Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy |
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| Location | Volcano Manor |
| Drops | |
 130.000Rykard's Great Rune Remembrance of the Blasphemous |
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| HP | 89,613 |
| Stronger VS |
Weaker to |
SlashGod-Devouring Serpent and Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy is a two-phase Demigod Boss in Elden Ring. The God-Devouring Serpent is a massive coiled serpent found at the Volcano Manor in Mt. Gelmir, and Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy is its true form that's revealed after the first phase is defeated. When Rykard offered himself up to the serpent in a pursuit of immortality, most of his followers turned on him and sought to bring him down with the Serpent-Hunter.
Rykard is an optional boss, and doesn't need to be defeated in order to advance in Elden Ring. However, Rykard is a shardbearer, and two of the five available shardbearers must be defeated before entering Leyndell, Royal Capital.
See Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Lore
Join the Serpent King, as family... Together, we will devour the very gods!
Elden Ring God-Devouring Serpent / Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Boss
- This is an optional boss
- This boss fight has two phases with the same stats but different names. You must kill God-Devouring Serpent and then Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy to win the fight, and if you die you'll start over with God-Devouring Serpent.
- Closest Site of Grace: Audience Pathway
- Multiplayer is allowed for this boss
- Cooperators can enter the arena only when boss HP bar is visible.
- You can summon Spirit Ashes for this boss
Elden Ring God-Devouring Serpent / Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Location
From the Audience Pathway Site of Grace, head through the gateway immediately to the south. Make sure you grab the Serpent Hunter on your left as you enter, then proceed towards the center of the room until the God-Devouring Serpent attacks. [Map Link]
There are two ways to reach the Audience Pathway Site of Grace:
- Progress to the end of the Volcano Manor legacy dungeon and take the waygate after the room with the Man-Serpent Ashes.
- Complete all three of Tanith's contracts, then agree to see him and she'll teleport you to the Audience Pathway Site of Grace. Note that if you choose this option, you won't be able to use Rykard as one of the shardbearers needed to enter Leyndell, Royal Capital, since the last contract is only available after Leyndell.
God-Devouring Serpent / Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Combat information
- Health: 30,493 HP (Serpent), 59,174 HP (Rykard)
- Defense: 115
- Stance: 120
- Parryable: No
- Immune to critical attacks. Breaking its stance will only stun it briefly
- Weak spot: head
- Damage:
Standard, 
Fire (God-Devouring Serpent) Standard, 
Pierce, Fire (Rykard) - Inflicts:
Poison (God-Devouring Serpent) - Drops 130,000, Rykard's Great Rune, Remembrance of the Blasphemous
Negations (or Absorptions) - both phases are identical
Strike
Magic
Lightning
HolyThe negation numbers are the % of your damage that gets blocked. For example, if a negation is 60, 40% of that damage by that type will go through and 60% will be negated. Bigger number = less damage. A negation of 100 means no damage goes through, and a negation of -100 mean the enemy takes 2x damage from that source. 0 means damage goes pretty much as is.
Resistances
- Poison: 556 / 846 / 1303
Scarlet Rot: 556 / 846 / 1303
Hemorrhage: 556 / 846 / 1303
Frostbite: 247 / 289 / 387 / 677
The resistance numbers are the buildup amount to trigger it. For example, if a resistance is 100 you must deal 100 points of the given buildup to trigger it. Note that these go down over time, and increase each time the effect procs. The values after the "/"s indicate the increased resistances after each successive proc.
NG+ and Beyond (click to reveal)
| NG | NG+ | NG+2 | NG+3 | NG+4 | NG+5 | NG+6 | NG+7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP (Serpent) | 30,439 | 38,475 | 42,323 | 44,247 | 46,170 | 50,018 | 51,942 | 53,866 |
| HP (Rykard) | 59,174 | 74,796 | 82,275 | 86,015 | 89,755 | 97,235 | 100,975 | 104,714 |
| Defense | 115 | 118 | 121 | 124 | 130 | 136 | 142 | 153 |
| Runes |
130,000 | 260,000 | 286,000 | 292,500 | 312,000 | 318,500 | 325,000 | 331,500 |
Resistances |
||||||||
| Poison |
556 / 846 / 1303 | 270 / 560 / 1017 | 274 / 564 / 1021 | 278 / 568 / 1025 | 282 / 572 / 1029 | 286 / 576 / 1033 | 290 / 580 / 1037 | 294 / 584 / 1041 |
| Scarlet Rot |
556 / 846 / 1303 | 270 / 560 / 1017 | 274 / 564 / 1021 | 278 / 568 / 1025 | 282 / 572 / 1029 | 286 / 576 / 1033 | 290 / 580 / 1037 | 294 / 584 / 1041 |
| Hemorrhage |
556 / 846 / 1303 | 270 / 560 / 1017 | 274 / 564 / 1021 | 278 / 568 / 1025 | 282 / 572 / 1029 | 286 / 576 / 1033 | 290 / 580 / 1037 | 294 / 584 / 1041 |
| Frostbite |
247 / 289 / 387 / 677 | 120 / 162 / 260 / 550 | 121 / 163 / 261 / 551 | 123 / 165 / 263 / 553 | 125 / 167 / 265 / 555 | 127 / 169 / 267 / 557 | 129 / 171 / 269 / 559 | 130 / 172 / 270 / 560 |
 Sleep |
556 / 846 / 1303 | 270 / 560 / 1017 | 274 / 564 / 1021 | 278 / 568 / 1025 | 282 / 572 / 1029 | 286 / 576 / 1033 | 290 / 580 / 1037 | 294 / 584 / 1041 |
 Madness |
Immune | |||||||
Elden Ring God-Devouring Serpent / Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Boss Guide
God-Devouring Serpent Boss Video Guide
[video coming soon]
God-Devouring Serpent Fight Strategy
The Best Tips for God-Devouring Serpent:
- Use the Serpent-Hunter Great Spear found at the beginning of the boss' chamber.
