Phase 1: Four Weapon Stances
The Soul of Cinder cycles between four weapon stances throughout phase one. Each stance changes his moveset entirely, so you need to recognize which one he's in and adjust your approach.
Phase 1 — watch what weapon he's holding. Each stance plays completely different. Curved sword is fast, lance has reach, staff means ranged spells. I'll call out each stance change.
Curved Sword Stance
His most aggressive stance. Fast combo strings with short recovery windows.
- Combo (3-5 hits): Rapid slashes. Dodge backward for the first, then through for subsequent swings. Only punish after the final hit.
- Spin slash: Short wind-up, sweeps in an arc. Dodge backward and punish with 1 hit.
- Stance is fast — don't get greedy. One hit at a time.
Straight Sword Stance
Balanced stance with fire weapon buffs.
- Fire buff: He enchants his sword with fire. Let him — it's free time to heal or reposition.
- Combo (2-3 hits): More measured than curved sword. Dodge through and punish with 2 hits.
- Power thrust: Telegraphed by a pull-back. Dodge sideways. Big punish (2-3 hits).
He switched to straight sword — he's about to buff with fire. Free window to heal or reposition. Don't attack during the buff animation, just recover.
Lance Stance
Long reach, charge attacks, and different dodge timing.
- Lance charge: He sprints at you with the lance extended. Dodge sideways at the last moment. Long recovery — 2-3 hit punish.
- Sweep combo: Wide horizontal sweeps. Stay at mid-range and dodge backward.
- Shield bash: He can block in this stance. Wait for him to attack first.
Sorcerer Staff Stance
Ranged attacks and soul magic. Close the distance quickly.
- Soul arrows: Dodge sideways and sprint toward him.
- Homing soul mass: Blue orbs circle him and fire when you get close. Bait them by moving close then rolling sideways.
- Soul greatsword: Wide magic arc. Roll through it toward him.
- This stance is weakest in melee. Rush him and keep pressure — he'll switch stances.
Staff stance — he's casting ranged spells. Sprint toward him and stay close. His melee in this stance is weak. Force him to switch by maintaining pressure.
Phase 1 general tips
- React to the stance, don't predict. Each transition is clearly telegraphed by the weapon change.
- Curved sword: Be defensive, wait for combos to end.
- Straight sword: Balanced — normal dodge-and-punish rhythm.
- Lance: Respect the reach, dodge the charge, punish the recovery.
- Staff: Rush in, stay close, don't let him zone you with spells.
Phase 2: Lord of Cinder
At 50% HP, a cutscene plays and the Soul of Cinder transforms. He now fights with the moveset of the First Lord of Cinder — complete with lightning miracles and a devastating five-hit combo.
Phase 2 — Lord of Cinder form. This is the real fight. He's faster, hits harder, and has a FIVE-HIT combo that ends with a huge slam. Don't dodge the first four hits and then think it's over — wait for the slam.
Key attacks
- Five-hit combo: Four fast swings followed by a delayed overhead slam. Dodge each swing, but WAIT for the fifth hit before punishing. The slam has a long recovery — 2-3 free hits.
- Lightning stake: He plants his sword in the ground and calls lightning. Roll sideways as the lightning strikes. Safe for 2 hits after.
- Lightning sunspear: Throws a lightning bolt. Dodge sideways at medium range.
- Grab attack: He reaches forward with fire. Dodge backward or sideways. Very high damage.
- Jump slam: Leaps and slams down with fire AoE. Dodge at the peak of his jump, not when he starts.
Five-hit combo incoming — dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge... one more. NOW the slam. Hit him twice while he recovers. Don't heal yet — he sometimes follows with a thrust.
Phase 2 approach
- Stay at medium range. Too close and his combos overwhelm. Too far and he uses lightning projectiles.
- Punish the slam. The five-hit combo's final slam is your safest and biggest damage window.
- Lightning stake = free damage. Roll sideways and close in for 2 hits.
- Don't panic at low HP. His attacks are telegraphed. One more patience cycle will get you the kill.
Recommended loadout
- Weapon: He's weak to Lightning and Dark damage. Lightning-infused or Gold Pine Resin for both phases.
- Shield: Two-hand your weapon for more damage. His combos will likely break your guard anyway.
- Armor: Balance fire and lightning defense. Medium roll is essential.
- Rings: Ring of Favor, Chloranthy Ring, Thunder Stoneplate Ring, Lightning Clutch Ring (if confident in dodging)
- Consumables: Gold Pine Bundle (lightning damage), Divine Blessing (emergency full heal)
He's below 10%. Stay calm. Bait the five-hit combo, dodge all five, punish the slam recovery. One or two more cycles. You've got the pattern down — finish it.
Summary
The Soul of Cinder is a celebration of everything Dark Souls III teaches you. Phase one tests your ability to adapt to different weapon matchups. Phase two tests your patience and dodge timing against the final Lord. Let Sidekick AI identify each stance change and call out combo endings so you can focus on the execution.