Malenia location, weakness, and how to beat in Elden Ring

On the lookout for an Elden Ring Malenia boss information? Malenia, Blade of Miquella, Goddess of Rot, and bearer of a shard of the Elden Ring, is likely one of the hardest bosses within the recreation — and that’s saying one thing.

Don’t let that discourage you although; with the precise preparations and a great battle technique, even Malenia will be defeated. Our Elden Ring information will present you find out how to beat Malenia, together with particulars about her location, weaknesses, and assaults.

Malenia location in Elden Ring

Malenia resides on the backside of the Haligtree, the comparatively small area discovered north of the Mountaintops of the Giants. To get there, you will need to advance via Liurnia, Altus Plateau, and the japanese a part of the Mountaintops of the Giants earlier than gathering the Elden Ring Haligtree Secret Medallions and getting access to the Consecrated Snowfield.

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Within the Consecrated Snowfield, discover Ordina, the Liturgical City, and remedy the evergoal puzzle to unlock a portal that takes you to the highest of the Haligtree. From there, hold descending. On the backside of the Haligtree, you’ll discover a backyard with a church; it has a carry inside that’ll take you to Malenia.

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When you want extra assist, check out our detailed Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree walkthrough.

Issues to find out about Malenia

• She heals with each hit. Malenia regains well being each time she lands a success on you, even should you block it. For that cause, utilizing a defend on this battle isn’t suggested.
• She offers bodily injury with slash and pierce assaults. Through the second section of the battle, she’ll inflict Scarlet Rot.
• She has a number of one-hit-kill assaults. Irrespective of how excessive you pump your vigor or how heavy your armor is, you’ll be able to and shall be one-shotted by a number of of Malenia’s assaults. You should study to keep away from them. We’ll go over them under.
• She does have weaknesses. Malenia is nearly unbelievably sturdy, however she does have weaknesses. We’ll inform you precisely what to deliver to this battle.
• Summons are key. Summoning different gamers for this battle is a bet. You may get fortunate, or your phantom helpers may die the primary time Malenia makes use of Waterfowl Dance, leaving Malenia with beefed-up well being when you’re nonetheless combating her solo. Utilizing a Spirit Ash is a extra dependable alternative. We’ll go over your greatest choices within the information.

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Malenia’s weak point and resistances

Fortunately, even Malenia is weak to sure injury and assault sorts. Right here’s an inventory of every little thing Malenia is weak towards:

• Frost injury. That is Malenia’s lowest resistance.
• Bleed injury, also called Blood Loss. That is Malenia’s second-lowest resistance.
• Fireplace injury. Whereas utilizing magical spells isn’t the most effective technique towards Malenia (extra on that under), weapons with innate fireplace injury work nice.
• Bodily injury. Melee assaults can work very effectively towards Malenia.

To keep away from utilizing this, right here’s an inventory of every little thing Malenia is exceptionally sturdy towards:

• Scarlet Rot injury. Malenia is very proof against the Scarlet Rot standing impact.
• Poison injury. Malenia is very proof against the poison standing impact.
• Holy injury. Malenia has a excessive Holy injury absorption. In case you have a Religion construct, it’s higher to make use of fireplace incantations like Burn O Flame as a substitute of Holy injury.
• Most magic. Malenia will simply dodge most sorceries and incantations you’ll be able to throw at her. There are exceptions, just like the Evening sorceries, Ranni’s Darkish Moon, and Dragonice. However even then, it’s onerous to search out sufficient time to forged them. To high it off, touchdown spells on Malenia usually triggers her most devastating assault, Waterfowl Dance.
• Shields. Malenia heals herself even should you block her assault together with your defend, so utilizing one places you at a severe drawback.
• Parrying. Sadly, Malenia will solely be staggered by each third parry, as a substitute of each parry like a standard enemy. It’s doable, however not really useful.