- Check your equipment load (to avoid fat-rolling) after equipping the spear; it's heavy!
- Use the Mimic Tear Spirit Summon while equipped with the Serpent-Hunter to significantly reduce the boss' difficulty.
General Strategy
Be sure to pick up the Serpent-Hunter Great Spear from the corpse at the start of the boss chamber. This weapon manifests a blade of light with each attack, significantly extending its range and allowing you to hit both phases of the boss from outside the magma pool.
The Serpent primarily attacks with lunging strikes and bites. It can also perform a special grab animation where it slams you down twice, though it only deals damage once. Occasionally, the Serpent raises its head and slams its chin onto the ground, sending magma flying in a wide arc. You can dodge roll this or block this attack to minimize damage.
If you're using the Serpent-Hunter, consistently poke the Serpent between its attacks. Repeated strikes to its head will briefly stagger the Serpent, giving you a valuable window for uninterrupted attacks.
Once the Serpent is defeated, Phase Two begins with Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. Click on the Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy tab here for the strategy for Phase Two.
Cheese Strategy
The God-Devouring Serpent and by extension, Rykard can be made significantly more easy by summoning the Mimic Tear Spirit while equipped with the Serpent-Hunter. The Mimic copies your current equipment and this extends to the blade of light functionality of the Serpent-Hunter. The Mimic will attack of its own volition and you will still need to dodge the boss' attacks properly but having what is essentially a second player firing blades of light at him will massively cut down the amount of time and effort required to defeat the boss.
Melee Users
Strategy Writeup for Melee Users
If player wants to beat the boss without Serpent-Hunter as a melee, he should focus on inflicting Status-Effects (Frostbite and Blood loss). Frozen Antspur Rapier will be the best tool for it, even at +0,
Magic and Ranged Users
Strategy Writeup for Magic Users
If the player wants to beat God-Devouring Serpent without Serpent-Hunter, the optimal spells would be Borealis's Mist & Ekzykes's Decay (Incantation) or Rock Sling (Sorcery) combined with source of Frostbite like Freezing Pots. Beginning of fight gives a good opportunity to apply Status Effect.
God-Devouring Serpent Attacks & Counters
| Attack | Description | Counter |
| Snake Bite | The Serpent lunges from one side towards you. It will sometimes follow up with a second lunge from the opposite direction. | Dodge towards the direction the lunge is coming from. |
| Grab Attack | The Serpent raises its head up high and lunges forward. If the attack connects, the snake will grab the player, slamming them twice but dealing damage only once. | Requires precise timing to prevent the grab. |
| Poison Spit | The Serpent spits several globs of poison that spread out in various directions, leaving a pool of poison on the ground momentarily. | Stay within medium range to prevent it from using this move. Do not stand in poison puddles. |
| Magma Slam | The Serpent raises its head up high, tilting it to the back. It then slams its chin on the ground, sending magma flying outwards in a very wide arc in front of it. | Dodge through the magma or block it to reduce damage. |
| Magma Upheaval | The Serpent raises and coils its head on its left and then plunges its face into the ground. After a short delay, it pulls its head from the ground, causing a wide magma eruption that travels forward in front of it. | This move is very difficult to dodge but can be blocked with a shield to significantly reduce damage. |
| Magma Thrash | The Serpent raises its head up high, looking to the side with its jaws wide open. It then begins thrashing about the magma as it spins around 360 degrees, sweeping with its head and tail, sending magma splashing about in random directions. | Maintain your distance and avoid any flying magma. |
Elden Ring Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Notes & Other Trivia
- Voice Actor: Simon Gregor
- WARNING! Defeating Rykard will lock players out of completing any incomplete Volcano Manor invasion requests.
- Was formerly called Rykard, Recusant Shardbearer in the 1.00 version of the game.
World Changes after Defeat:
- After the encounter with Rykard, you receive the Remembrance of the Blasphemous and you should have Rykard's Great Rune. This can now be activated at the Divine Tower of West Altus.
