As you battle via bosses in Elden Ring, you’ll be taught you need to by no means underestimate your opponent. A weak and small boss could be a nice problem to beat, due to its distinctive set of traits that give it the higher hand over different bosses.
One such boss is Cemetery Shade, a darkish and unsettling creature that bears the size and determine of a human being however is nothing of the like. The Shade’s ruthlessness is almost as sturdy because the tint of black that makes up its shadowy determine, making it a difficult boss to greatest, opposite to what its HP would possibly lead you to consider. It could look proper at dwelling in a Slenderman-type horror film.
The frail but devastatingly highly effective shadowy determine may be present in a number of places, bearing quite a few alterations with every variation. Cemetery Shade may be encountered in Tombsward Catacombs in Limgrave, Black Knife Catacombs in Liurnia of the Lakes, and Caelid Catacombs in Caelid.
Cemetery Shade Overview

Hit Factors: Cemetery Shade may have a special HP, relying on the placement of the encounter. Limgrave’s Cemetery Shade has 390 HP, whereas the Lumia of the Lakes variant has 691 HP, and the Caelid variant has 733 HP.
Kinds of Injury: Cemetery Shade offers Customary, Bodily, Bleed, and Pierce Injury.
Weaknesses: Cemetery Shade is weak to Holy and Magic Injury.
Weapons: Cemetery Shade wields two giant blades, one in every hand. It is going to additionally use the spider-like determine atop its head for a devastating assault that can virtually definitely end in immediate and moderately grotesque loss of life.
Parrying the boss: Parrying Cemetery Shade is comparatively simple in comparison with different Elden Ring bosses. Almost all of its sword assaults may be parried. The caveat, nevertheless, is that misses are tremendously punished, as Cemetery Shade offers large injury with all of its assaults. To not point out that it may inflict Blood Loss with practically all of its assaults.
Important Assault Sample: Most of Cemetery Shade’s sword assaults are fast and efficient, inflicting colossal injury and blood loss. Cemetery Shade will attempt to maintain near you by immediately teleporting to you and trying a fast sword assault. Mentioned sword assaults will differ from fast swipes to two-handed strikes to combos and a barrage of fast slashes.
Combos: Cemetery Shade is among the quickest and most agile bosses in Elden Ring, each defensively and offensively. It is going to usually snap out of nowhere right into a spinning combo that may simply catch you off-guard because of its lengthy attain. Whereas blocking is just not suggested for this boss battle, in the event you do get caught up in certainly one of Cemetery Shade’s combos, your greatest wager, regardless of how unreliable, is to dam and hope for one of the best.
Particular Assaults:
- Shadowstep: Cemetery Shade will use this transfer as an offensive maneuver and a defensive one. This transfer permits it to rapidly teleport elsewhere, both away out of your assault or in the direction of you, to set itself up for its assaults. You need to keep in your toes always and anticipate this transfer.
- Flurry of Slashes: Throughout this assault, Cemetery Shade will unleash a flurry of sword slashes in fast succession. Not solely can this assault immediately kill you if it connects greater than as soon as, however it may additionally inflict Blood Loss, which can slowly chip away at your HP.
- Net Sling: Utilizing the spider-like determine atop its head, Cemetery Shade slings a inexperienced internet in the direction of you, which can immobilize your character for a couple of seconds, throughout which Cemetery Shade follows up with a important assault, leading to immediate loss of life. This devastating assault should be averted in any respect prices.
Pre-fight Preparation