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Put together for the Malenia boss battle

Now that you understand Malenia’s strengths and weaknesses, how do you exploit them? Right here’s an inventory of fight methods that work effectively towards Malenia:

• Use dual-wielding. Overlook about shields; dual-wield two weapons of the identical kind as a substitute. This lets you power-stance, which unlocks new assaults utilizing the L1 button. Quick weapons like katanas or twinblades are greatest, however greatswords just like the Claymore can work when you have extra energy than dexterity. No matter you select, make sure that to improve each weapons as a lot as doable.
• Use a lightweight load. Malenia is quick and also you don’t have a defend, so you will need to depend on dodging to remain alive. A heavy load makes issues troublesome, a medium load is doable, however a lightweight load of lower than 30% most gear makes dodging straightforward. Then once more, this can be a very dangerous technique — one mistake might tilt the battle in Malenia’s favor.
• Or a minimum of not a heavy load. You need to use a heavy weapon, however don’t go for a full heavy loadout as you gained’t be capable to dodge Malenia’s assaults. Principally, select probably the most highly effective armor set you will have that also falls inside medium load vary.
• Construct resistance towards bodily injury. Armor units with excessive resistance towards slash and pierce are all the time the only option. Don’t neglect to mix them with a bodily damage-reducing talisman just like the Dragoncrest Greatshield.
• Make dodging simpler with Bloodhound’s Step. If the sunshine load sounds too troublesome, chances are you’ll imbue your right-hand weapon with the Bloodhound’s Step Ash of Battle. It is a souped-up dodge that causes you to briefly flip invisible and slide across the room, completely impervious to break. Definitely, it’s the one greatest software to present you a slight edge towards Malenia. You will get it by defeating the Evening’s Cavalry mini-boss on the bridge north of Lenne’s Rise in japanese Caelid.
• Exploit Malenia’s Frost weak point. Imbue a minimum of considered one of your weapons with the Chilly Affinity. Seize the Glintstone Whetblade from the courtyard of Raya Lucaria, or use Dragonice, bought on the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid (although its sluggish forged time leaves you weak). The identical goes for Ranni’s Darkish Moon, which you will get by following Ranni’s questline and reaching the Moonlight Plateau. When you’d somewhat simply chuck grenades at her, the recipe for Freezing Pots is within the Glintstone Craftsman’s Cookbook [6], positioned in a constructing on the east aspect of the primary courtyard of Caria Manor.
• Give attention to inflicting Bleed injury. Due to its innate Bleed injury, Rivers of Blood is likely one of the greatest weapons towards Malenia. If utilizing a katana or one other weapon with innate Bleed injury isn’t an choice to your construct, go get the Black Whetblade at Evening’s Sacred Floor, part of Nokron, Everlasting Metropolis accessed by leaping down the rooftops close to the Ancestral Woods website of grace (down the meteor gap that appeared after you defeat Radahn). The whetblade lets you add Blood Affinity to most weapons that haven’t any innate aspect.
• Deal fireplace injury. In case you have a weapon with innate Fireplace injury, such because the Magma Blade, that’s an incredible choice too. You may get hold of it at Volcano Manor, the place it’s dropped by man-serpents. Alternatively, deliver some Volcano Pots and chuck them at Malenia each time you’ll be able to.
• Stagger Malenia. Sure, you’ll be able to stagger Malenia, and it’s really not that arduous. Watch for her to complete an assault combo, then hit her instantly afterward to stagger her.
• Get a Scarlet Rot remedy. Final however definitely not least, deliver sufficient Preserving Boluses with you to remedy Scarlet Rot within the second section of the battle. The crafting recipe is present in Armorer’s Cookbook [6].

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Greatest weapons for Malenia

Let’s go over some construct examples chances are you’ll use towards Malenia. A stable alternative for dual-wielding can be the Chilly Uchigatana with Bloodhound’s Step in your proper hand and Rivers of Blood in your left hand. When utilizing Bloodhound’s Step, equip the Carian Filigreed Crest talisman, which you should buy from the blacksmith Iji when following Ranni’s quest. It reduces the FP price of abilities, permitting you to teleport-dodge extra ceaselessly.

