Elden Ring: Black Blade Kindred (Forbidden Lands) Boss Fight

As you probably know, bosses in Elden Ring are divided into three tiers. From lowest to highest: Field Bosses, Greater Enemy Bosses and finally Demigods and Legends.

Black Blade Kindred is in the lowest tier, Field Bosses, and can be found outdoors near the bridge leading to the Great Lift of Rold in the Forbidden Lands. Like most lesser bosses in the game, this one is optional and does not need to be defeated in order to progress the main story.

I don’t know what it is about this game and setting up ambushes for me near bridges. Last time it was Fell Twins, this time it’s a Black Blade Kindred that pops out of nowhere. After it got a jump on me and managed to turn me into Tarnished pulp once, I decided that I was in no mood for shenanigans, so I called in my friend Black Knife Tiche for some good old teaming up against the bad guys action.

Black Blade Kindreds are definitely among the more difficult Field Bosses for me, but with Tiche’s aid, they’re not so bad. This time I even managed to stay alive and land the finishing blow myself, not like last time I faced one of these where it killed me and then Tiche killed the boss before I was transported to the Site of Grace. So I won, even though I died. Embarrassing.

Oh well, now for the usual boring details about my character. I play as a mostly Dexterity build. My melee weapon is the Guardian’s Swordspear with Keen affinity and Sacred Blade Ash of War. My shield is the Great Turtle Shell, which I mostly wear for the stamina recovery. I was level 137 when this video was recorded, which I think is a bit high, but it’s the level I’ve gotten to organically at this point in the game. I’m always looking for the sweet spot where it’s not mind-numbing easy mode, but also not so difficult that I will be stuck on the same boss for hours ;-)

Fan art based on this boss fight

Anime-style fanart of the Tarnished facing a towering skeletal Black Blade Kindred with black bone limbs in decayed armor. More information

Anime-style fanart showing the Tarnished from behind facing a towering skeletal Black Blade Kindred with black bones and decayed armor. More information

Landscape anime-style scene of the Tarnished fighting a towering winged Black Blade Kindred with black bones in a rainy ruin field. More information

Realistic fantasy scene of a Tarnished facing a towering winged Black Blade Kindred with black bones and decaying armor in a rainy wasteland. More information

Overhead landscape shot of the Tarnished facing a towering Black Blade Kindred with decayed torso armor and one straight greatsword in a rainy ruin field. More information

Further Reading

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