Dark Souls Defeating the Bell Gargoyles

This will guide the player in defeating the bell gargoyles above the church. The bell gargoyles are a pair of gargoyles with wings and tails and huge mean looking weapons that guard the bell in the bell tower of the church. The Hero must confront and defeat the bell gargoyles in order to ring the bell. Because the church is connected to the firelink shrine, it is recommended that the player rest and recharge the ectus flask at the firelink shrine bonfire. This will allow the hero to take 10 ectus flask fillings to the battle with the bell gargoyles, thereby permitting the hero more chances to heal up and stay alive in defeating the bell gargoyles.

Several tactics will have to be used to defeat the bell gargoyles. The hero has to arm himself or herself with effective weapons. These weapons have to be fast (for repeated fast attacking of the bell gargoyles to create multiplier damage) and have to deal heavy damage at the same time, if possible. A list of weapons to use include the drake sword and the Gargoyle Tail Axe. The gargoyle tail axe is obtained after chopping off the tail of the first bell gargoyle. Even if the hero is about to be defeated but the tail has come off, just grab the tail axe because it will respawn in the hero's inventory if the hero dies. The Zweihandler (attack 130) can also be used, but unless the hero has strength of 24, it has to be wielded two handed.

Understanding the tactics of the bell gargoyles will also help with forming some tactics when attempting to defeat the bell gargoyles. The first bell gargoyle will descend first and attack the hero. There is a time interval before the second bell gargoyle arrives. It is entirely possible to defeat the first bell gargoyle before the second bell gargoyle arrives. Just use the fast and heavy damaging weapon to create repeated hits on the first bell gargoyle.

The first bell gargoyle is a beast. Not only can it fly and then come chopping down from the sky with his mighty axe, it can also stay on the rooftop and use its swinging spiky axe tail to sweep the hero off the roof. Hence the need to cut off the axe tail as fast as possible. When on the rooftop, the first bell gargoyle will also try to swing its mighty axe with his hands. This attack is rather slow, and can be dodged most of the time. The tail axe attack is more devastating.

Before too long, the second bell gargoyle will arrive. This bell gargoyle can also hit the hero with weapons, but prefers to breath fire when the first bell gargoyle is there. The key is to eliminate the first bell gargoyle before the second one arrives. The fire breath from the second bell gargoyle can do a large amount of damage, and when the hero is trying to dodge both gargoyles, it can become increasingly difficult to get close to the bell gargoyles to hit and defeat them. If the first bell gargoyle has been defeated, then the second bell gargoyle will prefer to attack with melee weapons. It also has less armor and is easier to take down.

When trying to defeat the first bell gargoyle on your own, the hero must stay very close to the bell gargoyle to hit the bell gargoyle, and then roll away when the tail axe or axe attack comes. Then approach close to the first bell gargoyle and repeat the attack again. Try to move to the back of the gargoyle to attack it and chop off its tail axe, if possible. Also constantly moving from left to right and right to left is another tactic that the hero can use to prevent himself from being swept by the tail. This will also reduce the rolling attempts so the hero does not need to recover and start building up an attack again. Above all, always remember to block with the shield, except when trying to backstab. All these tactics must be combined and then practiced and executed to perfection in order to defeat the bell gargoyles solo.

There is another easier way to defeat the bell gargoyles. That is to bring a friend along. At the bridge before trying to run beyond the red dragon, the hero will find and befriend (hopefully - just keep talking to the knight, and say yes to everything he says) the Knight Solaire. Eventually the Knight Solaire will give the hero the white sign soapstone. At the firelink shrine bonfire, use Humanity to return to human form. Then proceed to the white light at the church. The hero must defeat the tower knight and the undead cleric (mini-boss monsters which will not respawn) before reaching the white light. Just before entering the white light, the hero can summon the Knight Solaire.

Having the Knight Solaire by one's side is just a massive boost. He can distract and attack the gargoyles, allowing the player to get close to the gargoyles, particularly the first one, and fast attack repeatedly on the gargoyles until they are defeated. The first bell gargoyle can also be more rapidly eliminated before the second bell gargoyle arrives. When both bell gargoyles are defeated with the help of the Knight Solaire, the hero will be awarded the Sun Medal.

With both bell gargoyles defeated either solo or with help, head to the Bell Tower and ring the bell. Congratulations! The hero now has only one more bell left to ring. Descend from the Bell Tower and find that a new NPC has arrived in the Bell Tower to offer the player covenants to join and miracles to cast.