- After defeating him, you can return to the main chambers of Volcano Manor and speak to the NPCs. After reloading the area, the NPCs will leave the area, with Bernahl leaving a sword at his seat that you can continue buying his wares off of.
- At this point, if you teleport back to Rykard's boss arena, you'll find Tanith feasting upon his remains. If you choose to attack Tanith at this time, you will be invaded by Tanith's Knight. Upon its defeat, it will drop the Aspect of the Crucible: Breath Incantation, and Tanith's clothing set consisting of the Consort's Mask, Consort's Robe, and Consort's Trousers. With this, the Volcano Manor is complete.
- Patches' quest will progress beyond the ability to receive the Magma Whip Candlestick assassination reward.
Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Boss Video Guide
[video coming soon]
Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Fight Strategy
The Best Tips for Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy:
- Rykard is very weak to Frostbite, therefore inflict it at the beginning of the fight to increase damage.
- Use the Serpent-Hunter Great Spear found at the beginning of the boss' chamber.
- The Great-Serpent Hunt weapon skill stuns Rykard for a brief period of time, opening him up to a weapon skill combo or a charged heavy attack. This stun occurs regardless of poise damage, and provides an opening for casting/combo attacks.
- Use the Great-Serpent Hunt skill in the 2nd phase to interrupt Rykard's Rancorcall (the one that releases dozens of homing skulls). This will stagger him and prevent the rancor skulls being released.
- Carian Filigreed Crest can help by lowering the FP consumption of skill.
- Use the Mimic Tear Spirit Summon while equipped with Serpent-Hunter to significantly reduce the boss' difficulty.
- Because the fight does not begin until the player gets close enough to Rykard to activate him, a player can fast travel out of the boss arena immediately after picking up the Serpent-Hunter. Visiting a blacksmith to upgrade the Serpent-Hunter before fighting Rykard will make the fight easier.
- If a Starlight Shard is used once at the beginning of the fight and once more during the transition from God Devouring Serpent to Rykard, Lord Of Blasphemy the Serpent-Hunters ash of war Great-Serpent Hunt can be used repeatedly to stun both phases of the boss, typically preventing him from attacking. Of note is that you should step back between attacks to prevent yourself from stepping into the lava pool.
- Avoid trying to walk directly up to Rykard, since he's surrounded by lava that will continuously damage you and stagger you out of attacks.
General Strategy
Rykard is first encountered as the God-Devouring Serpent in his initial phase. For details on the first phase, check out the God-Devouring Serpent's page. This section focuses on Rykard's second phase as Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. At the start of the boss fight, make sure to pick up the Serpent-Hunter Great Spear from the corpse in the boss chamber. This weapon has a unique interaction with the fight, creating a blade of light with each attack, significantly extending its range and allowing you to damage Rykard from outside the magma pool. The spear's moveset includes a three-stab combo with escalating damage, a two-hit heavy slashing combo with increasing damage on the second hit, and a two-attack special move with a long wind-up that costs FP.
Success in the Rykard boss encounter relies on managing area effects and dodging his wide, slow swings. Always dodge roll away from the direction his sword is swinging. Dodging in the same direction as the swing increases the chance of getting hit, which can be devastating. Debris falling during the fight may obscure your vision, so stay focused on Rykard to anticipate his attacks.
Rykard's slow attacks create frequent openings for you to land a hit with the Serpent-Hunter. Avoid being greedy; focus on movement, learning his patterns, and dodging. Once you have his patterns down, you can consistently poke him between his actions. Hitting Rykard in the head multiple times with the Serpent-Hunter will briefly stagger him, giving you a chance to deal significant damage.
In his second phase, Rykard occasionally raises his sword high, summoning dozens of large, flaming skulls that rain down from the sky, most of them homing in on you. Use the Great-Serpent Hunt skill to stagger him and interrupt this cast, which takes 3-4 seconds to complete. The skulls explode shortly after reaching their target or hitting the ground, so time your dodge rolls or sprints to avoid damage. Rykard will continue his regular attacks during this phase, which persists for a long time. If not defeated, he will eventually channel flames into his sword for a massive overhead cleave.
Cheese Strategy
Rykard can be made significantly more easy by summoning the Mimic Tear Spirit while equipped with the Serpent-Hunter. The Mimic copies your current equipment and this extends to the blade of light functionality of the Serpent-Hunter. The Mimic will attack of its own volition and you will still need to dodge the boss' attacks properly but having what is essentially a second player firing blades of light at him will massively cut down the amount of time and effort required to defeat the boss.
Melee Users
Though there is a weapon provided at the entrance of the arena, you can still fight Rykard with other weapons if you want. With melee weapons, it's best to use frost weapons since that's a weakness of his, but using bleed works too. The magma under him doesn't deal much damage so with a bunch of health flasks and health you can easily tank through it (provided your armor and/or resistances are high enough). Get right up close and hit his body. The only downside to this is that you will take constant chip damage due to the magma you're standing on (sometimes cancelling your attack mid animation), and it'll be hard to see what attack he's doing. He also will keep sliding away, especially in phase two. A plus is that he won't be able to hit you much when you're there.
