Flame Salamanders are enemies in Dark Souls II.
Location
Flame Salamanders are found in the Forest of Fallen Giants and the Memory of the Old Iron King. They can be accessed by:
- Using the Iron Key which is found in the Iron Keep.
- Using fall damage reduction items like Silvercat Ring or Fall Control. Connecting a plunging attack also prevents fall damage.
- Entering through the cave/tunnel where the Fire Longsword can be found near the Cardinal Tower bonfire.
- For the Memory of the Old Iron King, the Crown of the Old Iron King is required after defeating the Fume Knight.
Strategy
Flame Salamanders are powerful foes and their attacks can easily kill the unprepared. The player is advised to eliminate them from a safe distance using spells or arrows, but they must still be ready to evade the fireballs they spit.
A salamander will shoot three fireballs with a short pause between the first and second, if the first fireball connects, the player will be unable to evade the other two if they don't have enough poise (about 40 poise seems to enable dodging the other two fireball after the first one connects). Rarely they will also attack by breathing fire. This attack can be avoided by being out of its (fairly long) range or running around the Salamander's right side, as it spits fire from left to right.
Hitting a Salamander's stomach will deal increased damage. Although it is risky to do, one can use ranged attacks to hit the stomach as the Salamander rises up to shoot its fireballs. If timed correctly, one can get a hit in and then run to cover. It is also possible to hit their stomach without them shooting at the player, although this requires the player to be below them, and the Salamander has to be at an incline.
At close range, a salamander will use its long tongue to strike the player or ram them with its head. Both of these attacks drain an immense amount of stamina and will often bypass a shield completely. If the player wishes to engage them in melee combat, attacking the soft flesh on their necks and stomach will deal more damage than attacking their scales.
A relatively safe way to kill them as a melee player is to position oneself between their front and hind leg. This will cause the tracking AI to overcompensate for the player's position, and send the salamander into a repetitive spinning motion. Sticking between its legs will prevent the player from being hit by its front or hind attacks, and will also hold the player in place as the salamander spins, allowing them to strike its midsection at leisure.
A safe way to kill them from a distance is by using projectile magic, throwing knives or arrows from above. Poison Throwing Knives and Arrows particularly effective. The poison takes effect after four to five hits, and will drain about 1,000 HP. On top of this, the physical damage can deal up to 500 damage, if a strong enough bow is used. Using Toxic/Poison Mist and Dark Fog are good choices as well, although the range is limited, as a single cast is enough to poison a Salamander. Note that they will react to the poison, and aggro on the player as a result.
Drops
| Item |  Cracked Red Eye Orb |
 Fireball |
 Fire Orb |
 Great Fireball |
| Drop Rate | 20% | 1% | 1% | 0.5% |
Gallery
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