Commander Niall sits at the end of Castle Sol, blocking your path to the haligtree secret medallion half, and he is one of the most frustrating roadblocks in the entire game. Learning how to beat Commander Niall in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition comes down to one core principle: neutralize his two spectral knight summons before they turn the fight into a three-on-one disaster. The official Bandai Namco page for the Tarnished Edition confirms that frost and bleed weapons work exceptionally well against his high HP pool, which gives you a clear build direction before you even step through the fog wall. Get the summon phase right, and the rest of the fight becomes a straightforward duel against a slow, telegraphed moveset that punishes panic rolling more than anything else.
Understanding Commander Niall's Two-Phase Moveset
Commander Niall is a veteran of the northern wars, and his moveset reflects that brutal battlefield experience rather than any kind of magical trickery. He wields a large halberd in one hand and a smaller sword in the other, and he chains together sweeping combos that cover surprising ground. The fight splits into two distinct phases, and the transition happens when his health drops to roughly half, at which point he begins channeling lightning through his prosthetic leg.
The first phase is all about patience because Niall keeps his attacks measured and deliberate while his two spectral knights do most of the aggressive work. One knight wields a greatshield and a thrusting sword, while the other carries a twinblade that allows for rapid spinning attacks. According to community reports from the Elden Ring subreddit, most players struggle not with Niall himself but with managing these two adds while dodging the commander's long-range halberd pokes from behind them.
The Spectral Knight Summons
The two knights spawn at the start of the fight and immediately begin advancing toward you, which means you have about three seconds to decide your opening strategy. The greatshield knight is slower but blocks most frontal attacks, while the twinblade knight is aggressive and will close distance quickly. If you focus on the twinblade knight first, you remove the most dangerous source of pressure, but you leave yourself exposed to the greatshield knight's thrust attacks from your flank.
| Knight Type | Weapon | Threat Level | Recommended Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twinblade Knight | Twinblade | High | Kill first |
| Greatshield Knight | Thrusting Sword | Medium | Kill second |
| Commander Niall | Halberd + Sword | Extreme | Final target |
The Bewitching Branch consumable completely changes this fight because it turns one of the spectral knights against Niall for about thirty seconds. You can craft these branches using a Miquella's Lily and a Sacrificial Twig, and they are worth every resource investment for this encounter. When you charm the greatshield knight, he will occupy Niall's attention while you and the twinblade knight focus on dealing damage. This strategy effectively converts a three-on-one fight into a two-on-one fight in your favor, which is why the official Bandai Namco page specifically recommends it.
Phase Two Lightning Attacks
Once Niall reaches half health, he slams his prosthetic leg into the ground and creates a shockwave that damages anything in a wide radius around him. This is your cue to back off and wait for the lightning to dissipate before re-engaging. In this phase, Niall gains a lightning stomp attack that creates an area-of-effect explosion, and he pairs this with an ice sword combo that can freeze you if you get caught in the full chain.
The lightning stomp has a distinctive wind-up where Niall raises his leg high before slamming it down, giving you roughly one second to roll away. The ice sword combo, by contrast, comes out fast and covers a wide arc, so you should prioritize spacing over rolling through it. Frost buildup is a real danger here because being frozen leaves you vulnerable to a follow-up lightning stomp that can one-shot players with lower vigor. Keep your distance during this phase and punish only the attacks that leave Niall recovering for more than a second.
Loadout Tips for the Niall Encounter
Your build matters more for Commander Niall than for most other bosses because his high HP pool and lightning resistance punish unfocused damage types. Lightning-infused weapons are nearly useless here since Niall takes reduced damage from the element he channels, so you should respec or swap weapons before entering Castle Sol. The Bleed and Frost status effects are the two most reliable damage sources, and they work regardless of whether you are playing a strength, dexterity, or intelligence build.
| Weapon Type | Status Effect | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Rivers of Blood | Bleed | Fast attacks build hemorrhage quickly |
| Moonveil | Frost | Weapon skill procs frost in one hit |
| Greatsword + Blood Grease | Bleed | High single-hit damage plus status |
| Dark Moon Greatsword | Frost | Ranged projectiles plus frost buildup |
The Rivers of Blood katana remains one of the most effective weapons for this fight because its Corpse Piler weapon skill deals massive bleed buildup from a safe distance. If you are running a strength build, applying Blood Grease to a heavy weapon like the Greatsword works nearly as well, since each heavy hit chunks Niall's health while building hemorrhage. Intelligence players should lean on the Moonveil or the Dark Moon Greatsword for their frost procs, which both deal percentage-based damage and slow Niall's attack recovery slightly.
