Elden Ring: How To Defeat Commander Niall (2024)

Commander Niall is one of the late-game bosses found in Castle Sol in the Mountaintop of the Giants. You might have seen this boss during your exploration in Elden Ring.

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Commander Niall summons two Knight Ashes to help fight in the first phase, meaning this fight can be tricky. You need to get through him to advance to the area ahead. Here is all you need to know about how to kill Commander Niall in Elden Ring.

Commander Niall Overview

Commander Niall is an optional boss that you face at the top of Castle Sol, located in the Mountaintops of the Giants, far to the northwest of The Lands Between. Defeating the boss is not mandatory; however, you will have to face Commander Niall if you want access to the Haligtree side area to face Shardbearer Malenia - essential for an all Remembrances run. You can summon Spirits Ashes and online players to help you in the fight. After taking out the boss's health bar, you will be rewarded with Veteran's Prosthesis. Proceed further ahead after defeating the boss to acquire the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left). The boss is weak towards any Physical Strikes and Thrust attacks you perform using your weapon.

This boss has a very high resistance against Frostbite, Scarlet Rot, Poison, and Hemorrhage. Avoid using skills or spells that might deal with the mentioned affinity damage.

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Commander Niall Attacks

The boss has a large pool of varied attacks, most of which he uses in the second phase.

Commander Niall Attacks

Halberd Combo

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How to beat the Elden Ring Commander Niall boss fight

Commander Niall uses his Halberd to perform combo attacks.

Counter: Try to keep your distance from the boss after the first attack and dodge them from whichever direction they are coming from.

Whirlwind Dash

The boss twirls his Halberd and creates a whirlwind. He will then charge at you and follow up with an uppercut.

Counter: Make sure to dodge sideways to the uppercut and not the charge as the charge doesn't do damage.

Charged Whirlwind

Commander Niall starts to create a whirlwind and twirls his Halberd several times. Getting close to him causes Frostbite to build up. The boss then charges at you and performs an uppercut attack.

Counter: The whirlwind has a wide radius, and every swing causes damage and Frostbite, so keep your distance. Be ready to dodge the uppercut after the charge.

Thunder Leg Stomp

The boss stomps his prosthetic leg on the ground, causing a whirlwind, and infuses his leg with lightning. He leaps to you and crashes down on the ground causing a small shockwave.

Counter: As the whirlwind starts, keep your distance to avoid being frostbitten. You need to dodge the leap as soon as he comes close to you.

Charged Stomp

Commander Niall charges and infuses his prosthetic leg with lightning for a small duration and then stomps it down on the ground at the player.

Counter: You need to dodge the leg stomp and move back from it to avoid the explosion. Jumping is a good way to dodge these lightning attacks.

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Related: Elden Ring: How To Complete Sorceress Sellen Questline

Strategies

There are two strategies for this fight:

1. You can focus on the Knights and take them down using a summon and then deal with Commander Niall by thrusting him to death.
2. Keep your distance while bombarding the boss with Sorcery at every whirlwind and charging attack.

Melee Strategy

During the first phase of the fight, Commander Niall summons two Banished Knights to help him in the fight. One uses a sword and shield, while the other uses dual swords. They both can pose a severe threat if you face them together. Bringing along online players can help you divide the attention of this trio boss fight.

Commander Niall will stay passive during the fight until the Banished Knights are dealt with. Most of the time, you need to keep close to the boss. However, you must stay away from him during the frost buildup whirlwind and electric prosthetic leg stomp.

Ranged Strategy

If you are using Sorcery for the ranged strategy, you will have the advantage against the Banished Knights.

Using Spirit Ashes can be very useful in this fight. Using Ashes like Lone Wolves, spells like Tibia's Summons, and online co-op, you can turn the tide of this uneven boss battle. Your allies will draw the aggro while you have time to cast powerful spells and kill your foes.

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Next: Elden Ring: Complete Guide And Walkthrough