How to beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Elden Ring
Strategy and tips for defeating the Limgrave boss.
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil is an optional boss in Elden Ring.
You can find the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil located near the southern edge of the Limgrave section of the Elden Ring map, where you first start out the game.
Taking down Bloodhound Knight Darriwil all by yourself is an achievable feat, depending on what level you are when you square off against the boss. Summoning in another player for some jolly co-operation is a great idea though, as is using a spirit ash summon.
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How to prepare for Bloodhound Knight Darriwil
The Bloodhound Knight Darriwil boss utilises a strong blade-based attack, so to that end we'd definitely recommend taking in some armour that's great at providing physical defence.
The boss also deals out Blood-based damage, which can drastically cut down your health if you're not careful, so if you've got a piece of armour or gear that prevents Blood build-up, you'll want to use it.
How to beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil
When you first enter the Evergaol to fight Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, the boss won't be anywhere to be seen. There's a small patch of faint blue magic on the ground ahead of you though, and this is where the boss will spawn when you get close enough.
We'd advise running straight in and getting a hit or two off on the boss while they're still spawning in this phase.
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil attacks in big sweeping slashes, and there's almost a rhythmic pace to them. One attack sees the boss drag its claw towards you on the floor for an upswing attack, and it's important you wait until the last minute possible to dodge roll through the attack, because dodging too early will get you caught in a combo.
Speaking of combos, it's important to learn the pattern of Bloodhound Knight Darriwil's attacks. A slash attack is chained onto the end of the aforementioned claw grab, for example, and the boss will often swing around its sword in patterns of three strikes.
A good tactic we've found is that if the slash finishes on the ground in front of the boss, that's generally a sign they're done with the chain attack.
The Elden Ring boss will sometimes vanish into thin air, but it won't have gone far. It'll appear a split second later right near you, striking out with its sword anywhere between one or two seconds later.
Your best bet with this is to wait as long as you can before dodging - don't just dodge immediately after the boss disappears, because you might not have time to recover and dodge again by the time it actually strikes you.
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil reward
Once Bloodhound Knight Darriwil hits the floor, you'll be rewarded with 3,800 Runes for your efforts. You'll also bag yourself the Bloodhound's Fang weapon though, which deals out some pretty hefty Blood-based damage, but will weigh you down somewhat depending on your build.
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil is just one of many, many bosses hiding out in the open world of Elden Ring, and after you've defeated it, there's plenty more to do and see in The Lands Between.
Need more help? Jump back to our list of Elden Ring bosses or our Elden Ring walkthrough.