Spirit Ash summons are another critical consideration because they can draw aggro during the chaotic opening phase. The Mimic Tear is the strongest option here because it copies your build and applies the same status effects, effectively doubling your bleed or frost output. If you have not yet obtained the Mimic Tear, the Black Knife Tiche summon is a solid alternative because her ranged attacks keep her out of harm's way while she chips away at Niall's health bar. You can find guidance on the broader Elden Ring boss list to see where Niall ranks among the other mandatory encounters in the game.
Applying the Same Strategy to Astel and Radagon
The skills you develop against Commander Niall translate directly to two other notorious roadblocks: Astel, Stars of Darkness, and Radagon of the Golden Order. Each of these bosses punishes the same mistakes, namely panic rolling, poor positioning, and ignoring adds or projectiles. Understanding the common thread between these fights will make you a better player overall, not just for this one encounter.
Astel, Stars of Darkness is an optional boss found in the Yelough Anix Tunnel, and he shares Niall's reliance on area denial and teleportation. His gravity magic attacks create delayed explosions that punish players who roll too early, just like Niall's lightning stomp. The key difference is that Astel teleports frequently, so you need to track his position constantly and avoid committing to long attack animations. Frost and bleed work well here too, which means you can keep the same weapon setup from the Niall fight without respecing.
Astel's Teleport Patterns
Astel has three distinct teleport animations, and each one telegraphs a different follow-up attack. When he disappears in a puff of purple particles, he will reappear either directly above you for a grab attack or at medium range for a gravity projectile barrage. The grab attack is the most dangerous because it deals massive damage and leaves you stunned, so you should roll sideways the moment you see him vanish.
| Teleport Type | Visual Cue | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| High teleport | Particles rise upward | Roll sideways immediately |
| Medium teleport | Particles spread flat | Block or roll forward |
| Ground teleport | Particles sink down | Jump to avoid shockwave |
The gravity projectile barrage is Astel's most spammed attack, and it covers a wide cone in front of him. Instead of rolling through it, strafe sideways while keeping your camera on Astel, then close distance during the recovery frames. This fight rewards aggression because Astel has relatively low poise, so two-handed heavy attacks will stagger him frequently. If you want to see how Astel compares to other optional encounters, the hardest bosses ranked guide breaks down the full difficulty spectrum.
Radagon's Holy Damage and Timing
Radagon of the Golden Order is the final boss before the Elden Beast, and he demands a completely different approach because of his holy damage resistance. Holy-infused weapons are nearly useless here, and even the Sacred Relic Sword deals reduced damage despite being a late-game weapon. Physical damage types, especially strike damage, work best because Radagon has lower physical resistance than elemental resistance.
Radagon's moveset is heavily telegraphed but punishing if you mistime your rolls. His golden hammer attacks come in three-hit combos with a slight delay before the final hit, which catches players who roll on the first two swings and panic roll into the third. The teleport slam attack is his most dangerous move because it covers half the arena and leaves a holy damage zone on impact. Wait for the hammer to start descending before you roll, and you will avoid most of the damage.
| Attack | Timing | Punish Window |
|---|---|---|
| Three-hit combo | Roll on each swing | 1 second after final hit |
| Teleport slam | Roll when hammer drops | 2 seconds after landing |
| Holy spear throw | Roll sideways | 1.5 seconds after dodge |
The Mimic Tear strategy works exceptionally well against Radagon because he struggles with multiple targets, and your mimic will draw aggro while you heal or reposition. This is also one of the few fights where a greatshield with high holy resistance is worth equipping, since blocking Radagon's combos is safer than rolling through them. For more details on the endgame boss gauntlet, the Mohg and endgame boss guide covers the full sequence from Mohg through the Elden Beast.
Elden Ring Boss Order and Progression Tips
Understanding the optimal boss order in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition helps you avoid the frustration of fighting underleveled or missing critical upgrades. Commander Niall sits in the mid-to-late game, and most players reach him around level 90 to 110 with a +15 to +20 weapon. If you are struggling with Niall, the problem is often not your skill but your equipment level.
The recommended boss order for the main story path starts with Margit the Fell Omen in Stormveil Castle, followed by Godrick the Grafted, then Rennala in Raya Lucaria, and eventually Radahn in Caelid. After Radahn, you should clear the capital and then head to the Mountaintops of the Giants, where Castle Sol and Commander Niall await. This progression ensures you have access to the Somber Smithing Stones needed to upgrade your weapon to +9 or +10 before the Niall fight.
