How to Beat Patches: Boss Fight Guide

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

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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

Main Bosses

All Bosses in Elden Ring
Margit the Fell Omen	Godrick the Grafted
Red Wolf of Radagon	Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
Royal Knight Loretta	Starscourge Radahn
Godfrey, First Elden Lord	Morgott, the Omen King
Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy	Fire Giant
Malenia, Blade of Miquella	Mohg Lord of Blood
Regal Ancestor Spirit	Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
Lichdragon Fortissax	Godskin Duo
Dragonlord Placidusax	Maliketh, the Black Blade
Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing	Hoarah Loux, Warrior
Radagon of the Golden Order	Elden Beast

Optional Bosses

Limgrave Optional Bosses
Beastman of Farum Azula	Bloodhound Knight Darriwil
Demi-Human Chiefs	Flying Dragon Agheel
Guardian Golem	Leonine Misbegotten
Mad Pumpkin Head	Miranda the Blighted Bloom
Patches	Runebear
Scaly Misbegotten	Soldier of Godrick
Stonedigger Troll	Tree Sentinel
Liurnia of the Lakes Optional Bosses
Adan, Thief of Fire	Alabaster Lord
Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader	Bols, Carian Knight
Bloodhound Knight	Glintstone Dragon Smarag
Glintstone Dragon Adula	Magma Wyrm Makar
Royal Revenant	Spirit-Caller Snail
Caelid Optional Bosses
Battlemage Hugues	Black Blade Kindred (Caelid)
Commander O'Neil	Decaying Ekzykes
Fallingstar Beast	Flying Dragon Greyll
Frenzied Duelist	Magma Wyrm
Nox Swordstress & Nox Priest	Putrid Tree Spirit
Altus Plateau Optional Bosses
Ancient Dragon Lansseax	Crucible Knight Ordovis
Demi-Human Queen Gilika	Demi-Human Queen Maggie
Demi-Human Queen Margot	Draconic Tree Sentinel
Elemer of the Briar	Esgar, Priest of Blood
Fell Twins	Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast
Godefroy the Grafted	Kindred of Rot
Mohg, The Omen	Necromancer Garris
Onyx Lord	Perfumer Tricia
Red Wolf of the Champion	Sanguine Noble
Virgin Abductors	Wormface
Mountaintops of the Giants Optional Bosses
Astel, Stars of Darkness	Black Blade Kindred (Mountaintops of the Giants)
Borealis the Freezing Fog	Commander Niall
Misbegotten Crusader	Putrid Grave Warden Duelist
Great Wyrm Theodorix	Vyke, Knight of the Roundtable
Siofra River Optional Bosses
Ancestor Spirit	Valiant Gargoyles
Mimic Tear
Ainsel River Optional Bosses
Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella	-
Deeproot Depths Optional Bosses
Crucible Knight Siluria	-
Multiple Location Optional Bosses
Ancient Hero of Zamor	Black Knife Assassin
Bell Bearing Hunter	Cemetery Shade
Cleanrot Knights	Crucible Knight
Crystalian	Death Rite Bird
Deathbird	Erdtree Avatar
Erdtree Burial Watchdog	Godskin Apostle
Godskin Noble	Grafted Scion
Grave Warden Duelist	Mad Pumpkin Head
Misbegotten Warrior	Night's Cavalry
Omenkiller	Tibia Mariner
Dragonkin Soldier	-

Mini-Bosses

All Bosses in Elden Ring
Elder Dragon Greyoll	Lion Guardian
Valiant Gargoyle (Leyndell)	-

Hostile NPCs and Invaders

Limgrave Invaders and Hostile NPCs
Bloody Finger Nerijus	Old Knight Istvan
Recusant Henricus	-
Liurnia of the Lakes Invaders and Hostile NPCs
Great Horned Tragoth	Festering Fingerprint Vyke
Altus Plateau Invaders and Hostile NPCs
Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger	Inquisitor Ghiza
Maleigh Marais, Shaded Castle Castellan	Rileigh the Idle
Vargram the Raging Wolf & Errant Sorcerer Wilhelm	Magnus the Beast Claw
Mountaintops of the Giants Invaders and Hostile NPCs
Juno Hoslow, Knight of Blood	-
The Roundtable Hold Invaders and Hostile NPCs
Mad Tongue Alberich	-
Multiple Location Invaders and Hostile NPCs
Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater	-

These sections are currently under construction. Check back later for updates!