Summary
- Obtain Boltscale from Striking Serpents in Darkhorde Cave south of Sacred Arbor in Vermund.
- Use ice attacks against Striking Serpents to exploit their weakness and maximize damage.
- Fight Serpents outside for better maneuverability, focus on their tails, and be prepared with healing items.
In Dragon's Dogma 2, crafting and upgrading gear are essential elements that can greatly enhance combat effectiveness. One such rare item critical for high-level upgrades is 
Boltscale, a unique resource not dropped by typical enemies like Goblins or Harpies. Instead, acquiring Boltscale involves venturing off the common paths to confront formidable foes in a specific location.
How to Get Boltscale
Where to Find Boltscale: Boltscale is exclusively obtained from Striking Serpents, which reside in Darkhorde Cave. This cave is located just south of Sacred Arbor in the region of Vermund.
Enemy Details and Strategy
Striking Serpents:
- Attributes: These creatures are notable for their robust health pools and their ability to wield lightning-based powers, making them challenging adversaries.
- Weakness: Striking Serpents are vulnerable to ice. Utilizing ice spells or weapons imbued with ice attributes will significantly enhance your damage against them, making the battle more manageable.
Effective Combat Tactics
- Avoid Cave Fights: If possible, lure the Striking Serpents outside of Darkhorde Cave. The cave's confined spaces can make avoiding their lightning attacks more difficult. Fighting them in more open areas allows for greater maneuverability and tactical positioning.
- Tail Strategy: Focus on cutting off their tails. This weakens them and allows them to land finishing blows more safely and effectively.
- Prepare Appropriately: Before ascending to Darkhorde Cave, stock up on healing items and curatives. The journey and ensuing battles can be taxing without proper preparation.
Resource Collection
- Acquiring Boltscale: Once a Striking Serpent is defeated, Boltscale can be harvested from their corpses. However, note that Boltscale is a random drop, and you may not always receive it from every Serpent defeated.
- Respawning Enemies: If Boltscale does not drop, or you require more, you can allow the Serpents to respawn by resting at a nearby campfire or inn. This reset will enable you to fight them again and increase your chances of obtaining the needed resources.
Additional Notes
Currently, Darkhorde Cave is the only confirmed location for encountering Striking Serpents and obtaining Boltscale. This guide will be updated should additional locations be discovered.
Due to the Striking Serpents' strength and abilities, Collecting Boltscale in Dragon's Dogma 2 requires careful planning and strategic execution. By leveraging their weakness to ice and engaging them in favorable conditions outside the cave, you can enhance your chances of obtaining this rare and valuable resource. Always be well-prepared with the necessary supplies for healing and combat, and utilize the game's mechanics of enemy respawn to farm Boltscale effectively.
