[GameSpot] - Elden Ring Malenia Boss Battle Guide: How To Defeat The Game's Hardest Boss

[343iBot]

Ask any accomplished Elden Ring player which boss gave them the hardest time, and many--if not most--will tell you it's Malenia. This fearsome combatant awaits you in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree and though she's technically optional, you may want to take her on if you plan to see the whole game. Not only will she drop her Great Rune and a unique consumable item called Remembrance of the Rot Goddess, but she also drops a cool 480,000 Runes. However, getting past her requires patience and some skilled dodges. Here's how to beat Malenia in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring Malenia fight

You'll want to start at the Haligtree Roots Site of Grace. Her arena is just down the steps from there, which helps you collect any Runes you may lose in trying to topple her. In the first of two phases, Malenia's move set consists of long, sweeping sword attacks, a leaping sword dash that does area-of-effect (AoE) damage, and an annoying ability to heal herself whenever she hits you, even if you've blocked the attack. Because of that, you'll want to either keep your distance as a conjurer or ensure timely dodges unless you have a very high blocking ability.

For this fight you'll want to have most, if not all, of the following:

• Ghiza's Wheel
• Hoarfrost Stomp
• The Sword of Night and Flame
• Boluses for curing Scarlet Rot
• An adept ability to dodge attacks

First phase

Right away, you'll want to summon the Mimic Tear, one of the game's best Spirit Ashes, even after it's been sadly nerfed. This fighter mimics you from head to toe and essentially makes the fight two against one. If you don't have or want to use Mimic Tear, you could instead summon human allies via the game's multiplayer options.

The Mimic Tear is preferred though, as you know what you'll get and it will keep her busy a lot of the time, giving you more opportunities to attack than you would have if you went in solo. Continue dodging her moves as needed and look to apply bleeding or frost damage to her as she's weak to these attacks. Something like Ghiza's Wheel (bleeding) or Hoarfrost Stomp (frost) are great picks here, even as the latter was also targeted in the recent nerfing patch applied by From Software. You should apply frostbite to her with the stomp early, then unleash the bleeding damage with Ghiza's Wheel.

We should've known she'd be this tough when they put her in the key art.

While it applies neither bleeding nor frost damage, another player-favorite weapon here is The Sword of Night and Flame thanks to its magic-centric special attack. Almost humorously, this too was nerfed in the same patch as the aforementioned update. Don't let this pro-Malenia patch drag you down, though. Keep dodging effectively and applying damage with any of the weapons named here and eventually, you'll move onto her second phase.

Second phase

Malenia's second phase starts with a magnificent and devastating AoE attack, so immediately retreat before you're caught in the blast zone. Once she's done with the move, your previous attack pattern will work. Assuming your Mimic Tear is still alive, keep using them as a distraction while you dodge effectively and wail on her with frost and/or bleeding damage--or The Sword of Night and Flame's special attack if you went that route. You'll also need to avoid her attacks that now do Scarlet Rot damage, and ideally, you'll avoid them completely. If you get hit by them though, having a few boluses will cure you and keep you on your feet.

Like a lot of Elden Ring, all of this is easier said than done, especially post-patch. However, reliably dodging out of harm's way, staying nimble, and dealing the right kinds of hurt to Malenia will soon allow you to defeat one of the game's most memorable bosses. Good luck, Tarnished!

For more on Elden Ring, check out our complete guides hub features dozens of tips, regional tours, and important item locations.

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