Lords of the Fallen - Champion, Rage Meter, combo, rewards

As well as winning a war of attrition against the Champion's health bar, you also need to keep a very close eye on the Rage Meter that appears just below it. When it's full, the Champion becomes even tougher than usual, and his weapons will light up with flames. Expect a lot more damage during these periods of combat.

How to defeat the Champion

Using fire-orientated attacks against the Champion will cause this Rage Meter to fill up faster, as will any attacks he manages to land on you. This deadly mode will also be activated automatically as the Champions health passes beyond certain markers on the health bar. Our advice? Use light and medium armour to stay nimble, keep out of range of the boss's melee attacks, and only dart in to do damage after your opponent misses.

For the first couple of phases the Champion makes use of a double-hit combo, along with the occasional bigger heavy swing. After either of these attacking options, move in quickly and do some light damage - just don't get greedy.

Should the boss leap backwards out of the way, get ready to deal with a charging attack that follows shortly afterwards - this is where you'll be glad you equipped lighter armour. If you try to hit the boss from afar yourself, he'll switch to a ranged attack that sends a shockwave barrelling towards you. If you find yourself facing this threat, dodge out of the way as fast as you can, or you'll be caught up in an explosion.

During the last phase of the fight, the Champion will switch from this shockwave attack to a flurry of fast blades. Dodge as soon as the first blade is thrown, and be ready for the second which will following shortly afterwards. If you're fighting at close range, you can expect the boss to upgrade to a three-hit melee combo.

Patience should see you through the fight. When the Champion's dead, grab the Sealed Rune (Big) and the Sting weapon. Speak to the NPC on the opposite side of the combat arena, then walk through the door and pick up the Human Skull. Go up the stairs on your left, finish the enemies you find and just keep heading upwards.

When you get to the top of the stairs, use the lever to open up a cell which will take you back to the last area if you wish. Go downstairs and then through the door at the bottom, taking you through to Demonic Guardian, Harmony, Dimensions and more.

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