Overview
Antumbra's Sword is a void spirit boss encountered at the Sanctum of Absolution in the Hernand region. It leads Antumbra's Order, a dark faction tied to the Abyss. The entity serves as judge and executioner for those who defy the power of darkness, and it announces itself with the declaration: "Only ruin awaits who defy the darkness! Your heart is forfeit."
Players face Antumbra's Sword during the Cloister of Ruination quest, which takes them into the depths of the Sanctum of Absolution. The boss also appears during "The Witch of Wisdom" questline. Unlike the Excavatron or other physically imposing bosses, Antumbra's Sword fights with speed, teleportation, and dark magic. It vanishes into black smoke, reappears at unpredictable positions, and unleashes sweeping blade attacks that punish passive play.
Boss Information
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Location | |
Quest | Cloister of Ruination / The Witch of Wisdom |
Type | Optional Boss |
Health | Single health bar |
Weakness | Vulnerable during reappearance animation after teleporting |
Recommended Weapon | Spears (superior reach helps punish teleport recovery) |
Attack Patterns
Antumbra's Sword is an agile, teleportation-heavy boss. It relies on dark smoke to reposition itself around the arena before delivering fast sword strikes. Learning the timing of its reappearance animations is the key to this fight.
Attack | Description | How to Counter |
|---|---|---|
Shadow Slash | Vanishes into dark smoke and reappears behind the player, delivering a quick diagonal slice. The attack comes out fast and is easy to miss if you are not watching for the smoke trail. | Block immediately when you see the vanish animation, then counterattack. The recovery after the slash is brief but punishable. |
Three Slash Combo | Performs three consecutive sword strikes in rapid succession. Each hit staggers slightly, and taking all three deals heavy cumulative damage. | Dodge roll through the first strike to get behind the boss, then counterattack while the remaining swings whiff. |
Dark Smoke Teleport | Dissolves into a cloud of dark smoke and relocates to a random position in the arena. This is not an attack but a repositioning tool that often precedes an offensive follow-up. | Track the smoke trail to predict where the boss will reappear. Dash toward that position and strike during the brief materialization animation before it can act. |
Sword Rings of Darkness | Releases circular blade waves that radiate outward from its body in all directions. The rings expand quickly and cover a wide area. | Create distance as soon as you see the charge-up animation, then dodge roll through the rings if you cannot outrange them. |
Slashing Waves (Unblockable) | Sends ground-based slash arcs forward in a straight line. These travel along the floor and cannot be blocked, dealing significant damage on contact. | Dodge to the side rather than backward, since the waves travel a long distance. Getting behind the boss during this attack gives you a free punish window. |
Strategy
General Approach
Antumbra's Sword rewards a defensive, counter-focused playstyle. Rushing in aggressively will get you killed because the boss can teleport out of your combos and retaliate instantly. Instead, wait for its attacks to finish, punish during recovery windows, and then disengage before it teleports again.
The fight has a rhythm: Antumbra's Sword teleports, attacks, briefly pauses, and then teleports again. Your goal is to land one or two hits during each pause window and avoid overcommitting. Greed is the biggest killer in this fight.
Weapon Selection
Spears are the recommended weapon type for this encounter. Their reach lets you tag the boss during its brief recovery windows without standing directly in melee range, where its follow-up combos are most dangerous. Two-Handed Swords also work well if you prefer heavier stagger damage, but the slower swing speed means tighter punish timings.
Exploiting Teleport Recovery
Every time Antumbra's Sword teleports via Dark Smoke, it has a brief materialization window where it cannot attack or block. If you can predict where it will reappear (watch the direction of the smoke trail), dashing toward that spot and attacking immediately is the most efficient way to deal damage. This is especially effective with a spear's forward thrust attacks.
Handling the Slashing Waves
The Slashing Waves are the most dangerous attack because they are unblockable and cover a long distance. When you see the charge-up (the sword glows and dips toward the ground), immediately dodge sideways. Do not try to outrun them by backpedaling because the waves travel faster than your sprint speed. Sidestepping gives you a clear opening to rush in and counterattack.
Healing and Buffs
Stock up on HP recovery items from cooking or merchants before entering the Sanctum of Absolution. If a Grind Stone or Anvil is available nearby, use them for temporary weapon and armor buffs. The extra damage from a weapon buff helps shorten the fight, which matters because longer fights give Antumbra's Sword more chances to chip away at your health with teleport combos.
Rewards
Defeating Antumbra's Sword clears the Sanctum of Absolution and completes the Cloister of Ruination quest. You receive the following:
Reward | Description |
|---|---|
Abyss Artifact x1 | A sealed Abyss Artifact used to upgrade abilities and unlock new powers on the Abyss Tree. |
Vessel of Dark Pursuit | An accessory item obtained from Antumbra's Order. Its dark energy resonance provides passive benefits tied to Abyss-related mechanics. |
Lore
Antumbra's Sword is a manifestation of the Abyss, the mysterious realm of floating islands that exists above Pywel. The entity leads Antumbra's Order, a group of void spirits that enforces the will of darkness within sanctums scattered across the world. The Sanctum of Absolution is one such location where these spirits congregate.
The name "Antumbra" refers to the region of shadow beyond an eclipse, where light is partially obscured but not fully blocked. This fits the entity's nature as something that exists between the material world and the Abyss, not fully in either realm. Antumbra wizards appear in other Abyss-related content throughout the game (including the Spire of Frost), suggesting that Antumbra's Order has a broader presence in Pywel's supernatural hierarchy.
The boss's declaration about condemning those who "defy the darkness" implies that it views itself as a guardian of some natural order. Whether the Abyss and its spirits are truly malevolent or simply operating under a different set of rules is left ambiguous by the game's narrative.
Tips
Do not chase Antumbra's Sword after it teleports. Wait for it to reappear and commit to an attack, then punish the recovery.
The smoke trail during Dark Smoke Teleport moves in the direction the boss is traveling. Use this to predict where it will materialize.
Sword Rings of Darkness has a visible charge-up animation. If you are close, dodge roll through the rings rather than away from them, since they expand outward.
The Three Slash Combo is the easiest attack to punish. Dodge roll through the first swing and you will end up behind the boss with time for two or three hits.
Bring extra healing items. This fight involves lots of unavoidable chip damage from the teleportation-heavy pattern, so sustain matters more than burst damage.
If using a spear, the forward thrust attack is ideal for catching the boss during materialization windows. Time it so the thrust connects just as the boss solidifies.