History of Accursed Swordbearer

Overview

An Accursed Swordbearer is a unique variant of the Swordbearer that appears in the Pit of Heresy dungeon. It serves as a special lieutenant of Zulmak, Instrument of Torment. It first appeared in Shadowkeep, and after Beyond Light it was renamed "Heretical Knight" when encountered alongside Zulmak.

Abilities

Its listed abilities are High Durability, Rapid Movement and Drop Cleaver. The variant is tougher than the standard Swordbearer, and it spawns periodically during the Necropolis and Cradle of Damnation encounters to overwhelm the Guardian.

Cleavers

Defeating an Accursed Swordbearer drops a cleaver. Cleavers are used to destroy the arena entities of the Pit of Heresy:

• The Might of the Broken Blade is defeated with melee.
• The Omen of the Broken Blade is defeated by sniping.
• The Oracle of the Broken Blade is defeated by reflecting.

The Altars of Sorrow also use cleavers. There, shielded Wizards hover near the spawns from the third tier, and their shields are removed with cleavers dropped by Elite Swordbearer Nightmares according to one source and by Accursed Swordbearers according to another. Each Wizard killed adds time to the event timer, and killing all of them resumes the waves of Nightmares.