Lords of the Fallen how to upgrade the Sanguinarix and where to find Saintly Quintessences explained

Trying to upgrade the sanguinarix in Lords of the Fallen? The sanguinarix is your foremost utility tool for restoring health, and as such, it’s vital to your survivability in Mournstead. But how exactly do you improve it?

Here, we’re going to walk you through how to upgrade the sanguinarix in Lords of the Fallen. Be aware though that it’s not the only healing option available to you. If you want a full breakdown of all the ways to heal in Lords of the Fallen, the best class to start with for maximum health, or even just some general tips and tricks or an area progression route to help you along, we’ve got you covered.

How to improve the Sanguinarix Cross in Lords of the Fallen

To upgrade the Sanguinarix, you need to speak to Pieta at Skyrest Bridge, and give her Saintly Quintessences. Pieta can be found just off to the left of the central Vestige in Skyrest. You’ll have to defeat her in battle first to get there.

Each initial upgrade will cost one Saintly Quintessence, an extremely rare and valuable item found throughout the world. An upgrade will boost the healing capacity of all your Sanguinarix Crosses by a certain percent, though this varies by level. Every other upgrade will also grant you an extra charge for the cross. Later upgrades will cost more than one Saintly Quintessence however, so it’s best to hunt for as many as possible.

Where to find Saintly Quintessence in Lords of the Fallen

Finding Saintly Quintessences isn’t easy, as the items are deliberately and sensibly rare. You can typically find them one of two ways – either by picking them up in the world, or receiving them from certain bosses upon victory. In our playthrough for our Lords of the Fallen review, we found two early into the game. Here’s where to find them to get you started.

• One will drop after defeating Scourged Sister Delyth early into Pilgrim’s Pass. You won’t need the Pilgrim’s Pass key for this.

• One can be found in a ravine under a house midway into the Forsaken Fen swamp after activating the Vestige of Valade. You need to be inside the Umbral Realm and interact with a corpse chest to get it.

• Another will appear in Lower Calrath not long after you beat Spurned Progeny. After making your way past some pyromancers and elite enemies, you’ll come across a powerful pyromancer and a horde of burning zombies down by a tree in a courtyard. Opposite this tree is a small drinking fountain in the wall. Go into the Umbral Realm and interact with the corpse chest here for another Quintessence.

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Did you know?

Once you have interacted with a corpse chest and drawn out its item, you don’t need to be inside the Umbral Realm to pick that item up. It’ll appear on the floor where it drops in the Axiom too.

• After acquiring the Sunless Skein key, you can open up a door in the mines that’ll reveal a new route in Lower Calrath. Head through the route until you come to a fork in the road, and take the stone steps down to the right. You’ll have to fight through some enemies, including a powerful Rhogar Ruiner, before coming to a tree. Shoot down the corpse on the tree with an item on it to gain a new Quintessence.

• Once you reach the end of the Manse of Hallowed Brothers, you can find another Saintly Quintessence in the courtyard prior to entering the Tower of Penance. Shift into the Umbral Realm and interact with the bloated corpse chest by the statue to pick it up.

• After you reach the bottom of the Tower of Penance, picking up the last Rune Tablet along the way, head to the small platform outside, overlooking a sheer drop. Shift into the Umbral Realm and take the ladder on your left. Once you reach the end of the path, you’ll find another bloated corpse chest, with another Saintly Quintessence inside.

Is it worth upgrading the Sanguinarix?

We’d argue that upgrading your Sanguinarix is one of the most important things you can do in Lords of the Fallen. While other healing consumables exist, and even some of the best rings in-game can heal you, your Sanguinarix staunchly remains the best source of healing that you can come across, short of resting at a Vestige. However it scales poorly with the mounting challenges that’ll face you, so requires regular upgrades to help you keep pace.

That covers how to upgrade the Sanguinarix in Lords of the Fallen. It’s far from the only thing worth upgrading though. If you want to know how to upgrade weapons, how to upgrade the Umbral Lantern, how to find blacksmith Gerlinde, or even how to upgrade your visual experience with the best graphics settings, we’ve got you covered.

Is the Sanguinarix the best healing option in Lords of the Fallen?

The Sanguinarix is by far the best option for resorting health in Lords of the Fallen.

What are Saintly Quintessences?

Saintly Quintessences are powerful holy relics tied to Orius, which allow Pieta to further access the magical properties of her blessed blood.

Can you farm Saintly Quintessences in Lords of the Fallen?

No, Saintly Quintessences are unique items with set locations, and cannot be farmed.