Magic and Ranged Users
Due to the special weapon used, HP flask charges are more useful than FP flask charges.
If the player wants to beat Rykard without Serpent-Hunter, it is crucial to use main weakness (Frostbite) and boss large size. This makes Borealis's Mist, Pest Threads and Ancient Dragons' Lightning Spear (Incantations) a good choice. In case of sorceries, Ranni's Dark Moon paired with Rock Sling is a good call.
Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Attacks & Counters
| Attack | Description | Counter |
| Sword Combo | Rykard's most common combo involves swinging his sword from the left to the right, then right to left, ending in a stab in front of him. Note that the second swing has a slight feint where he first slams the blade's side on the ground before swinging it across to throw you off your dodge timing. Sometimes, he will not perform the stab and other times, he will perform a fourth attack by pulling the sword upwards directly after the stab, causing the ground to erupt in the area. | Dodge towards the direction his sword is coming from during the swings. His stab travels more to your right side so dodge to the left. |
| Stab Combo | Rykard holds his sword to his side in preparation for a stab. He then proceeds to quickly stab at the ground in near his target three times. He will sometimes perform a fourth upheaval attack, pulling his sword from the ground and causing the ground to erupt. | Sprint or dodge far to the side. |
| Sword & Snake Bite Combo | Rykard swings his sword from the left and follows up with bash with the serpent's head from the right. He finishes off with a lunge from the serpent head coming from the left. | Same as his sword combo, dodge towards the direction each attack comes from. |
| Magma Leap | Rykard leaps either forward or backwards, sending out volleys of magma in random directions upon impact. | Maintain distance from the magma pool and move as the magma flies out. |
| Groundshock | 1st phase only. Rykard plunges his serpent head into the ground, then after a moment pulls it up to send a magma shockwave AoE attack forward in a cone shape over the earth. | Very difficult to dodge, can't be rolled through or jumped over. Possible to avoid by sprinting sideways if timed immediately as the animation begins. Use weapon guard (L1) to reduce damage taken if you miss sprint timing. Using Vow of the Indomitable or Raptors of the Mist will allow you to dodge it. |
| Rykard's Rancor | Rykard extends his head forward and releases a small flaming skull from his mouth that creates a fire trail along its trajectory. After a short delay, explosions are released in a cascading fashion along the trail. Note that these skulls also appear from the ground periodically, with varying trajectories. | Simply avoid being anywhere near the trail. |
| Snake Bite | Rykard flips his head to the left, revealing the serpent which subsequently lunges forward to bite you. | Time your dodge to the left side. |
| Rancor Storm | Rykard raises his sword high above to his side, appearing to empower himself. Many large flaming skulls will then rain down from the sky with the bulk of them flying towards you and exploding after a short delay as they reach their target or impact with the ground. This rain of skulls will continue for quite a while and Rykard will continue on with his standard moveset as the skulls rain down. | Dodge or sprint away from the skulls before they explode. When Rykard is charging, take the time to get as many free hits in as possible before he resumes attacking. Using Great-Serpent Hunt in the beginning can interrupt his cast and will cancel the effects entirely. |
| Taker's Flames | If not stunned or killed during the Rancor Storm, Rykard will begin the attack by raising his sword high above with both hands, channeling the fire into the blade. After a long moment, he will then cleave the ground directly in front of him, culminating in a fiery explosion that travels forward. | If Rykard is within 3-4 hits of dying, just finish him off before he finishes charging. Otherwise, sprint far to the side or time your dodge precisely as the blade lands. |
Elden Ring Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Notes & Other Trivia
- Voice Actor: Simon Gregor
- WARNING! Defeating Rykard will lock players out of completing any incomplete Volcano Manor invasion requests.
- Was formerly called Rykard, Recusant Shardbearer in the 1.00 version of the game.
- Praetor was a status in Ancient Rome that either meant commander or a politician of high rank.
World Changes after Defeat:
- After the encounter with Rykard, you receive the Remembrance of the Blasphemous and you should have Rykard's Great Rune. This can now be activated at the Divine Tower of West Altus.
- After defeating him, you can return to the main chambers of Volcano Manor and speak to the NPCs. After reloading the area, the NPCs will leave the area, with Bernahl leaving a sword at his seat that you can continue buying his wares off of.
- At this point, if you teleport back to Rykard's boss arena, you'll find Tanith feasting upon his remains. If you choose to attack Tanith at this time, you will be invaded by Tanith's Knight. Upon its defeat, it will drop the Aspect of the Crucible: Breath Incantation, and Tanith's clothing set consisting of the Consort's Mask, Consort's Robe, and Consort's Trousers. With this, the Volcano Manor is complete.
