Elden Ring: How To Beat Bell Bearing Hunter

Like all From Software games, one of the aspects that separates "Elden Ring" from other action RPGs is its amazing boss fights. From Godrick the Grafted all the way to Starscourge Radahn, there are dozens of challenging foes with their own unique move sets that require different tactics to combat them. One of the defining features of a Soulsborne game is that players must learn the ins and outs of enemy attacks and spot the openings where they can strike back. Having a good build with the proper armor and weapons is important, but nothing compares to a solid strategy.

One of the smaller optional bosses that players have struggled with is called the Bell Bearing Hunter. This magical knight appears in four different locations: the Warmaster's Shack in Stormhill, the Hermit Merchant's Shack on the outskirts of Leyndell, Royal Capital, the Church of Vows in Liurnia of the Lakes, and the Isolated Merchant's Shack in Dragonbarrow. It will only be there at night, after the merchants that run the shacks have left. Its long distance melee attacks can be tricky to beat, but knowing its attack patterns makes it significantly more manageable.

Players can usually get a few hits on the Bell Bearing Hunter as it is initially being summoned before it starts attacking. After that, it's time for the actual fight. It generally uses a handful of attacks at the beginning: It will swing its sword 1-3 times, do a shield slam when the player gets behind it, a grab when the player gets too close, and a shield charge when they get too far away. Occasionally, its sword will glow red, indicating that it is imbuing it with magic. At this point, the sword will arc out beyond its hand, extending its range. It can also do a slow charging thrust attack that is telegraphed when the sword starts rotating. It can easily be dodged, but does a tremendous amount of damage if it hits. 

So how do you fight the Bell Bearing Hunter? Using a shield that has physical negation can be really helpful here as all of its attacks deal physical damage in spite of their magical nature. Otherwise, players must learn its timing and simply roll through its attacks. It doesn't usually move quickly and there are large enough gaps between many of its strikes that the player can safely heal. It is worth noting that some players have reported being able to cheese the fight by using the horse Torrent to get onto a cliffside or rooftop where the Bell Bearing Hunter can't reach and then killing it with ranged attacks.