How to Beat Putrid Grave Warden Duelist: Boss Fight Guide

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

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist General Info

Stats and Rewards

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist
Weakness	Resistance	Immune
Magic Fire Bleed	Scarlet Rot Poison	Madness Instant Death
Affected By	Poison, Bleed, Frost, Scarlet Rot, Sleep
Spirit Ashes Available?	Yes
Rune Rewards	78000 (NG)
Summonable NPCs	None
Location	・Consecrated Snowfield Catacombs, Mountaintops of the Giants
Item Drops	・Rotten Gravekeeper Cloak ・Great Grave Glovewort

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist Location

Where to Find Putrid Grave Warden Duelist

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist can be found at the end of the Consecrated Snowfield Catacombs in the Mountaintops of the Giants region.

When to Fight Putrid Grave Warden Duelist

How to Beat Putrid Grave Warden Duelist

Tips for Beating Putrid Grave Warden Duelist
Putrid Grave Warden Duelist's attacks can inflict Scarlet Rot so prepare Preserving Boluses to alleviate this Status Effect
Stay aggressive in this fight and exploit his slow attack animations
It'll be easier to punish his attacks by dodging them instead of using your shield

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Ranged Strategy

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist Boss Tips
Summon a Spirit Ash to distract Putrid Grave Warden Duelist
You can use charged spells that have a big AoE

Summon a Spirit Ash to distract Putrid Grave Warden Duelist

Summoning a Spirit Ash will make this fight incredibly simple, especially for magic users. You can just let your summon tank the boss' moves while you attack him from a distance. His weakness to magic means you'll deal even more damage and end the fight quickly. Black Knife Tiche is a great option to summon since her speed allows her to dodge his slow attacks.

Your only threat when attacking him from afar will be his extended chain attacks, so be prepared to dodge those when needed.

You can use charged spells that have a big AoE

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist's slow movements mean you can use charged spells that deal heavy damage without worrying about getting punished. Using Comet Azur or Meteorite will make this fight trivial, especially since these can also knock him down. You can also cast Night Maiden's Mist to further add to your damage.

Melee Strategy

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist Boss Tips
Exploit Putrid Grave Warden Duelist's weakness to Bleed
Stay close to Putrid Grave Warden Duelist
Get behind him after his attacks for a backstab

Exploit Putrid Grave Warden Duelist's weakness to Bleed

This boss is susceptible to Bleed so using weapons that can cause this Status Effect to build up will let you take out big chunks of his health.

If you don't have Bleed weapons, you can also coat your weapon in Blood Grease.

List of Bleed Weapons

Stay close to Putrid Grave Warden Duelist

You don't want to keep your distance as a melee user since this can open you up to charging attacks as well as his extended chain moves. Staying near the boss makes it simpler to telegraph his moves. You can even interrupt them with your own attacks so stay on the front foot and attack him constantly.

Get behind him after his attacks for a backstab

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist's slow attacks can let you telegraph and avoid them easily. Take advantage of this by always trying to get behind him, particularly at the end of his Axe Combos. These moves open him up for a backstab that deals a lot of damage.

Putrid Grave Warden Duelist Attack Patterns

Melee Attacks

Melee Attack Variations
Axe Uppercut: Putrid Grave Warden Duelist swings his axe upwards. You can roll into the attack to attack him immediately after.
Axe Combo: Putrid Grave Warden Duelist swings his axe from side to side thrice, then ends the combo with either a kick or a slam to the ground. You can block the first three attacks but make sure to dodge the final attack.
Spinning Chains: Putrid Grave Warden Duelist does an uppercut with his axe before spinning it twice. He'll use chains to extend the range of the second spin. You'll have ample time to roll through the chains.
Sweeping Axe: Putrid Grave Warden Duelist strikes at you with his axe twice, extending the second strike with his chains.

Elden Ring Related Guides

List of All Bosses

DLC Bosses

Main Bosses

Optional Bosses

Mini-Bosses

Hostile NPCs and Invaders