Facing Maliketh, the Black Blade, in Elden Ring can feel like a truly monumental challenge, can't it? Many players find this boss fight, located in Crumbling Farum Azula, to be one of the game's most demanding tests of skill and character strength. Maliketh, you see, is a two-part encounter, first as the Beast Clergyman and then transforming into his more fearsome form. He's incredibly quick, and his attacks hit with a lot of force, so, naturally, finding just the right approach can make all the difference in the world.

A good plan, or what we often call a "Maliketh build," helps you prepare your character to tackle his relentless aggression. This isn't just about having strong gear; it's about putting together a whole setup that plays to your strengths and, more importantly, targets his weak spots. We're going to talk about some effective ways to get your character ready for this big fight, and how to use the power of Maliketh's own weapon once you've taken him down.

So, if you've been having a tough time with this major boss, or if you're just looking for some fresh ideas to get ready, you're in the right place. We'll go over different kinds of setups that can help you win this important battle, and how to use the powerful tools he leaves behind. It's about making your journey through the Lands Between a bit smoother, after all.

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Table of Contents

• Taming the Black Blade: Understanding Maliketh
• Build Essentials: What Makes a Maliketh Build Strong?
  • Defensive Preparations
  • Offensive Strategies
• Recommended Maliketh Builds for Victory
  • The Strength/Faith Heavy Hitter
  • The Dexterity/Arcane Bleed Specialist
  • The Intelligence Sorcerer or Faith Incantation Caster
• Using Maliketh's Black Blade: Your New Colossal Sword
• Common Questions About Maliketh Builds
• Getting Ready for the Next Challenge

Taming the Black Blade: Understanding Maliketh

Maliketh, the Black Blade, is a truly significant figure in Elden Ring, you know. He's found as the final boss of the Crumbling Farum Azula legacy dungeon. He's not an optional encounter, which means you absolutely must defeat him to open up Leyndell, Ashen Capital, and keep moving forward in the story. This is a very big fight, so, honestly, knowing a bit about him helps a lot.

His fight has two main parts. He starts as the Beast Clergyman, a rather quick and powerful foe who uses bestial incantations and a large stone claw. He's quite aggressive, and you might find yourself dodging a lot. Then, after you bring his health down enough, he transforms into Maliketh, the Black Blade. This second phase is, arguably, even more challenging, with very fast sword swings and attacks that cause the "Destined Death" status effect, which reduces your max health and drains it over time. He's a shadowbound beast, initially posing as Gurranq, the Beast Cleric, so, in a way, his true form is a big surprise.

Maliketh's speed and his ability to quickly close distances are some of his defining features. He leaves very little room for you to catch your breath or heal, which can be pretty frustrating for many players. You'll need to be quite patient and have a good sense of timing for your dodges and attacks. Knowing when to strike and when to back off is, truly, a big part of winning against him. He's a tough one, that's for sure, but definitely beatable with the right strategy and, perhaps, just a little bit of luck.

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Build Essentials: What Makes a Maliketh Build Strong?

When you're thinking about a "Maliketh build," you're really looking for ways to handle his two different forms and his fast, damaging attacks. It's about balancing your ability to take hits with your ability to dish out damage. You want to make sure your character can survive his big combos and also find openings to hurt him back. So, we'll talk about what you should focus on.

Defensive Preparations

First off, keeping yourself safe is pretty important, you know. Maliketh's attacks, especially in his second phase, deal a lot of holy damage. So, having good holy damage negation is a big help. You can get this from talismans, certain armor pieces, or even consumables like the Haligdrake Talisman or the Pearldrake Talisman. Equipping a shield with high guard boost can also be surprisingly helpful for blocking some of his faster strikes, giving you a moment to recover. A shield that can parry, like the Carian Retaliation skill, might also be useful for his Beast Clergyman phase, as a matter of fact.

Your vigor stat should be quite high, honestly. More health means you can take more hits and have more chances to heal up. You might also consider using a Flask of Wondrous Physick mix that boosts your defense or gives you a bubble shield for one free hit. These small boosts can really make a difference in a long fight like this one, and they are, generally, easy to prepare.

Offensive Strategies

On the attack side, Maliketh has some interesting weaknesses. He's a beast, so effects that are strong against beasts, like the Beast-Repellent Torch or the Ghiza's Wheel, can be a little helpful, though not strictly necessary. More significantly, he's vulnerable to certain damage types. My text mentions "weakness," and while it doesn't specify, players often find that Frostbite and Bleed can be quite effective against him, especially in his first phase. These status effects chip away at his health or cause a burst of damage, which is pretty handy.

