Warlord

Warlords are Fighter-type bosses. They are gigantic opponents who are usually found at the end of a level and can deal heavy damage. Warlords first appear in Level 3.

Appearance
Without armor, warlords appear to be like tougher versions of brutes, but wield a huge, heavy sword and do not have shoulderpads. Armored warlords are more terrifying, as they wear helmets, a bulky chestplate, greaves and armpads, which make them look more like samurai. All armor parts, except the greaves, can be typically removed when the warlord is stunned by normal means, or after a critical dodge. The greaves can only be broken if the player dodges a warlord's magic sword attack and gets a chance to counterattack.

Attacks

 * Sword Swinging: Warlords swing their swords in six directions: left, right, down-right, up-left, up-right and down. Warlords usually start off with slow left, right or downward swings, before speeding up and adding diagonal sword attacks to the mix.  When attempting a down-right attack, a warlord will take a step back.  All of these attacks can be parried, if the player has good reflexes.
 * Magic Kick: Warlords can also charge up their left foot and try to kick the player with it. The player must step back to avoid it.
 * Magic Sword Attack: Warlords can also charge their swords with magic and swing them left, right or downward. This move must also be dodged.

Advice
Warlords will only swing their swords when they grip them with two hands. Warlords are briefly open to attack when they shout, so wail away at them while that happens. Warlords also swing their swords very fast, so if you are not used to their speed, feel free to play it safe and dodge their attacks, although this might prevent you from earning three relics. Sometimes, it is possible to deal more damage to (or even finish off) a stunned Warlord with a downward power strike - just keep hammering the warlord with multiple downward strokes when he is downed to make sure you won't miss this critical cue. Sometimes, while a Warlord initiates a down-right attack, it is possible to stun and damage him with a down-right power strike.