How to Defeat The Putrescent Knight in Shadow of the Erdtree

The New Boss: The Putrescent Knight

Shadow Of The Erdtree is known for its challenges, and while there are formidable opponents like Avatar Skadutri and Messmer in this world, they provide a certain level of fairness. These enemies can be studied and are susceptible to strategic planning. However, among these trials, there is one boss who defies these rules.

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The Putrescent Knight symbolically rejects any rules of fairness, as if pushing them into a dark abyss. To face him, players need to make a symbolic leap of faith into a pit. Upon reaching the bottom, you will be greeted by this relentless foe along with his malevolent steed, ready for a swift fight. This boss is optional, but he stands in the way of completing one of the most rewarding NPC quests in this expansion.

Abilities of The Putrescent Knight

The Putrescent Knight, at his core, resembles other mounted knights such as the Tree Sentinels. He attacks by charging past and swinging his enormous sword. He also employs a combination of attacks, which includes a heavy two-handed strike, though the timing of this attack is very unpredictable. Occasionally, the Knight may perform a more targeted attack, striking three times as if using his sword as a grinder. If he is at a sufficient distance, he can throw his sword at you like a boomerang, and he also emits a loud roar that doesn’t cause significant harm.

The main issue is not so much his attacks but the difficulty in determining the boss’s intentions due to the chaotic nature of his design. This aspect makes it challenging to predict his actions. The erratic nature of his attacks leaves players with little room for recovery.

There is a moment when the Knight uses his special attack, leaping off his horse so that both he and his steed attack together. He spins towards you in a whirlwind while his horse attacks from the other side, repeating this several times.

Once the Knight’s health drops below 50%, he starts using astonishing blue fire spells that can surprisingly inflict frostbite. From this point on, the Knight can also perform this move in reverse, rising into black slime, but the flames begin at the outer edges of the arena and spiral towards the Knight.

Strategies for Battling The Putrescent Knight

If you’ve reached the Stone Crack while progressing through Tollier's quest, Tollier can accompany you into the battle. If not, you will have a few seconds after landing to summon a Spirit Ash or heal yourself.

Players using faith-based magic have an advantage as the Knight is sensitive to Holy damage. This allows you to significantly reduce his health when the opportunity arises. Users of large shields can block his attacks, though they also require considerable stamina expenditure.

Mages can attack from a distance, especially when the Knight is too far for his boomerang. For melee fighters, key moments are the windows between the Knight’s attacks when you can deliver quick strikes.

During fire wave attacks, players should either maintain distance or, conversely, move closer to the Knight to correctly time their jumps over the waves. While rising in the black slime, the Knight becomes invulnerable, so players should focus on defense, preparing to take advantage of the short moments provided by the Knight.

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After defeating The Putrescent Knight, players will receive 220,000 Runes and will be able to learn more about Miquella's story from the Holy Trinity by activating the Grace Point and drinking with her.

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