- Patches' quest will progress beyond the ability to receive the Magma Whip Candlestick assassination reward.
Dialogue
Introduction:
Hmm... Very well.
You...
Join the Serpent King, as family... Together, we will devour the very gods!
Defeating player:
Now, we can devour the gods, together!
After Fight:
No one will hold me captive.
A serpent never dies.
Ha ha ha...
Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Lore
Lore Items Related to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
Rykard's Great Rune
A Great Rune of the shardbearer Rykard. Its blessing restores HP on attacking enemies.
Rykard was amongst the children of Rennala and Radagon, who became demigod stepchildren after Radagon's union with Queen Marika.
But Rykard fed himself to the blasphemous serpent, Great Rune and all.
Serpent-God's Curved Sword
Curved sword fashioned in the image of an ancient serpent deity and tool of a forgotten religion practiced on Mt. Gelmir.
Formerly used to offer up sacrifices, this sword restores HP upon slaying an enemy.
Magma Shot
One of the sorceries developed from the magma of Mt. Gelmir.
Fires a lump of magma that explodes on contact. Charging enhances potency.
After discovering the ancient hexes of Gelmir, Rykard, son of Queen Rennala, brought them back into practical use as new forms of sorcery.
Blasphemous Claw
A slab of rock engraved with traces of the Rune of Death.
Can deflect the power of the Black Blade.
On the night of the dire plot, Ranni rewarded Praetor Rykard with these traces. Should the coming trespass one day transpire, they would serve as a last-resort foil, allowing Rykard to challenge Maliketh the Black Blade, the black beast of Destined Death.
Taker's Cameo
A talisman engraved with a stern likeness of Praetor Rykard, master of Volcano Manor.
Restores HP upon defeating enemies.
When Rykard turned to heresy, taking by force became the rule. The gods themselves were no different, after all.
Duelist Set
Worn by gladiators who were driven from the colosseum. The wearer becomes a slightly easier target for foes.
The snake is viewed as a traitor to the Erdtree, and the audience delighted in seeing these bronze effigies beaten and battered.
Devourer's Scepter
Scepter in the shape of a serpent devouring the world. This weapon will one day become the very symbol of the Lord of Blasphemy. One of the legendary armaments.
A vision of the future briefly seen by Rykard in his final moments before being devoured by the great serpent.
Gelmir Knight Armor
Armor worn by knights once loyal to Praector Rykard.
It bears an emblem that none wear any longer, standing as it does for a lord that fell from loft ambition into gluttonous depravity. As the lord lost his dignity, so too did these knights lose their master.
Rykard's Rancor
The terrible power of Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy.
Summons searing spirits that leave a trail of delayed explosions in their wake.
These spirits manifest from the rancor of heroes who met a violent end. The lord granted them an audience, whereupon they were welcomed by the maw of the great serpent -- and within the serpent's bowels, they became the lord's kin.
Serpent-Hunter
Weapon that serves as both greatsword and spear. Thought to have been used to hunt an immortal great serpent in the distant past, it manifests a long blade of light when facing such a creature.
When their master's heroic aspirations degenerated into mere greed, his men searched for a weapon with which they might halt their lord.
Man-Serpent Ashes
Ashen remains in which spirits yet dwell. Use to summon the spirit of a man-serpent.
Spirit of a deformed man-serpent that wields a whip of magma. It is said that long ago, the elder serpent that dwelled on Mt. Gelmir devoured a demigod, and the birth of the man-serpents followed.
Serpent's Amnion
Amnion from the mother's womb which cradled the poor unwanted offspring of a repellant birthing ritual.
It will never dry out, remaining damp indefinitely.
Remembrance of the Blasphemous
Remembrance of Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, hewn into the Erdtree.
The power of its namesake can be unlocked by the Finger Reader. Alternatively, it can be used to gain a great bounty of runes.
Rykard took the form of a giant serpent that he might devour, grow, and live eternally. "I understand. The road of blasphemy is long and perilous. One cannot walk it unprepared to sin."
Tonic of Forgetfulness
Tonic in a small brass vial.
Banishes distress and bitter memories.
A gift bestowed by Rykard, sworn to blasphemy, to Lady Tanith, who unfortunately had no use for it. "My Lord, there could be no greater distress than to forget you."
Consort's Set
Long ago, when Rykard first set eyes on Tanith, she was working as a dancer in a foreign land. Soon, he made her his consort.
She was the only human to remain by his side when he became the serpent of blasphemy.
In that moment, Tanith was truly charmed by him.
Dialogue Related to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
Gideon Ofnir
Praetor Rykard is the Lord of the Volcano Manor on Mt. Gelmir. He is a ruthless justiciar who commands a company of inquisitors, reviled for his serpentine demeanour.
The volcano, Mt. Gelmir, lies in the west of the Altus Plateau; the realm of the Erdtree. It was the stage of the most appalling battle in the entirety of the Shattering.