Stage Up Earlier than Embarking on Cemetery Shade
Regardless of the meager HP of Cemetery Shade, it’s nonetheless a moderately difficult boss to greatest. You need to up your possibilities of popping out of this boss battle in a single piece by leveling up earlier than embarking on it.
For the Tombsward Catacombs variant, a minimal of Stage 20 ought to suffice, whereas a Stage 40 for the Black Knife Catacombs is a should, and a Stage 65 for the Caelid Catacombs can be a should. In fact, you’re free to face them even in case you are under-leveled, however it isn’t beneficial.
Summon a Multi-Unit Spirit Ash
In comparison with different single-unit spirit ashes, multi-unit spirit ashes will survive for a bit longer in opposition to Cemetery Shade. They will additionally maintain Cemetery Shade distracted for longer, providing you with extra alternatives to strike early on and conserving you off its radar.
They’re much more useful for the Black Knife Catacombs variant, as you’ll not have to fret an excessive amount of concerning the skeletons initially.
Lone Wolf Ashes is very beneficial for this boss battle, as they’re given to gamers by Renna on the Church of Ellen in Limgrave, which occurs pretty early within the recreation. That being stated, you’re free to choose your favourite.
Melee Gamers Ought to Stage Up Their Weapons
Cemetery Shade can successfully finish the boss battle in a single fast assault, which ought to offer you ample incentive to attempt to beat it as quickly as attainable. Exploit Cemetery Shade’s low HP by leveling up your weapons for optimum injury.
Melee Gamers Ought to Equip a Protect with 100% Bodily Injury Negation.
As a lot as you hope to not resort to utilizing your defend, it will be sensible to organize for the worst-case state of affairs. Equip a robust defend with 100% Bodily Injury negation, which can defend you and create alternatives for fast counters.
Equip Stanching Boluses
Stanching Boluses will are available additional helpful if you end up on the receiving finish of an assault that inflicts Blood Loss. You too can use it greater than as soon as, which ought to function a large enough security internet for any awkward conditions.
Stanching Boluses may be bought from the Nomadic Service provider, situated southeast of Coastal Cave, for 600 Runes. Alternatively, you may craft your individual when you’ve got the Nomadic Cookbook and the required crafting materials.
Ranged Gamers Ought to Equip Fast Casts and Projectiles
Owing to Cemetery Shade’s fast actions and shadow steps, you’ll be granted very brief placing home windows throughout your complete boss battle. You have to to equal its pace by utilizing fast casts and projectiles.
Struggle Technique

Maintain Cemetery Shade in Your Line of Sight at All Instances
Cemetery Shade can simply ambush you utilizing its shadowstep, fast assaults, and the dreaded internet sling. You should be on excessive alert to anticipate and hopefully evading any incoming hostility from the Shade.
Make Positive to Hit the Corpses of the Skeletons in Black Knife Catacombs
Should you face the Black Knife Catacombs variant of Cemetery Shade, you’ll want to hit the skeletons for a second time after they’re lifeless to disclaim them the chance to revive in a while.
Melee Gamers
Preserve a Shut Distance to Cemetery Shade at All Instances
Retaining throughout the melee vary of Cemetery Shade will restrict its tendency to make use of shadowstep and carry out its devastating long-range assaults.
Bait Out the Boss’ Assaults
As a melee participant, you don’t have any different choice than to bait Cemetery Shade into attacking, dodge via its assaults, and attempt to land one or two huge hits, then retreat. It’s a high-risk, high-reward technique however the one viable technique.
Do Not Let Your Probabilities Go to Waste
Your intention on this boss battle must be to finish it as quickly as attainable. And seeing as you’ll have a minimal variety of alternatives to strike exhausting, you’ll have to take advantage of out of each likelihood you get, even when it signifies that you threat sustaining injury.
Maintain Your Protect Up and Hope for The Finest
If you end up caught up in the course of a combo from Cemetery Shade, your solely viable transfer is to aim to dam its efforts regardless of how unlikely it could appear to succeed.
Ranged Gamers
Be Further Cautious of Shadowsteps
The gap between you and Cemetery Shade will drive it to make use of shadowstep excessively all through the battle. You need to maintain shifting to negate this and plan out your assaults and motion with the Shade’s shadowsteps.
Maintain an Eye Out for Net Slings
Assuming you’re conserving Cemetery Shade in your eyesight always, you need to be capable of spot the beginning of its internet sling assault. When you discover the inexperienced internet ball atop its head, brace your self for the assault and be able to dodge as quickly as the online is shot out of its head. Alternatively, you can place an impediment between you and Cemetery Shade, similar to a pillar.
Solely Shoot When Cemetery Shade Is Not in Movement
Cemetery Shade’s fast and erratic actions make it unreliable to shoot at it whereas it’s in movement. Pictures on the Shade, whereas it’s motionless, are rather more dependable and extra prone to land.
Bide Your Time
In contrast to melee gamers, you don’t have any motive to hurry proceedings. So long as you may maintain your distance always, keep fixed visible on the Shade, and be able to evade any of its long-range efforts, you need to be capable of decide the optimum moments to strike and never threat putting your self in hurt’s means.
Rewards
Relying on which variant of Cemetery Shade you took down, your rewards will differ.
Should you beat the Limgrave variant, you’ll be rewarded with 2,200 Runes in your first playthrough and a Luthel the Headless, a Legendary spirit and summon. Beating the Liurnia of the Lakes variant comes with 3,500 Runes and Twinsage Sorcerer Ashes. Lastly, rewards for beating the Caelid variant are 6,800 Runes and Kindred of Rot Ashes.