How to Beat Commander Niall: Boss Fight Guide

This is a guide on how to beat Commander Niall, an optional boss in Elden Ring. Read on to learn more about Commander Niall's drops, weaknesses, and recommended level!

Commander Niall General Info

Stats and Rewards

Commander Niall
Weakness	Resistance	Immune
Bleed Scarlet Rot	Slash Frost Sleep Poison	Madness Instant Death
Affected By	Bleed, Poison, Scarlet Rot, Sleep, Frost
Spirit Ashes Available?	Yes
Rune Rewards	90000 (NG)
Summonable NPCs	None
Location	・Castle Sol, Mountaintops of the Giants
Item Drops	・Veteran's Prosthesis

Commander Niall Location

Where to Find Commander Niall

Commander Niall can be found at the Castle Sol Rooftop, in the Western part of the Mountaintops of the Giants region. The nearest Site of Grace is the Church of the Eclipse.

When to Fight Commander Niall

Defeating Commander Niall will give you the Veteran's Prosthesis, as well as grant you access to the rooftop that has the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left). This item is required to access the Consecrated Snowfield, a part of the world that contains upgraded gear and more bosses.

How to Beat Commander Niall

Tips for Beating Commander Niall
Equip gear that boosts lightning damage resistance such as the Boltdrake Talisman
Lure Niall's summons away from him and defeat them first to make this fight easier
Equip Thawfrost Boluses to stop the Frostbite build-up that can be inflicted by Niall and his summons
Use Bewitching Branch on Niall's summons to turn them against him
Avoid using Frost or Lightning attacks on Niall due to his resistance to these

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Ranged Strategy

Commander Niall Boss Tips
Summon a tanky Spirit Ash
Use powerful AoE spells after Commander Niall's heavy attacks

Summon a tanky Spirit Ash

Fighting Niall while dealing with his summons at the same time will be difficult so using a Spirit Ash for tanking them will be a great help. Black Knife Tiche is a great option for this since she has high health and can reliably dodge enemy attacks. You can let Tiche lure the summons as you attack them from behind, or you could even ignore the summons and just focus on Niall.

Another option would be Rotten Stray Ashes since it can inflict Scarlet Rot, but it's less tanky.

Use powerful AoE spells after Commander Niall's heavy attacks

While Commander Niall's charged attacks can deal heavy damage, he also has a long recovery animation after using them. This leaves him open for any of your AoE spells that can deal massive damage or inflict Status Effects.

Comet Azur and Meteorite are great options for dealing damage from a distance. You can also use Night Maiden's Mist which does great damage over time or Rotten Breath to cause Scarlet Rot build-up.

Melee Strategy

Commander Niall Boss Tips
Stay defensive and wait for openings
Exploit Commander Niall's weakness to Scarlet Rot or Bleed

Stay defensive and wait for openings

Commander Niall's slow movements can make it tempting to be aggressive and try to constantly strike him, but he can easily punish you with his AoE attacks and deal immense damage. Remain patient and allow him to attack you first, his slow recovery animations will give you plenty of time to get hits in before needing to reset.

Exploit Commander Niall's weakness to Scarlet Rot or Bleed

Weapon Types
Bleed Weapons	Scarlet Rot Weapons

You'll take out big chunks of Niall's health if you're able to cause Scarlet Rot or Bleed build-up so try to use weapons that have these effects.

If you don't have weapons with these Status Effects, you can also coat your gear in Rot Grease or Blood Grease.

Commander Niall Attack Patterns

Knights Summon

Knights Summon Information
Knights Summon: Commander Niall summons two Knights at the start of the boss fight. One will dual-wield swords while the other uses a sword and shield. Their attacks can cause Frost build-up. Lure these summons away from Niall and defeat them first to make the rest of the fight easier.

Thunder Stomp Attack

Thunder Stomp Attack Information
Thunder Stomp: Niall charges up a gust of wind from his right leg and infuses it with lightning. He then jumps towards you and slams the ground with it, creating a shockwave. Roll as he's about to drop to avoid this. Be precise with your timing since there's a delay before he drops.

Halberd Attacks

Halberd Attack Variations
Halberd Combos: These are Niall's basic attacks. He stabs the halberd forward, then does a sweep. He'll sometimes follow these up with uppercuts or slams to the ground. You can back away as he starts this combo or roll through them. Be patient with your rolls since he'll delay these attacks.
Dashing Strike: If you're far from Niall, he'll sometimes twirl his halberd, creating a trail of frost, before lunging towards you and swiping his halberd upward. This is easy to telegraph due to the twirling animation, roll forward or to the side as he reaches you.
Whirlwind Strike: Niall slams the ground with the hilt of his halberd, creating a brief whirlwind that damages those in the AoE. He'll then twirl the halberd before swiping it at you. Back away once you see wind start appearing on his weapon.
Charged Whirlwind: Niall pulls his halberd back and charges up an extended whirlwind. He twirls it around several times before slamming the ground and creating a bolt of lightning. Keep your distance once he starts this move and you'll avoid all of it.

Elden Ring Related Guides

List of All Bosses

DLC Bosses

Main Bosses

Optional Bosses

Mini-Bosses

Hostile NPCs and Invaders