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Those stepping into Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree will come across the Blackgaol Knight as one of the first secondary bosses you can fight. While it isn’t necessary to progress through the DLC’s story, fighting it is recommended, as it has a fantastic armor set to get early. Furthermore, there is nothing better to warm you up than going toe to toe against an Invader-like boss. So, if you want to take this Knight down as soon as possible, we have some useful tips for you.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Blackgaol Knight Location
Before we delve into some fighting tips for the Blackgaol Knight in Elden Ring, let’s go over where you can find this boss. As mentioned, this Knight isn’t mandatory. However, that doesn’t mean you should skip him. He has a fantastic armor set that can help you during the DLC’s early hours. You can find the Blackgaol Knight at the Western Nameless Mausoleum. The closest Site of Grace is Gravesite Plain. From there, just mount up and head Northwest to find the Mausoleum. The entrance is similar to any other Maoselums from the base game, so just cross the fog and get ready to fight.
How To Defeat the Blackgaol Knight
As soon as the fight begins, you’ll notice the Blackgaol Knight is similar to other Invader-like fights in Elden Ring, such as Eleonora. This means the Knight will heal, use jump attacks, and use other techniques that players and NPC invaders might pull off. Thankfully, this is also the downfall of this knight, as certain moves can be countered. Here are some of the attacks the Blackgaol Knight will perform:
- Pulley Crossbow: When you’re far from the boss, he’ll shoot a barrage of flaming bolts at you. This is similar to how the Pulley Crossbow works. Just run to your left or right to avoid them.
- Ash of War: The Blackgaol Knight will use an Ash of War-like attack similar to Vacuum Slice. You can easily avoid this by dodging when the boss wields his sword in both hands; that usually means he’s preparing to attack.
- Jump Attacks: The boss will also perform many jumping attacks and hit with its greatsword. These are easy to avoid by just dodging backward.
- Flask of Crimson Tears: Like many more Invader-type fights, this boss will also heal itself once it hits 50% HP. It is almost impossible to prevent this, so be mindful of your healing items as well because it can be a long fight.
The easiest way to win this fight is by staying close to the enemy. His hardest-hitting skill comes from the crossbow, so as long as you stay near him, you should be safe. Also, the boss will perform normal greatsword combos, so the easiest way to avoid them is to wait for them to end, get two or three hits in, and roll away. It’ll be a tedious fight because you can’t get too many hits in, but this is the easiest strategy we have.
Blackgaol Knight Rewards
Once you defeat the Blackgaol Knight, you’ll get new items you can add to your Elden Ring repertoire. This is what you’ll get:
- 70,000 Runes
- Greatsword of Solitude
- Solitude Armor Set
Out of all the items the boss drops, our favorite is the armor set. While you need some Endurance to wear it, it looks fantastic and offers a lot of protection and Poise, making it an ideal choice for even the base game. So, if you have the time and need some runes, head to this location and face this foe.