The Nagakiba katana and Eleonora’s Poleblade are additionally nice weapons towards Malenia, particularly since each include Bleed injury and (within the case of the Poleblade) Fireplace injury. Nagakiba is obtained by finishing Bloody Finger Hunter Yura’s questline or by defeating him in fight, and Eleonora’s Poleblade is obtained by defeating Eleonora, the Violet Bloody Finger, on the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau

Don’t underestimate the Bloodhound’s Fang both, which has superb bodily injury. You will get it by defeating the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Limgrave. Twin-wielding this weapon is kind of overpowered because it builds Bleed extremely quick, however you’ll be able to solely get hold of a second Bloodhound’s Fang if it’s gifted to you in multiplayer. If that’s not within the playing cards, Bloodhound’s Fang goes completely superb with Rivers of Blood.

When you’d somewhat attempt to stagger Malenia with a heavier weapon, the Blasphemous Blade Greatsword with its large bodily and fireplace injury is likely one of the greatest choices. Its Taker’s Flames capability offers superb stagger injury, knocking Malenia down should you can handle to land it with out her dodging the flames. You may commerce Rykard’s Remembrance for it within the Roundtable Maintain.

When you’re in search of a solution to ‘cheese’ the Malenia boss battle, the Ordovis Greatsword is your pal. That is fairly shocking, particularly since a few of its injury is Holy, however the Ordovis Greatsword’s worth lies in its Ordovis’s Vortex spinning talent (demonstrated within the image under).

This assault requires a brief charging time, but when Malenia will get caught in it, she will’t break free and it’ll knock her down — permitting you to make use of it once more. In different phrases, you will need to rigorously look ahead to a gap, stun-lock Malenia in Ordovis’s Vortex, and deplete her HP. Ordovis Greatsword is dropped by the Crucible Knight in Auriza Hero’s Grave, a dungeon north of Leyndell.

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Greatest Ashes and Talismans for Malenia

Moreover Bloodhound’s Step, there are different Ashes of Battle that Malenia has a tough time coping with. Rivers of Blood’s Corpse Piler can quickly proc Bleed and staggers her considerably reliably. You get it from the NPC invader close to the Church of Repose in Mountaintop of the Giants.

Equally, Eleonora’s Poleblade’s Bloodblade Dance helps you to do heavy Bleed and poise injury then dance away from her to keep away from retaliation. It’s obtained from the NPC invasion on the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau as a part of Yura’s questline.

The greatest Spirit Ashes to make use of towards Malenia are Black Knife Tiche or Mimic Tear. Sadly, tanky spirits aren’t pretty much as good as you may assume as a result of Malenia will regain well being each time she hits them. Tiche, alternatively, doesn’t have a ton of well being however is superb at dodging.

She’ll distract Malenia when you unleash your assaults. You will get Tiche from the Ringleader’s Evergaol on the Moonlight Plateau (as soon as once more, a part of Ranni’s quest). So long as you will have an honest loadout, the Mimic Tear is all the time an incredible alternative, however particularly should you’re centered on constructing Frost and Bleed standing results.

As for talismans, the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman is extremely helpful because it negates quite a lot of incoming bodily injury. Erdtree’s Favor might help you improve your gear load restrict (particularly useful in case your favourite armor set is a tad too heavy) whereas additionally bettering your HP and stamina. For many who depend upon vigor, energy, dexterity, and endurance, Radagon’s Scarseal is an incredible choice, however beware that it additionally will increase incoming injury. A easy strength-boosting talisman like Starscourge Heirloom might due to this fact be the higher alternative.

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The best way to defeat Malenia section 1

Malenia will strategy you as quickly as you enter the boss area. When she’s inside melee vary, be ready to dodge her first assaults. The trick to surviving is to be very affected person, hold dodging, and hit each time her combos have completed.