Lady Tanith
If the Erdtree, and indeed the very gods, would debase us so, then we are willing to raise the banner of resistance, even if it means heresy. We at the Volcano Manor, under Lord Rykard, have sworn no rest until it is done. If you follow this heroic path, one day the Lord will see you. The Lord's visits with our champions are always a spectacle. It cannot come a day too soon!
You... It's true then. You've defeated out Lord. No, I must thank you. Our Lord was yet weak. You have taught us that. Defeat is not the end. Our Lord is immortal, and will one day rise again, stronger. Until then, I must stay the path, and do my part.
Oh, you... Allow me some time. Our lord's carcass is vast and not easily consumed. Dear Rykard, please find purchase within me, I wish to be your serpent; your family. One day, let us devour the gods together.
Recusant Bernahl
So. You killed Rykard? I harbour you no ill will. The strong take. Such is our code. Even he was prepared to meet a wretched end when he first took blasphemy unto his very flesh. But anyroad, the Volcano Manor is no more. Though we may yet fulfil an old promise. We hunted our own kind, and took what was theirs. And with everything in hand, the time has come to rise, against the Erdtree.
O Greater Will, hear my voice. I am the recusant Bernahl, inheritor of my brother's will, and you will fall to my blade. We refuse to become your pawns. Consider this fair warning.
God-Devouring Serpent / Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Image Gallery
I just wish it was more doable without the Serpent Hunter. The Storm King was very difficult to beat without the Storm Ruler or spells, but I kinda get it, as it was their first try with the gimmick. Then Yhorm is borderline a better boss without the Storm Ruler, challenging yet simple, but they somehow took steps back in their next use of the "wind sword that kills a giant enemy" gimmick. The lava stuns you on almost every attack at medium or low poise, and he simply ignores damage. Unless you're using the Serpent Hunter (which trivializes the boss), Shard Spiral, or build a specific tank/regen/bleed build (both make the boss challenging, but not much fun), Rykard worse than Storm King.
- Anonymous
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By far one of the most intimidating and horrifying bosses fromsoft has ever made, and yet also one of the easiest because of his (mostly) simple moveset and the fact you can stun lock him with the serpent hunters skill.
- Anonymous
When he's charging up to do the "rancor storm" move as the wiki puts it, use the serpent hunters AOW and then hit him a couple of times when he's stunned, when he begins to charge up the move repeat what you did, you can pretty much stun lock him until you run out of FP.
- Anonymous
Uchigatana +22, with cold, 1-st phase just spam it down, died in about 2-3 minutes. Used flamedrake talisman +2 and boiled crabs. I even forgot to use flame fortification, as it adds another +35% fire resist.
Phase 2 I summoned the mimic+10 and while he tanked him in the lava pool, I stayed outside and used scarlet rot breath, and then spammed dragonice.
Took a bit as his health pool is huge,but went down. Was just in time, as I ran out of flasks. 3-rd attempt- was level 123, maybe a bit overleveled
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giant did it better in ds3, storm king did it better in demons souls, still a trash idea though
- Anonymous
Game crashed towards the end of this fight, thank you fromsoft, just another way you put sweet f*ck all effort into this game.
So many bosses and enemies that just fail completely, that you never bothered to fix, and this is the crashiest game I have played in a very long time, unlike the souls games.
- Anonymous
why is he stronger against holy damage than against being poked
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if you get summoned as a hunter on the way in, you get infinite stamina for the fight when you come back in
- Anonymous
The arena bumps the fight down a bit, constantly running into the wall or some pillar.
- Anonymous
Just beat this mofo with no cheese. Some tips:
- Whenever you use the Spear's AoW, immediately follow up with another use - this creates a second upward strike that does even more damage
- After doing the AoW combo, do a jumping power attack, which also has range and takes a lot of damage. I upgraded the spear to +6, and if I can get 3 of these combos in, it usually kills the snake and brings it to phase 2. It's a very repeatable strategy.
- In phase 1, only do the AoW after one of his attacks (anything except the poison usually has a long enough wind down that you can fit it in). If he's not attacking you but hasn't attacked yet, you can fit in some light thrust attacks to whittle away while still allowing you to dodge when necessary.
- During the phase transition, I healed up and popped a jellyfish. As soon as phase 2 started I did the AoW combo to chip away another huge chunk of his health, if you're fast you prevent his first sword swing move.
- From there it's just a matter of staying alive long enough to pop a few more AoW combos in. When he summons stuff or breathes fire it's actually a great opportunity to hit him with it, as long as you're not being chased by the red skulls. You can even prevent him from doing his worst moves with the AoW stagger. Roll dodge some sword swings, and if you're being chased by red skulls run until they disappear.
Hope this helps! Good luck brave tarnished!
- Anonymous
Upgraded serpent hunter to +5, mimic tear took care of business while I had a wander around the arena. He still had half his health left after Rykard went down.
- Anonymous
I prefer this fight to DS3's Yhorm because if you're gonna make a cakewalk gimmick fight, you might as well make it spectacular.
