Blackgaol Knight | Elden Ring Wiki

Blackgaol Knight Mausoleum Boss Guide

Shadow of the Erdtree Bosses Ranked

Knight of the Solitary Gaol Fight Strategy

The Best Tips for Knight of the Solitary Gaol:

• You cannot use Spirit Ashes
• Spells that stagger can be beneficial
• You should get Scadutree Blessing level 1 or 2 for an easier kill: See Scadutree Fragment for the locations and where to find them

Melee Users

This boss can switch between a Greatsword and a Crossbow giving him an edge in melee and ranged situations. The fight against the Blackgaol Knight usually begins with a Crossbow attack. He fires up to 10 Arrows rapidly following the player's movement and he requires a brief moment to either reload or switch to the Greatsword. There are some situations where his Arrow will have a fire element to it, which can end up damaging you even if you put your shield up. While he's firing the attack, you can run to one side diagonally, or horizontally and engage him in melee combat.

The crossbow gives him an advantage against melee users so it's ideal to stay within attacking distance by going up to him. You'll likely end up getting your HP drained without a fight if you stay far back while you have a melee weapon. You can also equip a shield to block his ranged attacks. At first, his attacks are slow and simple. He swings his greatsword with a powerful slash and you can stay out of his path by rolling to your right side. He holds up the sword with his right arm, and this direction gives you the biggest space to cut off his reach.

If you have a shield equipped, you can use it to block his incoming attacks or attempt a parry. Both of these methods will give an opening to attack him for maybe 1 or 2 attacks, depending on how fast your attack speed is. Opt for heavy attacks or Ash of War: Giant Hunt, or any Ash of War you prefer. This will cut him off in between combos. This can eventually apply Stagger if you repeatedly hit him with heavy attacks. This boss also has an attack that is similar to the Vacuum Slice that he can combine with another half-spin thrust. You can dodge this move by rolling to your right as he approaches you, then roll forward (towards him) to get behind him. From here, you have an opening to attack him with a heavy attack.

You will also notice that this boss tends to do jump attacks. If you can hit him while he's mid-air, you can knock him down and get free hits out of this opportunity. As the fight goes on, this boss will also restore its health using a Flask. You can interrupt him by using a spell like Adula's Moonblade to cancel the animation.

If you find yourself needing to restore HP, make sure to do it at a safe distance and that you have enough time. He may switch to the Crossbow or do a Wide Slash attack that lets him close the gap to perform a melee attack. Another strategy here is to alternate using your shield and go on offense by attacking him as you move to your right. This will give you a moment to attack him from behind for increased damage and also makes you move away from his right weapon swings.

Magic and Ranged Users

Keep distance from his sword swings and use spells that can get around his input reading by using well-timed casts or the Night Comet spell. Avoiding his crossbow attack can lead to a large opening.

Knight of the Solitary Gaol Attacks & Counters

Attack	Description	Counter
Arrow Barrage	When there's a great distance between the player and the Blackgaol Knight, he switches to using his Crossbow and fires up to 10 arrows rapidly toward the player's location. The fight usually begins with this attack move and a sound cue can be heard as he reloads the crossbow.	As soon as you hear the audio cue for the crossbow reload, run to either side of the map to outrun the stream of arrows being fired at you. Alternatively, you can also put up your shield to reduce incoming damage if your movespeed is not fast enough.
Overhead Slash (like Vacuum Slice)	Using the Greatsword, he swings an attack from his back and slashes overhead to deal massive damage. Then, he follows up this move with a half-spin attack.	Dodge by rolling to your right side, then roll forward as he continues with the follow-up move. If you manage to get behind him, attack him; Use a shield
Jump Slash	He leaps into the air and slashes down onto the ground. He stays low and crouches for a few frames after this move to recover.	Dodge by rolling to either side; Use a shield.
Greatsword Stab	When the player loses their footing and gets staggered, he will make a quick stabbing motion with the greatsword that can finish off a player when their health is about 40% or lower.	Pay attention to your stance and try not to get hit continuously. Break off his attack pattern by rolling away from him, or put your shield up if available.
Quick Slash	He swings the greatsword to the side, up to three times. This move is usually a 3-step attack pattern that swings once per direction and ends with an Overhead Slash.	Keep out of his attack range by rolling away from him. You can roll backwards safely, or you may also use your shield.
Spirit Slash	Using both hands, he raises the greatsword above his head and charges up an attack. After about a second, the attack is ready and he releases a Spirit Slash in front of him.	Dodge by rolling to your right side; Use a shield.
Wide Slash	After slamming his weapon onto the ground, he makes a quick turn and dashes forward to deliver a wide-sweeping attack.	Roll backward once. This lets you create distance between the boss and prevents the attack from reaching you.

Knight of the Solitary Gaol Notes & Trivia

• The name of this boss was changed in an update from Blackgaol Knight to Knight of the Solitary Gaol.
• May be a nod to 'the Black Swordsman' Guts from manga and anime series Berserk.

Armor of Solitude

Greatsword of Solitude

Repeating Crossbow