Once you’re into the meat of Blasphemous, there’s no going back. No matter how hard a boss crushes you, all you want to do is get right back in there and get crushed again. If you’re currently fighting against the brick wall that is Quirce Returned by the Flames, then you’ve come to the right place. In this guide we’ll cover everything there is to know about the boss, and how to beat it.
Phase 1
Quirce Returned by the Flames is the most agile boss in Blasphemous. While this doesn’t make him impossible to beat, it does make him extremely tricky to tackle. All of your tactics and skills that have been developed up until this point will be tested.
In Phase 1, he’ll leap and teleport around you in order to confuse you. He’s so fast that he’s almost certainly going to get a couple of hits in with each attack round. However, he will have a break between these rounds. This is what you need to look out for. When he’s done, he’ll have a short break before jumping into the next round.
Attack him during these breaks between rounds, and you’ll do all the damage you need to. He’s very good at telegraphing his next attack. If you don’t notice this tell right away, then keep an eye on his attack pattern for a while before you try to attack him.
The Key
The main key to this fight is to keep moving. Never stand still unless you have to for a heal, or a very specific attack. Quirce will punish you for standing still with multiple attacks, and there’s very little you can do about them.
As part of this first Phase of the fight you’ll have all sorts to compete with. Quirce has a charge attack that sees him teleport to one side of the arena before charging into you. He also has a variety of sword attacks.
While Quirce will try to slash you when he can, he’ll throw his sword just as often. This is why you need to keep moving, because his sword can fire across the arena and return to him just as quickly.
Finally, the other attacks in Phase 1 to mind out for are the fire attacks. Quirce will charge you while on fire, summon columns of fire to damage you, and even throw a flaming sword your way. Do not get hit, and keep moving.
Phase 2
The main difference with Quirce while he’s in Phase 2 is that he’ll do more fire attacks. This means he will summon more columns of fire much more frequently. He’ll also perform a fire slam attack that will devastate you if you get too close.
Our advice is to leave the boss alone while he’s doing any sort of fire attack. The potential harm he can do, and health he’ll soak up, isn’t worth the damage you’ll deal. Instead, wait for some more basic attacks, and punish him then.
follow these instructions, and you should kill Quirce Returned by the Flames pretty quickly.
Lore
Quirce was once a human who held very strong beliefs. For those beliefs, he was condemned to the stake of heresy. The Inquisitors watch on as he was engulfed by flames, screaming in pain as he was. The Miracle, despite the execution, caused the flames to appear again and again, burning his body over and over. Eventually all that was left was ash. Then, just like a phenix, Quirce was reborn from those ashes.
If you’re struggling with other Blasphemous bosses, be sure to check out our guides for Melquiades The Exhumed Archbishop, Esdras of the Anointed Legion, Our Lady of the Charred Visage, Ten Piedad, Warden of the Silent Sorrow, Tres Augustias, and Exposito Scion of Abjuration.