Recommended Progression Checklist
-
Level 90 minimum before attempting Castle Sol, with 40+ vigor to survive Niall's lightning stomp combo
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Weapon upgrade +18 to +20 for regular weapons, or +8 to +9 for somber weapons, to deal meaningful damage
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Bewitching Branches crafted in advance, requiring Miquella's Lily and Sacrificial Twig materials
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Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche obtained and upgraded to at least +8 for reliable aggro management
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Bleed or frost weapon equipped since Niall's high HP pool resists pure physical damage
The ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition includes the base game plus the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which means you have access to additional weapons and talismans that can make the Niall fight easier. The Backhand Blades from the DLC apply bleed quickly, and the Smithscript weapons offer ranged options that let you poke Niall from safety. If you are playing on the ELDEN RING Switch 2 port, the boss guide remains the same, though you may notice slightly different frame rates during the spectral knight summon animation.
Advanced Techniques for Speed and Efficiency
Once you have the basic strategy down, you can optimize the Niall fight to clear it in under two minutes consistently. Speed runners and experienced players have developed several advanced techniques that reduce the fight to a single, well-executed sequence. These techniques require precise timing and specific equipment, but they dramatically cut down the time you spend in Castle Sol.
The one-shot bleed build uses the Seppuku weapon skill on two katanas to trigger a massive hemorrhage proc on Niall's first phase. Equip the Lord of Blood's Exultation talisman and the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia to boost attack power after bleed procs, then use the Mimic Tear to double your damage output. This build can kill Niall before he even transitions to phase two, which completely skips the lightning stomp mechanics.
Parry Timing and Stance Breaking
Commander Niall can be parried, but the timing is tight and the reward is moderate compared to other bosses. His halberd attacks have a longer wind-up than his sword attacks, making the sword swings easier to parry. The Buckler with its Parry skill has the most generous parry window, but you sacrifice the defensive stats of a medium shield.
| Parryable Attack | Timing Window | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Sword swing (fast) | 0.2 seconds | Riposte for 800+ damage |
| Halberd overhead | 0.3 seconds | Riposte plus stance break |
| Running thrust | 0.15 seconds | Difficult, high risk |
Stance breaking is more reliable than parrying because Niall has moderate poise that depletes after several charged heavy attacks. Use a two-handed charged heavy attack after dodging his three-hit combo, and you will break his stance after three or four hits. The riposte damage is substantial, and it also interrupts his phase transition if you time it correctly.
Co-op and Summon Strategies
Playing with a cooperator changes the Niall fight significantly because the spectral knights split their attention between two targets. In co-op, one player should focus on the twinblade knight while the other handles the greatshield knight, then both players turn on Niall together. This approach is faster than solo play but requires coordination, especially during phase two when the lightning stomp creates area denial.
The Greatshield Soldier ashes are an underrated summon for this fight because they draw aggro from all three enemies simultaneously. Five soldiers with greatshields can tank the spectral knights while you focus entirely on Niall, though their damage output is minimal. This strategy is slower than the Mimic Tear approach but much safer, making it ideal for players who struggle with the chaotic opening phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to deal with Commander Niall's spectral knight summons?
Use a Bewitching Branch on the greatshield knight to turn him against Niall, which converts the fight into a two-on-one in your favor. If you do not have branches, kill the twinblade knight first since he is more aggressive, then focus the greatshield knight before engaging Niall directly.
Can you skip Commander Niall in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition?
No, Commander Niall is mandatory because he drops the Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right) , which you need to access the Consecrated Snowfield and eventually Miquella's Haligtree. You can postpone the fight until later, but you cannot bypass it entirely on a standard playthrough.
Does frost or bleed work better against Commander Niall?
Both status effects work well, but frost is slightly more effective because it also reduces Niall's damage absorption for a short period. Bleed deals percentage-based damage that scales with his high HP pool, so either choice is viable. The Moonveil katana applies frost quickly, while Rivers of Blood builds hemorrhage faster.
What level should I be for the Commander Niall fight?
Aim for level 90 to 110 with at least 40 vigor and a +18 to +20 weapon upgrade. If you are below these thresholds, explore other areas like the Mountaintops or the Consecrated Snowfield to gain runes and upgrade materials before attempting Castle Sol.
Is Commander Niall harder than Astel or Radagon?
Commander Niall is harder than Astel for most players because his two spectral knights force you to manage adds before you can safely punish, but Radagon outclasses both with faster combos and holy resistance. The spacing and roll timing you master against Niall’s lightning stomp directly prepare you for those later fights.