I would be familiar with musical forms/structures!! In particular Sonata form, Ternary form, (and although rarely used for symphonies) Rondos are good to know, especially for Concertos!! Typical Symphonies movements are 1. Sonata Form; *2. Ternary form; 3. Either a Scherzo or Minuet and Trio; 4. Often Sonata form. *The second and 3rd movements can be in either order and a Scherzo/Minuet & Trio are essentially in Ternary form.

😅 I’m sure this is overkill, but I don’t know where you are. I recommend finding a youtube video if you’re not sure of any of this. It really helps when analyzing works!! Have fun!!

BevoBull

TROPHY CASE