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There are dozens and dozens of new bosses in the Elden Ring DLC, and some of them can be encountered almost as soon as you enter Shadow of the Erdtree. Blackgaol Knight is one of these bosses that can be found very soon after entering the Realm of Shadow, and in some ways, it's a reminder that you need to explore and power up before you're ready to take on the DLC bosses.

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Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Furnace Golem Boss Guide
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Burning constructs that roam the Realm of Shadow, Furnace Golems are one of Shadow of the Erdtree's most iconic – and challenging – bosses.

Though it's about the same size as the Tarnished, the Elden Ring DLC Blackgaol Knight boss is no joke, and requires some specific strategies to beat for both melee and spellcaster builds. Don't take this boss lightly, and be careful with when you choose to attack this high-Poise boss, to get one of the best rewards in the early game: one of the heaviest and most physically defensive sets in the DLC.

Western Nameless Mausoleum & Blackgaol Knight Location

Elden Ring Blackgaol Knight Boss Western Gaol Location

To get to the Western Nameless Mausoleum, and defeat the Blackgaol Knight, you must head through the Gravebird-infested and gravestone-ridden area to the northwest of the DLC spawn location. You can also get here by heading southwest from the Three-Path Cross site of Grace, near the tunnel that leads to Belurat, Tower Settlement.

The Gravebirds can be a bit of a nuisance, but you can easily avoid them by riding Torrent all the way to the mausoleum entrance in the far west of this area surrounded by cliffs. Jump off and enter the doorway to find the boss door at the bottom of the stairs. The fight begins as soon as you step through.

Blackgaol Knight Boss Walkthrough

Weaknesses, Strategies, Moveset, & More

Elden Ring Blackgaol Knight Boss Guide

Blackgaol Knight Boss Weaknesses

  • The boss is very heavily armored (in an armor set you can get for defeating it), so melee attacks will be less effective than sorceries and incantations.
  • The Blackgaol Knight can be easily Parried, and its slow but hard-hitting attacks are a great way to test out the new Spontaneous Guard system (granted by the Deflecting Hardtear)
  • The Blackgaol Knight has few major resistances not granted by high armor, but it can be difficult to build up Bleed, Frostbite, or Scarlet Rot on this enemy. Magic damage seems to be most effective.
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Blackgaol Knight Moveset & Counters

Move

Description

How To Counter

Greatsword attacks

Attacks with its equipped Greatsword, with the same four-hit animation given to all Greatswords. Can be wielded one or two-handed, with associated movesets.

If you can do a Jumping heavy attack, it is possible to stop the boss' attack combo. Otherwise, just dodge backward and wait for the boss to stop attacking for a second or two of oppotunity.

Storm Blast & Follow-Up

The Knight will raise its greatsword, blast a wave of physical damage forward, then close the gap with a quick dash and strike. Can be cast from a long distance.

Dodge to the side of the physical blast, then dodge into the boss' follow-up attack, to get a few seconds of reprieve to attack the boss or heal.

Crossbow Barrage

The Knight loads up its crossbow and fires a barrage of a dozen or so crossbow bolts fired increasingly faster

Walk to the side when at mid-to-long range to avoid these. Do not dodge, as you will likely be hit by bolts upon standing up, and they deal a ton of damage.

Dash Slash

Dashes forward with sword held in two hands and slashes after a moment of holding the strike.

Dodge towards the boss when it dashes toward you, either when it dashes on its own or follows up its physical blast wave with a dash slash.

Strategies To Beat Blackgaol Knight

General Blackgaol Knight Boss Tips

  • When firing and reloading its crossbow, the Blackgaol Knight is completely vulnerable. You can reliably trigger it to pull out the crossbow if you stand about a two-to-three second sprint from its location. That's also about how long it takes to pull out and fire, so you can close the distance while it's locked into the animation and deal some serious damage.
  • The Blackgaol Knight boss will often blast the player with a Blasphemous Blade-like weapon skill, which launches a wave of physical damage when it brings its greatsword down. It will always follow this up with a charge-slash, so be careful to avoid both the physical blast and the distance-closing strike.
  • With a high Guard Boost shield, and a lot of Stamina, you can block the majority of the boss' attacks, but you won't have much Stamina left over to attack back.
  • Slowly walk to the side of the boss when at mid-to-long range to avoid all of the rapid-fire crossbow bolts

If you are having trouble with any boss in Elden Ring , you can always go out to explore other areas to get stronger before returning to try again. This is ultimately the most effective strategy to overcome any boss in the game.

Melee Blackgaol Knight Strategies

  • The Blackgaol Knight has incredibly high Poise, and it's very, very difficult to break its stance and get a critical hit. However, this does not apply to the skill on the cheese-lover's favorite Blasphemous Blade (and other weapon skills that knock enemies down)
  • It also can be knocked down reliably with the Giant Hunt and Lion's Claw Ashes of War, but be careful not to get struck during the wind-up for these animations.
  • Try using a Smithscript weapon against this boss instead of traditional melee weapons. These allow you to throw the weapon for ranged damage with the R2/RT attack, and can be a helpful way to beat the boss with a melee build without being in close range.
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Spellcaster Blackgaol Knight Strategies

  • Its small hitbox and ability to react to your spellcasts means it's better to cast spells like Magic Glintblade and Night Shard than powerful, long-cast-time spells.
  • Avoid AoE spells like Black Flame Ritual and Meteorite, as the Blackgaol Knight will likely hit you before the spell goes off. Instead, opt for short cast time spells like the aforementioned Sorceries and Black Flame, Lightning Bolt, and other fast Incantations.
  • The boss's weapon skill can take you unawares from a distance, as it travels very fast, and is always followed up with a gap-closer. Watch for the boss to raise its greatsword and charge it to know when to dodge out of the way of these two attacks.

Blackgaol Knight Boss Rewards

Elden Ring Blackgaol Knight Boss Rewards Solitude Set

By beating the Blackgaol Knight in the Western Nameless Mausoleum, you will earn five rewards: the Greatsword of Solitude, and all four pieces of the Blackgaol Knight armor set. Also called the Armor of Solitude set, the Blackgaol Knight Shadow of the Erdtree boss drops this incredibly heavy, but incredibly defensive and stylish, armor set upon defeat.

The Greatsword of Solitude is a black Greatsword that's noticeably shorter than some other Greatswords in Elden Ring. However, the Greatsword of Solitude's strength lies in its Ash of War, which can't be altered. When used, this allows the Tarnished to copy the Blackgaol Knight's slam and charge combination move.

Activate this Ash of War to slam your weapon down and blast a ray of physical damage forward, a bit like the Blasphemous Blade's animation. Then while that animation is playing out, press the Heavy Attack input (R2/RT) to leap forward and attack your target from a great distance. If timed right, this is almost impossible to dodge, as your target will have just dodge out of the blast of damage heading their way.