Lords of the Fallen: How To Beat Ruiner

Ruiner is a boss that you’ll encounter on the bridge on your way to Fitzroy’s Gorge, so it’s hard to miss it. The main equipment of this boss is an axe and a shield, as well as powerful fire attacks, but luckily, they are not really difficult to avoid. To fully understand his attacks and develop a strategy, check out our guide on how to beat Ruiner in Lords of the Fallen. With our instructions below, you can defeat this fearsome foe quickly.

Lords of the Fallen: Best Weapon & Armor to Kill Ruiner

So, before starting the battle, you need to be well-prepared. Foremost, let’s look at the armor. Here, the best equipment is the one with high resistance to fire because almost all of his attacks are of this type. Thus, a viable option would be the Condemned Armor Set, so if you have it, be sure to wear it to fight this boss.

The next step is to choose a weapon, and here the decision is up to you. You can choose any melee weapon, depending on your playstyle, but don’t focus on aggressive combat because the boss will be stronger in this case. But for long-range, it would be best to use ice arrows, which can deal significant damage, given that this element is a counter pick against fire.

If you lack health or simply quickly die, the following items will be helpful:

• Burn Resistance Balm: A common consumable that you can often find or buy, it is excellent against fire.
• Relic of Perpetuation: This pendant will not protect you from fire, but instead will significantly increase your health, which is a great choice if you have no alternative.

Now that you’re well-prepared, you can go into battle.

Ruiner Boss Attacks

Before developing a strategy, you should learn all the boss’s attacks. Fortunately, Ruiner has one phase, so he won’t have any new attacks during the fight, only the following:

• Axe Swing: The enemy performs a combination of axe attacks with forehand and backhand swings.
• Ignite Strike: Ruiner strikes the floor with his axe, causing a line of fire that spreads across the ground.
• Shield bash: The enemy uses his shield as a weapon and lunges forward trying to hit you.
• Ignite Totem: After hitting the shield several times, the enemy summons a totem to the battlefield. While the totem is on the ground, the enemy enters an aggro state, significantly increasing its speed and damage. To avoid this, destroy the totem as soon as possible.
• Fire Charge: Ruiner launches a forward attack, leaving a trail of fire behind.
• Magma Steps: The boss starts running in a specific direction, leaving behind puddles of magma that significantly reduce the possible ways to maneuver.

Lords of the Fallen: Best Ruiner Strategy

By learning all these attacks in advance, you will not have any problems when fighting the boss. The battle with this enemy can be compared to a bull. You need to concentrate on counterattacking because it’s not a good idea to go into battle aggressively. Instead, wait until the enemy makes an attack and then hit him in the back. This is the best strategy because if you attack from the front, there is a high probability that the boss will protect himself with a shield and then hit you with his weapon.

As for his attacks, everything is simple. They are straightforward to avoid with a simple dodge to the right or left. Most of the boss’s attacks in your direction will take him a little further than where you were standing, so if you dodge, it will be the perfect moment to hit him in the back. The only really difficult obstacle will be the Ignite Totem, so don’t allow it to stand on the battlefield. 

Thus, alternating between distant attacks with ice arrows and close counterattacks in the back when the enemy approaches, you will have no difficulty defeating him in a few minutes. As a reward for defeating the boss, you will not only open a further path across the bridge but also receive the following items:

• Vestige Seed x1
• Several random items (not all) from the Ruiner Set. Here is a list of possible drops:
  • Ruiner Sleeves
  • Ruiner Armor
  • Ruiner Helm
  • Ruiner Boots
  • Ruiner Shield
  • Ruiner Axe

Lords of the Fallen is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.