Dark Souls 3 PvP guide: play styles, Covenants and key items

Covenants

A covenant is an allegiance you make in Dark Souls 3’s campaign (designated by an equippable tablet in your inventory) that reward specific items and encourage certain online play mechanics. For example, Rosaria’s Fingers reward the player with a tongue for every successful invasion they perform. On the other hand, the Mound-Makers are rewarded for successfully killing the host of a world or other phantoms in that world. Their allegiance is inherently ambiguous: do they help the host and take out incoming invaders for a hefty reward or do they just go straight for the host?

Because player intentions and goals can be so divergent and unclear, drama is a given for even the most routine online encounter.

Way of Blue

Style: Cooperative
Summon sign: White
Phantom color: White

Initiation:

In the last area of the High Wall of Lothric is a Chapel with an old woman, named Emma, sitting on a chair. Speaking with her a second time grants the player the Way of Blue covenant insignia.

Summoning range: Host +20 or -20 levels of Phantom

Notes: There are no ranks in the Way of Blue. When a Way of Blue member is invaded, a Blue Sentinel will be summoned to help defeat the invader.

Warriors of Sunlight

Style: Cooperative
Summon sign: Gold
Phantom color: Gold
Awarded items: Sunlight Medal – Awarded by aiding a host in defeating the area boss.

Initiation:

In the Undead Settlement there are a large number of enemies praying to a bonfire. Just after this section is a dark room with a bunch of wrapped up bodies hanging from the ceiling. Dropping through the hole in the floor leads to a secret room, with the Covenant Insignia on the table.

The Alter of Sunlight is located in Lothric Castle near the Dragonslayer Armour Bonfire. Head across the bridge and climb the ladder near the building to the right. Climb down the ladder on the other side of the building and there is a room at the end of the bridge that holds a broken statue, where the player can offer Sunlight Medals.

Rank rewards:

• 10 Sunlight Medals – Sacred Oath Miracle
• 30 Sunlight Medals – Great Lightning Spear

Summoning Range: Host +20 or -20 levels of Phantom

Notes: A host also earns a Sunlight Medal when they have defeated the area boss with a Warrior of Sunlight summoned, regardless of covenant affiliation.

Mound-Makers

Style: Cooperative/Invasion
Summon sign: Purple (White Sign Soapstone) / Reddish-Purple (Red Sign Soapstone)
Phantom color: Purple (White Sign Soapstone) / Reddish-Purple (Red Sign Soapstone)
Awarded items: Vertebra Shackle – Earned by defeating the host or another phantom.

Initiation:

Option 1: Before battling the Curse-Rotted Greatwood, head right from the large fire in the middle of town across the bridge. Climb up on the rooftops and drop down on the other side, where you will find a caged hollows NPC (normally an enemy). After the creepiest dialogue in the Souls series, head back around the buildings to find a Hollow Manservant with a cage on his back. Carefully approach him from behind and “examine” the cage on his back.
Option 2: After battling the Curse-Rotted Greatwood, summon Sirris of the Sunless Realms at the entrance of the boss room for Aldrich of the Deep (must have already defeated Aldrich and followed Sirris’ questline to the end).

Covenant location:

A shrine surrounded by candles near the Pit of Hollows bonfire beneath the Curse-Rotted Greatwood.

Rank rewards:

• 10 Vertebra Shackles – Bloodlust Katana
• 30 Vertebra Shackles – Warmth Pyromancy Spell

Invasion range: Host +30 or -10 levels of Phantom

Notes: If summoned via the White Sign Soapstone, the enemies of the host’s world will be hostile to the phantom, but the Mound-maker cannot assist in defeating the area boss.

If summoned via the Red Sign Soapstone, the enemies of the host’s world are not hostile.

Blue Sentinels

Style: Cooperative
Summon sign: White
Phantom color: Light Blue
Awarded items: Proof of a Concord Kept – Defeat an enemy phantom or escort host to the area boss

Initiation: 

Speak with Horace the Hushed at the Halfway Fortress bonfire in the Road of Sacrifices

Covenant location: 

Speak with Company Captain Yorshka in Anor Londo.

Rank rewards:

• 10 Proof of a Concord Kept – Darkmoon Ring
• 30 Proof of a Concord Kept – Darkmoon Blade

Summoning Range: Host +30 or -10 levels of Phantom

Notes: The Proof of a Concord Kept award is earned by both Blue Sentinels and Blades of the Darkmoon. They can be used to rank up in either covenant regardless of which covenant a player was in when the award was earned.

Watchdogs of Farron

Style: Area Invasion
Summon sign: White
Phantom color: Reddish-Blue
Awarded items: Wolf’s Blood Swordgrass – Awarded upon defeating a host or host-allied phantom.

INITIATION:

Pray to the Old Wolf of Farron near the Farron Keep bonfire, which can be accessed up a long ladder in the middle of the swamp.

COVENANT LOCATION:

The Old Wolf of Farron.

RANK REWARDS:

• 10 Wolf’s Blood Swordgrass – Old Wolf Curved Sword
• 30 Wolf’s Blood Swordgrass – Wolf Knight’s Greatshield and Wolf Ring

Summoning range: Host +30 or -10 levels of Phantom

Notes: Beast men in the swamp area can also drop Wolf’s Blood Swordgrass.

Rosaria’s Fingers

Style: Invasion
Summon sign: White
Phantom color: Red
Awarded items: Pale Tongue – Awarded by invading and defeating a host

INITIATION:

Speak with Rosaria in the Cathedral of the Deep (Rosaria’s Bed Chamber bonfire)

COVENANT LOCATION:

Speak with Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth

RANK REWARDS:

• 10 Pale Tongues – Obscuring Ring
• 30 Pale Tongues – Man Grub’s Staff

Summoning range: Host +30 or -10 levels of Phantom

Notes: Pale Tongues can be used to re-allocate stats a maximum of 5 times per playthrough or to change character appearance. Pale Tongues can also drop from Darkwraiths in the Road of Sacrifices. Forked Pale Tongues can be earned by defeating Blue Phantoms and Blades of the Darkmoon. Consuming a Forked Pale Tongue grants the player 2 Pale Tongues.

Aldrich Faithful

Style: Area Invasion – Anor Londo
Summon sign: White
Phantom color: Reddish-Blue
Awarded items: Human Dregs

INITIATION:

Speak with Archdeacon McDonnell in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley (Pontiff Sulyvahn Bonfire)

COVENANT LOCATION:

Speak with Archdeacon McDonell

RANK REWARDS:

• 10 Human Dregs – Great Deep Soul
• 30 Human Dregs – Archdeacon’s Great Staff

Summoning range: Host +30 or -10 levels of Phantom

Notes: Deacons in Anor Londo can also drop Human Dregs.

Blades of the Darkmoon

Style: Cooperative
Summon sign: White
Phantom color: Dark Blue
Awarded Items: Proof of a Concord Kept – Defeat an enemy phantom or escort host to the area boss

INITIATION:

Company Captain Yorshka in Anor Londo (must have completed Sirris of the Sunless Realm quest to the point of learning the “Darkmoon Loyalty” Gesture). Or, just stab her.

COVENANT LOCATION:

Speak with Company Captain Yorshka

RANK REWARDS:

• 10 Proof of a Concord Kept – Darkmoon Ring
• 30 Proof of a Concord Kept – Darkmoon Blade

Summoning range: Host +30 or -10 levels of Phantom

Notes: Proof of a Concord Kept items can also drop from Silver Knights. Defeating an Aldrich Faithful member earns a Proof of a Concord Well Kept. Consuming a Proof of a Concord Well Kept grants the player 2 Proof of a Concord Kept items.