In this Elden Ring boss guide, we will tell you everything about Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, where to find him, how to defeat him and what rewards you will get for defeating him. Without any further ado, let’s get into it.
Where to Find Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Elden Ring
Bloodhound Knight is an optional boss, but you would want to defeat this boss because of his sword, the Bloodhound’s Fang and a nice chunk of Runes.
You can access this boss, Bloodhound Knight Darriwil as soon as you enter Limgrave. You can find the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil boss in Forlon Hound Evergaol which is a circular structure with a purple glow in the center.
There will be statues with a purple glow that make a path leading up to this structure, so it should be fairly easy to spot.
To activate the boss fight, simply stand on the center panel. It takes him a second to activate but once he does, things move quickly, so be prepared
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil Attacks
Top to bottom, Bloodhound Knight Darriwil is designed to keep you off balance. His greatest weapon is his speed, and the ability at which he can close any gaps and deal significant damage to your character. He also stacks bleed so you can’t always be on the defensive
Equipped with a massive, curved sword in his right hand, and a hook claw in his left, the Knight taps into two distinct attack styles to leave you constantly guessing when he’s going to attack.
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil also has the ability to teleport or phase. Often throughout the fight, the boss will use this ability to close the gap between you and him.
This can happen once if the boss is only a small distance away, or he can chain two teleports together in relatively quick succession if he’s far enough away.
This is an ever-present threat throughout the encounter and as you’ll see by the set of abilities, in conjunction with any of them could mean a quick death. Throughout the fight, the bloodhound knight makes great use of that massive, curved sword or hook blade.
Depending on how far away the player is from the boss, he’ll either swing once with either his sword or blades, or in a combination of three attacks. It’s really the latter that you need to watch out for as this is the most common attack you’ll see throughout this encounter.
Bloodhound Knight Darriwil will first employ a forehand swing, then follow that up with a backhand swing, and then finally, end with a huge chopping attack.
Because of the size of the sword, this easily impacts the area directly in front and to the sides of the boss depending on the direction of the swing. Another common ability and your best chance to score some damage is directly after the Knight’s claw drag/uppercut combination.
This is very clearly telegraphed as the boss will put his left hand on the ground and wait before charging forward. When he reaches the player, he’ll immediately uppercut with his claw and then follows that up with a huge forward slash.
The exact same attack happens, but this time the boss will drag his sword and then combo that into an uppercut and slash. Be on the lookout for the subtle variation, identifying which side, either sword or claw, the boss is dragging on the ground.
When right on top of the player, the boss will often use a simple jump/slam combination. This ability breaks your horizontal plane of vision, it can be a bit off-putting, so be aware any time he’s close that it could be coming. After this attack, the boss retreats backwards slightly.
There are a few one-off attacks that aren’t really challenging but will throw you off rhythm, and that’s their intention. The first is a backhand uppercut. The boss will simply swing upwards with his sword attempting to hit you.
Similarly, there is a singular overhead chop. This looks similar to the last strike of that three-strike combo but is isolated to its own attack.
Getting back to the more elaborate abilities is a leap/swing combination instead of teleporting towards you. The boss will leap forward, lifting off the ground, ending with a big forehand slash. Be careful with this move as it will often lead quickly into another sword-based ability.
Finally, Bloodhound Knight Darriwil has two retreat based abilities as well.
The first is a leap/slam combination tied into a retreat. The boss will jump and swing his sword wildly then, immediately after, spin backwards creating distance from the player.
Almost identical in nature is a double slash mechanic that dovetails into a retreat. this looks a bit like the leap mechanic from earlier, but has a bit more flash to it, making it just as deadly, if not more so.
How to Defeat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Elden Ring
As you can see, the Bloodhound Knight has a number of abilities, all deadly, but most are predictable. This is truly a fight where getting greedy will kill you, almost every time.
Your best opening is during his claw drag/uppercut combination. Right after this attack is a great window where you can land 1 or 2 shots, depending on how fast your attacks are. Roll in towards the boss to hopefully avoid any additional running when the window is open.
Of course, you can score a hit or two outside this window but do this at your own risk. Because of Darriwil’s ability to retreat, you could also make good use of any ranged abilities whether they be magic or otherwise.
You don’t have long to land these attacks from instance because of Darriwil’s ability to teleport, but there is an opening that’s present frequently throughout the fight.
The deadliest attack in the entire encounter is that three-swing combination. it’s got a unique cadence, but it’s the core mechanic in the entire fight which makes it pivotal to understand and internalize.
Once you really wrap your head around that attack, figuring out the dodge window, you’ll be in a great place as the rest of the attacks are far more methodical and predictable.
With a little patience, some internalization of key mechanics, and a bit of persistence, the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil will fall, and his loot will be yours to claim.
How to Get Bloodhound’s Fang
In terms of loot, well that awesome sword the boss uses to cut you down, is the very weapon you get to claim once you defeat the bloodhound knight along with 1900 Runes.
Bloodhound’s Fang is a Curved Greatsword that is a great early weapon you can add to your arsenal. The Bloodhound’s Fang supports high physical attack power, decent crit, and has the added passive benefit of blood loss buildup, essentially a bleed effect that you can apply to enemies after a certain number of hits.
If you’re a fan of big beefy weapons, this is a great early choice and since the boss isn’t too terribly hard, it might be worth picking up.
