Dark Souls 3: 10 Things You Need To Know About The Deacons Of The Deep

The Deacons of The Deep boss battle of Dark Souls 3 is a unique one, that offers different a different experience to every player that tries their hand at it. These clergymen are more than just a mob boss fight in a Souls game. The story behind their founding and what they believe in is a major plot point for the story of Dark Souls 3, that stands out among the previous Dark Soul entries in the series.

Along with their deep lore, there’s also interesting game play elements and references to old games hidden in their existence. It should also be noted that the deacons exist outside their own boss fight and can be found at other points in the game, deepening the mystery around them even more.

10 What Is The Deep?

The Deacons worship a mysterious dark force called the Deep but it isn’t inherently obvious what this force might actually be. Many fans speculate that it’s a form of the Abyss from the first Dark Souls game. They’re both forms of dark magic from another plane that people from all over the world worship, and they even look similar in their lore descriptions.

Because of their tendency to bask in the Deep, players should avoid attacking them with dark damage, magic, and ailments like bleed or poison. The Deacons worship darkness so they are highly resistant to most magic and ailments altogether. The exception to the ailment rule is frostbite, as they are very weak to that.

9 NPC Summons

Players can summon up to 3 NPCs for this fight. The first is Anri of Astora, who can be found on the Road Of Sacrifices before the Cathedral. Talk to them, and their summon sign will appear before the boss fight with the Deacons. The second NPC is Horace the Hushed, who is seen working with Anri. His summon sign is in the same area before the boss fight.

Lastly, players can summon Sirris Of The Sunless Realms. Players have to speak with her in Firelink Shrine, after speaking to Horace and Anri on the Road Of Sacrifices. In order for players to summon all three NPCs for the fight, they must use a dried finger to reset their summon count, and gain an extra ally.

8 They’re The Protectors Of Alrdrich

The Deacons don’t feel like a very important boss because it can be underwhelming to fight a horde boss of decaying undead clergymen, but they’re actually the protectors of a Lord Of Cinder. The Lord of Cinder they protect is Aldrich of The Deep, a powerful dark magic user who was turned into a martyr for the Deep by either himself or the Cathedral.

It’s also known that Alrdrich was once a Deacon and Saint of the Deep himself before he was turned into the ghastly form he takes by the time the player confronts him. The worshipers of the Deep used to hold faith in the fire that kept the world alive, until they turned to the powers of darkness and consumed their fellow men, striving to return to the nothingness the universe came from.

7 The First Phase

This fight is unlike any other in Dark Souls 3, so it can throw new players for a loop if they’re not paying close enough attention. When the first phase begins, the horde of enemies will grow as players attack the Deacons. The health bar at the bottom says “Deacons of The Deep” but it doesn’t go down, no matter how much damage is done and how many are killed.

Eventually, it becomes clear that certain Deacons have red auras about them, and they should be targeted. After attacking the Deacons covered in Aura, the health gauge will decrease, until the fight enters the second phase.

6 The Second Phase

The true fight begins in the second half. After the player attacks enough possessed Deacons, the Archdeacon will reveal himself, along with four blue-robed Deacons. The Archdeacon can be damaged directly and is the main target players should focus on since the health gauge reflects his own vitality.

The issue here is that the blue-robed Deacons also heal the Archdeacon so they need to be dealt with before the battle can come to a close. Players should use backstabs as much as possible to deal huge damage and lower the time they are vulnerable to attacks. It’s important to kill the boss quickly before they can unleash a giant ball of death that usually guarantees a kill.

5 Small Doll Item

After killing the Deacons, they will drop an item called the small doll. This item serves as a token to break the seal preventing players from entering Irithyll of the Boreal Valley. It’s important to note this because it can be difficult to figure out how to break the seal for beginners. The seal itself offers no clues and the only way to know the doll breaks it’s to read its item description.

Fromsoftware loves to hide important bits of information in their item descriptions, and fans have long since caught on to it. This example is one of the most straightforward, but there’s still speculation about why the item itself is the key to breaking the barrier.

4 Hollowslayer Greatsword

The Hollowslayer Greatsword is a perfect weapon to use against this boss for so many reasons. First off, the sword has a wide swinging moveset that can easily strike multiple enemies at a time. This, paired with certain rings makes the fight feel effortless. Secondly, the heavy attacks are thrusting so players can aim them precisely at enemies they want to hit, while avoiding other targets that could get in the way.

Lastly, the sword deals 20% extra damage against hollows, which includes the Deacons themselves. The only downside of this sword is that it can’t be infused or buff for further bonuses since it has an inherent advantage over certain enemies. 20% extra damage is nothing to sneeze at against a boss, so if players already use greatswords, this is the way to go.

3 Easy To Bait Them Out

The Deacons of The Deep are largely mindless undead who can’t do much thinking other than focusing on attacking anything with a soul. Players can use this to their advantage, making the fight against the Deacons a lot easier. There’re certain items like Alluring Skulls and spells like Rapport, that attract mindless enemies.

Throw a skull or cast rapport to lure the mindless Deacons away from the main target, or just to get a chance to breathe and heal while they divert their focus. This tactic is very simple to use and Alluring Skulls can be found at the shrine maiden’s shop or in Patches’ shop as well as other locations.

2 Use The Target System Sparingly

This boss fight isn’t difficult for the same reasons that normal fights are. Normally, players can lock on to a boss and focus on them entirely, without worrying about moving the camera. In the fight against the deacons, however, players need to be worried about enemies all around them. Deacons will try to surround the player and cast spells from off-screen so it’s important to be aware.

A simple trick to help improve awareness is to not use the lock on function of the camera. Singling out one enemy in the horde is an easy way to get tunnel vision and lose focus on all the other enemies trying to mount their offense. Players should spin the camera around regularly to avoid bad situations.

1 Equipment Tricks

There are certain pieces of equipment that can make this fight much easier for players who could be having trouble. The first is the Ring of the Evil Eye. This ring allows players to absorb health from enemies they kill. While attacking the horde, this makes for a great substitute for using Estus Flasks and leaving opportunities for enemies to counter-attack.

The second option that minimizes this fight’s difficulty is the Pontiff’s Left Eye, which heals players upon successive attacks. Since it’s easy to chain attacks while hitting multiple enemies, players will essentially heal constantly while attacking, making the first phase obsolete.

NEXT: 10 Mistakes Everyone Makes On Their First Playthrough Of Dark Souls 3

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