Elden Ring: The Easiest Way To Beat Malekith, The Black Blade

"Elden Ring" players can be sure the title will stop them dead in their tracks several times during their journey through the Lands Between. Whether it's a constant struggle at the hands of a powerful foe or the revelation of what's actually inside a creepy giant egg, the game delivers one jaw-dropping moment after another. Of course, some of the most obvious obstacles in a FromSoftware title are the deadly bosses, and while many of these devious battles are entirely optional, some of the most difficult fights are not.

There are few things more demoralizing to a player than repeatedly failing a boss encounter with no hope in sight, a feeling many gamers have experienced with Maliketh, the Black Blade. The monstrous foe hits hard and fast, leaving nearly no time to react. That said, there are a couple strategies players can employ to help tilt the odds in their favor — when combined these tactics may even turn defeating the Rune of Death guardian into a trivial task. Here's the easiest way to take down Maliketh, the Black Blade in "Elden Ring."

First, players will want to master the Carian Retaliation Ash of War. Carian Retaliation can be purchased from Pidia, Carian Servant and applied to small and medium shields. If a magic projectile is parried while using the Ash of War, players will summon three glintblade sword projectiles that automatically seek out nearby foes (like the Glintblade Phalanx sorcery). What makes this so deadly is the fact that damage scales off of a player's shield, meaning even those who aren't magically minded can do massive damage after spending some resources upgrading their chosen shield. Additionally, Carian Retaliation interacts with the projectile created by the Spirit Calling Bell item (obtainable early in-game), meaning players can summon glintblade projectiles that deal massive damage on a whim for a meager FP cost.

The second tip that'll surely help players against Maliketh is using the Mimic Tear Ashes Spirit Summon. Players without the summon can follow Gaming with Abyss' handy guide to locate the powerful option. Unlike other Spirit Ashes, Mimic Tear costs easily regained HP instead of FP to call forth a summoned ally. The Mimic Tear copies the exact loadout a player has equipped when summoned, so it's easy to ensure the Mimic Tear hits the battlefield outfitted with sturdy armor and maybe even a status effect-inducing weapon.

As M-M-Alexander showcased in a video uploaded to YouTube, the once fearsome Maliketh, the Black Blade hardly transcends minor nuisance when these two tricks are used together. M-M-Alexander begins the fight by summoning their Mimic Tear companion and then uses a Flask of Crimson Tears to regain the health lost to call forth the Spirit Ash. From there, the Mimic Tear sets to work distracting the boss while M-M-Alexander moves away to summon some swords using Carian Retaliation.

Using the pillars as cover, and only getting close enough to trigger the automatic magical blade attack, the YouTuber makes short work of Maliketh's first phase — but the more aggressive and dangerous second phase is barely more of an inconvenience. Maintaining a safe distance proves the key to M-M-Alexander's strategy, as the Mimic Tear takes the brunt of Maliketh's strikes and leaves the enemy open for even more damage via Carian Retaliation. The content creator managed to defeat the boss in under two minutes, but with this technique other players could potentially make even shorter work of this once feared boss.