Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, is a surprisingly challenging boss fight that comes in Elden Ring’s mid-game. Boss fights before this were hard but manageable, but Alecto really showcases the game’s difficulty spike, prevalent in the later areas.
Compared to the other bosses leading up to her, Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, stands out as a frustratingly hard. It is easy to lose patience with her never-ending barrage of attacks and tendency to evade any of your responses.
However, defeating Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader is more than worth the trouble. As she rewards one of the best Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring: Black Knife Tiche.
But before that, let’s get an up-close and personal look at where and how to defeat Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader.
Where to find Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader
In order to defeat Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, you first have to make your way to the Ringleader Evergaol above the southwestern area in Liurnia of the Lakes. Unfortunately, there’s no way to reach the elevated terrain during the early parts of the game, as it requires significant progress with Lunar Princess Ranni’s questline.
First, players have to meet Lunar Princess Ranni at Ranni’s Rise tower after Caria Manor in Liurnia. If it’s your first time ascending the manor, you must defeat Royal Knight Loretta before accessing the area.
Then, progress through Ranni’s questline until you have to defeat Starscourge Radahn in Redmane Castle at Caelid. Completing the Radahn’s Festival causes a meteor to crash in Limgrave, west of Fort Haight.
Journey deep inside the newly opened crater and recover an essential item for Ranni. After giving her the key item, venture inside the previously unlocked Renna’s Rise tower to proceed into Nokstella.
Eventually, you’ll come across the shade of Blaidd. After defeating him, you’ll receive a key to open the locked chest inside Raya Lucaria Academy, right next to Lady Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. The chest contains the Dark Moon Ring, an important item to reach the area where Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, is imprisoned.
Proceed through the Lake of Rot to reach the Grand Cloister. From here, find and interact with the coffin as it will transport you to another area.
The last mandatory boss that the player will face to get to Alecto’s area is Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. Be prepared for a surprising difficulty spike in Elden Ring.
After the fight with Astel, players will be able to access the lift that leads to the Moonlit Altar site of grace. Though you can reach up to this point without following Ranni’s questline, you can’t proceed any further without the Dark Moon Ring in your inventory.
Head west, just past the dragons from the Moonlit Altar site of grace. The dragons will not attack you immediately, provided you keep some distance. Even if one of them noticed by some chance, you could simply outrun it while it is waking up from its idle state.
Keep following the path until you see the Abnormal Stone Cluster that usually surrounds an evergaol. The Abnormal Stone Clusters are these creatures made from circular stones with a purple light.
There you’ll find the Ringleader’s Evergaol where Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, is contained. A Stake of Marika is right near Alecto’s evergaol, so you shouldn’t worry about losing your runes. As long as you remember to pick them up before entering the evergaol each time you die.
Beating Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader
Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, is one of the most challenging bosses in Elden Ring. She deals a lot of damage and is highly agile, able to strike and reposition quickly.
A frustrating aspect about fighting Alecto is that she has an almost non-existent recovery time. As a result, she can chain multiple attacks together in rapid succession.
Additionally, there are only select opportunities to retaliate safely. Therefore, it can feel like cheesing the boss as you’re mostly evading while baiting out those moves.
Defeating Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader is no easy feat for first-timers. Unfortunately, spirit Ashes are not available to assist in this fight (as well as all evergaols) which means you have to do this all on your own. Thus, it is imperative for you to observe and react to her patterns accordingly, especially as a melee fighter.
The following paragraphs will show you what attacks to look for and the optimum way to react based on different builds. But before that, there are a few things to prepare against Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader.
Preparing to fight Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader
Before anything else, Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, is intended for players nearing rune level 100. A recommended level to fight her is around 90, though it will still prove to be a brutal fight.
There are some items, spells, incantations, weapons, and Ashes of War that may make the fight against Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, go smoother. First up is knowing Alecto’s weaknesses; she is weaker to frost, slash, and pierce damage.Â
In contrast, she is immune to these status effects: bleed, scarlet rot, and poison.
Weapons with a more extended reach are ideal when fighting Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader. Since she uses a pair of short daggers, you can outrange her with weapons like a spear, halberd, or lance.
Take advantage of weapons that deal frost damage, whether through regular attacks, unique skills, or customized Ashes of War.
Here are a few prime examples of great weapons that deal frost damage: Dark Moon Greatsword, a reward for completing Ranni’s questline; Frozen Needle, found under an illusory wall in Kingsrealm Ruins, nearby War Counselor Ijji; the popular Icerind Hatchet, found in a treasure chest in Temple Quarter, the sunken village south of Glintstone Dragon Smarag; and, an underrated greatsword called the Death’s Poker, dropped from a Death Rite bird boss, southeast of Caelid.
The Freezing Grease and Frozen Armament sorcery are suitable substitutes for players who don’t use weapons that can deal frost damage. These two items can coat your choice of weapon with frost damage.
