The Belfry Gargoyles is one of the most unfair boss battles in all of Dark Souls 2. This boss fight is quite similar to the one in Dark Souls Remastered but with a terrible twist. If you have PTSD from your previous encounter, there is a way to skip this fight since it is optional.
On the other hand, if you are sticking to your guns then this detailed guide to the Belfry Gargoyles will really help you out. We will go over all of their attack and some tricks and strategies to apply when dealing with this boss.
Fighting Belfry Gargoyles in Dark Souls 2
The Belfry Gargoyles are smaller versions of the Bell Gargoyles you might have faced in Dark Souls Remastered. However, they are not to be taken lightly since they are even more ferocious this time around. Not to mention, this boss has a dirty little trick up its sleeve.
Before we reveal the mystery, the gargoyles have a very similar fighting style compared to their previous brethren. Their weapon is different; instead of a halberd, these Gargoyles use a bident. They have all the sweeps, thrusts, fire breathes, and airborne attacks as before with the additional rare lightning attack.
Now for the trick, you’ll see there are 8 Gargoyles statues in the arena. When you enter, two of them will come to life and start attacking you. These Gargoyles have individual health bars, visible when you attack them, and a combined HP pool.
As the overall HP decreases, more of the statues will get activated and join the fray. You have to kill 5 Gargoyles to end this fight.
The other Gargoyles join in when the health bar reaches a certain mark. The third Gargoyle joins when the health pool is at 90%. Fourth gets activated at 70%. And the final one springs to life at 50%.
If you end up attacking all of the Gargoyles, there is a chance of facing all five at the same time. For this reason, you have to prioritize taking them out one by one.
Here are some tips and tricks to consider when facing Belfry Gargoyles in Darks Souls 2:
- These Gargoyles are weak to Lightning and Strike damage.
- Magic deals good damage too.
- The Gargoyles are also susceptible to Poison. You trickle away their health by poisoning them with Poison Mist.
- Masterless Glencour can be summoned to take some pressure off you in this fight.
- Their physical attacks can be parried.
- Do not attack any inactivated Gargoyles in the arena. Doing so will instantly force them to come to life and fight you.
- It is highly advised to focus all your attention and attacks on a single Gargoyle. Don’t try to hurt all of them at the same time.
- A shield with good fire resistance will come in extremely handy.
Boss Strategy
Having another set of hands to aid you in the fight against Belfry Gargoyles will make this gank boss fight much more manageable. Either summon Masterless Glencour or ask for help from someone online.
As soon as you enter the arena, the gargoyle on the immediate left side is the first to come alive. Put some damage in when he is stuck in his activation animation. Be careful of any surprise attack from the other active gargoyle on the opposite side.
Now it is just a matter of finding openings and taking out the one you already damaged. Do not attack the other gargoyle or else others will start pouring in. Make sure to take them out one at a time.
Don’t let yourself get cornered or else it will spell disaster for you. Also, try to keep all of the active gargoyles in your vision. Their sneak attacks can really put a damper on your attacking streak.
Patience is a virtue in this fight. Separating them and attacking them one by one is your priority. Look for windows in between their attacks to put some damage in. A single gargoyle’s attacks can be easily tanked by a shield so always keep it up if you have one.
When one of them goes for the Flamethrower attack, it is a great time to move in behind them and lay down some punishment.
Furthermore, if you have ranged spells or pyromancies, utilizing the length of the arena to put some distance will give you a good chance at lobbing spells at them. Simple sorceries, lightning miracles, and pyromancy deal a good chunk of damage.
Moveset
These are all of Belfry Gargoyles’ attacks in Dark Souls 2 and how you must react to them:
| Attack | Description | Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial Smash | Flies up and comes down with a vertical overhead slam | Dodge to the sides |
| Retreating Slash | Leaps backward while swiping their weapon | Dodge into the swipe to position yourself near them when they land. You can put some damage in this way. Or you can shield the attack. |
| Surprise Attack | Goes airborne and behind you and tries to attack you from behind. | Dodge forward when they are about to attack. |
| Sweeping Combo | Swings their weapon horizontally twice then performs an overhead slam | Block the whole combo if you have enough stamina. Or you can dodge in the direction of the swipe then dodge to the sides for the overhead slam. |
| Poke | Sticks their bident straight forward. Can chain a swipe after. | Dodge to the sides. |
| Tail Whip | If you stand behind one, they swing their tail to attack you. Can chain this attack twice. | Back off or roll through the whips. |
| Flamethrower (50% HP) | Stays stationary and breathes fire in front | Get out of range of the fire or tank it with a fire-resistant shield. The boss stays still while performing this attack so try to get behind the boss and attack. |
| Flying Flamethrower (50% HP) | Goes airborne and hovers while spewing fire from above | Get out of range or behind the boss. |
| Flying Uppercut | Goes airborne with their weapon hanging then goes on to perform a vertical uppercut | Dodge to the sides when they are about to attack |
| Flying Charge | Flies up and attempts to thrust into you | Dodge to the sides |
| Raining Lightning | The caster’s weapon starts glowing then lifts it up to send a couple of lightning bolts around the caster Gargoyle. More like an AoE | Back off when you see their weapon glow. |
How to Cheese Belfry Gargoyles in Dark Souls 2
Unfortunately, there is no way of cheesing this boss. However, I came across this insane video where this dude ends up killing all five of the gargoyles in a single hit. It is too good to not share. If you have access to the same build then you can replicate this incredible strategy.
Rewards for Defeating Belfry Gargoyles
These are all the things you get in Dark Souls 2 for annihilating the Belfry Gargoyles:
- 25,000 Souls
- Belfry Gargoyle Soul
- Covetous Gold Serpent Ring +2 (Only rewarded in New Game+ or Bonfire Intensity 2+)
- Twinkling Titanite
The Belfry Gargoyles beat me to a pulp countless times when I began my Dark Souls 2 journey. I had to abandon my solo-run rule and called the NPC to take some load off me. Don’t be embarrassed by the thought of this, FromSoft really stacked the odds against you in this fight. Good luck, my fellow Bearer of the Curse.