ESGAR, PRIEST OF BLOOD

Phase Strategy

Esgar is a gatekeeper fight — placed in Mohgwyn Palace specifically to punish players who have relied on bleed weapons through Liurnia and Altus. He is completely immune to hemorrhage. If your primary weapon is Rivers of Blood, Moonveil, or any katana with Seppuku, you will need a backup plan.

The good news: Esgar is a straightforward duel. One phase, no transformations, no environmental gimmicks. The arena is a small stone chamber with minimal room to retreat. You are meant to learn his rhythm and punish his recovery frames. This is a skill check, not an endurance test.

The Blood Ritual Mechanic

Esgar's defining mechanic is his blood ritual circle. At random intervals throughout the fight, he plants his spear into the ground and summons a glowing crimson sigil beneath himself. After a two-second delay, the circle erupts with blood damage in a wide AOE.

Critical: The ritual circle deals percentage-based damage — roughly 40% of your max HP regardless of armor. You cannot tank it. Sprint out of the circle the moment you see him plant the spear. Do not finish your combo.

The ritual has two follow-ups:

1. Blood spikes — Three delayed eruptions tracking your position. Sprint perpendicular, do not roll.
2. Blood wave — A single linear projectile. Dodge perpendicular or through it with i-frames.

The key insight: Esgar is vulnerable during the ritual wind-up. If you are outside the circle when he plants the spear, you have three full seconds to land charged R2s or Ashes of War. This is your biggest damage window.

Punish Windows

Esgar's moveset revolves around his spear thrusts and blood magic. Unlike faster bosses, his recovery frames are long enough to punish with two R1s or one charged R2 after most attacks. The exceptions:

• His three-hit thrust combo ends with a wide sweep — punish after the sweep, not the second thrust.
• His backward leap repositions him mid-arena. Do not chase; he always follows with blood spikes.

Lock-on is essential. Esgar circles frequently, trying to bait you into whiffing attacks. Stay patient and wait for committed animations.

Attacks & Counters

| Attack | Counter | |--------|---------| | Triple thrust combo | Roll into the first two thrusts. The third thrust delays — wait, then roll forward. Punish 2 R1s. | | Overhead spear slam | Roll to either side. Punish with charged R2 — the recovery is very long. | | Blood ritual circle | Sprint out of the circle immediately. Charged attack from outside while he channels. | | Blood spike barrage (3x) | Sprint perpendicular to his position. The spikes track your location 1 second prior. | | Blood wave projectile | Roll through it with i-frames or strafe-walk perpendicular. Easy to dodge. | | Sweeping spear slash | Roll backward. The hitbox lingers longer than the visual suggests. | | Backward leap | Do not chase. He always follows with blood spikes. Wait for him to commit. |

Recommended Loadout

Since Esgar is immune to bleed, your weapon choice matters more than usual. Fire damage is his primary weakness — the Blasphemous Blade trivializes this fight for faith builds. For other builds:

• Weapon: Blasphemous Blade (faith), Magma Wyrm's Scalesword (strength/faith), or any fire-infused armament. Standard strike damage weapons (hammers, greatswords) also work well.
• Ashes of War: Flame of the Redmanes — staggers Esgar in 3-4 casts and deals fire damage. Available from the Scarab in Fort Gael.
• Spirit Ash: Greatshield Soldier Ashes +6 or higher. They tank his spear thrusts and give you free backstab opportunities when he targets them.
• Talismans:
  • Fire Scorpion Charm (+fire damage)
  • Flame-Shrouding Cracked Tear (physick flask — +fire damage for 3 minutes)
  • Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman (physical damage reduction)
  • Crimson Amber Medallion (HP boost)
• Consumables: Fireproof Dried Liver (fire damage negation) is unnecessary — Esgar's fire damage output is low. Save it for Mohg.

If you absolutely must use a bleed weapon, apply Fire Grease or equip the Flame Grant Me Strength incantation for temporary fire damage scaling. This is less efficient than switching weapons, but viable.

Alternative Strategy: Guard Counter

Esgar's spear attacks deal moderate stamina damage. If you have a greatshield with 70+ guard boost (Fingerprint Stone Shield, Brass Shield +20), you can guard-counter most of his thrusts for guaranteed staggers. Two staggers = one critical hit window.

This approach is slower but extremely safe for first-time players. Pair it with the Barricade Shield Ash of War for near-immunity to stamina drain.

Positioning Tips

The arena is small, but Esgar does not pin you into corners. He prefers to circle and reposition constantly. Your goal is to maintain mid-range spacing:

• Too close: He uses his fast thrust combo more frequently.
• Too far: He spams blood projectiles, forcing you to close distance on his terms.
• Mid-range (4-6 meters): He commits to overhead slams and sweeps — both heavily punishable.

When he summons the blood ritual circle, immediately sprint toward the arena's edge and turn to face him. This guarantees you are outside the blast radius while keeping him in lock-on range for ranged punishes.

A Note on Difficulty

Esgar is rated 2/5 for good reason — he is designed to be easier than the path leading to him. The real challenge of Mohgwyn Palace is surviving the bird-snipers and Albinauric ambushes in the dungeon approach. By the time you reach Esgar's fog gate, you should be overleveled for the fight itself.

That said, if you have leaned entirely on bleed builds through Liurnia, this fight will feel harder than its rating suggests. Treat it as the wake-up call it is meant to be: bleed immunity exists, and the late-game expects build diversity.

Esgar is not a wall. He is a mirror held up to your build's weaknesses. If you struggle here, the fights ahead — Mohg, Malenia, Maliketh — will demand the same adaptability.

Related Bosses

Esgar guards the lower levels of Mohgwyn Palace. After defeating him, the path to Mohg, Lord of Blood opens. Mohg is one of the hardest fights in the game — come prepared with the Purifying Crystal Tear (negates his Nihil phase transition) and fire damage. The tear is found by defeating Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger at the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau.