Spirit Ash Summons have been a point of contention among Elden Ring fans. While many argue that it’s perfectly acceptable to use any and all means to get through the game, others believe that these summons haven’t been properly balanced and can turn Elden Ring into a complete cakewalk. Most of the community seems to have embraced the new mechanic, but there’s no arguing against the game-breaking hilarity of one player’s Mimic Tear summon.
In a clip posted to the Elden Ring subreddit, Jackatakk333 waltzes into Commander Niall’s boss arena in Castle Sol and summons a Mimic Tear. Given the lengths to which some Elden Ring players have gone to cheese Commander Niall, this is far from the egregious action those who swore off Spirit Ash Summons might make it out to be. However, when the mimic arrives, it quickly splits off into more than a dozen clones of the player, quickly swarming the boss. The clip then comes to an abrupt end, but it’s hard to imagine that Commander Niall managed to hold out for more than a few seconds.
There’s been quite a bit of debate among Elden Ring fans concerning the best summons in the game. Some argue in favor of Redmane Knight Ohga, while others favor Black Knife Tiche, and still others suggest that the Mimic Tear is the best summon. While there’s no way to definitely determine which summon is the most useful, Jackatakk333’s modded mimic clearly takes the cake. Commander Niall is an undeniably difficult fight, and, as he’s able to summon two spirits of his own, this player’s swarm of clones seems like just retribution.
Unfortunately, Commander Niall is but a bump in the road on the long trek to reach Malenia, Blade of Miquella, who is popularly considered to be the hardest boss in Elden Ring. Though the game allows for incredible build variety and even allows players to respec should they feel the need, Malenia is capable of decimating all-comers, and her ability to siphon health from the player makes even the slightest slip-up particularly punishing. Even a swarm of dozens of mimics may not be able to take on Malenia, as she’d likely be able to instantly heal whatever damage they deal to her.
There are a few tried-and-true tactics that can see struggling Elden Ring players through the Malenia boss fight, but there’s no real way to cheese her or to make the fight dramatically less difficult. In fact, given how aggressive most Spirit Ash Summons tend to be, it may be best to take her on solo.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