When you’re capable of proc Bleed and Frost a number of instances, you’ll be able to burn her down earlier than she even will get an opportunity to make use of Waterfowl Dance. More often than not, mastering this section is solely a matter of conserving your distance so she doesn’t catch you unexpectedly, managing your FP so you’ll be able to all the time use Bloodhound’s Step to get away from Waterfowl Dance, and being sensible about if you attempt to get in a success or two.

Right here’s an outline of the assaults utilized by Malenia within the first section of the battle:

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• Idling. Malenia’s idle state in the course of the first section of her battle is to easily stroll slowly towards you. There’s a chance to assault right here, because it’s usually secure to stroll up and poke her with a single probing assault whereas she’s doing this. Simply be able to dodge away when she inevitably responds. You may “set off” her idling stance should you dodge away and create quite a lot of distance between you and Malenia.
• Aspect leap. Typically, when dodging or after taking a success, Malenia will leap to the left (your left) and have a quick second of poise break. It’s an incredible alternative to land one other hit, as she gained’t assault instantly afterward. You may attempt to do a fast stab throughout idling and comply with it up with one other assault after a aspect leap.

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• Regular slashes. Malenia has a bevy of normal slashing assaults utilizing her extra-long katana. She combines these in unpredictable patterns that make them difficult to dodge. Bloodhound’s step makes it simpler. Basically, you wish to hold a medium distance from her for many of the battle, and by no means attempt to sneak an assault in throughout her normal slashing combos. She’s going to punish you virtually each time.
• Spin kick. Malenia usually opens her combos with a lethal spin kick, which might’t be blocked or parried. Fortunately, it’s sluggish and the windup is apparent. Since her follow-ups will be extra lethal, get a long way when she kicks. Don’t attempt to assault after it.

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• Spark Combo. Certainly one of Malenia’s most typical assaults is a quadruple-slash combo that’s telegraphed by a mechanical sound impact and orange spark from her prosthetic arm. Get used to recognizing this cue and get the hell out of her means when she unleashes this, which she does always. With Bloodhound’s Step, you’ll be able to teleport backward and get out of its vary. It’s harder to keep away from with a standard dodge, so you will need to be sure to’re far sufficient away from her always.
• There are two variations of that transfer. You may inform which model you’re getting by the fourth slash within the combo: If the fourth slash arrives rapidly after the third, the combo is more likely to proceed. Nonetheless, if there’s a barely longer delay earlier than the fourth slash arrives, she’s about to cease shifting for a second, offering considered one of your greatest assault alternatives within the battle.

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• Spark thrust. This transfer is based by the identical sound impact and orange spark because the earlier one, however Malenia’s stance is totally completely different; she hops within the air for a second whereas drawing her sword again, then thrusts in direction of you. That is the one greatest assault alternative throughout section 1, as there’s a solution to predict it (it usually triggers if you create a little bit of distance between you and Malenia) and dodge; you don’t even have to make use of Bloodhound’s Step. And she or he by no means follows it up with something throughout this section, so that you’re all the time secure to get a slash or two in after she makes use of it.

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• Gradual lunge combo. When Malenia attracts her sword slowly behind her in a crouch, she’s about to lunge towards you for a two-slash combo. There are two variations of this, with barely completely different timing. You’ll need to study the distinction, though Bloodhound’s Step makes it straightforward to dodge both one. That is one other assault alternative — she’s weak after the second swing, and should you’re close to her when she begins winding it up, you’ll be able to even get some hits in earlier than she lunges.
• Overhead leap slash. This assault is much like the earlier one, however with out the lengthy wind-up. It’s all the time preceded by a typical horizontal slash, and infrequently follows the quick model of the four-slash Spark Combo. It’s one other nice alternative to assault, as she’s weak after touchdown.

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• Lunging Seize. Malenia pulls her left hand again, crouching down barely, and lunges at you after a brief delay. Keep away from this in any respect prices. It’s straightforward to dodge, however can be assured to kill you if it lands. We’ve by no means survived this assault with any construct. Fortunately, when you dodge it efficiently, it’s one other alternative so that you can assault.

