How to Beat Commander Niall in Elden Ring
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Elden Ring
How to Beat Commander Niall in Elden Ring
Commander Niall Tips
Commander Niall is one of Elden Ring’s most demanding optional bosses — his true difficulty comes not from himself but from the two Crucible Knight phantoms that begin the fight, each capable of killing an underprepared player alone. The fight tests patience as much as skill: rushing Niall while both knights are alive is the consistent cause of death. Players who systematically clear the phantoms first, then engage Niall one-on-one, find him manageable with solid endgame stats. His primary value is the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right) — without it you cannot reach the Haligtree and the optional boss Malenia, Blade of Miquella. If Malenia is your goal, defeating Niall is a required step on the path.
FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Beat Commander Niall
Kill the two Crucible Knight summons first before engaging Niall himself. Both knights are dangerous alone — fight them one at a time by luring them away from each other. Once both are dead, Niall fights alone and his pattern becomes manageable: dodge his leg sweep by rolling toward him, not away, and punish after each combo.
1
Summon spirits immediately on entry. Commander Niall starts the fight by summoning two Crucible Knight phantoms — one sword and one spear. The moment you enter the fog gate, summon your spirit ash before Niall completes his summon animation. Your spirit draws one knight’s attention while you handle the other. Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche both work excellently here.
2
Kill the Crucible Knights separately. The two phantoms are the real danger — each is a mini Crucible Knight with their full moveset. Lure one away from the other by sprinting to the far corner of the arena. Fight one while your spirit occupies the other. Focus all damage on one until it dies, then clean up the second. Do not engage Niall himself until both phantoms are gone.
3
Niall phase — dodge his leg sweep by rolling INTO him. Niall’s most dangerous attack is a massive spinning leg sweep that hits for huge damage. The counterintuitive counter is to roll toward him and slightly to his side rather than away — rolling away keeps you in the sweep’s path the entire time. Rolling into him during the wind-up passes through the attack cleanly.
4
Dodge his lightning stomp away, then punish. Niall slams his leg into the ground creating a lightning explosion around him — this one you DO roll away from or sprint sideways. After the explosion clears (about 1 second) sprint back in and land 2–3 hits before he recovers. This is your primary damage window outside of his other combos.
5
Watch for the wind-up slam combo. Niall raises his halberd high and delivers a slow powerful overhead slam followed by a sweep — both hits deal massive damage. Dodge the overhead vertically (roll forward through it), then immediately roll sideways for the sweep. After dodging both, you have a free attack window of 2–3 hits before his next action.
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Where is Commander Niall: Niall is found at the top of Castle Sol in the Mountaintops of the Giants — the snowy castle in the northeast of that region. He guards the right half of the Haligtree Medallion, required to access the Consecrated Snowfield. You cannot skip him if you want to reach Miquella’s Haligtree.
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Lightning resistance helps significantly: Niall deals primarily physical and lightning damage. Equip the Pearldrake Talisman and any armor with solid lightning resistance — the Crucible Knights also deal physical and some holy damage. High Vigor (50+) is essential since both the knights and Niall hit extremely hard for a late-game area boss.
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Recommended level 100+: Niall is a late Mountaintops boss. Arrive at Soul Level 100+ with a +22 or higher weapon. The Crucible Knight phantoms are significantly weaker than real Crucible Knights but still deal considerable damage. Being underlevelled makes the phantom phase nearly impossible to survive.
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Stay aggressive on Niall after phase transition: once both phantoms are dead and you engage Niall one-on-one, stay close and aggressive. His attacks have long wind-ups that reward close-range combat — staying at medium range gives him time to unleash his longest combos without giving you safe attack windows. Hug his side and attack after each of his swings.
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Drops the Snow Witch Hat and Commander’s Standard: defeating Niall rewards his soul which transposes at Enia for the Commander’s Standard halberd — a Strength/Dexterity weapon with innate lightning damage. He also drops the Snow Witch Hat set pieces scattered through Castle Sol. The Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right) is the critical reward gating further progression.
Where is Commander Niall in Elden Ring?
Commander Niall is found at the top of Castle Sol in the Mountaintops of the Giants — the northeastern region of the Lands Between reached after defeating the Fire Giant. Castle Sol is the large ruined fortress visible in the northeast of the Mountaintops map. Niall guards the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right).
What do the Crucible Knight summons do in Commander Niall’s fight?
Niall summons two Crucible Knight phantoms at the start of the fight — one wielding a sword and one a spear. Both have the full moveset of real Crucible Knights and deal significant damage. They are the primary difficulty of the fight. Kill them both before engaging Niall directly, fighting them one at a time by luring them apart.
Is Commander Niall required to beat Elden Ring?
Commander Niall is not required for main story endings but is required to access the Haligtree optional area. He drops the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right) — combined with the Left half from Albus in the Village of the Albinaurics, it unlocks the Grand Lift of Rold’s hidden Haligtree route leading to Malenia.
How do I dodge Commander Niall’s leg sweep?
Roll toward Niall and slightly to his side during the wind-up of his spinning leg sweep. Rolling away keeps you in the arc of the attack for its entire duration. Rolling into him and through his body during the swing passes through the hitbox cleanly and positions you for a punish behind him. This counterintuitive roll direction is the key to surviving his most dangerous attack.