Elden Ring: Bloodhound Knight Darriwil Boss [Strategy Guide]

Elden Ring Darriwil is one of the various optional bosses that can be fought quite early on in the game and can prove to be quite challenging. Learning the location of and knowing certain tactics for beating the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil can be quite useful in the Elden Ring.

Bloodhound Knight Darriwil Location

The Bloodhound Knight Darriwil is also a mandatory boss if you’re trying to complete the Howling in Mistwood questline, which introduces you to Blaidd, a trusted companion of Ranni the Witch.

The fight with Darriwil takes place in the Forlorn Hound Evergaol. Once you enter an Evergaol, you cannot leave it unless you defeat the boss or die. Darriwil is a tricky boss, and at first, I found it pretty tough. 

First, follow my directions to reach him:

1. The Evergaol is in the southern region of Limgrave and can be found along the path that leads from The Stormgate to The Bridge of Sacrifice.
2. While navigating the path, you’ll come across a Spirit Spring.
3. Take the wide path right of the spring.
4. The Evergaol will be a large circular stone floor with a circular activating switch in the middle.
5. Interact with it to initiate the fight.

Moveset

Here is a general overview of the moveset for Bloodhound Knight Darriwil. Many of its attacks are triggered when you’re within a melee range, but even if you’re a ranged user and maintaining your range, it has many moves that it can use to close the distance.

Regardless, here are all possible attacks and their counters:

1. Bloodhound’s Step
   • Does not hurt you, but it can set Darriwil up for a quick follow-up.
2. Bloodhound’s Finese
   • Roll forward to avoid the attack and follow up with your own attack.
3. Dragging Vertical Slice
   • Counter the attack by rolling to the right as soon as the slicing movement begins.
4. Dragging Horizontal Slice
   • Roll to either side and follow up with your attacks. 
5. Backward Dash
   • Darriwil will spin and jump backward, away from you.
6. Diagonal Sword Slash
   • Darriwil will hold the sword behind its body before the slash and roll out of the way after the sword is completely behind it.
7. Claw Swipe
   • It can be countered by rolling as soon you see the claw held up to its sides.
8. Running Slice
   • The best counter is to roll to your right.
9. Counterclockwise Sword Slash
   • It can be countered by rolling backward or even blocking using a strong enough shield.
10. Slam Combo
    • An ideal counter would be to roll backward.
11. Jump Attack
    • High recovery time can be exploited by rolling left or right.
12. Overhead Strike
    • Roll forward once and try to land a light attack to punish the move.
13. Three-hit Combo
    • It can be countered by rolling to the sides and following up with a light attack.

Melee Strategy

Darriwil can be quite challenging for melee users due to its unpredictable movement, speed, and aggressiveness. But with patience and well-timed attacks, you can overcome all these.

Follow the strategies I used to defeat the boss:

1. Upon entering Evergaol, capitalize on the window when Darriwil materializes.
2. Opt for heavy, jumping, or light attacks during this moment, with the possibility of executing charged heavy attacks if swift.
3. After landing an attack, promptly roll back to evade counter-attacks and avoid excessive aggression.
4. Utilize a Greatshield and capitalize on guard counters.

Ranged Strategy

The Ranged users might have an easier time against Darriwil as they can keep their distance from all of the crazy-fast melee attacks.

The following are my ranged strategies:

1. Glinstone Phalanx is a great option to attack as Darriwil approaches you.
2. If you’re comfortable dodging a few attacks to create openings, then you can use close-range spells such as Carian Slicer or Catch Flame to punish the different slashes and sword attacks.
3. I would not suggest using a bow in this fight.

Rewards

Luckily, your struggle against the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Elden Ring will be worth it after you’ve defeated it.

These are the rewards that you receive after besting it in battle:

• 1,900 Runes
• Bloodhound’s Fang: A curved Greatsword that scales with Strength and Dexterity. Its skill, Bloodhound’s Finesse, is quite useful against many enemies.

With that, you know all about the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Elden Ring and the best strategies on how to beat it. If you’re struggling with any other boss, such as Malenia or Mohg, then you can check out our guides.

Up Next:

• Elden Ring: Celestial Dew Locations
• Elden Ring: Morning Star
• Elden Ring: BEST Axe