Anytime you see water and Moria together, you know you’re not in for a good time.

Sure enough, while exploring the Lower Deeps, you’ll inevitably encounter a Watcher, and the fight can be pretty tough for the unprepared.

In this survival guide, we’ll go over how to defeat the Watcher in the Water in Return to Moria.

Watcher in the Water Boss Fight Location

You’ll encounter the Watcher when trying to cross the water to get to the Great Drain Pipes to clear out water on the Pilgrim’s Road.

The fight doesn’t occur immediately, however.

It requires you to make a few piers and to cross the depths of the water.

At a certain point, the Watcher will emerge and the boss fight begins.

You won’t encounter the fight until you reach the Lower Deeps.

So, if you haven’t gotten that far yet, then you have plenty of time to prepare.

What Equipment You Should Use Against the Watcher in the Water

There are a few pieces of equipment you should bring to the fight to make it a bit easier.

Let’s talk ranged weapons first.

The Watcher has a series of glowing, red, eyes that you can shoot each time it surfaces.

You only have a limited amount of time before it descends back into the water, so you need to make sure that every shot counts.

I recommend the First Age crossbow coupled with First Age bolts because it delivers strong damage.

It’s also easier to aim and has better accuracy than the hunting bow.

But the First Age crossbow isn’t the only weapon you should bring to the fight.

While the Watcher is under the water, orcs and goblins will emerge to fight you.

I prefer the First Age sword coupled with Shieldwall for this particular part of the fight.

But if you have a preferred weapon for fighting orcs and goblins, then you can use that instead.

Shieldwall is going to be a great help here because it will protect your from strikes and arrows from your enemies without losing durability.

That said, no shield will help against the Watcher’s tentacle strikes.

Finally, you’ll want the best armor you can have when confronting the Watcher.

I wore Tier II Erebor armor, and it got me through the fight.

How To Defeat the Watcher in the Watcher

There are two distinct phases to the Watcher in the Water boss fight.

The first is against the Watcher, itself.

It emerges from the water and raises its tentacles in the air before slamming them down on you.

When it first appears, take out your crossbow and aim for one of the glowing red eyes on its head.

You won’t be able to damage it otherwise.

As soon as you hit one of the eyes, jump back on your wooden platforms leading to the fight arena.

You can also try to dodge the tentacle attacks, but I find it difficult and not always successful.

The Watcher will go underwater, which prompts the second phase of the fight.

Orcs and goblins will emerge to fight you.

The orcs are the same tough ones you’ll encounter throughout the Lower Deeps.

The goblins are easy, one-hit-kills, that you can take care of with ease.

I suggest switching to your First Age sword, or preferred weapon, and the Shieldwall to take care of these guys.

The Watcher will emerge from the water while these guys are attacking you.

I recommend jumping back onto your wooden platforms and blocking incoming arrows with your shield.

There’s a good chance that when the Watcher strikes with its tentacles, it will hit your enemies and kill them for you.

Once it submerges again, jump back into the fight arena and continue clearing out the orcs.

Once they’re taken care, focus back on the Watcher and hit its next eye.

Rinse and repeat.

Once you’ve hit each of its eyes, the Watcher will sink down and stop attacking you.

You’re able to cross and enter the Great Drain Pipes.