Learn how to defeat Goyen at the Nest of Valor in Crimson Desert. This new face brings all too familiar moves as you must best your own set of skills to succeed.
The Nest of Valor is the second in a chain of Abyss puzzles and challenges. The order of this chain is as follows:
- Spire of the Sun
- Nest of Valor (this one)
- Throne of Truth
- Dimensional Labyrinth
- Sanctum of Transcendence
Recommended Skills
Aside from food that restores a lot of health, it’ll be good to get the following skills unlocked:
- Armed Combat Level 5
- Turning Slash Level 2 or 3
- Forward Slash Level 3
- Vault
- Force Palm Level 3
- Frost Mantle
- 4+ Health Upgrades
- 4+ Stamina Upgrades
Aside from this, bring some upgraded armor and food that restores spirit. If you’re not careful, you can be killed in a couple hits.
Goyen’s Mechanics and Special Abilities
For the Nest of Valor, you’ll need to defeat Goyen to achieve enlightenment. His kit should look very familiar as it’s exactly the same as yours! While his methods of attacks are basic, he hits HARD.
Throughout the fight, you’ll gain the chance to observe and learn two skills: Turning Slash Expertise and Meteor Kick. When the UI shows you’ve learned the skill, you’ll need to dodge immediately as you’ll have a fraction of a second to do so to avoid damage.
Respect the Force Palm
Goyen can use Force Palm alone or at the end of combos. Dodge these as this will drain a very large amount of stamina. If it drains you entirely, you’ll be knocked prone and left vulnerable to attack.
Charged Shot
Goyen can summon a bow of light to fire a Charged Shot at you. Dodge to the side or shield this attack.
Turning Slash
If Goyen makes the following pose while his sword makes white and red sparkles, he’s going to use Turning Slash twice. Block these with a shield or dodge to the side.
Diving Force Palm and Meteor Kick
When the area goes dim and Goyen is surrounded by a circle of light, he’s going to leap into the air and perform a Diving Force Palm. You can see where he’ll land with the sparkles on the ground. Dodge this and brace yourself for what’s next.
He’ll then go up in the air again and use a Meteor Kick. The Meteor Kick has a large AoE, so using the Frost Mantle here is good to completely avoid damage. Otherwise, keep dodging until he lands and avoid the AoE damage.
Strategies for fighting Goyen
Goyen has nothing too flashy compared to some of the more complex bosses. Because he hits very hard, the safest option is to use a large shield and a sword.
Regardless of which weapon you’re using, your go-to combo for this fight should be: Parry, attack twice, Force Palm three times. You’ll want to get his yellow bar full as soon as possible as this guy hits like a truck.
Sword and Large Shield
Use the previously mentioned combo. When his yellow bar is full, use Quick Swap to a Longsword or Spear, Forward Slash two to three times, then finish off with a Turning Slash. Swap back to your shield when he regains composure.
Goyen will always deal chip damage, so minimize that damage by using a Large Shield over a normal shield.
If you want to fill his yellow bar easily, charge at him with your shield up. Do note that this will drain a lot of stamina you would otherwise need to block attacks. If you want to be more aggressive, charge him, parry an attack, and Force Palm three times to fill a large amount of his yellow bar.
If you’re looking to solely use a Longsword, Spear, or Dual Wield, you’ll use the go-to combo. You’ll also need very good at parrying and dodging his attacks.
Longsword
There’s no unique gimmick to fighting Goyen with the Longsword. You’ll want to use this weapon if you want to hit hard while filling out large chunks of the yellow bar as you attack.
Spear
The Spear’s Counter Stance is a good way to mitigate damage in this fight. Use it to receive chip damage while chunking away at his health.
Dual Wield
Dual Wielding will be a very stamina heavy method fighting Goyen. Parry his regular attacks and Vault his Forward Slashes. Squeeze in an attack when you’re behind him then use an Evasive Slash.
Claim your Rewards
After defeating Goyen, you’ll be rewarded with the Witch’s Ring and the Greymane Earring. There are also some treasures nearby that you’ll want to pick up.
If you go to the east of the pond, you’ll find some stairs that lead into a small cave. Inside is a small home and you’ll find Goyen’s sword here, the Fated Shadow.
This sword has an Abyss Gear called Greysoul Howling which summons a phantom Goyen when you use a Turning Slash. This adds an additional Turning Slash to your attack, making it a very powerful ability.
Go west of the pond to make your way to the Skybridge. When you reach the platform filled with plants, look for the opening in the pond.
This dark area hides a Treasure Chest that contains a Faded Abyss Artifact and an Ascent II Abyss gear that increases your climbing speed multiplier by 4%.
Activate the southern Skybridge and take the teleporter to the next challenge, the Throne of Truth.
NEXT: How to complete the Throne of Truth Abyss Puzzle
