Dark Souls 2 - Belfry Gargoyles fight, strategy guide
The longer this fight goes on, the harder it is to win. Don't miss our guide to packing the right kind of damage for the Belfry Gargoyle battle.
Speed is a definite advantage when it comes to finishing the fight against the Belfry Gargoyle. If you're struggling to take down this multiplying monster, have a look through our guide to packing the right equipment for the battle, and avoiding the handful of attacks this devious enemy employs.
How to kill the Belfry Gargoyle
The most important thing to remember about the fight against the Belfry Gargoyle is that the longer it lasts, the tougher it becomes. The reason for this is pretty simple - you start off fighting against two Gargoyles, but a total of six will turn up as the battle wears on. Not good. The creatures also share a single health bar, so it pays to beat this boss as quickly as possible, before the incoming damage becomes too much to handle.
As far as that damage goes, you can expect to deal with four different types of assault. For a start, they can breathe fire into the air or onto the ground. When fired into the air, the breath takes the form of a conal attack, while the ground fire can be delivered in either a linear path or as a circular assault. The best way of dealing with this damage is to simply avoid it when it's about to land - if a Gargoyle starts pivoting its head, that means it's about to send a blast your way.
"If they pause for a moment, get ready to take a lightning storm to the face if you're standing within its area of effect."
Then there's the swooping attack which can really ruin your day. Watch out for when the creatures jump up and into the air, as that's the starting position for this attack. Be ready to attack the Gargoyle in question as soon as it lands on the ground. If it leaps to the side of you, or over the top of your head, you must turn to face it again immediately, and get ready to block the next attack that's coming your way. Dodge left or right to avoid it if necessary.
The remaining two attacks are delivered at close range. There's a sweeping, melee attack that's delivered from the creature's front, then followed up by a massive overhead melee swipe - this latter attack can be fairly easily dodged by moving left or right. If they pause for a moment, get ready to take a lightning storm to the face if you're standing within its area of effect.
Although the sheer number of enemies involved makes this a tricky boss fight, each enemy does at least attack less frequently than other creatures. It's certainly nothing like as intense as the fight against the Sentinels form earlier in the game, for example.
For the best chance of success, consider packing a weapon that delivers as much raw damage as possible, even if it's not the fastest weapon in your inventory. You might also want to think about wielding something that has a wide swing, and can therefore attack more than one enemy at once. Ranged attackers may find this fight a little easier full-stop, assuming they can find a way to fling arrows and magic without inviting a swooping assault in response.
Not sure where to use your Fragrant Branch of Yore? Have a look through the first page of our guide.