Lords of the Fallen is an expansive game featuring diverse landscapes, ranging from icy realms to harrowing towers. It boasts numerous endings, each leading to distinctive bosses and rewards. With over 30 bosses, some prove exceedingly difficult, even in co-op mode. Here, we'll delve into the most formidable bosses in Axiom (or the Umbral), helping players anticipate the challenges they'll face.
10. Pieta - She of Blessed Renewal
Kicking off the game is Pieta, the first significant 'boss.' Pieta serves as players' initial taste of the challenging boss battles in Lords of the Fallen and also acts as a valuable NPC, responsible for upgrading the player's Sanguinatrix.
However, as a boss, Pieta poses a significant challenge for newcomers to this gaming genre. Utilizing the parrying mechanic allows players to stagger Pieta multiple times before she transitions into her second phase. Yet, without mastering this technique, the battle can become quite challenging. Fortunately, even in her second phase, Pieta's moveset remains relatively consistent, requiring players to pursue her more actively.
9. The Hushed Saint
The Hushed Saint represents a category of Lords of the Fallen bosses who spend a considerable portion of their boss fights completely out of reach for players. While tolerable initially, this feature becomes increasingly frustrating as the game progresses. However, the Hushed Saint's untargetable phase is relatively less bothersome compared to other bosses, occurring only when he dismounts his horse or emerges from the water.
In terms of attack patterns, the Hushed Saint's moves are not overly complex. Nevertheless, his damage output proves severe given the level most players tend to be at when facing him early in the game. Moreover, many players overlook the strategy of Soul Siphoning the Umbral Parasites (which infest the arena) when the Hushed Saint passes over them, causing him to be dismounted from his horse.
8. Kinrangr Guardian Folard
Many individuals draw comparisons between Lords of the Fallen and games like Dark Souls 2. Both games share a reputation for incorporating 'pranking' elements into their difficulty, rather than straightforward challenges. Whether it's unexpected incidents like elderly characters pushing players off cliffs, encountering dogs at every turn, or facing an onslaught of archers in various areas, Lords of the Fallen can be overwhelming at times.
Kinrangr Guardian Folard exemplifies this design approach perfectly. His boss battle appears intentionally crafted to be as vexing as possible, featuring:
- An arena submerged in ankle-high water, hindering movement.
- 3 Kinrangr Hounds equipped with ice AoE attacks.
- Folard himself utilizing ice AoEs during most of his assaults, discouraging parrying.
- Upon dying and respawning in Umbral, players are confronted by a Mendacious Visage enemy, seemingly biding its time for the perfect moment to strike.
7. Harrower Dervla The Pledged Knight & The Unbroken Promise
Comprehending the story and lore of Lords of the Fallen can prove challenging due to its intricate religious worldbuilding, preachy elements, and references to scriptures, reminiscent of games like Blasphemous. Despite this, there is captivating lore to discover, especially concerning the Unbroken Promise and his guardian knight, Harrower Dervla.
In the initial phase of the battle against Dervla, it follows a standard pattern. She wields a crossbow and sword, employing predictable attack sequences that can be easily anticipated and parried. However, halfway through the battle, the boy chained to the altar behind her intermittently hurls projectiles, creating additional obstacles. Upon defeating her, the fight transitions to phase 2 against the mutated fused form of these tragic souls, known as the Unbroken Promise. This phase is more complex than the first, but apart from floating nails homing in on the player and bolts shot from below the ground, most attacks are manageable.
6. Spurned Progeny
Creating colossal bosses in Soulslike games is a common ambition for developers, yet rarely achieved successfully. While these bosses often evoke a strong atmosphere, finding one that is genuinely enjoyable to battle is a rare occurrence. However, in Lords of the Fallen, the Spurned Progeny stands out as an entertaining opponent, provided players grasp a specific attack gimmick. Most of its attacks are easily dodged or learned, except for a massive fireball it unleashes midway through phase 2. This fireball seems to hit anywhere and can instantly eliminate most players.
