We have brought you a guide on how to beat Iudex Gundyr in Dark Souls 3. Do not forget to read the extra combat tips we provided at the end.
The boss fights are the focus of Dark Souls 3. Sure, every encounter is risky, difficult, and potentially fatal, but the bosses are the ones who truly demolish you and challenge you to perform better. You’ll face one of these strong foes early on in the game, though he’s nothing like as difficult as the ones you’ll fight later on. Still, if you’re new to the game, you could struggle to kill him, so here’s our guide on how to beat Iudux Gundyr, the first boss in Dark Souls 3.
Iudux Gundyr will appear shortly after starting Dark Souls 3 as you leave the graveyard and walk toward the Firelink Shrine, which will serve as your home base for the rest of the game. He’ll be kneeling with a sword thrust through his shoulder. Approach him and draw the sword to begin combat. Begin hitting as soon as you take the blade off his shoulder and don’t stop until he appears ready to strike.
How to Beat Iudex Gundyr
This initial region is really little, and you’d have to be a complete moron to get lost in it. Head down the left route down the hill, where the game will educate you about jumping and falling, but a mile down, you’ll notice a large, damaged archway. After cleaning up a few skeletons, including one with a crossbow, proceed through the arch to see your old companion Gundyr kneeling in the middle of a shallow pool of water.
Unlike many bosses, you don’t have to be concerned about approaching Gundyr for the first time. He’ll stay in that posture until you remove the coiled sword from his chest, at which point you’ll discover a swarm of black tentacles sprouting out of his back. These will be important later.
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How to Beat Iudex Gundyr: Firebombs
Iudex Gundyr’s vulnerability is fire damage. How do you summon fire unless you’re a pyromancer? As you descend the hill from the first campfire, you’ll notice a road that continues down and to the left, neatly towards Gundyr (that you find after leaving the cemetery).
There’s also a trail that curves to the right and up, almost behind you, before bending back down. If you choose the appropriate path, it will bring you to several skeletons and a dead end, with a lovely little packet of firebombs at the very end of this dead end. Because they do not equip automatically, make sure you have them in your inventory before the combat.
How to Beat Iudex Gundyr: Use Shields
If you have a shield, use it frequently to deflect his strikes until you are ready to strike back. Dodging, on the other hand, is absolutely recommended, so attempt to dodge and roll out of the line of attacks whenever possible. Both of them will deplete your stamina, so keep an eye on it and take a step back if necessary. Keep them in mind during all of your Dark Souls 3 battles.
First Phase of Iudex Gundyr
Gundyr will begin fighting you once you have removed the blade from his chest. He’s not too difficult because he’s the first boss, and he’s supposed to ease novices into the Souls experience. So he shouldn’t cause you too much problem, and you should keep the firebombs for his second phase rather than squandering them now. Although his halberd has reach, it’s simple to roll out of the line of his assaults, whether they’re stabbing or horizontal sweeps.
He also enjoys vertically pounding it down on the ground, which is the optimum opportunity to run in and land a few mild attacks before backing off. Gundyr walks slowly, so his attacks are visible, but bear in mind that he may turn on a dime with any of them if you’re behind him. If you know how to parry, you may put it to good use here. When he reaches half health, those tentacles on his back will sprout and become an abyss beast.
Second Phase of Iudex Gundyr
This is the period to use the firebombs, assuming you still have them, because this is when he is most vulnerable to them (pyromancers should also make good use of their fireball spell). If you go too close to him, he may now leap impressively far across the arena, so if you’re a ranged or spellcaster, keep an eye on your spellcasting times.
If you’re a melee, the second phase includes 360 degrees of danger: the tail behind you, the enormous slug head in front of you, the halberd on his right, and a new giant arm on his left. In this state, his techniques are more difficult to predict, and getting a giant tremendous headbutt off him will harm you the most. So remain behind him and look for large slam strikes to hit, as they’ll provide you with more of an opening. You may now enter Firelink Shrine, congratulations!
More Combat Tips you should know
Keep a ranged weapon in your armory and use it on occasion. When combined with your regular combat repertory, it produces a far more effective battle method. Because many Dark Souls 3 foes do not employ long-range attacks, you have an edge against them. A long-ranged weapon should be kept in your backup weapon slot. When you combine ranged strikes with explosives, you may inflict tremendous damage on heavier opponents.
Magic might be a little tough to use because it requires more time than your ordinary strikes. Before you utilize magic, be sure you’re a safe distance away from your adversaries. Experiment with different spells.
Bosses are difficult to learn since their motions and animations alter when they know you are close to winning. There is a brief moment when they transform into a much more terrifying beast, during which you can launch a few attacks before returning to what you were doing previously. Allow them to attack and dodge, so you can study what they’re doing and use it against them.
Each adversary has a unique set of moves and animations. Even bosses are easier to beat once you figure it out. Remember that any adversary in Dark Souls 3 is capable of murdering you without remorse, so treat them with the utmost respect. Be patient and analyze their animations before attacking. You have an advantage in a fight if you can foresee their movements and movesets. You can efficiently evade, parry, and attack.
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