Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria How to Defeat The Watcher in The Water

As you explore the Lower Deeps of Khazad-dum, you’ll find a water-filled room on your way to the drain pumps. Launching an attack from the depths, you’ll need to know how to defeat the Watcher in the Water to make it to the surface in Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.

How to Fight the Watcher in the Water in Return to Moria

It may seem like there’s a way around the Watcher in the Water, but hugging the walls is quite risky. Being on a pier will draw its attacks, and if it doesn’t hit you, it’ll still destroy your structures. This can easily strand you on a small outcropping or cause you to die by drowning.

To get the drain pumps working, you’ll need to kill the Watcher.

Preparing for Combat

Before you begin the fight, you want to make sure your equipment is up to snuff. The easiest way to take out this sea monster is to equip the First Age Crossbow. You’ll find the three recipe fragments by repairing statues throughout the Lower Deeps.

You want to have the strongest armor available to you equipped and fully repaired. You also want to have a melee weapon with you for dealing with other threats during combat. I have a Hero Shrine and the second largest treasure pile built, which offer great buffs. I ate a complex meal to be Well-fed, then fast traveled to the pumps location.

Battling The Watcher in The Water

Battling the Watcher is a bit more about running away with shots snuck in rather than a full fledged fight. When it breaches the water’s surface, aim the crossbow a bit above its middle eye. This will ensure that the bolt hits. Crossbows take a long time to reload so you want to make sure you hit it on the first try.

After the first and second shots, a wave of goblins and orcs will drop down from the ceiling. I ran back to the rooms stone landings, away from the pounding tentacles, to fight them. They can also have bats or moths attack at the same time. After you clear the wave, head back to the water’s edge to take another shot.

Defeating the Watcher requires a total of four bolts to hit. While it’s not the hardest fight in the game, being able to dodge its attack while fighting five to 10 other enemies resulted in me dying from drowning or being throttled by a tentacle more than once. Paying attention to your health while fighting the orcs will be important, while the rest time in between can provide respite to switch weapons.

Once slain, you’ll be able to cross the water without fear. No more waves of enemies will appear. The water remains dark and you don’t have a chance to loot anything that may have fallen into the depths, but you can reach the other side without hassle.

That’s how to defeat the Watcher in the Water in Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. If you need help getting resources, finding the Elven Forge, or what recipes you can prepare, check out our guide vault.