In the long and storied history of the Lands Between’s approach to problem-solving, few solutions have been quite as elegant, quite as effective, and quite as philosophically troubling as the Mimic Tear.
When faced with the eternal question “How do I defeat this terrifying boss?” the ancient inhabitants of the Eternal City arrived at an answer that would have made narcissists everywhere weep with joy: “Simply make another you.”
Entry 1,618,033 in the Lands Between Edition: Mimic Tear
The Guide would like to note that this represents either the pinnacle of combat innovation or the most elaborate form of self-help therapy ever devised, depending on how one feels about confronting one’s own reflection in battle.
It should also be noted that in a series dedicated to questionable spirit summons, the Mimic Tear is questionable only in the philosophical sense of “should one use something this devastatingly effective?”. The answer to its utility is unquestionably “yes.” The question is whether your pride will allow it.
Stats & Requirements
Unlike its more traditional cousins in the spirit summoning family, the Mimic Tear operates on a rather unconventional payment plan. Where other summons politely request FP (those nebulous Focus Points that may or may not actually exist), the Mimic Tear demands a rather substantial 660 HP from your life force. This is roughly equivalent to the HP cost of:
- Being stabbed by a moderately enthusiastic knight
- Falling off a small cliff
- Standing in poison swamp for precisely 8.7 seconds
- Disappointing Melina
The Committee for Unnecessarily Dramatic Summoning Costs has defended this choice, stating that “nothing worth having comes free,” though they’ve been notably silent on why exactly one’s own doppelgänger should cost more health than some boss attacks.
There are no Intelligence or Faith requirements, as the Mimic Tear operates on the revolutionary principle that if you can do something, then technically, so can your magical clone. This makes it accessible to everyone from the mightiest sorcerer to the person who’s been exclusively leveling Vigor and hoping for the best.
What Actually Happens When You Summon It
Upon summoning, the Mimic Tear manifests as a perfect copy of yourself, complete with:
- Your current armor (including that embarrassing mix-and-match set you’re wearing)
- Your weapons (both the ones you’re using and the fancy one you’re saving for later)
- Your spells and incantations (which it will cast with unlimited FP, the absolute madlad)
- Your equipped talismans
- Your consumable items (though it has infinite versions)
- Your questionable fashion choices
- Sadly, not your crippling self-doubt about your build
The result is essentially having a competent co-op partner who never complains, never judges your dodging skills, and never dies because they were trying to show off. It’s like having a friend, but better, because this one actually does what you want.
DON’T PANIC if you notice your Mimic Tear making tactical decisions that seem, shall we say, inspired. The AI controlling your doppelgänger has access to all your abilities but operates with what could charitably be called “creative interpretation” of combat strategy. You may observe it:
- Casting healing spells at appropriate times (a feat many actual players struggle with)
- Using weapon skills you forgot you had equipped
- Actually remembering to two-hand weapons for extra damage
- Occasionally deciding that now is the perfect time to use that item you’ve been hoarding since the tutorial
Pros, Cons, Usage Tips & Conclusion
Pros:
- Genuinely, magnificently, almost unfairly powerful
- Costs HP instead of FP, making it usable by builds that dumped Intelligence and Faith faster than a bad relationship
- Can heal itself (and sometimes you, if you’ve equipped healing spells)
- Unlimited FP means it can spam that fancy weapon art you’ve been too stingy to use
- Makes double boss fights feel more like a fair fight
- Excellent at drawing aggro, especially if you equip Shabriri’s Woe talisman before summoning (you sneaky strategist, you)
- Upgrades with Ghost Gloveworts to become increasingly unkillable
- Makes you feel less alone in this cruel, unforgiving world
Cons:
- 660 HP cost means you need to heal immediately after summoning (unless you enjoy living dangerously)
- May inherit your bad habits along with your good ones
- Will use whatever questionable setup you had equipped when summoning
- Sometimes makes you realize you’re the problem in combat, not your build
- Classified as Legendary, which means FromSoftware knew exactly how powerful they’d made it
- May cause existential questions about the nature of self and identity
- Can’t be summoned during co-op, as apparently having three of the same person would break reality
Usage Tips:
1. The Pre-Summoning Ritual: Before summoning, equip your absolute best gear. Your Mimic doesn’t care about stat requirements and will powerstance those colossal weapons you can barely lift. Strip off any joke equipment unless you want to watch yourself fail in high definition.
2. The Healing Conundrum: If you have healing spells equipped, your Mimic will use them. On itself. And sometimes on you. It’s like having a very aggressive life insurance policy.
3. The Shabriri Shuffle: Equip Shabriri’s Woe talisman before summoning, then immediately unequip it. Congratulations, your Mimic is now a tank and you’re free to attack with reckless abandon.
4. The Buff Bonanza: Pre-buff yourself with things like Seppuku or other self-buffs before summoning. Your Mimic spawns with the buffs active. It’s not cheating; it’s efficiency.
5. The Boss Cheese Special: When fighting the Mimic Tear as a boss in Nokron, unequip everything before entering the fog gate. Watch your naked, confused reflection materialize, then quickly re-equip your gear and beat yourself up. It’s therapy, but violent.
6. The Spell Selection: Don’t equip your entire spell library. Give your Mimic 2-3 good spells. Too many options cause it to cycle through them like someone scrolling Netflix, accomplishing nothing.
Conclusion
The Mimic Tear sits firmly at the “absolutely brilliant” end of the utility spectrum, roughly equivalent to discovering fire or inventing the wheel, but for murder. It transforms the Lands Between’s most challenging encounters from “impossible nightmare” to “actually manageable with proper planning.”
Some purists may decry its use as “easy mode,” but the Guide would like to remind these individuals that FromSoftware put it in the game intentionally and even locked it behind a Stonesword Key, suggesting they knew exactly what they were doing. If the developers wanted you to suffer alone, they wouldn’t have created a spirit ash that’s essentially a “Win Boss Fight” button with style.
Whether you’re a struggling beginner looking for help or a veteran seeking to finally defeat that one boss that’s been mocking you for thirty attempts, the Mimic Tear delivers. It’s not just good; it’s “other spirit ashes look at it with envious whispers” good.
Rating: 9.8 out of 10 on the “Probably Should Have Been Nerfed Harder” scale
Special Commendation: 10 out of 10 on the “Making You Question Whether You’ve Been Playing Your Build Correctly” scale
Note: The Guide accepts no responsibility for any identity crises, philosophical quandaries about the nature of self, or sudden realization that your mirror image is better at this game than you are.
Cross-reference: See “Why The Eternal City’s Scientists Need Supervision” (Entry 2,718,281), “Spirit Ashes That Make Other Spirit Ashes Cry” (Entry 3,141,592), and “Narcissism as a Combat Strategy” (Entry 1,414,213).
… and by the way: we’re also having other Guides & Tips you may want to check out.
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