BLOODHOUND KNIGHT DARRIWIL

Phase Strategy

Bloodhound Knight Darriwil is your introduction to FromSoftware's teleport-strike archetype — a lesson in directional dodging that will serve you well against later enemies like the Crucible Knights and Malekith himself. The fight takes place inside Forlorn Hound Evergaol, a circular arena with no pillars, no terrain cover, and no escape. You must learn to read his rhythm.

The good news: Darriwil has only one phase. The bad news: his aggression never lets up. He chains teleport-strikes into multi-hit combos with almost no recovery time. Players who spam dodge backward will get clipped by follow-up slashes. The fight demands that you roll through him, not away from him.

Critical: Before entering the evergaol, complete Blaidd's quest step at Mistwood Ruins. Use the Finger Snap gesture near the ruins to bring him down from the tower. Speak to him, and his golden summon sign will appear at the evergaol entrance. Blaidd trivializes this fight — he tanks Darriwil's aggro and deals significant bleed damage.

The Teleport Pattern

Darriwil's core mechanic is his bloodhound step — a short-range teleport that repositions him behind or beside you mid-combo. The tells are subtle but consistent:

• Red particle trail — He always teleports in the direction the red mist trails.
• Audio cue — A sharp "whoosh" sound precedes every teleport by 0.3 seconds.
• Combo extension — If he teleports mid-swing, the combo extends by 1-2 hits.

The mistake most players make is rolling on the teleport itself. Wrong. Roll on the attack that follows the teleport. Darriwil reappears in a fixed position relative to you — usually to your back-right or directly behind. Unlock your camera, listen for the audio cue, and turn toward the red trail before rolling.

Punish Windows

Darriwil's aggression is relentless, but he gives you three guaranteed openings:

1. After his leaping overhead slam — He plants his greatsword into the ground. Roll forward through the slam, then punish with 2 R1s.
2. After his spinning slash combo — A three-hit chain that ends with him facing away from you. One charged R2 fits safely.
3. After any whiffed teleport-strike — If you dodge correctly and he misses, he recovers for 1.2 seconds. This is your best window.

Never greed for a third hit. Darriwil's recovery animations can cancel into teleport-strikes if you linger too long in melee range.

Attacks & Counters

| Attack | Counter | |--------|---------| | Leaping overhead slam | Roll forward through him just before impact. Punish 2 R1s. | | Teleport slash (single) | Unlock camera, turn toward red trail, roll into him on the slash. | | Teleport combo (3-hit) | Roll forward on hit 1, unlock and pivot on teleport 2, roll forward on hit 3. | | Spinning horizontal slash | Roll backward on the first spin, forward through the second. | | Running thrust | Strafe-walk right. The thrust whiffs if you sidestep instead of roll. | | Delayed overhead chop | He holds the sword above his head for 1.5 seconds. Roll on the gold flash, not the wind-up. |

Recommended Loadout

For solo players without Blaidd, Darriwil becomes a test of patience and spacing:

• Spirit Ash: Lone Wolves Ashes +3 or higher. The wolves split his aggro and proc bleed buildup quickly. Available from Renna at the Church of Elleh.
• Weapon: Any bleed weapon at +3 or higher. Reduvia (dropped by Bloody Finger Nerijus in Murkwater River) is optimal — its Ash of War procs bleed in 4-5 hits. Uchigatana works equally well.
• Talismans:
  • Crimson Amber Medallion (+HP, found in Weeping Peninsula)
  • Viridian Amber Medallion (+stamina, sold by nomadic merchant near Stormhill Shack)
• Items: Throwing Knives ×10. Darriwil takes minor damage from ranged chip, and knives interrupt his wind-ups if you time them during teleports.

If you have access to Sorceries or Incantations, Glintstone Pebble or Lightning Spear work well — Darriwil's magic resistance is average, and ranged casting forces him to close distance predictably.

With Blaidd

If Blaidd is summoned, your job changes entirely. Let him tank. Your goal is to stay alive and chip damage from behind while Blaidd procs bleed. The fight becomes trivial — most players with Blaidd win in under 90 seconds.

Blaidd's AI is programmed to punish Darriwil's teleports. He will often land hits during Darriwil's recovery frames that you cannot safely reach. Trust the NPC.

Why This Fight Matters

Darriwil is not a difficult boss by endgame standards, but he is a teaching boss. The directional dodge discipline you learn here applies directly to:

• Crucible Knights (delayed slams, teleport thrusts)
• Maliketh, the Black Blade (arena-wide teleport combos)
• Mohg, Lord of Blood (phase 2 blood flame teleports)

Players who struggle with Darriwil often carry bad muscle memory from Dark Souls — rolling backward by reflex, panic-rolling on visual cues instead of audio cues, or mashing R1 during unsafe windows. Break those habits now.

Darriwil does not punish mistakes. He punishes hesitation. Commit to your rolls. Trust your spacing. The teleport is not random — it is a rhythm you can learn.

Lore Pause

Darriwil is a disgraced knight who betrayed his order. Blaidd hunts him on behalf of Ranni the Witch, though the full context of that betrayal is never explained. Defeating Darriwil rewards you with the Bloodhound's Fang — one of the best early-game curved greatswords, with innate bleed buildup and a weapon art that mimics Darriwil's own teleport-slash.

The Bloodhound's Fang remains viable through the entire game. Many players never replace it.

Related Bosses

After Darriwil, return to Blaidd at Mistwood Ruins. He will acknowledge the kill and direct you toward Ranni's Rise in Liurnia — the first step in one of the game's longest and most rewarding questlines.

If you enjoyed this fight's teleport mechanics, seek out the Crucible Knight in Stormhill Evergaol next. He is a harder version of the same lesson.