Dragonrider

The Dragonrider is a halberd-wielding boss in Dark Souls II.

Location
The Dragonrider can be found in Heide’s Tower of Flame (3050 HP). Two are fought later in Drangleic Castle at the same time, with one attacking the player head on and the other attacking the player with a greatbow until he comes down from a platform atop which he starts the fight.

Description
The Dragonrider is clad in heavy, red (or black, the bow wielding one in Drangleic Castle) armour, matching his crimson-tinged skintone, giving him an exotic, almost demonic appearance. He is large and physically imposing.

Lore
A Dragonrider who used to serve in King Vendrick's royal guard long ago. These Riders mounted Wyverns and caused chaos on the battlefield due to their unparalleled strength. The rank of Dragonrider was reserved for honorable warriors who helped found Drangleic. Together with the King, they crushed its former inhabitants and erected a magnificent kingdom upon their graves.

Those wishing to join the ranks of the Dragonriders were forced to undergo intense and dangerous training. Only those who passed the training were allowed in the order, those who failed would be ripped apart by the very mounts they tried to command.

Strategy
The Dragonrider doesn't need to be fought at all by conventional means, if the player times their dodge correctly. Without raising the arena rings from the water, one can simply wait by the fog door. The Dragonrider will swing, and fall into the water, allowing for a "lazy" victory.

The Dragonrider possesses a highly predictable attack pattern, consisting of mostly mid-ranged attacks, with the biggest threat being falling off the edge of the circular arena, a threat essentially eliminated if the guarded levers found earlier in the level are pulled. Dodging his attacks give players ample time to deal heavy damage. Blocking may prove useful, though a dexterous character with good timing can roll away from his slow attacks. Circling around him is also highly effective.

Masterless Glencour can also be summoned from a sign just to the right of the fog gate. He is a powerful tank knight wielding a greatsword and a shield, and is capable of parrying the Dragonrider.

On the stone bridge after the third Old Knight, there is a spot where it is possible to shoot the Dragonrider from outside the arena. After taking a certain amount of damage, he will hold his shield up, preventing any further damage. The player can then enter the arena to fight the Dragonrider, who should now be at very low HP.

It is also possible to exploit the AI by standing close to the Dragonrider's back. This causes him to attack as if the player was standing in front of him, thus leaving him open for easy damage.

Drangleic Castle

The second Dragonrider will be attacking the player with a greatbow while they engage the first. Once the first Dragonrider is down to roughly half health, the second one will come down. It is a good idea to quickly eliminate one of them to minimize the amount of time spent fighting 2-on-1. The second Dragonrider has significantly less HP than the first, and may prove easier to dispatch. Once one is defeated, the fight becomes very similar to the original fight in Heide's Tower of Flame, but without the risk of falling off the stage.

Attacks
Throughout the boss fight, his attack combos get longer as his health decreases. There are three different phases (start, middle, and near-end of fight) to his attack patterns based on his health, and the new attacks simply combo after his normal ones. Most of the new attacks are simply extra horizontal swings with a few exceptions. Like most enemies, he only continues the combo if the player is still in range of the attacks.

1. Lines his Halberd up and does a straight thrust.


 * -Phase 2: Adds a horizontal slash.

2. Raises his Halberd up behind him and does two horizontal strikes.


 * -Phase 2: Same


 * -Phase 3: Finishes with a downward
 * smash.

3. Raises his Halberd up and does a straight downward slash.


 * -Phase 2: Adds an upward, diagonal slash.

4. Raises his Halberd up and does a single, twirling swipe with a wider range to his left.


 * -Phase 2: Adds another horizontal slash.

5. Performs a shield bash that breaks guard. Range is shorter than his other attacks and slow recovery. Stay close with your shield up to bait him into using this move.

The Dragonrider has two main defensive moves: One is to dash away from the player; the other is to simply raise his shield for a short period of time. He often does this after a dash.

Drops
The Dragonrider drops 12,000 souls upon defeat

Trivia

 * The black Dragonrider Set can be bought from Magerold of Lanafir after the first bonfire in the Iron Keep reaches level 3. The Dragonrider's weapon and shield can be purchased from Straid should the player have the soul in their inventory.