This is a guide on how to beat Patches, an optional boss in Elden Ring. Read on to learn more about Patches's strengths, weaknesses, attack patterns, and if you should kill him!

Patches General Info

Stats and Rewards

Patches
Weakness	Resistance	Immune
Lightning Bleed Frost Scarlet Rot Poison	━	Sleep Madness
HP	1191 (NG)
Affected By	Poison, Scarlet Rot, Bleed, Frost
Spirit Ashes Available?	No
Rune Rewards	800 (NG)
Summonable NPCs	None
Location	・Murkwater Cave, Limgrave
Item Drops	・Spear+7 ・Leather Armor

Should You Kill Patches?

Patches will yield about half way through the fight and plead for his life. You'll know he's given in when he ducks under his shield and shouts, 'I surrender!' Should you let him live, the next time you visit the cave, he will open up a secret shop where you can buy Margit's Shackles, an item that will help a lot in your fight with the first required boss, Margit. You'll also unlock the Grovel for Mercy Gesture. For these reasons, it's recommended that you let Patches live.

If you decide to kill Patches, you'll receive a Spear+7 and Leather Armor.

Patches Location

Where to Find

Patches can be found in Murkwater Cave, a short cave located in a shallow riverbed in central Limgrave.

How to Beat Patches

Tips for Beating Patches
Use backstabs when he shoots poison
Wait for his shield to drop to counter attack
Dodge left or right to avoid his spear thrusts

Click a link above to take you to that section.

Ranged Strategy

Patches Boss Tips
Wait until his large shield is down to attack
Lock on to follow him during his poison attack

Wait until his large shield is down to attack

Patches carries a large shield that will block most ranged attacks. Luckily, his attacks leave him wide open. When his shield is down, keep your distance and fire off your magic spells.

Lock on to follow him during his poison attack

Patches will spit out a poison cloud that makes it hard to see, and he'll usually try to follow this up with an attack. It has a fairly large radius, so keep locked on and get back to track him through the cloud.

Melee Strategy

Patches Boss Tips
Use a dagger or light-weight sword
Keep strafing right or left to dodge most attacks

Use a dagger or light-weight sword

Patches doesn't have much health (especially considering he'll yield halfway through the fight), so you don't need to worry about dealing heavy damage. Just chip away at his health between dodging his spear and he'll drop in no time.

Keep strafing right or left to dodge most attacks

His triple spear thrust is easy to predict and dodge, so once you get the rhythm of his attacks down, you shouldn't take many hits. Lock on with R3, keep moving left or right, and strike him once after he misses his attack.

Patches Attack Patterns

Poison Cloud Attack

Patches sprays out a large, yellow cloud of poison that makes it hard to see. The cloud doesn't do any damage, so run around to his side and attack him while he's vulnerable. This attack can also be interrupted if you strike him just as he starts to spew poison.

Triple Spear Thrust

This attack is fairly easy to telegraph, as Patches will crouch low and pull his spear back before thrusting it in three quick motions.

Kick

If you get too close, Patches may drop his shield and attempt to kick you. It's a weak attack with short range, so it's easy avoid altogether. If you block it with your shield, however, it may break your stance, leaving you open to his attack.

Jumping Thrust

Patches will leap in the air and stab downward with his spear. Roll to the left, right, or forward to dodge this attack.

Elden Ring Related Guides

List of All Bosses

DLC Bosses

Main Bosses

Optional Bosses

Mini-Bosses

Hostile NPCs and Invaders