Freezing Grease can be crafted by obtaining the Glintstone Craftsman’s Cookbook [2]. The cookbook can be found a few steps to the north of the Laskyar Ruins Site of Grace, on the southern part of Luirnia of the Lakes.
As for the Frozen Armament sorcery, it can be picked up as loot by killing a Teardrop Scarab. But, first, teleport to the Royal Moongazing Grounds Site of Grace, which is the arena where you previously fought Royal Knight Loretta at the top of Caria Manor.   Â
From that Site of Grace, enter the Three Sisters area and make a right. You will hear the twinkling sounds made by Teardrop Scarab. Follow the sound and poke the Teardrop Scarab for the Frozen Armament sorcery.
Another option would be equipping your choice of weapon with the Chilling Mist Ashes of War. This item changes the skill of your weapon to Chilling Mist. This skill allows you to coat some melee weapons with frost and slash damage.
This Ashes of War can be looted from another Teardrop Scarab near Renna’s Rise in the Three Sisters area. So, again, from the Moongazing Grounds Site of Grace, head into the Three Sisters area, but this time take a left.
Then, find the unmarked ruins just south of Renna’s Rise, the locked tower. Follow the sound of the Teardrop Scarab and give it a little tap to receive the Chilling Mist Ashes of War.
Battlemages can also opt for the Hoarfrost Stomp: Ashes of War for a fast clear of this boss. Hoarfrost Stomp is the Icerind Hatcher’s innate skill; using it stomps the ground and sends a cone of ice. Note that though Alecto might dodge the skill’s first hit, she can still be caught by the second one.
Hoarfrost Stomp can hit enemies twice, does massive frost damage, and is spammable due to its low FP cost. In fact, it used to be every speedrunner’s choice to blaze through the game. It’s still a strong skill despite the balance changes.
The Hoarfrost Stomp Ashes of War can also be equipped with other weapons. It’s found on an invisible Teardrop Scarab on a lake to the east of Caria Manor.
Lastly, it’s also important to keep up with Alecto’s mobility to attack and evade her. One of the best ways to do that is to keep a backup weapon equipped with Bloodhound Step Ashes of War. This particular Ashes of War may be better than rolling in some circumstances as it moves farther.
This one is dropped by a Night’s Cavalry stationed at Caelid. It patrols the bridge near Lenne’s Rise.
For intelligence builds, the Rock Sling sorcery is one of the best sorceries that you can utilize against Alecto. In fact, it is useful for most NPC-type enemies like AI invaders and human-like bosses.
Enemies in Elden Ring have a nasty tendency to read your inputs. That is why enemies like the Crucible Knight and the Godskin Apostle instantly reacts when you chug down a Flask of Crimson Tears.
Similarly, enemies such as Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, tend to dodge as soon as a spell projectile emerges. In contrast, the delay on Rock Sling makes NPC-type enemies dodge on the initial casting, yet vulnerable to the actual release of the projectile.
Another quality of Rock Sling is that it also homes in on your enemies better than other spells that roughly do the same damage. Additionally, this spell is also very cost-efficient with an excellent damage to FP cost ratio.
Rock Sling can be found beneath the Street of Sages Ruins. The same area where the Meteorite Staff is located. Furthermore, to maximize Rock Sling’s damage output, mages should try equipping this as their secondary staff, as it still boosts gravity sorceries despite not casting the sorcery.
Other delayed sorceries are also vital to defeating Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader. The use of the Phalanx (Greatblade, Glintblade, and Carian) works wonders in this fight. Mages can preemptively cast the defensive spells to pummel Alecto when she comes too close.
The Comet Azur spell is a powerful alternative, but you would have to go all the way to Mt. Gelmir for this spell. You may come back for the Alecto boss fight when you’ve got it.
However, put into consideration that Comet Azur also uses a massive amount of FP, especially with prolonged use. Plus, casting Comet Azur is a huge commitment since it locks you in place, but the overwhelming damage is worth the risk.
Other frost-themed sorceries deal a lot of damage when Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, leaves herself open. Particularly, the Adula’s Moonblade sorcery hits multiple times and applies frostbite build-up. Glintstone Icecrag is also a decent spell to cast between her regular attacks.
For faith builds, managing to get your hand on the Halo Scythe will be a significant advantage in this encounter. The Halo Scythe’s weapon skill, Miquella’s Ring of Light, has the same properties as the Rock Sling sorcery in terms of the initial cast and release.
This weapon may require a few more points in strength and dex, but it is very much worth it for this fight and possibly the rest of the game. Keep in mind, though that Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, is slightly resistant to holy damage.
