Frozen Golems, also known as Facsimile Giants, are enemies in Dark Souls II: Crown of the Ivory King.
Description[]
Frozen Golems appear as tall, headless humanoids made of stone. They look very similar to the Golems found in the Throne of Want, having no heads and displaying a large hole in the center of their chests.
Location[]
Multiple Frozen Golems are found throughout the various structures that conform Eleum Loyce and start appearing after passing the Inner Wall bonfire. Initially, they are frozen in ice but once the player agrees to help Alsanna, they will come to life if they absorb the souls of other enemies.
Several can be found already active in a wooded area, prior to meeting one of the Knights of Eleum Loyce.
Combat[]
Frozen Golems have a rather large health pool and above average defenses and resistances. Their melee attacks are slow and easily telegraphed; however, they can deal a significant amount of damage to less armored players. They also possess a grab which, if successful, will deal extreme damage to the player as well as steal a considerable amount of souls from them. In most instances, being caught by this grab will end up in the player dying.
Like most construct enemies, the Frozen Golem appears to take less damage from slashing, thrusting and piercing attacks.
Frozen Golems can also be damaged before being activated and will not retaliate if attacked. However, if a golem is killed while close enough to another, the souls it releases upon death will be absorbed by the second one, activating it. It is recommended to draw all other enemies away from an inactive golem before killing it, in order to prevent its activation.
Attacks[]
Kick
The golem gets close to the player and performs a kick which drains a great amount of stamina, leaving them open for further attacks.
Arm swing
The golem performs a powerful upward-diagonal swing with one of its arms which may follow with another swing from its other arm. It may delay the second swing, taunting the player into counterattacking prematurely.
Hand slam
The golem slams one of its hands on the ground and usually follows up by slamming the other hand too.
Grab
The golem runs up to the player and grabs them with both hands. It then proceeds to lift them and starts projecting a bright light coming out from the hole on its chest, dealing extreme damage and stealing a considerable amount of souls.
Strategy[]
Inactive golems are usually found in places where enemies abound, especially Retainers. Since they can be difficult to deal with, preventing their activation should be a priority. The player may attract the surrounding enemies' attention by using ranged attacks or by putting themselves as bait, making them give chase and driving them away from the golem.
Since Retainers usually won't leave their designated locations, a good strategy is to get rid from the rest of the opposition first and then attack the golem itself while evading the Retainers' constant magic attacks. Another method is to unequip the player's current weapon (to deal as little damage as possible) and start punching the Retainer away from the golem.
When facing an already activated golem, playing defensively is advised for melee builds. A strong weapon that can deal strike damage and that is infused with fire (dealing 15% more damage) is recommended. Spellcasters should have an easier time against these creatures since they can deal high amounts of damage to the golem from a safe distance while it slowly approaches.
In areas where there are many inactive golems gathered together (like the trio guarding the chest with the Curved Nil Greatsword), the player may attack each golem individually until they all have very little health left and then use a weapon with a wide attack range, like an ultra greatsword, to finish them all at once, preventing them from activating.
Even if they are slow, Frozen Golems should not be underestimated; their attacks are surprisingly fast and deal high amounts of damage. It is recommended to use a shield that provides 100% physical resistance and that has good stability, and not trying to block with a weapon. The monster should always be allowed to attack first, then the player may counterattack. Golems generally connect no more than two hits per attack and usually take a few seconds to recover, which the player should take advantage of to deal some damage.
Memorizing their attack patterns is also very useful, since the player can then predict their range, speed and recovering time to plan a strategy accordingly. Golems like to delay their subsequent attacks, trying to catch the player by surprise by making them think they have finished attacking, especially when performing their arm swings.
Notes[]
- The player will lose 5,255 souls if seized by a Frozen Golem's grab attack.
- Activated golems can be identified from non-activated ones by the glowing light coming out of the hole on their chests.
- Frozen Golems are susceptible to Poison and Bleed attacks.
- Many of the Frozen Golem's attacks and animations are very similar to those of an Ogre. Using similar tactics to fight both types of enemies are generally very effective.