Demon's Souls Phalanx.PNG

The Demon bosses in Demon's Souls are the hardest and most stressful part of the whole affair. Filling up on souls in the stage prior only to have to prove yourself against a giant enemy with a massive health bar to match is almost always a daunting task.

But don't worry, in this Demon's Souls guide we'll have you covered by breaking down each of the game's bosses and the best way to approach them. Take a deep breath, have a look at the tips below, and try your best to enjoy yourself and the challenge that the bosses pose.

How to Beat the Phalanx in Demon's Souls

Being the first Archstone boss of Demon's Souls, Phalanx won't give you too tough of a time – that is, if you know its weakness. This amorphous blob and the shielded Hoplites it surrounds itself with are weak to fire. Those smaller shield-wielding enemies are actually this Demon's only defense, so dispatching them first will leave Phalanx completely vulnerable and unable to attack.

That being the case, there are actually a couple ways to go about dispatching this first main boss. The Boletarian Palace level that this boss endcaps has a bunch of Pine Resin and Firebombs scattered about, both of which will be useful depending on your current build.

The Melee Method

If you're planning to tackle this well-shielded guy with a sword in hand, any Pine Resin items you might've picked up will come in handy. Using one will provide your current weapon with a temporary fire buff which will allow you to slice right through the shields of any of the Hoplites that defend Phalanx.

Use a Pine Resin on your weapon of choice to mow through any or all of the surrounding Shield-wielding Hoplites with ease as it'll cut right through their defenses and should wipe out their entire health bar in one swipe. A fire buffed weapon will also deal extra damage against Phalanx itself if you're looking to get things over with quickly without having to take out the surrounding shield blobs.

The Ranged Method

If you'd prefer to tackle Phalanx from afar or you're low on health and looking to play it safe, Firebombs are your friend. Assign them to one of your quick use item slots for easy access, and just start chucking the things.

As mentioned above, the surrounding Hoplites that are holding up the shields are the only real threat here. Try to aim your Firebombs so that they'll damage as many blobs as possible on impact. Once the bulk of them are taken care of, Phalanx itself should be easy enough to pick off in whatever method you choose.

The Magic Method

Despite always having their shields drawn, the surrounding Hoplites are actually still weak to magic from the front. If you're playing the Royalty class, you'll have access to the Soul Arrow spell which will prove extremely useful for this fight.

If you want an encounter that's pretty easy but not all that riveting, feel free to sit back and fire off Soul Arrows to your heart's content. There isn't much that the surrounding enemies can do about it, and it'll make for one heck of an easy boss fight if you do. Just make sure you're loaded up on enough spices to help quickly replenish your mana pools – they can be purchased from Blacksmith Boldwin in The Nexus for 350 souls a pop.

Phalanx Rewards

Felling Phalanx will net you:

  • 1270 souls
  • Lead Demon Soul

Was fighting the Phalanx your first full-on Demon's Souls boss experience? Tell us all about your first time in the comments below. While you're at it, also check out our Demon's Souls guide for more tips and guides on all the upcoming bosses you'll be facing.