Elden Ring: How To Beat Crucible Knight

Players are almost guaranteed to become fast friends with death in "Elden Ring." Skill and caution will only take them so far before the game catches up. Early on, an untimely demise is just as likely to stem from getting the hang of how one Greataxe compares to another as it is from being ambushed in a new area. Newcomers to the Lands Between may find themselves in a perpetual death cycle with some of the title's punishing bosses. In fact, there's an optional fight players can engage in early in their journey that's sure to stop some right in their tracks.

Well before players go on to topple Starscourge Radahn or figure out what's really in Miquella's egg, they can enter the Stormhill Evergaol and attempt to take on a Crucible Knight. Even later in the game, Crucible Knights are a source of frustration and a quick ticket to the underworld if not approached with a plan in mind. Here's the best way for players to take on the formidable foe and come out on top.

Melee characters going up against a Crucible Knight will have to stay on their toes to avoid getting hit by the boss' array of attacks and combos (as illustrated by Fextralife). While many of the Crucible Knight's attacks appear slow and easy to evade, they're often followed up with additional assaults. Though few things can compare to the Godskin Noble's difficult to dodge maneuvers, the Crucible Knight easily catches fresh "Elden Ring" players off guard. 

In general, players want to dodge around the Crucible Knight's attacks to try and gain a more favorable position behind the enemy. However, melee characters need to keep an eye out for a tail swipe from the boss, which can be followed by another, larger tail swipe from time to time.

More than anything, the key to leading a melee character to victory against a Crucible Knight lies in learning the boss' attack animations and recognizing when it is about to take another swing. Patience is king. Understanding that this foe's combos go on longer than they seem at first — and that they often have a much further reach than suspected — will be the key to finally felling a Crucible Knight.

According to Fextralife, ranged characters will fall into one of two camps: Magic users who won't have much trouble damaging the boss and archers who will. For mages, spells are surprisingly effective against the Crucible Knight, with some still doing chip damage through the boss' shield. In the moments when casters can fire off a spell when the shield is completely down or the Crucible Knight is in the middle of an attack, they'll see some satisfying damage land. It's likely worth converting as many Flasks of Crimson Tears to Flasks of Cerulean Tears as a player's comfortable with.

Unfortunately, without a melee weapon or magic to fall back on, archers will find the encounter much more difficult. For those still determined to beat the Crucible Knight with arrows or bolts, a rapid-firing Shortbow or similar weapon may be able to catch the Crucible Knight while it's shield is down. Ranged fighters will want to stay as far back as possible for the length of the fight. In the instances where the Crucible Knight grows wings and flies toward players, rolling into the attack will put some much needed distance between them. With a little practice and some attention to detail, players will best the boss.