The Relic: First Guardian is FULL of bosses and difficult enemies to try and best. A Soulslike with passion, it’s a game that’ll resonate with those that like a little difficulty, and a little challenge, in their gameplay, and oh boy, does Arg, the next boss in your journey, take some beating. Don’t worry though, by the end of this guide we’ll have given you some tips and tricks on exactly how to beat Arg in The Relic: First Guardian.
How to Find Arg in The Relic: First Guardian
Arg is one of the Brutals that you could easily miss. He’s not tied to an Event, his location is a little out of the way and for all intents-and-purposes, you may just think it’s more forest that you’ll be exploring by going down his path. You’re partly right, with that last assumption.
Arg is directly south of the Fast Travel point Field of Forgotten Footprints, down a long path that sends you up a hill, and towards a large skirmish between Looters and the Corrupted. Once you get close enough to the cave entrance, Arg will emerge and lay waste to everyone in front of him, so don’t worry about trying to fight the mass of enemies first.
How to Beat Arg in The Relic: First Guardian
Arg is, in my opinion, hands down the most irritating Brutal in the Faded Mist Forest. A literal giant of a man, he’s three times the height of our Guardian, and about five times as broad, and hits as hard as you’d expect someone of that stature to. It makes this Brutal battle one not only to remember, but probably one that’ll push up your death counter more than even The Wingless Woman, or Garrot himself.
As he emerges from the cave, it may seem counterintuitive, but you’ll want to get as close to the blue-shielded cave wall as possible, preferably before/as he comes out. You won’t suffer any damage, but will be able to take advantage of being at his back. Immediately follow him and unleash a Menacing Strike, and then follow that with an Overwhelm as well – this is assuming you’re using a Sword and Shield.
By this time he’ll have turned around, and the key with Arg is to maintain as close a distance as possible. Get in so close you can smell him. This renders SOME of his attacks useless, as they miss, which, for the record, you largely cannot block as with other enemies, and won’t break his poise by doing so. When you see him swipe with his hand, or slash with his huge sword, do block, and expect to be pushed back, but then run back towards him. Attack when you feel safe to, but it’s best to wait for him to take a break, as you’ll see him very momentarily put his sword into the ground, and then start up again.
UPCOMING BOSSES
- Feller, The One Who Was Consumed
- Gorvar, Blade of the Storm
Because Arg is so big, the arena is as well. That huge forest you ran through from the Tibelle’s Blessing to even get to him? That’s your playground. Unlike every other boss fight thus far, you should ignore the barrels, as getting him to hit them is more trouble than it’s worth, and, even though he can succumb to Burn, he’s more immune to it than other Brutals. Instead, you’ll want to make use of your elemental attack, and your Shard of Emberflame. The latter will make him stumble once it hits, and as odd as it may sound, and you may get Burn yourself, you should push forward when this happens, and use a skill or two.
The biggest warning, worst move and attack that killed me the most from Arg was his dawn shout. He charges up, telegraphing it, but due to the forest and trees obscuring your vision, you won’t always be able to see and prepare for it. All that matters is that when you see him lean back slightly, as if drawing breath, you block, and hold it. You’ll be pushed back a great distance, and nearly all of your stamina will be depleted (make sure you have a Relic that buffs stamina equipped), but he will then advance towards you. Use this as a time to use a skill that’ll bridge the gap between you, and allow you to block his incoming attack after, like Menacing Strike.
If you don’t manage to block this shout attack, more times than not, you’ll see the familiar yellow glow cover your body as you die, and you’ll have to start again. Also, unlike other bosses, the Tibelle’s Blessing is further away, and you’ll have to make your way back up towards the cave, and through the enemies. Don’t forget, ignore them and let Arg take them on. He makes mincemeat of them.
Arg also has some red, unblockable attacks, but thankfully these are easily dodged. Unlike the normal attacks where being close is the order of the day, instead, you’ll just want to get away. While his attacks, including his red ones, do manage to cover some big distance, you can still easily avoid them if you back up enough.
You will die to Arg, probably several times, but once you understand what to do and when, you’ll quickly realise he is beatable, and hopefully with these tips in this guide, you can hopefully succeed where others will fail.
Rewards:
- Shard of Dread
- Relic Power
Now you know how to beat Arg in The Relic: First Guardian, and have accomplished the difficult task, don’t run off straight away! Make sure you go into the cave that he appeared from to grab the Ancient Relic Energy, as it’s all too easy to miss this area hidden in the fog and destruction of war that you’re left with after you’ve defeated him.
For your next read, don’t miss out on our list of tips and tricks we wish we’d have known before starting the game, or how to beat Vermion, the Gilded Arbiter.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