Regarding incantations, Fortissax’s Lightning Spear and Frozen Lightning Spear have similar properties to Hoarfrost Stomp, wherein they attack twice. With enough space, you can catch Alecto with the follow-up of your incantation.
Rejection is also a handy spell to force some breathing room away from Alecto. Additionally, if you
In general, being a pure ranged fighter may drag out a fight with Alecto. Though getting your hands on the spells and weapon mentioned above will make you fare better against her.
Alecto Attack Patterns and Strategies
Alecto’s attack patterns are a bit tricky to deal with for the first few tries, as her attack sequences have many variations. She is one of the bosses that mixes fast and delayed attacks in each barrage. Her dodges can also confuse players who don’t pay attention to changes in her stance.
Alecto quickly tries to close the distance from the start of the battle by dashing toward her opponent. When in mid-range, she can quickly close distance with her lunge attack, which has two variations — the basic lunge attack and dodge-and-lunge attack. She frequently starts her attack sequences this way.
Range players will have a less tiresome time in fighting this boss. They can abuse their advantage by always keeping some distance, especially with Alecto’s drawn-out but short-ranged attacks. She will, at times, do that job for you when Alecto distances herself from you.
For the Rock sling users, make sure that Alecto isn’t too close to you when you use the spell. This will make sure that all three rocks you throw will hit her. Aside from that, the delay in casting Rock Sling leaves you vulnerable when she’s too close. Â
When in close range, Alecto likes to utilize her piercing and slashing combo where she constantly moves towards her opponent. This combo can be safely avoided by rolling backwards twice and continuously walking away from the attacks. Melee players with longer weapons can use their advantage in range to interrupt her with one or two hits (depending on how fast your weapon is).
Be ready to hit the dodge button, though, as she sometimes follows up her recovery with the dodge-and-lunge combo. This combo can be easily spotted even with its relatively fast execution. Alecto will always dodge to your left and lowers her stance a little.
If you chose to play safe and not interrupt, the combo can end in one of four ways. The first is when she rests a bit preparing for another flurry of attacks. The second one is a spin attack where she lowers her stance and drags her dagger on the ground.
Players should not panic roll when they see her doing this attack as it is a delayed attack. She does half a spin and does an upward slash. You can opt for a safe play and roll back further than necessary to be ready for a possible follow-up attack.
The third finisher to the combo is another spinning slash attack minus the change in Alecto’s stance. Alecto will make a fast spin to your right and attack in a quick motion. This is succeeded by a giant leap backwards where she will be at mid-range.
After the leap, she often makes a quick jump attack which can be easily dodged. Other follow-ups include a skill akin to Reduvia’s Blood Blade skill, a slower variant of the jump attack where blood slashes will surround her upon landing, or she rests. Her special attacks that are coated with blood will inflict players with DoT bleed damage, so be careful.
Melee players can try rolling towards Alecto when she does the base jump attack and go for a backstab. Keep your eyes peeled for this attack as this is the safest time to attack. For ranged players, this is also your time to use your strongest spell as it is a guaranteed hit.
They can also follow it up with a strong attack just as she recovers from the backstab. With the blood-coated variant, players should use the Bloodhound Step skill because of the wide range of the blood slashes.
Rolling or using Quickstep isn’t advisable because her blood slashes will catch you. In contrast, Bloodhound Step will move you just outside the range. Be sure, though, to move a bit forward before using it and to cast the skill right after she jumps.
Alecto’s Blood Blade skill can be easily dodged by observing her feet. She takes two steps forward releasing the skill just after the second step.
Going back to the fourth finisher. Alecto deviates from her usual piercing and slashing combo. She attacks twice and does a base jump attack in quick succession.
There will be other deviations in Alecto’s attack pattern. She may follow up the dodge-and-lunge with either of the aforementioned spin attacks. If she does use the spin attack with a backward leap, then she will most definitely go for a jump attack or either of the blood skills.
After knowing her attack patterns, it is just a matter of you anticipating which attack combinations Alecto chooses. You can opt to play safe and wait for her jump attacks to do some damage. This will, of course, require you to be extra patient.
Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader Rewards
When defeated, Alecto drops her daughter as a formidable Spirit Ash. Black Knife Tiche’s utility comes from her mobility in boss arenas. She can distract bosses and make them chase her around while you deal damage.
When summoned, she can probably 1v1 many of the mid-game bosses. This is due to her damage being one of the highest compared to other Spirit Ashes.
With enough investment, she can certainly hold her own until the very end. Additionally, Black Knife Tiche, like all Black Knife Assassins, has access to bleed damage over time and this can proc with most of her attacks.
The only downside is that she costs 132 FP to summon, which means players can’t summon her without significant investment into the mind attribute. However, the Cerulean Hidden Tear provides unlimited FP when mixed and consumed into your Flask of Wonderous Physick, allowing any build to summon Black Knife Tiche.
