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Goyen - Version 15 vs Version 16
May 25, 2026, 02:34 PM
Added Database Stats section with HP, attack, defense, stamina, knockout, and fatal values
Jun 8, 2026, 11:52 PM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
11Overview22Goyen is a mandatory boss encountered in the Abyss during Chapter 9: The Sage of the Desert in Crimson Desert. He appears at the Nest of Valor, one of the floating Abyss islands, as part of the main quest Unwavering Steps. Players control Kliff for this fight.44Goyen as resembling "a figure of a true Greymane warrior back in the old times," and the encounter is a proficiency test. Goyen puts Kliff's skills to the test by demonstrating how a true Greymane fights with a sword. Defeating him is required to achieve enlightenment and progress the main story.77Goyen is a human-sized enemy wielding a sword and shield with a single health bar. Despite his compact appearance compared to the game's larger beasts, he is widely considered one of the hardest-hitting bosses in the campaign. His moveset mirrors much of what Kliff can do, making this fight feel almost like a mirror match. He can kill Kliff in one or two hits at lower gear levels, so the margin for error is razor-thin.99Boss Stats1111StatDetailsQuestUnwavering StepsLocationNest of Valor, The AbyssChapterChapter 9: The Sage of the Desert (Thinning Blade)Health Bars1Damage TypePhysical (sword and shield)WeaknessDodge-based counterattacks, Force PalmPlayable CharacterKliffBoss TypeMandatoryHealth2,011Attack202Defense100Stamina100Knockout750Fatal51313Equipment1414Goyen wields the following gear during the encounter. Several of his equipment pieces share his name, reinforcing his identity as a seasoned Greymane veteran. The Fated Shadow sword found near the Nest of Valor arena is the same weapon type he carries, and defeating him unlocks the Greysoul Howling Abyss ability.1616ItemSlotFated ShadowOne-Hand SwordBalgran ShieldShieldGoyen's Plate ArmorUpperbodyGoyen's Plate BootsFootGoyen's Plate GlovesHandGoyen's CloakCloak1919Attack Patterns2020Goyen's moveset closely resembles Kliff's own abilities. He uses sword combos, shield techniques, and a devastating aerial attack. His strikes deal enormous damage, and blocking or parrying is risky because a mistimed input can get Kliff killed outright. Dodging is the safer approach for most of his attacks.2222AttackDescriptionHow to CounterTurning SlashGoyen uses momentum to execute a precise spinning sword strike. His primary attack and one of the fastest moves in his kit.Can be blocked or parried, but dodging to the right is safer given his high damage output. Punish with heavy attacks during recovery.ExpertiseA heavy downward strike that follows Turning Slash. Deals high damage and can knock Kliff down on contact.Dodge sideways immediately after the Turning Slash lands. The downward swing has a narrow hitbox, so lateral movement avoids it reliably.Three Slash ComboA rapid chain of three consecutive sword strikes dealing continuous damage. Goyen commits to the full sequence once started.Block or parry the first hit to interrupt the combo, or dodge backward to exit range entirely. If the first hit connects, the remaining two will likely follow.Forward SlashA quick lunging slash that closes distance. Often chained directly into Turning Slash for a fast two-hit combination.Dodge to the right when he lunges. If he chains into Turning Slash, keep dodging sideways. Punish during the recovery gap after the chain finishes.Shield BashGoyen raises his shield and slams it forward. Deals moderate damage but primarily is a stagger move that sets up follow-up attacks.Dodge to either side. Do not try to block, as the bash can break your guard. After the bash, Goyen briefly pauses before his follow-up.Block and StabA defensive counter where Goyen blocks an incoming attack with his shield and immediately retaliates with a stabbing strike.Stop attacking when you see him raise his shield defensively. Bait the counter stab, dodge it, then punish his recovery.Meteor KickGoyen's most dangerous move. The screen darkens as he charges up, then he leaps high into the air and crashes down with a devastating shockwave. This attack can one-shot Kliff regardless of armor. He follows up with a midair kick after landing.Watch the ground for a glowing red impact radius indicator. Dodge sideways repeatedly to escape the impact zone. Keep dodging after the slam because the follow-up midair kick has a separate hitbox. Focus can help slow time to dodge more precisely.2424Strategy2525Preparation2727Goyen hits hard enough to kill in one or two strikes, so preparation is important. Bring at least 100 pieces of Grilled Meat or equivalent high-tier food. Multiple guides recommend bringing 200 pieces for late-game Abyss encounters like this one. Activate the fast travel point directly before the fight so you can resupply if needed.2929Use an Anvil for a temporary defense buff and a Grindstone for a temporary attack buff before engaging. These buffs last through the entire encounter. Upgrade weapons and armor to refinement level 7 or higher. If you have collected Abyss Artifacts, equip them to increase your maximum health, which provides a larger margin for surviving his two-hit kills.3131Combat Approach3333Dodging is safer than blocking or parrying against Goyen because of how hard he hits. A mistimed parry means taking a full-damage strike that can end the fight instantly. The recommended approach is to stay mobile: dodge to the right when he swings, wait for his combo