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• Waterfowl Dance. That is the massive one. As soon as her well being drops under 75%, Malenia can unleash the lethal Waterfowl Dance any time. She jumps into the air for a protracted pause (see image above, be sure to acknowledge it!), then flies towards you, unleashing a flurry of white slashes. This may kill you if she catches you in it — and sure, it’s borderline unfair. Fortunately, it may be dodged. As quickly as she rises into the air, it’s important to dash or Bloodhound Step away from her as rapidly as doable (that is the primary cause why you’ll be able to’t spend the entire battle up within the boss’s face pressuring her with assaults; should you’re proper below her when she does this, it’s virtually unattainable to outlive, even with Bloodhound’s Step). When you can catch sufficient distance, the primary two components of the Dance will miss you. For the third flurry, she all the time teleports on to you, irrespective of how far-off you bought; it’s important to dodge towards her as quickly as she does it. She’ll shoot previous you, and you’ll hover simply exterior of her vary for the fourth half, together with the ultimate spherical slash that marks the transfer’s conclusion. After this, she’s weak to a different assault — supplied you survive that lengthy.

The best way to defeat Malenia section 2

Malenia’s second section is significantly harder than the primary, as she provides a number of new assaults to her repertoire:

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• Rot Nuke. Malenia flies up into the air, orange and scarlet wings fluttering, and pauses earlier than dive-bombing you. You may survive this by dodging on the precise proper second — attempt activating Bloodhound’s Step as quickly as she begins shifting from her floating stance. Then, should you survive the preliminary affect, the boss explodes once more as her petals open, turning her into an enormous orange flower. Keep out of vary because the petals open to keep away from the injury and scarlet rot build-up they trigger. That is your one dependable ranged assault alternative in the course of the battle; you’ll be able to unleash spells, incantations, and throwables whereas she’s recovering. You may as well rush in because the petals lastly dissipate to assault her briefly up shut. She all the time opens the second section with this assault, so it’s crucial that you simply discover ways to dodge it.

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• Phantom clones. Malenia floats into the air and sends a sequence of phantom clones slashing and thrusting your means. This assault is pretty straightforward to acknowledge as Malenia will fly upward in a glowing whirlwind, however the phantoms are onerous to dodge. With Bloodhound’s Step, you’ll be able to merely spam L2, supplied you will have sufficient FP. She ends this assault by lunging towards you herself with a strong sword thrust. She’s weak to assaults afterward, should you’re shut sufficient to her after dodging, although it’s a small window, since she often begins up one other combo a second after touchdown.

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• Small scarlet flower. Malenia vegetation a small orange bloom in entrance of her, which explodes a second later, inflicting injury and scarlet rot build-up. Typically she flies into the air for a second, however not all the time. That is the rationale why your assault alternatives from section 1 are unreliable now. Malenia retains all the identical strikes and combos from earlier than, however now, she has a roughly 50% probability to comply with up any transfer with this capability. Any combo after which she would have beforehand been weak, from the Spark Thrust to the Gradual Lunge, will be adopted by this assault as a substitute. Fortunately, she all the time pauses on the bottom because the small flower blows up. If you will get behind her and keep away from the small explosion, there’s nonetheless a window to assault right here.

Along with these new skills, Malenia retains all of the strikes from section 1. Beware that her combos are much more unpredictable as she tends to fly up into the air extra usually. Since she spends a lot time within the air, it’s tougher to foretell when Waterfowl Dance is coming. Your solely secure wager is to run away anytime she flies upward and prepare to dodge no matter assault is coming. Maintain your distance, be affected person, wait to your assault alternatives, and hold your FP and well being topped up.

When defeated, Malenia drops the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess, Malenia’s Nice Rune, and a whopping 480,000 runes in your first playthrough. When you handle to take her down, congratulations — you’re a real Tarnished, irrespective of how you probably did it.

Disclaimer: This text accommodates excerpts from “Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree Elden Ring walkthrough” by Mike Rougeau.