The fearsome Garden Knight guards the way to the Western Belltower in Tunic. Even though the first boss fight in the game is technically against the Guard Captain, the Garden Knight is likely to be the first true challenge for many players. This rock-hard golem is no joke, but with a bit of practice, you’ll soon have it in pieces.
First off, you’re going to want to take the advice on page 19 of the manual and boost your Attack and Defense stats to 3. While you’re at it, you might as well boost your HP to 3 as well — every little help. If you’re having trouble finding stat-boosting items, or even if you’re unsure how to even level them up in the first place, don’t worry: we have guides for that. It’s also possible to gather enough coins to unlock a second accessory slot by this point, so consider equipping Louder Echo (which will damage the boss more when you pick up your ghost) and the Orange Peril Ring (which boosts your attack when your health is critical).
Once you’re in the arena, take a beat and observe the Knight’s attack patterns. It’s got a plethora of moves at its disposal, and they all hit hard. One of its favorite tactics is a three-slash combo with its enormous sword — be wary if you’re dodge-rolling because the final swing comes fractionally earlier than you might think. The Knight can also stab into the ground with its sword before spinning in a massive fiery arc and finishing with a powerful uppercut. Finally, it’ll transform its sword into a shotgun (I know, it seems unfair), briefly take aim, and fire off three quick shots.
This last move is quite a good opportunity to close the distance between you and the Knight and get some hits in since it’ll fire all three shots in the same direction once it takes aim. Roll or dash in close, and you can hack away at it while it fruitlessly shoots into the void. For the other attacks, keeping a distance is more advised, though if you get the timing down, you can use the roll’s invincibility frames to get in close for a few hits at the end of the three-hit combo.
If you’ve picked up the Magic Dagger from the West Garden, you can also use it to freeze the Knight in place temporarily to get a few hits in or get out of harm’s way. At this point in the game, though, you’ll only have three shots with it, so make them count.
The Garden Knight is certainly a powerful adversary, but your unassuming little fox is more than up to the challenge. Get past it, and the Western Bell is yours to ring.