To evade this devastating attack, players can simply take cover behind one of the walls upstairs in the arena's ramparts. By doing so, the fireball won't hit them. Once players understand how to avoid this particular attack, facing the Spurned Progeny becomes a genuinely enjoyable experience.
5. Tancred - Master of Castigations & Reinhold The Immured
Many players in Lords of the Fallen have found themselves lost and wandering down incorrect paths throughout the game. For instance, some acquired the Pilgrim's Perch Key prematurely, committing themselves to its challenging route. Moreover, there's a subgroup of players who somehow ended up at the base of the Tower of Penance before even reaching Fitzroy's Gorge. The game features numerous divergent pathways, with significant variations in enemy strength and boss difficulty from one zone to another. Specifically, if players encounter the Tancred, Master of Castigations boss battle without adequate DPS, HP, or Defense, they'll face significant challenges.
In Tancred's first phase, the battle is relatively easy and follows predictable patterns, similar to other 'Holy Knight' enemies in the game, involving basic stabs, wide slashes, and overhead slams. However, his second phase, Reinhold the Immured, can be considerably tougher, boasting high health, especially in co-op mode. After a few attempts, players will realize the predictability of Reinhold's attacks. Approaching the second phase carefully makes it more manageable.
4. Elianne The Starved
The upcoming boss is one that players are least likely to encounter during their playthrough, as it involves a series of complex steps, like refraining from cleansing any beacons, leading to the Umbral ending of the game.
However, for players following the Umbral path, encountering Elianne the Starved is not a matter of discovery but rather a triggered event. Essentially, when players have progressed to a specific stage of the Umbral ending path, they gain the option to Soulflay Pieta in Skyrest. Upon doing so, it automatically transitions into this boss fight. Despite being the 'secret' final boss for the Umbral playthrough, Elianne isn't overly challenging and employs many moves borrowed from Pieta's boss battle (which makes sense given the context). While the two fights aren't identical, they are similar enough that players will enter the fight partially prepared. By being cautious of the Umbral Orbs onslaught, ensuring a solid Wither Defense, this fight shouldn't be excessively time-consuming.
3. Judge Cleric - The Radiant Sentinel
The Judge Cleric battle earns a high spot on this list because, despite the boss's relatively predictable attack patterns in both phases, the hits, especially in the second phase, are incredibly powerful. Additionally, some of the spells used by the Cleric cover a vast area, making it challenging for players even if they anticipate the attacks.
Nevertheless, this battle remains one of the most well-rounded and beloved fights in the game, praised for its combat mechanics, design, atmosphere, and the rewards players receive from her Remembrance. There isn't much more to add except this: master the melee patterns, be prepared to respond to the wide-area spells, and avoid excessive greed during the fight.
2. The Lampreaper
Ah, the tutorial's 'forced death' boss encounter. Technically, the Lampreaper can be defeated during the tutorial, but the time and effort required for that are ridiculous. In reality, players will face this boss much later in Upper Calranth, and it will still demand significant effort.
In this boss fight, players spend a considerable amount of time observing and occasionally dodging while the Lampreaper rides its 'dragon'. Moreover, players should do some preparation before entering the arena to make the Umbral Parasite beneath the center grate accessible. Overall, battling the Lampreaper is quite enjoyable, although it constantly moves around. It's undoubtedly a boss battle that is appropriately built up throughout the majority of the game.
1. The Sundered Monarch
Lastly, let's discuss one of the final bosses in Lords of the Fallen, the Sundered Monarch. This battle is already drawing comparisons to challenges like the Vendrick fight in Dark Souls 2, or even certain boss encounters in the Dark Souls 3 DLCs.
In general, players agree that the Sundered Monarch, while difficult, offers one of the most enjoyable and challenging boss battles in the game. He possesses a broader array of moves than most other bosses, devoid of any gimmicks that feel 'unfair'. Furthermore, his design and the lore surrounding him are outstanding. Moreover, given the notably unpleasant boss fight that follows the Monarch (for the Infernal and Radiant endings), the Sundered Monarch appears even more impressive in comparison.
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