So, fellow Tarnished, you've found yourself at the entrance of the Black Knife Catacombs in Liurnia of the Lakes. Let me tell you, this place is no joke. It's packed with creepy necromancers, endlessly reviving skeletons, and not one, but TWO boss fights waiting to test your skills. It's also a major hub for quests involving Rogier, Fia, and D. The loot here is top-tier, including the Assassin's Cerulean Dagger and a Deathroot for the Beast Clergyman. I'm here to guide you through every twist, turn, and trap, so let's dive in!

🗺️ How To Reach Black Knife Catacombs

Getting there is the first challenge. You'll want to start from either the Church of Vows or the Eastern Tableland Site of Grace. Head straight north! As you're riding, keep an eye out for a sort of path branching off to the right. It's not a clear road; you'll be navigating through ruins and dodging Ancestral Followers. Your map is your best friend here—it shows the path clearly. This path eventually funnels into a narrow ravine heading north. At the very end, you'll find the entrance... guarded by a menacing headless spirit knight.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-0

My advice? Just run past this guy for now. He's tougher than he looks, and it's a long ride back if you die. Get inside, find the Site of Grace, and activate it. Once you've secured your checkpoint, you can go back and challenge the headless warrior if you're feeling brave.

⚰️ Descending Into The Catacombs

Welcome to spooky skeleton central. The first enemy you'll meet is a lone skeleton. Here's the key mechanic for this whole dungeon: when you defeat it, it glows with an eerie magic. You MUST hit it again while it's glowing, or it will get right back up. Get used to this rhythm.

You'll soon see the boss door, but ignore it for now. Around the corner, grab a Grave Glovewort and a Grave Violet. You'll then encounter two more skeletons. These guys are tricky—even hitting them while glowing won't permanently put them down. The secret? There's a necromancer nearby controlling them.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-1

Spot the dude with the poletorch and the black-and-white flame? That's your target. Take him out, and his skeletons crumble for good. You'll meet a few of these necromancer puppeteers down here.

Now, check the left side of this hall. There's a room sealed by a Stonesword Key pedestal. If you have a key, it's worth it! Inside, you'll find Rosus's Axe, a seriously cool weapon that scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence.

Back in the main hall, you'll hear the ominous sound of guillotines. Grab the Grave Glovewort [2] to the left before braving the next room.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-2

This room has three massive, swinging guillotine blades. You'll see:

  • A ledge up to the left.

  • Two skeleton archers across the room.

  • A passage at the far end.

Don't fight the archers yet—they have a necromancer backing them up. Just sprint through the room, grabbing the Spellproof Dried Liver on the way, and head down the stairs. Deal with the aggressive skeleton warrior waiting around the corner (he's solo, so a normal kill-tap combo works).

You'll drop into a water-filled room with some non-hostile crabs digging around. Loot the Grave Glovewort [3] and two Grave Glovewort [2] here. Look ahead—you can see the boss door lever through a metal cell wall, but you can't reach it yet. We'll get there.

Explore the rest of the watery area. Another Giant Crab will ambush you as you go for an item. Fight it, loot the Rune Arc, then deal with a second crab that appears in the previous room. This area is a dead end, so head back to the guillotine room.

🪜 The Secret Path Forward

The way forward is clever. You need to use the environment. Stand on top of the middle guillotine blade after it drops to the floor. When it rises again, it will carry you up to that ledge in the middle of the room.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-3

Be careful! The skeleton archers will be shooting at you, and another skeleton on the ledge will throw explosives. Your priority is the necromancer waiting up top. Kill him, and all his skeleton minions (including the archers below) die instantly. Grab the Grave Glovewort [4] on the ledge.

🗡️ The Path to the First Boss

In the next hallway, you'll face more skeleton archers and another necromancer-skeleton combo. Remember the rule: find and slay the necromancer first.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-4

The next room is a puzzle. Two skeletons rise, but they have no necromancer—just hit them while they're down. On the right side is a small alcove with a Grave Glovewort [3]. Don't drop down the hole in the alcove yet! The real secret is the far wall—it's an illusory wall! Hit it to reveal the golden boss fog for your first major challenge.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-5

👤 First Boss: Black Knife Assassin

Brace yourself. This fight is brutal. The Black Knife Assassin is lightning-fast, chains attacks relentlessly, and has a devastating grab. The worst part? You're fighting in a tiny chapel with almost no room to dodge.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-6

Key Strategy:

  • Your best healing window is right after you dodge its leaping grab attack. It has a brief recovery period.

  • Otherwise, healing is a gamble—it might punish you instantly.

  • If you've progressed D's questline sufficiently, you can find his gold summon sign outside the fog wall. This is a huge help!

  • You can also summon another player, but only if you haven't beaten the dungeon's main boss yet.

Rewards for Victory:

  • 3,150 Runes

  • Assassin's Cerulean Dagger (Talisman that restores FP on critical hits)

  • Black Knifeprint (Crucial for Fia and Rogier's quests)

🔓 Unlocking the Final Boss

Don't teleport out after the first boss! You need to unlock the second boss door.

Exit the boss room and go back to that small alcove (now on your left). Drop down the hole. You'll land in the watery area, but on the other side of that metal cell wall. Deal with the two skeletons that rise, then loot the Ghost Glovewort [3].

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-7

Pull the lever at the back of the room—this opens the main dungeon boss door. Then, pull the second lever to open the metal cell door, creating a shortcut. Now, you can rest at the Site of Grace and head to the final challenge.

💀 Second Boss: Cemetery Shade

Don't be fooled by its low health pool. The Cemetery Shade is a tricky, gank-style boss.

elden-ring-black-knife-catacombs-guide-full-walkthrough-loot-boss-strategies-image-8

What makes it tough:

  • It teleports around the room in puffs of black mist.

  • It's accompanied by three reviving skeletons.

  • Its signature move is a green paralyzing projectile. If it hits, it stuns you, and the boss will grab you with its insectoid head and drain your health.

Winning Strategy:

  1. Priority #1: Deal with the skeletons. Take them out one by one, remembering to hit them while they're glowing.

  2. Priority #2: CONSTANTLY watch for the green projectile. It often fires just as you're finishing off a skeleton. Dodge it at all costs.

  3. Once the skeletons are gone, the fight becomes a manageable 1v1. Stay mobile, punish its teleportation end-lag, and avoid the grab.

Final Rewards:

  • 3,500 Runes

  • Twinsage Sorcerer Ashes (A powerful spirit summon)

  • Deathroot (Don't forget to loot it from the chest at the back of the room!)

And that's it! You've conquered the Black Knife Catacombs, secured some amazing loot, and unlocked key quest progression. This dungeon is a real test of your adaptability, from dealing with necromancers to surviving two very different boss fights. Good luck out there, Tarnished!