- Anonymous
This is my favorite boss in the game. I havent played the game i only watched my vtuber queen play it live, but this looks like the best boss in the game for sure
- Anonymous
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Why? Why isn't this boss weak to holy? He's literally the leader of a heretical faction, that wages war against the Erdtree, while being consumed by a serpent, somewhat similar to Messmer. Sure, he's related to Marika, but isn't Messmer also? And when Messmer commits an act that destroys his holy essence, he becomes weak to holy. So why isn't Rykard, the Lord of Blasphemy, weak to holy?! they did holy so dirty in this game
- Anonymous
I can't be the only one who fought this guy without Serpent Hunter because of not knowing about it and then wondering how to deal with the second phase
- Anonymous
You don't even need the AOW on Serpent Hunter. Equip a shield and spam R1. The shield on guard makes the R1 thrusts come out faster and basically eliminates his moves from the battle. I recommend Jellyfish for the extra damage.
- Anonymous
If I was swallowed by a giant snake I'd probably sound like that too. Togethaaaa!
- Anonymous
"It's supposed to be an RPG! What role am I playing, the victim!?"
- Anonymous
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Yeah it's cool that they give you the full move-set of the gimmick weapon they give you for the mandatory souls gimmick fight. However that doesn't really change the fact that you're essensially forced to use it unless you have a ranged build or something. Even if you had one you'd need some sh*t like a specific comet azur setup in order to actually kill him in any reasonable amount of time. I don't ever understand the appeal of these types of fights, temporarily knee-capping your build and forcing you to use a gimmick weapon just so you can spam some **** at a giant boss for 5 mins just for a tiny bit of spectacle most of the other bosses already provide isn't really worth it. At least Jhorm let you reasonably fight him without the gimmick weapon.
- Anonymous
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I'm still halfway thru the game but already ez top 3 worst fights ever.
- Anonymous
all you need to do is sit beneath his ass and poke him with your weapon
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
This guy is Yhorm on fucking fentanyl, Jesus Christ. Pretty cool.
- Anonymous
The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that this is easily the least important shard bearer and demigod. Am I wrong for feeling that? I know he was supposed to be in the shadows plotting while all the other demigods were making big plays, but there's just no resolution to any of it. You get invaded by like 3 recusants, 1 is a spy working for Gideon, another is IN the volcano manor doing nothing to actually stop you and Barnahl is actually kinda important. YOU are the most impactful recusant, and that should really say something about Rykard's operation since you literally kill him. Poor guy never even got to taste a god, unless we count.
I guess in any ending besides Frenzy Flame and MAYBE Ranni's, if Rykard isn't killed he could gun straight for you as an Elden Lord snack? Supposing you didn't just pick up Serpent Hunter and leave, which is pretty funny to imagine.
- Anonymous
I don't care if he's a dumb and easy gimmick he's an S tier just cause of how cool his fight is
- Anonymous
babe its time for ur government mandated souls gimmick boss
- Anonymous
I would probably hate him if it weren't for the visuals and his voice
- Anonymous
You can stunlock thissss guy and never have to deal with whatever he doessss that turnssss the battle into a dodgeball/running sssssimulator. Check the animation where he raisessss hisss foot, and before he doesss that use weapon sssskill, followed by two strong attacksss, repeat until hissss sssstance is broken (but do not use a weapon ssssskill when he'ssss sssstance-broken or he'll jusst get up and you'll losssse the opportunity for free hits-ssss)
- Anonymous
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Redditors will call this one of the best bosses of all time
- Anonymous
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I used an average armor setup, physick to raise all my defenses, 1 talisman to raise my physical defenses, 1 to raise fire defense and 1 for non-physical defenses. I casted golden vow once before activating the boss then I walked through the lava to stay as closer as possible to the boss and spammed the Serpent hunter's AoW.
I was with 40 in vigor, I used 9 red juice flasks. The lava staggers you at each 2 seconds but it is just a little and it applies low damage to my setup. The hyper-armor of the Serpent hunter allows you to attack many times in a row without getting staggered, but mind your HP, don't let it be less than 50%.
No grab-attacks, no skull fire phantoms, no bites, no poison, no sword attack, just fire damage and some damage from his body swirl or jump IF he does it. You may attack him in the right time to make it never jump in 2nd phase. Don't use the lock aim.
Easy. I thought he had around 40K HP, he died so fast. He was DEVOURED by a person from his FAMILY.
- Anonymous
Lord of Blasphemy vs Lord of Blood? I think my goat Mohg takes the cake ez since he has 80% fire res and has a ton of bleed buildup so he can shred thru rykard's fat hp pool.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Mf be called the Lord of Blasphemy and still have 40% resistance to holy
I commented something similar to this on Radahn, so sorry if you've seen that; this was my favorite fight on my first playthrough, probably only because I beat him in 1 try. Seeing how insane the visuals of this fight got, combined with a true bombastic realization of the classic "Use the Storm Ruler" gimmick, was such a sight to behold. If I kept dying over and over the luster would've quickly run out, but I didn't, so I loved it.
