Enemy Types Guide — Brutals, Field Mobs & How to Fight Them

The Relic: First Guardian is a boss-heavy soulslike — developers describe up to 70-80 "Brutals" as the backbone of the game, with regular enemies comparatively rare. But the enemies you meet between bosses are not filler: every one is a piece of the world's story, a tragedy made monster by the Void. This guide breaks down what is confirmed about enemy categories, behavior, and loot — and what the community has not verified.

The Big Picture: A World of Transformed People

The lore, confirmed by official material: the destruction of the Great Relic plunged the land of Arsilthus into the Void, transforming people into monsters called Brutals. That framing matters for gameplay — these are not faceless mobs:

Enemies are storytelling first — bandits, knights, and mad villagers are the remnants of the world, and their placement tells you what happened to each region.
No XP, no levels — regular enemies drop gold and materials, not experience. They are not worth farming for power; see the Resources & Loot Guide for why.
Cleared areas stay cleared — resting at checkpoints (the glowing Tibelle's Blessing stones) does not respawn enemies. This is confirmed and changes how you play: a cleared path stays safe.

The Confirmed Enemy Categories

Category	Description	Confirmed
Boss Brutals	70-80 major fights; each a unique "combat puzzle" with a tragic backstory	Yes
Field-level Brutals	Monster enemies "connected to the collapse of the world" that roam regions — distinct from boss Brutals	Yes
Raiders / bandits	Simple human enemies, often in groups	Yes
Fallen knights	Armored former defenders of the land	Yes
Humans consumed by madness	Villagers and soldiers broken by the Void	Yes
Beings tied to place	Creatures shaped by a region's ecology or tragedy (mines, swamps, ruins)	Yes

What is NOT confirmed: the total number of regular enemy types, exact names for most field mobs, and any per-region bestiary counts. Early guides that list "20 enemy types by name" are speculative — official material has only confirmed the categories above.

Boss Brutals: The Game's Real Enemy Roster

Brutals are the core of the experience. Confirmed facts from developer deep dives and previews:

Each Brutal is a story — their existence comes from tragedy, desire, regret, or obsession. Defeating one lets you inherit its tragic story plus special items and upgrades essential for progression.
Every Brutal is a "combat puzzle" — bosses have multiple varied attacks, extensive mobility, and are designed to test a specific skill (parrying, dodging, stamina discipline, or skill usage).
Some Brutals parry you back — confirmed: certain bosses can parry the player's own attacks. Time your swings, or your aggression feeds their counter.
No stagger bar — enemies and bosses rarely stagger and there is no visible stagger meter; openings come from parries and dodges, not stun-locks.

Brutals Named in Preview & Community Coverage

Only "Blood-Stained Shield" Branko is confirmed by name in official material — the entries below come from preview coverage and player reports, and their exact mechanics and locations are not yet independently verified (see the All Bosses List for the confirmed roster facts):

Brutal	Reported In
"Blood-Stained Shield" Branko	Official/preview material (the one confirmed name)
Entom the Starved	Preview coverage — a gluttonous monster who consumed villagers
The Prodigal Bound in Dust	Community reports — a spirit of regret
Mog	Community reports — a cowardly knight
Arden, the Mad Vindicator	Community/preview reports — a fast, hard-hitting boss who inflicts Curse and uses red-tinted unblockable attacks

The boss roster evolves: previews describe later areas fielding "stronger, faster and more difficult Brutals" than the opening regions. Expect the difficulty curve to be boss-driven, not mob-driven.

Field Enemies: What You Fight Between Bosses

Because the game is boss-heavy, field enemies are less frequent — but still dangerous in groups. Confirmed behavioral details:

Enemies live in the world — they loot corpses, sit at campfires, and can be damaged with explosive barrels left near their camps. Use the environment; it is placed deliberately.
Swarming is real — the cemetery approach to Arden's fight features troublesome enemies that can swarm you if you are careless. Draw groups carefully.
They are aggressive and rarely stagger — review coverage is consistent: field enemies attack relentlessly and do not flinch. There is no stagger-lock cheese.
Archetypes vary — confirmed boss variety spans lumbering, powerful enemies that kill in a few hits; magic users; and rapid, quick enemies that close distance fast. Expect the same spread in elite field enemies.

Fighting by Category

vs. Human Enemies (Bandits, Mad Villagers, Fallen Knights)

Use the free-attack economy — attacks cost zero stamina, so press hard when the opening exists.
Watch for group pulls — human enemies often appear in packs; let them come to you instead of walking into all of them.
Exploit barrels and terrain — confirmed tool: camps are set with explosive barrels for a reason.
Parry the telegraphed swings — the generous parry window applies to regular enemies too; chained parries break guards.

vs. Field-Level Brutals

Treat them as mini-bosses — same rules as boss Brutals: learn the tell, dodge red-tinted unblockables, conserve stamina for defense.
Do not trade blows — they hit much harder than human mobs and rarely stagger.
Swap relics before engaging — the build-swap loop is the game's intended prep; see the Runes Guide.

vs. Boss Brutals

Identify the gate type early: parry-gate (break stance with repeated parries) vs dodge-gate (unblockable red attacks).
Use skills on cooldown — they cost nothing and recharge mid-fight.
Full tactics: Boss Strategies.

What Enemies Drop (Confirmed Rules)

Drop	Confirmed?
Gold / materials from regular enemies	Yes
Powerful unique items from Brutals	Yes — boss rewards are essential to progression
Relic Energy from Brutals	Yes — spent on skill trees
Duplicate weapon/armor drops	No — every piece of gear is one-of-a-kind
XP or character levels	No — there is no level system

Common Questions

Q: Are there many regular enemies in this game?

A: No — it is intentionally boss-heavy. Regular enemies are comparatively rare and serve world-building and material drops more than combat challenge.

Q: Do enemies respawn when I rest?

A: No — resting at Tibelle's Blessing checkpoints does not respawn enemies. Cleared areas stay cleared.

Q: Can I farm enemies for levels?

A: No — there is no XP system. Enemies drop gold and materials; your power comes from uniques, relics, and skill trees.

Q: Can enemies parry me?

A: Yes — some Brutals are confirmed to parry the player's attacks. Watch your swing timing against them.

Q: Why don't enemies stagger?

A: Confirmed design — enemies rarely stagger and have no visible stagger bar. Openings come from parries and dodges, not stun-locks.

All Bosses List — The full picture of the 70-80 Brutals
Combat Guide — Parry, dodge, and the stamina economy against any enemy
Walkthrough — What enemy types to expect region by region
Resources & Loot Guide — What drops are worth chasing