Iudex Gundyr is the first boss in Dark Souls 3. He appears at the end of the Cemetery of Ash, and opens the way to Firelink Shrine after you defeat him.
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He wields a polearm and has a transformation halfway through the battle. This guide will show you how to beat Iudex Gundyr, what you get from him.
You’ll find Gundyr in an arena at the end of Ash Cemetery, the first area in the game. He appears as a kneeling statue, and you’ll have to pull a sword from his chest to start the fight.
In the first phase, he appears as a living statue wielding a halberd. You can land a few hits before he gets his footing. If you’re familiar with the Souls games, your best bet would be to parry his attacks. The long, somewhat slow weapon gives you a clear sign of when he’s about to swing. With a little skill and luck, you should be able to get him to the second phase using only counter-attacks.
If you’re not confident in your parrying skills, there’s a different tactic you could use. When you get far enough from him, he’ll jump into the air and slam the ground with his weapon. This is when you rush him and throw a couple of light attacks. Rinse and repeat.
Once his health is down to 50%, he’ll transform into a beast. He’s defenceless while he’s transforming – take advantage of this and smack him a few times. Make sure you’re using your weapon with both hands (Triangle on PS4, Y on Xbox), for maximum damage output.
Keep on your toes after he becomes a monster. After he attacks with his giant hand, he’ll perform a second attack. Roll towards him to dodge the second attack, hit him two times using your light attack, then roll away. Repeat until it’s over.
Iudex Gundyr Move Set
Phase 1
Melee
Left hand attacks – avoid them at all cost by standing near Gundyr’s right leg. These are the most devastating attacks of all.
Right hand (weapon) attacks – come in one, two or more swings. If he leans back, trying to complete a charge attack with his weapon, you can parry his attack and follow up with a crit.
Ranged
Jump and poke – does it when you are further away from him. Once complete, it presents the best time for attack, as he takes long to get back up.
Jump and slash – usually comes with one more slash attack.
Phase 2
All attacks gain additional range. For a perfect kill, you’ll want to crit the boss once he is about to enter the second phase. Finish him as he completes the transformation.
