Tips and Strategy from Elden Ring Commander Niall

Commander Niall is an optional boss in Elden Ring that can be found in Castle Sol in Mountaintops of the Giants.

You need to defeat him if you’re looking to get half of the Haligtree Secret Medallion in order to access a secret endgame area, which is essential to completing the Latenna and Millicent questlines.

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Looking for direction? Our what to do first in Elden Ring, Elden Ring walkthrough, Grace site locations, and main bosses in the order pages can help you out.

How to Prepare for Commander Niall

Not only is he a very hard-hitting human opponent with high defense, but he also summons two Spectral Knights at the start of the fight.

It is then highly recommended to summon your own spirit ash (you can also summon other players but be aware that this raises the defense of Niall and his lackeys which does not happen with spirits).

Commander Niall is very similar to another optional boss, Commander O’Neill in Caelid’s Swamp of Aeonia, who you must fight to advance Millicent’s quest.

Both attack with a halberd with enormous reach that can deal elemental damage and status ailments and both summon other enemies into battle.

If you fought O’Neill earlier, you’ll know what to expect, except you don’t have the option to jump him first.

In addition to physically strong attacks, Niall’s attacks can inflict both lightning damage and frostbite.

If you have to prioritize, Frostbite is what you need to watch out for because not only does it deal bonus damage when the status gauge is full, but it then temporarily reduces your damage absorption and stamina recovery.

Frost resistance is measured by the robustness statistic. Equipping the Stalwart Horn Charm Talisman or consuming the Flask of Physick Wondrous mixed with Speckled Hardtear will help improve toughness, while you can also consume Boluses of Thaw to mitigate Frost buildup.

As a human enemy, Niall is weak at bleeding damage, so weapons like Bloodhound’s Fang will come in very handy for this fight.

The Mimic Tear will be very useful in this fight, but so will the Spirit Ashes which can make very good tanks like Lhutel the Headless or Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff, both of which carry large shields.

Since you’re outnumbered to start, Spirit Ashes that summon multiple spirits like Great Shield Soldiers can even the score as well.

While Niall is near the top of Castle Sol, you need to activate the elevator near the boss entrance so you can reach it from the Site of Grace at the main gate.

It might seem counterintuitive, but Grace’s site in the middle has more annoying enemies en route that will follow you all the way to the boss fog, and they keep breaking through during the boss fight, potentially distracting your or your summoned spirits. .

Commander Niall Tips: How to Beat Commander Niall

If you’ve ever fought Commander O’Neill in Caelid, you should have an idea of ​​what to expect, although you’re in a smaller arena and don’t have the element of surprise.

Niall immediately summons two Spectral Knights to his side, one wielding two blades in each arm similar to the Banished Knight Oleg, while the other is equipped with a sword and shield.

Take advantage of this moment to also summon your own spirit then focus on the knights. We recommend getting rid of the dual wielded knight first, as it will fall faster.

The other knight may take longer due to his shield, and he even has his own frost-based attacks, but this will be mitigated if your mind takes the brunt of it leaving his back exposed to your attacks.

Niall shouldn’t be much of a threat at this point but when the two knights are gone, he will properly transition to his second phase.

You can also trigger this phase simply by attacking it to begin with, in which case its knights will die, but it’s best to clear them out first.

Although he’s a big tanky boss with far-reaching swings and thrusts, he’s parryable and you can knock his balance with repeated attacks to stun him for a critical retaliate.

Getting the chance to attack Niall is a challenge though due to the wide range of his halberd, while he can also take to the air to dodge your attacks.

More annoyingly, you have to deal with a Blizzard Whirlwind Area of ​​Effect (AOE) it builds around itself, which means you can’t approach it without falling victim to frost buildup.

Sometimes this blizzard covers almost the whole arena, which leaves you with little space to work. Ranged or magic spellcasters will have some advantage here when attacking outside of this AOE range, such as with Nightsword and Flame’s Night Comet.

His hard-hitting attacks mean that if he focuses on your mind they won’t survive the fight for very long, but you should take every opportunity for them to aggravate him, but be careful, even his halberd swing can catch you even if you don’t tackle it head-on.

Keeping your distance won’t be enough, as when he leaps into the air, he’ll head towards you or another ally, pausing briefly before crashing to the ground and releasing a lightning shockwave on impact, although this can be avoided with a well – timed dodge.

If you’re planning on casting a spell while he’s built a whirlwind of frost around him, you also need to be careful as he can follow up by charging forward and then slashing you with his halberd, which you can also dodge.

When not using freeze-based attacks, he can also infuse his prosthetic leg with lightning, then stomp on the ground to unleash a large AOE lightning attack, which can also be dodged with the right timing. .

Perhaps Niall’s most devastating move is a charge that sucks in the wind around him, then unleashes three Frost Whirlwinds at you, before continuing to charge you to the side for a devastating Halberd Uppercut.

If you manage to dodge the end, however, it will tire him out and leave him wide open for quite a while so you can just lay on top of him.

Once you’ve chosen a starting class and a starting souvenir item, you first need to figure out how to level up, how to respec, and how to use Ashes of War. Need direction from there? Try to find Golden Seeds, Holy Tears, Crystal Tears, Talismans, and some of our top early weapon and armor picks. If you’re nearing the end of the game, we can help you with the Haligtree Secret Medallion locations, the Millicent quest, and defeating the toughest bosses including Commander Niall, Morgott, Godskin Duo, Maliketh, and Malenia.

Commander Niall’s Reward

Once Commander Niall is defeated, you’ll be rewarded with 90,000 runes as well as the Veteran’s Prosthesis, a sidearm that deals lightning damage.

Most importantly, the path will be opened for you to collect the left half of the Secret Haligtree Medallion, needed to take the Secret Path to reach the Consecrated Snowfield and Miquella’s Haligtree.

Whether you decide to return to the Great Rold Elevator to do so or continue on the story’s critical path, you’re near the end of the game at this point – so you’re in for a tough time wherever you are. to go.

Good luck!