Shadow of the Erdtree: How to defeat the Blackgaol Knight boss? Elden Ring guide, walkthrough
Blackgaol Knight is an optional boss in the Shadow of the Erdtree add-on for the Elden Ring game. On this page of the guide we have described how to fight him and what rewards you will receive for defeating him.
Last update: 25 June 2024
Blackgaol Knight is one of the bosses in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. You will face him in the Western Nameless Mausoleum - a small building west of Scorched Ruins, in the Gravesite Plain area where the expansion begins. The boss is optional - you don't have to defeat it to continue the DLC. On this page of the guide, we described how to fight the boss and what rewards you will receive for defeating him.
Reward for defeating
For defeating the boss, you will receive 70,000 runes, Greatsword of Solitude and a complete set of Solitude heavy armor.
Blackgaol Knight in a nutshell
Related map marker: Blackgaol Knight - Western Nameless Mausoleum @ Shadow of the Erdtree
- Blackgaol Knight is a humanoid boss that fights very much like you do. He is armed with a great sword and an automatic crossbow.
- The boss seamlessly switches between three fighting styles - crossbow, crossbow and sword, sword.
- The enemy is most susceptible to your attacks when he is using both the crossbow and the sword - he cannot shoot the crossbow then and it is easier to stagger him. If you are playing aggressively, this is the best time to go on the offensive.
- When the boss only holds the crossbow and fires at you, block the bolts with a shield or sprint to the side to avoid the attack.
- Be very careful when the boss holds the sword with both hands - his posture increases dramatically, so you cannot stagger him or interrupt his attacks.
- Play carefully - the boss's attacks are slow, but they deal huge damage.
- A shockwave attack is always followed by a powerful pirouette. Both of these attacks take a lot of stamina to block and will almost always knock you off balance if you block both - try to dodge both attacks or block the shockwave and then dodge the pirouette.
- The boss has one healing potion, which he will drink when he loses about half of his health. Later he will try to drink from the empty bottle again - this is a good moment to attack.
How to fight the Blackgaol Knight?
The Blackgaol Knight fights very much like you and the invaders you've probably encountered several times before. The boss is armed with a greatsword and an automatic crossbow. During combat, he switches between three styles:
- holds the crossbow with both hands,
- holds the crossbow and the sword,
- holds the sword with both hands.
The boss usually uses the crossbow when you move away from him. His only attack is an automatic burst, followed by a quite long reload animation. You can block the bolts with a shield or sprint to the side - when the enemy starts reloading his weapon, you have a moment to get closer and land a few blows.
The Blackgaol Knight is most vulnerable to your attacks when he wields the crossbow in one hand and the sword in the other. Contrary to what you may think, he cannot use the crossbow in this stance, relying only on melee attacks. His swings are slow, but they deal a lot of damage. Fortunately, since he holds a heavy weapon in one hand, it is very easy to knock him off balance and interrupt his long attack animations with yours. His slashes can also bounce off your shield when blocking, interrupting his combos early and temporarily leaving him vulnerable to counterattacks. You can play carefully, blocking and avoiding the enemy's attacks, attacking after his slow animations end - but if you prefer to play aggressively, this is the best moment, because by attacking him you can prevent him from counterattacking.
When the boss sheathes his crossbow and grabs his sword with both hands, you should immediately stop attacking. Blackgaol Knight's fighting style does not change much, but his posture increases significantly and his attacks become stronger. This means that it is much more difficult to interrupt his attacks with your own - and since his attacks are devastating, you are asking for a quick death. Retreat and focus on defense, blocking and dodging his attacks, counterattacking with single blows or short combos when the opponent stops his offensive to catch a breath.
The boss's most dangerous attack is a short combo, which he can only use when holding the sword with both hands. The Blackgaol Knight raises his weapon above his head and slashes downwards, firing a vertical wave of wind at you. Immediately after that, he attacks with a powerful swing. Both of these moves take a lot of stamina away from a successful block and will likely get you off balance even if you block them, leaving you vulnerable to a counterattack. Avoid this combo with two well-timed dodges or block the wind wave and then dodge the pirouette.
Since the boss fights similarly to the player, he also has access to healing potions. Blackgaol Knight will heal when he loses about half his health. He only has one potion - when you lower his health to a certain level again, he will try to heal himself, but his bottle will be empty. This is the perfect moment to deal a lot of damage, because he will be completely defenseless.