The Blackgaol Knight is one of the first optional bosses you can take on in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Here’s how to defeat the Blackgaol Knight in Elden Ring.
How to Defeat the Blackgaol Knight in Elden Ring
The key to beating the Blackgaol Knight is rushing when he loads the crossbow and countering after every two attacks. When you enter the mausoleum to start the fight, the knight will typically start loading up the crossbow from across the room. He uses standard bolts first and then explosives after a second reload. Make sure to just sprint to the right in a half circle and then attack after he runs out of bolts the first time.
After you engage in melee range, the Blackgaol Knight does a few different combos. Most of them consist of two wide swings that can easily catch you if you spam the back dodge. But if you know when to create space, it can be a massive advantage. It can cause the knight to go back to the crossbow, which is an easy window to apply damage.
The most deadly attack is a charged swing that appears to have holy damage attached. After slamming his sword, the attack unleashes the energy and he will follow up with a dash. Space won’t help you much in this case so you need to prepare for evasion or else he can easily two-shot kill you. Just dodge and wait for another opening.
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Tips on How to Beat the Blackgaol Knight in Elden Ring
- Rush to the side when he loads the crossbow.
- Do not spam backward dodges or you will get caught.
- Utilize weapon grease with Holy damage.
- Watch for the second rush attack after his Holy move.
You won’t be able to use Spirit Ashes in this fight so it makes the battle even tougher. The Blackgaol Knight also likes to abuse poise on his power attacks so don’t spam your own melee attacks. Wait for openings and eventually, you will have a nice new solitude armor set.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
