Having trouble defeating one of Dark Souls III's tougher boss fights against Pontiff Sulyvahn? Use this strategy guide to defeat him without breaking any controllers.

From the Nameless King to Yhorm the Giant, Dark Souls III has no shortage of challenging boss battles. However, one of the toughest battles in the game is against Pontiff Sulyvahn - a dual-wielding boss that is relentless with his swift, devastating attacks against any players unlucky enough to cross his path.

What makes the Pontiff Sulyvahn fight in Dark Souls III so difficult is that the boss's attacks in the first phase are random. He will unleash a variety of combos against the player, and there doesn't seem to be a set pattern to which combo he uses. To prepare themselves for this chaotic battle, players should be sure to equip a fire-resistant shield, as that will be paramount to success in this particular Dark Souls III boss encounter.

The best way to avoid taking damage from Pontiff Sulyvahn is to circle him clockwise, rolling as much as possible. The only time one should block instead of roll is when Pontiff Sulyvahn goes for his jab attack. After unleashing one of his many combos, Pontiff Sulyvahn will briefly pause, which leaves him open to a couple of hits, but don't get too greedy.

The constant rolling required in this fight means that stamina will be an issue. Having any items that regenerate stamina will make things a little bit easier, but otherwise, try to get away from Pontiff Sulyvahn long enough to regenerate stamina and get back into the fight.

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When Pontiff Sulyvahn has had his health bar reduced by half, he will kneel. It may be tempting to run up and smack him around a bit, but instead hold back. Pontiff Sulyvahn will sprout wings and stand back up, and being too close to him when this happens is not a good idea.

In this second phase of the fight, the strategy remains largely the same as before, except the boss has some new attacks up his sleeve. These include ranged beams that he fires with his blue sword, as well as a move where he first ascends with his wings, and then slams back to the ground. Thankfully, both of these attacks are easy to dodge.

Pontiff Sulyvahn's second phase attack that will prove to be the most troublesome is his ability to spawn a clone. Players that have battled the Abyss Watchers know that taking on two enemies at once in a boss fight is not ideal, so stopping Pontiff Sulyvahn from creating the clone is very important. To accomplish this, simply run up and slash away when he raises his sword.

With enough persistence and patience, another Boreal Valley boss will be defeated. Felling Pontiff Sulyvahn will be no easy task, but it's an accomplishment that will get players one step closer to conquering the rest of the game and seeing one of Dark Souls III's endings.

Dark Souls III is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Source: Fextralife

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