Boss: Abyss Watchers

Stage I

The first portion of this fight is a bit of a battle royale against multiple Abyss Watchers. Only one attacks initially, but more of them rise from their slumber throughout the fight. The bad news is that you can be surrounded and overwhelmed, but the good news is that the Abyss Watchers don’t play favorites. They’ll even attack each other if they can.

Your safest bet is to position the one you’re fighting so that it has its back to the majority of the room. That dramatically increases the chance that the other combatants will focus on your enemy instead of on you.

In terms of attacks, the Abyss Watchers have wide sweeps and good lunges. Dodge multiple times when you’re avoiding their short-range combo slashes, or make one late dodge when they charge forward to reach you.

This stage lasts for the Abyss Watchers’ entire health bar.

Stage II

After you defeat the main horde, a single foe rises. This one is going to be much tougher than the foes you were already attacking. Its sword is alight with flame, and the boss can backstep quite well to keep your combos from being as effective.

Bait the boss’ long-range attacks because they’re easier to dodge. Use this to get distance, dodge, and heal whenever you need a sip from your Estus Flask. Don’t try to heal when you’re up close, as it won’t end in your favor. Even doing this at range is reckless if the boss hasn’t already missed because it can approach you very quickly.

Long combinations aren’t very doable. Let the boss have its dodges. Move in close afterward, and get one or two hits (which is all you can really hope for).

The biggest problem in this stage is the fire trail that the boss leaves behind. If you move anywhere that the boss has recently been during its attacks, you are going to take damage. Always move or roll to the side to avoid getting hit. The fire can even interrupt your attacks, so it’s a massive problem.

Finish the battle, and catch your breath. You’ve just defeated one of the Lords of Cinder!

Use the Bonfire that appears. It looks like you’ve reached a dead end, but that isn’t the case. When you walk over to the altar at the end of the room, it shifts. In moments, a path is revealed that leads down into the Catacombs of Carthus.