In Elden Ring, players must defeat Miquella's Followers as the penultimate boss challenge in Shadow Of The Erdtree. Before you encounter the final boss, Needle Knight Leda and her allies will do everything in their power to prevent the Tarnished from confronting Miquella. If you are an avid invader, this boss fight should be a breeze.

This boss fight is the climax of the majority of the NPC questlines that you encounter along your journey. Some questlines can be broken prior to this point, so not all NPC summons might be present to assist you. Regardless, this fight can be relatively trivialized by new pieces of gear from the expansion.

Strength/Faith Build Items

This boss fight is purely against other NPCs, meaning that they are all humanoids. This allows for certain interactions that are not otherwise possible against standard enemies, such as utilizing madness and command grabs. The new weapon,

, can pierce NPCs with its unique skill, Golden Crux, which will leave them vulnerable to a high-damage follow-up attack. While piercing an enemy, you retain invincibility frames, meaning you won't be interrupted. This weapon can be found in the Abyssal Woods.

Marika's Hammer is another great option against NPCs, as its unique skill, Gold Breaker, has a massive area of effect that will send enemies into the air and leave them vulnerable on the ground for additional attacks. Since both of these weapons utilize holy damage, make use of the new Sword of Light to increase holy attack power for 60 seconds.

The incantation Inescapable Frenzy is a great tool for inflicting madness buildup while maintaining invincibility frames.

Alternative Build Options

Intelligence Build Items

If you are using an intelligence build, two of the new sorceries added in the expansion are incredibly helpful against NPCs. The first is

, which will strike the ground one after the other, knocking opponents into the air. This spell requires 72 intelligence, making it a strong contender for pure intelligence builds. This is perfect because the highest scaling intelligence staff, the Carian Regal Scepter, boosts moon sorceries. The other sorcery is , which is excellent for staggering and interrupting opponents, only requiring 48 intelligence.

The Waves of Darkness Ash of War is one of the best skills against both NPCs and other players. It's area of effect hits multiple times and can knock back opponents, acting as an excellent panic button. This Ash of War is perfect for hitting all the NPCs at once, allowing for devastating follow ups.

Miquella's Followers Phase One

Redmane Freyja And Sir Moore

Before the fight begins, you'll have the option to summon Sir Ansbach if you assisted him in his questline. The fight will begin with Redmane Freyja, one of the first NPCs you encounter in the expansion. She has a rather straightforward approach, and her slashing attacks can be dodged fairly easily. Once she reaches a certain HP, Sir Moore will enter the fight wielding a greatshield. While it may seem foolish to get into close range against a greatshield user, maintaining distance from Sir Moore will cause him to throw infinite Hefty Rot Pots at the player.

In order to combat Sir Moore's rot affliction, utilizing the incantation

will immediately relieve all Scarlet Rot buildup. Alternatively, the item can be used to accomplish the same thing, but requires crafting materials to keep a healthy supply. The important thing is to take out Sir Moore as quickly as possible, as leaving him on the field increases your chance of being struck with rot. However, be mindful that the NPCs also have flasks of crimson tears, letting them heal when they get too low.

Miquella's Followers Phase Two

Needle Knight Leda And Dryleaf Dane

Once Redmane Freyja has been defeated, the monk Dryleaf Dane and Needle Knight Leda will join the fray. If Sir Moore is still on the field, you will now be fighting against three enemies. This is where summoning Sir Ansbach can be extraordinarily helpful, as focusing on two enemies at a time is a lot more manageable than three. Taking out Sir Moore is the key to finishing the battle, as his support role is the crux of their team.

The incantation Law of Causality is an underrated pick against NPCs, especially in a fight as long as this.

Both Needle Knight Leda and Dryleaf Dane have attacks that can one shot the Tarnished, making them tricky to engage at the same time. Utilizing the Greatsword of Damnation for constant invincibility frames is a surefire method to take them down one at a time, as long as you have taken down Sir Moore. Marika's Hammer will also keep the enemies flying into the air, preventing them from casting spells or completing long combo strings. If you are still having trouble, try using Spirit Ashes to even out the playing field.

Gather Your Rewards

The Coveted Leda's Armor Is Yours!

Once the fight has concluded, you can gather your rewards from the remains of the NPCs around the arena. Each of the NPCs will drop most, if not their entire armor set along with their weapons of choice. If you have been enjoying the new weapon, Dryleaf Arts, you will be excited to see a new version called

will drop that primarily uses kicks.

is also one of the best new armor sets in the game. It provides an amazing passive buff: "Slightly strengthens attacks following a dodge roll or backstep, as well as dash attacks." This is phenomenal for both PVE and PVP, as dodging is a soulslike staple. Not to mention, the armor set also looks incredible. Now that you have conquered the expansion's penultimate challenge, gear up for the final boss fight in Elden Ring.

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