If you have been fighting underwhelming bosses in Demon’s Souls then the Penetrator will surely kick things up several notches. The demonic knight is a force to be reckoned with and is definitely up there in the top three hardest bosses in Demon’s Souls.
What makes him so deadly and how can you put an end to this barbaric terroriser? This guide about the Penetrator will answer all those questions and more.
Fighting Penetrator
The fight against the Penetrator is surely going to be troublesome. This knight in bloody armor not only soaks up damage like nobody’s business but also outputs a staggering amount of it. You are done if you get hit by one of his combos.
Metal armor, a long penetrating sword, and raw powers, all make up for a deadly combination. The sword has an absurd amount of range and the boss does not fall behind if you are trying to outrun him. He will catch up to you and pin you down to the ground (not literally).
The movements are somewhat readable and if you give it a chance, you will notice that if you follow a certain pattern of attack and dodge, you will be safe from most of its attacks. Keep the following things in mind when you are fighting the Penetrator:
- Penetrator is weak against magic and blunt damage. Poison Cloud and Soul Ray for magic while Mace and Bramd for Blunt damage are recommended weapons.
- You can use Sticky White Stuff on your melee weapon to boost your damage output.
- The Penetrator’s attacks can break through the statues present in the arena so hiding behind one will do you no good.
- Biorr is an NPC that can help you in this battle. If you have freed him after your battle with the Tower Knight then he will accompany you during this fight. It is recommended to do that. Makes the fight a lot easier.
- Use the Cloak spell to help reduce the aggro radius. It works even better in combination with Biorr.
Moveset
Fortunately, there are no magic attacks in Penetrator’s arsenal so you will only be dealing with melee attacks. Still, if you underestimate them, they can sucker punch you in the face with how much damage each one deals. Without further ado, here is what you should look out for:
- Swing Combo: Two right-to-left swings that will come one after another
- Reaction: Anticipate the attack and roll in the opposite direction.
- Dash Attack: Penetrator will jump forward and do a horizontal swipe from left to right.
- Reaction: Anticipate the attack and roll in the opposite direction.
- Upwards Slash: The boss will swing his sword from left to right but at a diagonal angle.
- Reaction: Wait for the right moment and roll to your right to avoid the attack.
- Poke Attack: It is a variation of the Dash Attack but this time the boss will try to poke you with his sword instead of doing a horizontal swipe. This is the most powerful attack.
Strategy
This battle against the Penetrator is going to be no joke. You have to take split-second decisions or else you will be down on the ground in just a couple of hits. Once the fight starts, instead of directly attacking, stay at a distance and notice how the boss moves.
You will quickly notice that after every combo or heavy attack, there is a significant pause before the boss comes at you again. That is your window to strike. If you are a melee user, you of course have to get close to him to attack. It is okay to take a few hits but once you learn the pattern and timings, things will get easier from there.
You can attack from the front as well but if you run around and do a backstab, that will deal much more damage and by the time Penetrator turns around, you will have already landed multiple successful hits. If you also have Poison Cloud, use it and you will have both active and passive ways of dealing damage.
If you want a moment to heal then run to the opposite end of the arena. It will take Penetrator a couple of seconds before he can get to you. If you are using a Magic build, then Soul Ray is your best bet.
It deals a very high amount of damage to this boss and the mana cost is manageable. You can keep running to the opposite end and during the time it takes for him to reach you, shoot at him, and when he gets close, run away once again.
Keep this up and you will be done with the fight in no time.
How to Cheese Penetrator in Demon’s Souls
Cheesing even the hardest of bosses like Penetrator only takes a bit of practice and preparation. For this one, you will need Biorr, Soul Ray, and Cloak. Now what you need to do is use the Cloak spell just before you get past the fog gate.
Run at a distance from the boss and let Biorr take all of the aggro. You can stand at a distance, lock onto him, and keep shooting Soul Rays. Deal as much damage before Biorr dies. After that, you would need to reapply Cloak.
This should help you in evading the attacks while you kill the boss, at least whatever is left of him by that point.
Rewards For Defeating Penetrator
Taking down one of the toughest if not the toughest bosses in Demon’s Souls a.k.a Penetrator will get you the following rewards:
- x1 Silver Demon’s Soul
- x35850 Souls
- +30% White World Tendency