Just when you think you’re starting to get the hang of Lords of the Fallen, these enemies with a spikey head start showing up. The Ardent Penitent is a run-of-the-mill foe, but it packs a punch and is incredibly difficult to combat along the scaffolding of Pilgrim’s Perch, where they’re introduced. Fortunately, there are a few ways to beat them quickly.
How to beat the spikey-headed Ardent Penitents in Lords of the Fallen
You’ll meet the spikey head enemies in Lords of the Fallen shortly after beating Delyth. The first one appears as you step onto the rickety wood planks of Pilgrim’s Perch and will quickly surprise you with its strong headbutts and speedy attacks.
There are two ways we’ve found to beat an Ardent Penitent without taking too much (or any) damage:
- Parrying
- Stumbling
Most of this spikey-headed foe’s attacks can be parried. What makes this difficult is that it has several similar attack patterns, making it hard to nail down the tempo of its blows. However, if you can figure out its tells, you can parry it until it staggers and then hit it with Grevious Attacks.
If you’re not good at parrying, there’s still hope. A few attacks can cause the Ardent Penitent to stumble, interrupting its movement. One that is available to all is the Empyrean Grenade, which can be found on the other side of some bars (which you can use your lamp to cross through) in the same building where you fight Delyth. This grenade lowers holy resistance and, increases smite buildup, and briefly stops the Ardent Penitent in its tracks.
Charged strong attacks will also cause the spikey head foes to stumble. However, you can’t get greedy when fighting an Ardent Penitent. If you cause it to stumble with a charged strong attack, back off and wait for your next clear opportunity. Also, note that you can’t let it get too close as it’s immune to interrupts during its headbutt attack.
These guys are the biggest danger as you make your way through Pilgrim’s Perch, especially when other enemies are nearby. Keep in mind that you can also outrun them, which is sometimes the best tactic to use.