- Anonymous
JOIN THE SERPENT KING AS FAMILY! TOGETHAAA WE WILL DEVOUR THA VERY GODS
- Anonymous
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it is hard to dodge attacks when your entire screen is covered in the fire effect
- Anonymous
This Wiki sounds like -when the Iceman ringing the bell two times :)))
I love this game
Really, it is one of the best fantasy games I've ever played
From begining to End,
Hard..
- Anonymous
This used to be my least favorite bossfight, I hated it so much on my first playtrough. But now that I know how to deal with him, I had a blast during the fight. It's like Capra Demon from DS1, you hate it the first time because of the gimmick of the dogs, but when you replay the game it becomes more exciting since you know how to dodge and separate enemies. In the same way, Rykard can be fun if you take your time preparing and planning things right!
- Anonymous
Beautiful looking cinematic fight but dogshit boring gameplay
- Anonymous
why is he weak to frostbite. my guy is literally sitting in magma
- Anonymous
Anyone managed to beat him with Rock Sling or am I wasting my time lol? Gonna try Shard Spiral too before switch to Serpent Hunter. Be back with results.
- Anonymous
so...ng+ solo rykard is just serpent hunter and frost, which is actually really good at knocking chunks of his hp. Never used it before now so awesome. Frost death magic for the win! woo! Bring flame protect me so you don't get chunked by his fire damage and you should be fine!
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
he actually never says "together, we will devour the very gods", its just mandela effect
- Anonymous
truly the laggiest fight in the game, got me down to 20fps when rest of the game has been at 10x that at 200
- Anonymous
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Fought this boss for the first time in quite a while and he gave me a lot more trouble than I remember. I kept interrupting his rancor storm with great serpent hunt but he just kept spamming it.
- Anonymous
Why when tanith invites us to see him we can't just say "what's good giant snake man" and become friends and devour the gods togetha? So lame
- Anonymous
I understand it’s a gimmick fight and all but a snake should be not be resistant to holy.
- Anonymous
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I thought he would be weak to holy since he was devoured by an unholy serpent… oh well
- Anonymous
Holy projectile spam and visual noise. This boss is asssssssssssss
- Anonymous
How to avoid being staggered with lava? how many poise I need?
- Anonymous
Such a bad fight Just run to him and spam R1 and hope for a lucky run where he doesn't spawns red skulls only phase 1 can be fought normally if you like but same strategy applies
- Anonymous
Map-wise, where exactly is the boss area supposed to be? On the map, the boss room is where that huge lava lake with the abductor virgin already is. Is it deep below the lava lake? But if so, why doesnt the map show it located in the underground? Also I can't find the windows of Gelmir Hero's Grave's boss room that should be facing the lava lake as well.
- Anonymous
Might be a tiny bit overlevelled but the Serpent-Hunter made it a little too easy
NG+ imma kick his ass with another weapon
- Anonymous
if u didnt beat him by standing in the lava spamming R1 over and over without being able to see anything you didnt really beat him.
- Anonymous
Doing a shield only run, I found something weird about Rykard, in that his surrounding lava seems to act like a directional wave, rather than a damaging pool. I was actually able to block it whenever I was facing the opposite direction he was, and I was able to guard counter him into Oblivion with, honestly, more ease than I usually have with serpent hunter. Anybody know about this already? I can't be the first to try something so stupid.
- Anonymous
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Kinda anticlimatic fight when you can cheese him by spamming Great Serpent Hunt non-stop
- Anonymous
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It seems as if he does the Magma Upheaval attack as his first move every time. Not sure if this is true or just very unlucky
- Anonymous
not a fan of this boss at all but it is pretty funny when he grabs you and sticks you inside the terrain
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
as much as i hate the unblockable lava attack i have to admit this dude is legit in the top 1 best boss design in all of video games
- Anonymous
Finally killed him with nothing but my dual uchigatanas and like no poise (wear the leather armor). That was... not enjoyable
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
If you are going to summon the mimic wait till you kill the serpent then summon it. It’s a lot more useful during the Rykard phase
- Anonymous
the spear after you use it and find it useful for this boss specifically: first time?
- Anonymous
“ Stay within medium range to prevent it from using this move.” MY ASS
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
snake living on lava has 80% fire damage resistance instead of being fully immune to it like it's children lmfao miyazaki nice lore
- Anonymous
I'm sorry but does the spreadsheet say he gets less resistance to status when going from ng to ng+?
is that a glitch? I never heard of that being a thing
- Anonymous
do you think messmer tells him "you will never be a real serpent"
If you're an INT caster, equip Glintstone Icecrag for this boss. In both phases, two icecrags to the head will frotbite him, chunking 10% of his HP and increasing dmg dealt by Serpent Hunter. It's very easy to apply while he recovers from his bite attacks or leans forward to cast Rancor.
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