to finish, then land four heavy attacks followed by a light combo while he recovers. Heal immediately after taking any damage.3535Goyen rapidly chains Forward Slash into Turning Slash. If you can dodge out of the way of this combination, you get a window to land several hits while he recovers from the animation. Watch his stance to anticipate when the chain starts and commit to dodging sideways rather than backward.3737His most lethal attack is Meteor Kick. When the screen goes dark and Goyen charges up, he is about to leap into the air and create a shockwave on impact. The impact zone appears as a glowing red circle on the ground. Dodge sideways out of the circle and keep moving, because he follows the slam with a second midair kick that has a separate hitbox. This move can kill Kliff outright even at full health with good armor.3939If Goyen feels too fast, use the Focus ability to slow down time. Focus helps with parrying melee swings that are otherwise too quick to react to, and it makes dodging the Meteor Kick much easier since you can see the impact zone more clearly while time is slowed.4141Use max-level Force Palm when you find openings. Three-strike Force Palm combos can disable and stagger Goyen, creating substantial damage windows. Prioritize Force Palm during his recovery animations after missed combos.4343Learnable Skills4545Goyen is one of the bosses from whom Kliff can learn abilities through the "watch and learn" mechanic. By observing Goyen perform specific moves during the fight, Kliff permanently unlocks those skills for his own use.4747SkillHow to LearnTurning Slash ExpertiseObserve Goyen perform Turning Slash twice during the fight.Meteor KickObserve Goyen perform Meteor Kick twice during the fight.4949Both skills require you to survive long enough to see Goyen use them multiple times. If you defeat him too quickly, you may miss the opportunity to learn one or both. Consider prolonging the fight slightly if you want to pick up these skills before finishing him off.5050Rewards5252Defeating Goyen completes the Unwavering Steps quest and grants the following rewards:5454RewardTypeWitch's RingAccessoryGreymane's EarringAccessoryChallenge: Spire of the SunChallenge unlockChallenge: Nest of ValorChallenge unlockTurning Slash ExpertiseLearnable skill (observe twice)Meteor KickLearnable skill (observe twice)5656Boss Rematches5757In Patch 1.07.00 on May 15, 2026, Goyen was added to the Boss Rematches roster. The rematch venue is the Spire of the Sun, the same location that hosts the existing Challenge: Spire of the Sun reward unlocked by defeating Goyen. The two activities now share a venue: the Challenge run gives the gear and skill-learning reward, and the 1.07 rematch reopens the boss fight itself at the same site for repeat clears.5959The rematch uses the standard Reminisce and Resonate modes documented on the Boss Rematches page. Reminisce restores the original Unwavering Steps stat profile. Resonate scales Goyen up to the player's current progression so the encounter stays meaningful for endgame builds. Memory Fragments lists the entry under the Knowledge menu once the original Unwavering Steps clear has been logged.6161Drops and consumables follow the standard rematch rules. The Combat God's Boots drop, the Challenge: Spire of the Sun unlock, the Challenge: Nest of Valor unlock, and the Turning Slash Expertise and Meteor Kick observation skills all remain locked to the original first clear. Consumables used during the rematch are refunded after the battle ends.6363Goyen is one of five additions made to the rematch roster in the 1.07.00 batch, alongside Muskan, Corrupted Caliburn, Crowcaller, and the Clockwork White Horn. The 1.07 cluster brings the rematch roster total to 74 entries, up from the 69 supported at launch in Patch 1.05.00.6565The rematch reuses the cinematic intro animation from the original Unwavering Steps encounter, so the Spire of the Sun re-staging plays back the same set-piece introduction before the duel begins. The entry is browsed from Memory Fragments under the Knowledge menu once the original clear has been logged.6767Tips6969Dodge, do not block. Goyen's damage is too high for safe blocking. A single mistimed parry can cost the entire fight. Dodge sideways and punish his recovery windows instead.When the screen darkens, start dodging. The darkened screen signals Meteor Kick, his one-shot attack. Watch the ground for the red impact circle and roll sideways. Keep rolling through the follow-up kick.Use Focus to slow things down. If his attack speed overwhelms you, activate Focus to slow time. This makes both parrying and dodging Meteor Kick significantly easier.Activate the fast travel point before the fight. This lets you resupply food and return quickly if you die, rather than running back from a distant checkpoint.Upgrade to refinement 7+ and equip Abyss Artifacts. Extra health from artifacts and higher armor refinement increase your chance of surviving his two-hit kills.Bring at least 100 pieces of food. 200 is better. You will burn through healing quickly in a fight where every hit takes a massive chunk of health.Let him use his skills twice if you want to learn them. Turning Slash Expertise and Meteor Kick are learnable by observation. Do not rush the kill if you want both skills.7171See Also7373Boss BattlesThe AbyssGreymanesFocus (ability system)Force PalmKliff (playable character)Abyss Artifacts7575Database Stats7777Combat attributes recorded in the game database for SWORD & SHIELD.7979StatValueHP2,111Attack202Defense100Stamina100Knockout600Fatal5
