Elden Ring: Crystalians (Altus Tunnel) Boss Fight

Published: August 1, 2025 at 12:24:19 PM UTC
Last updated: December 11, 2025 at 2:31:06 PM UTC

Crystalians are in the lowest tier of bosses in Elden Ring, Field Bosses, and are the end bosses of the Altus Tunnel dungeon in central Altus Plateau. Like most lesser bosses in the game, these are optional in the sense that you do not need to defeat them in order to advance the main story, but they drop a useful bell bearing that makes some bolstering materials purchasable at the Roundtable Hold.

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.

Crystalians are in the lowest tier, Field Bosses, and are the end bosses of the Altus Tunnel dungeon in central Altus Plateau. Like most lesser bosses in the game, these are optional in the sense that you do not need to defeat them in order to advance the main story, but they drop a useful bell bearing that makes some bolstering materials purchasable at the Roundtable Hold.

You have most likely faced many other Crystalians before at this point in the game, so you should know that if you’re not using a blunt weapon, you need to break their stance once before you can do significant damage to them.

As there’s two of them and I was in no mood to get stabbed in the back with a spear while hitting away at another crystal head, I called in Black Knife Tiche for assistance, although it wasn’t strictly necessary as I still feel somewhat over-leveled for Altus Plateau. But these boss encounters with multiple enemies tend to annoy me, so I like to split the aggro with a spirit.

When you defeat both bosses, they drop the Somberstone Miner’s Bell Bearing 2, which allows you to purchase Somber Smithing Stone 3 and 4 from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold after handing them in. This is highly useful if you like to upgrade many weapons.

And 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 Chilling Mist Ash of War. My shield is the Great Turtle Shell, which I mostly wear for the stamina recovery. I was level 113 when this video was recorded. I believe that’s way too high as the bosses felt quite easy to me. 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 inspired by this boss fight

Anime-style scene of a Tarnished in Black Knife armor facing two Crystalians inside a dimly lit cavern. Click or tap the image for more information.

Isometric anime-style scene of a Tarnished in Black Knife armor facing two Crystalians, one with a spear and one with a sword and shield. Click or tap the image for more information.

Anime-style fan art of the Tarnished in Black Knife armor battling two Crystalians in Altus Tunnel Click or tap the image for more information.

Fantasy battle scene of the Tarnished fighting two Crystalians in Elden Ring's Altus Tunnel Click or tap the image for more information.

Anime-style scene showing a Tarnished in Black Knife armor facing two Crystalians, one with a spear and one with a sword and shield. Click or tap the image for more information.

Realistic fantasy scene of a Tarnished in dark armor facing two glowing blue Crystalians, one with a sword and shield and the other with a spear, in a rocky cavern. Click or tap the image for more information.

A realistic fantasy painting of a Tarnished fighting two wide-headed blue Crystalians with crystalline weapons inside a dim cavern. Click or tap the image for more information.

Fan art inspired by this boss fight

Further Reading