Lords of the Fallen has its unfair share of challenging boss fights and difficult enemies. Not long after the tutorial will you be faced with your second boss, and she is a real doozy. Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal, is a challenging two-stage boss fight with a variety of moves that will put every single skill you’ve learned to the test.
How to prepare for Pieta boss fight in Lords of the Fallen
In Lords of the Fallen, by the time you’ve reached Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal, you will have had time to practice all of the moves taught to you in the tutorial (and if you’ve missed any, you can access all of the tutorial pop-ups through the tutorial menu in your inventory!). However, what is skill without a good weapon to use it with?
Interestingly, before Pieta, there are no vendors or NPCs that will sell you anything, so the only gear you’ll have access to is what you started out with and what you can find around. I personally started with the Condemned class, so I had virtually nothing to my name. So if I could beat the boss, you can, too.
You will want to ditch your starter weapons as soon as you can. Outside the boss arena, on the right side when you’re coming up the steps, is a bunch of enemies battling it out. You can grind decent weapons and gear here, all of which will see you through the boss fight. You can get a set of armor, the Avowed Mace, and even a crossbow from their chanced loot drops, alongside other consumables.
I would personally recommend that you dual-wield the Avowed Mace with the Rusty Cutter, if you were able to find it on the way between the first and second boss. This is because the Rusty Cutter does fire damage as well, and so actually deals more damage after defense reduction than the Avowed Mace. If you can’t find it, then dual-wielding two maces will do the trick here.
Don’t fall into the trap of dual-wielding one weapon for “more damage,” as dual-wielding two weapons does more damage altogether. You can even ditch the shield, no matter your build, as you’ll be more encouraged to dodge than to parry or block in this fight.
If your character uses ranged weaponry, either with magic or ammunition, then you’ll have a much easier time in this fight, as you can pepper the boss when she backs off. If you don’t, don’t worry! The Condemned class has no ranged weapon, and dual-wielding the maces got me through just fine.
You can use consumables to make your life easier, such as wards or salts, but it isn’t necessary. You will want to make sure you’re confident utilizing your entire moveset, but you’ll be mostly dodging, parrying, and using light attacks. There isn’t really time to do much else, as she is very nimble and quick.
One last thing, you can and should grind for vigor in Umbral to level up your character for more health and damage. If you’re in Umbral for long enough, you can achieve a x2 and even x3 modifier to your vigor gain! Just be mindful of the creature in red…
Fighting Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal
Pieta is a very multifaceted boss who will require you to accommodate for numerous moves. Below, I’ve listed all the fighting moves she will perform in each stage, and how best to get around them. Your only opportunity of attack here will be to perform a couple of light attacks between her attacks or to execute a grievous strike if you’ve reduced her posture enough through parrying or attacking. Any ranged attack will be very situational.
Related: Which starting class should you pick in Lords of the Fallen?
The first phase
The first phase only lasts until about 30% of her health has been reduced. During this phase, however, she will hit hard and fast. Below is a list of her moves (that I’ve taken the liberty of labeling) during this phase:
Sword combo: She will strike with her sword two to four times. You can parry each attack, or dodge each attack (in any direction). Only go in for an attack or two once she has stopped for more than a second, otherwise you might get clipped by another attack in the combo. Her sword will extend during these swings, so don’t think you’ll be too far away.
Holy beam: She will briefly raise her sword to generate power, then thrust it forth and shoot a penetrating beam of holy light. This attack is pretty damaging but is very easily dodged. The moment you see her charging this attack, just spam your dodge button until it passes.
Sword rain: She will briefly generate power (gold and red aura this time) and summon a sword to strike the ground in front of her. This will start a chain of falling swords that will slowly hone in on you. You can wait for it to get closer before you dodge to the side, it won’t reach back around to get you.
Your only safe opportunity to strike Pieta is after she has performed a sword combo. If you have a ranged attack, you can use it after dodging the holy beam or the sword rain if there is enough distance, but I’d recommend saving your mana or ammunition for her second phase…
The second phase
You will know when she is transitioning to her second phase as she plunges her sword into the ground. You will want to be well clear of her when this happens, as a small surge of power will emit from her as she transforms. Red wings will sprout from her back, and she’ll take to the air to be an even bigger thorn in your side. Immediately after transforming, she will charge down the middle lane of the arena and drop many holy swords in her wake. Steer clear from this lane when she transforms.
Here are the litany of attacks she will perform here:
Flying sword combo: Like in her first phase, she will perform a combo of two to four strikes; however, the nature of these hits is a little different. They can be dodged and parried all the same.
Holy beam: Like in her first phase, she can shoot a holy beam after a brief charge-up. She will be likely to perform this attack after her phantoms have made a hit, so don’t avert your eyes from Pieta!
Dual sword rain: Like before, she will briefly emit a gold and red aura before starting the sword rain. However, this time, she will launch two swords. This doesn’t matter too much, as you can simply dodge to the side of one, and the other will be too far away to touch you.
Flying lunge: For a brief moment, a small golden flash will appear before she charges towards you. If she hits you, she will grab you and perform a devastating attack. This is easy enough to dodge, but only if you notice it quickly enough. Always keep your eye on her! When you dodge, she will be stationary long enough for you to land a couple of hits.
Holy Phantom attacks: She may send a golden phantom of herself or two to perform one of her attacks independently. They may perform a sword strike, sword rain, or holy beam. Be mindful of their movements and dodge accordingly.
These two attacks will happen later in stage two, when about 30% of her health remains:
Phantom lane sweeps: Pieta will back off and two winged phantoms will take the position in one of the three lanes of the arena. Immediately make your way to the one free lane, as they will charge down the lane and drop holy swords. If you get caught here, you will almost certainly die. In the lane where you’re safe, you’ll still have Pieta to deal with. They will do this at least twice in your run.
Holy swords drop: Pieta may drop holy swords in a small area around one of her attacks, just keep an eye on the sky to dodge away before they land.
Once again, there are only some precious opportunities to attack here, which is why dual-wielding the Avowed Maces is optimal, no matter your build, as they perform very well against Pieta. If you can shoot at the boss, whether bolts or magic, then certainly do so to astronomically improve your chances.
Things to keep in mind during the Pieta boss fight
Whilst fighting Pieta, make sure to take breaks! It may seem very frustrating to have to back off, but I’ve found that after a lengthy break, my muscle memory has settled in, and my reflexes become better. This prevents infuriation and an unhealthy relationship with the game. You’re here to have fun, ultimately, so keep it that way!
If you’re shooting with a weapon that takes ammunition, then don’t worry about using all of it for each fight. Some enemies, like the ranged fighter outside of Pieta’s arena, drop ammunition pouches, so you can grind for them if you run out of ammo.
When in Umbral, your Sanguiniaxes don’t perform as well, as half of the health they recover will be withered. Make sure to, as sensibly as you can, use them before going Umbral. In other words, try not to let any of your Sanguiniaxes make it with you into Umbral to try and maximize your healing potential and lengthen your time in the fight.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our guide on taking down Pieta, She of Blessed Renewal, in Lords of the Fallen. I also wish you the best of luck with what’s to come. If you want even more Lords of the Fallen help, look no further than PC Invasion.
