While the Gargoyles’ attack patterns are mostly identical to their non-boss counterparts, their boss-sized health bars and simultaneous attacks can make for a tricky fight. This guide will give you all the tools you need to defeat the Valiant Gargoyles and descend into Deeproot Depths.
Elden Ring Valiant Gargoyles boss fight walkthrough
If you have visited Leyndell or attempted to fight the Black Blade Kindred outside of the Beast Sanctum in Dragonbarrow, you will recognize the Valiant Gargoyles and many of their attacks. There are several Gargoyle variants scattered throughout the Lands Between that use a variety of weapon types, sometimes mixing and matching multiple weapons. The Valiant Gargoyles are essentially souped-up versions of the greatsword, halberd, and twinblade variants of standard Gargoyle enemies. The first Valiant Gargoyle wields the greatsword and halberd. Most of the greatsword attack combos are quicker than their halberd counterparts, so you may find it easier to get damage in when the Gargoyle switches weapons. Take your time and try to minimize incoming damage and conserve healing during this 1v1 phase. Once you get the first Gargoyle down to half health, the second, twinblade-wielding Gargoyle drops into the arena. This is where things get tricky. The twinblade Gargoyle has several sweeping, charging attacks that cover a lot of ground. As with all dual bosses, you will have to spend a lot of time dodging and maximize your damage when you do find an opening. Your goal should be to burn through the rest of the first Valiant Gargoyle’s health as fast as possible to get back to a 1v1 fight. Use the tips below to optimize your strategy for this.
How to beat Valiant Gargoyles: top tips for success
Here are our top tips for victory in the Valiant Gargoyles boss fight.
1. Swap statuses for magic damage
Unfortunately for the many Rivers of Blood enthusiasts out there, the Valiant Gargoyles are completely immune to all status effects. Blood Loss and Frostbite builds lose a significant chunk of their damage in a fight where damage matters even more than usual, so it’s worth considering an alternate weapon. Thankfully, the Gargoyles are fairly weak to Magic damage, at least relative to other elements. The Intelligence-based builds that typically make use of Frostbite can easily pivot to weapons like the Dark Moon Greatsword or Bastard’s Stars. Arcane Blood Loss builds will have fewer options, but fortunately, the Regalia of Eochaid and Marais Executioner’s Sword both scale Magic damage with Arcane. These make strong substitutes for Rivers of Blood or other Arcane bleed weapons.
2. Save buffs and Spirit Ashes for the duo
In most fights, summoning your Spirit Ashes and activating any temporary buffs you’re using is a smart move. The Valiant Gargoyles make that decision less clear-cut and really encourage you to save any single-use buffs like the Flask of Wondrous Physick for the duo phase. This is where most of the challenge in the fight lies, so you’ll want to be at your peak of power for that portion. Of course, dodging two Gargoyles at once also makes it difficult to summon Ashes, drink a flask, or activate other buffs. Thankfully, the second Gargoyle spawns when the first reaches half health, so you can give yourself a window to do this. Bring the first Gargoyle down to just over half health, summon your Spirit Ashes if you haven’t already, and then chug your Wondrous Physick and any other buffs while your summon draws aggro. This will make it easier for you to burn the first Gargoyle down and get back to a 1v1 fight faster.
3. Use these items and spells to remove poison
You will have a much easier time with this fight if you enter already prepared to get poisoned. Both Gargoyles have a poison breath attack, and sometimes it is just really difficult to avoid getting caught in the middle of it while dodging another Gargoyle’s melee attacks. At some point, you’re bound to get poisoned, so it’s best to have a plan to remove it. If you’re playing a Faith build, you can add the Cure Poison or Flame, Cleanse Me incantations to your spell slots to quickly remove poison. Other builds can use a Neutralizing Boluses consumable. You can buy these in unlimited quantities from the Twin Maiden Husks after offering them the Medicine Peddler’s Bell-Bearing, found near the Hermit Merchant’s Shack in East Altus. You may also consider mixing the Speckled Hardtear into your Flask of Wondrous Physick to get a one-time poison removal plus a temporary boost to your poison resistance. That’s everything you need to defeat the Valiant Gargoyles! This fight can feel overwhelming if you encounter it early on, but once you’ve got your strategy down things get easier. If you’re trying to find the Valiant Gargoyles or another optional boss check out our full list of boss locations in Elden Ring. We’ve also got a guide to the best weapons in Elden Ring and best armor in Elden Ring to help you prepare for the late game.
