As you enterElden Ring’sDLC,Shadow of the Erdtree, you’ll immediately be let off the leash to do just about anything you want. You can head off in any direction and explore, just like your first steps into Limgrave at the beginning of the adventure. You’ll probably be feeling a little rusty, however, and want to bloody your blade by taking on a boss as soon as possible.
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The game will subtly nudge you toward theDivine Beast Dancing Lion, but before you take them on, a stone’s throw away from where your DLC experience begins, you’ll be able to find the Blackgaol Knight, a great introductory challenge for anyElden Ringplayers that want to get their bearings. If you want to know how to beat them, then stick around, because we have all the answers.
Where To Find the Blackgaol Knight
As mentioned, this boss is close to where you begin the DLC campaign. If you head to the left of the first Site of Grace you encounter and hug the outer edge, you’ll eventually come to the Western Nameless mausoleum.
Unlike most catacombs and dungeons in the game, you’ll find that this one has a boss wall to traverse right at the gate. So before you head in, be sure to prepare accordingly. Because the fight begins the moment you step in.
How To Prepare
There aren’t a ton of things suggested in terms of preparation here as this is a humanoid boss variant that will mainly rely on physical damage. Talismans like theCrimson Amber Medallion +3and thePearldrake Talisman +3would be a good bet. Then, for the strategy below to work as planned, playing with a Greatsword or Colossal Sword that has effective range, such as theGodslayer’s Greatsword, theGreat Katana, theStarscourge Greatsword. Or our personal pick of the bunch,Dismounter.
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It’s also worth noting that you won’t be able to summon Spirit Ashes during this fight, so you don’t need to worry about selecting the best one for the job. In this fight, you’ll need to rely on your own skills.
How To Beat The Blackgaol Knight
Upon beginning this fight, you’ll immediately get to see the Blackgaol Knight’s ranged attack, where they will use a crossbow to shoot a flurry of fire arrows at you. So wait for them to begin firing and then dodge repeatedly to the left or to the right.
After this, he will generally aim to deal physical damage through leaping attacks and through standard slash attacks. Note that unless your timing is impeccable, their leaping attack will continue even if you land a hit, so bear that in mind before committing to strikes.
Alongside their flame arrow ranged attack, the Blackgaol Knight will also use an overhead slash that will send out a ranged projectile. Which can also be dodged with a well-timed roll to the left or right. Generally speaking, these are all the moves that this boss has up their sleeve.
In terms of strategy, getting up close and personal and trying to beat them with precise dodges and parries is a fool’s errand, as they tend to attack regardless of whether you hit them or not. As such, the best strategy for success in this fight was to back off and let them come to you.
Provided you have a weapon with good range, you can create space between you and the Blackgaol Knight, have them chase you down, and when they are about a sword’s length away from you, begin your combo, land 2-3 hits, run away and then repeat this process until they go down.
Also, players should be aware that when the Blackgaol Knight reaches 50% health, they’ll attempt to use an Estus Flask to heal. But with this strategy, this is just prolonging the inevitable, so let them do it rather than getting up close and putting yourself in the firing line. Plus, remember that even with this strategy in place, you still need to be wary of their ranged attacks.
If you manage to defeat the Blackgaol Knight, you’ll gain the following:
The 70K runes are obviously a welcome boon, as is the new set of armor, but of all the rewards, the most useful is the Greatsword of Solitude, which is great for Dex and Strength builds and comes with a cool special move, Solitary Moon Slash.
Review: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Elden Ring wasn’t enough for the massive playerbase, as Shadow of the Erdtree offers an extension of what we’ve come to love.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