When it comes to the Beast Clergyman, hitting him in the head can sometimes cause a stance break, leaving him open for a critical hit. For Maliketh, the Black Blade, you'll want to be patient and look for openings after his long attack chains. He often leaves himself exposed for a brief moment. Using spirit ashes, like the Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche, can draw his attention, giving you more opportunities to attack safely. This is, truly, a common strategy for many tough bosses, and it works well here too.

Recommended Maliketh Builds for Victory

Let's talk about some specific character setups that players often find effective against Maliketh. These are just ideas, of course, and you can always adjust them to fit your own play style. The goal is to give you a good starting point, you know, for making your own powerful "Maliketh build."

The Strength/Faith Heavy Hitter

This build focuses on big, powerful attacks and some supportive incantations. You'd put a lot of points into Strength for weapon damage and Faith for incantations and the scaling on certain weapons. The Blasphemous Blade is a very popular choice here, as its weapon art, Taker's Flames, deals fire damage and heals you, which is, honestly, a huge help against Maliketh's relentless pressure. The healing lets you stay in the fight longer, you see.

For talismans, you might use the Erdtree's Favor for general stats, the Sacred Scorpion Charm to boost your holy damage (if you're using holy-scaling weapons or incantations), or the Shard of Alexander to make your weapon arts even stronger. Armor should focus on good physical and holy defense. You could also use incantations like Black Flame Protection for more damage reduction or Golden Vow for an attack and defense buff. This setup, in a way, gives you both strong offense and some nice survival tools.

Your strategy with this build would be to get in close, land a few hits, use your weapon art when you have an opening, and then dodge away. For the Beast Clergyman, you can often trade blows and heal back with Taker's Flames. For Maliketh, timing your weapon art after his big combos is pretty key. It's a very solid choice, and many players have found success with it, so, you know, it's worth considering.

The Dexterity/Arcane Bleed Specialist

If you like fast attacks and status effects, a Bleed build can be incredibly strong. This build focuses on Dexterity and Arcane, with weapons that naturally cause Bleed buildup, or those that can be infused with the Occult or Blood affinities. Rivers of Blood is a classic choice for this, with its Corpse Piler weapon art dealing rapid fire and bleed damage. Dual wielding curved swords or katanas with the Bloodflame Blade enchantment can also be very effective, too it's almost a constant bleed pressure.

For talismans, the Lord of Blood's Exultation is a must-have, as it boosts your attack power when Bleed occurs nearby. The White Mask helmet also provides a similar buff. The Godfrey Icon or Shard of Alexander can boost your weapon art damage if you're relying on that. Armor is less critical here; focus on light or medium armor that lets you fast roll. The idea is to be quick and constantly apply Bleed. You want to stay agile, as a matter of fact, to keep up with Maliketh.

The strategy here is to stay aggressive, getting as many hits in as possible to build up that Bleed status. When Bleed procs, it takes a big chunk out of Maliketh's health bar. This is particularly effective in his first phase. In the second phase, you still want to apply Bleed, but you'll need to be more careful with your openings. This build can, quite literally, melt his health bar if you play it right, you know, it's a very high damage option.

The Intelligence Sorcerer or Faith Incantation Caster

For those who prefer to keep their distance, a magic-focused build can also work. This involves putting points into Intelligence for sorceries or Faith for incantations. For sorcerers, Comet Azur, Loretta's Greatbow, or Swift Glintstone Shard can be good options. You'll need to create distance and find windows to cast your spells. For incantation users, Black Flame spells like Black Flame or Black Flame Ball are effective because they deal a percentage of the enemy's health as damage, which is, truly, powerful against bosses with large health pools.

You'll want talismans that boost your spell damage, like the Radagon Icon for faster casting, the Cerulean Amber Medallion for more FP, or the Marika's Soreseal for a big boost to your casting stats (though it also increases damage taken). The Azur's Glintstone Staff or Erdtree Seal would be your casting tools. For armor, again, prioritize light or medium options for mobility. Having a high Mind stat is, of course, pretty important for casting lots of spells.

The main challenge with a ranged build against Maliketh is his speed. He closes distances very quickly. You'll need to use your spirit ash to distract him, then unleash your spells. For the Beast Clergyman, you can often get a few casts in as he's performing his slower attacks. For Maliketh, you'll need to be very patient, waiting for him to finish a combo before casting. It's a bit of a dance, you know, but when you hit those big spells, it feels very satisfying.

Using Maliketh's Black Blade: Your New Colossal Sword

Once you've conquered Maliketh, you can get his powerful weapon, Maliketh's Black Blade. This is a colossal sword, which means it's a big, heavy weapon that hits with a lot of force. My text mentions that "Maliketh's Black Blade scales primarily with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith." This tells you what stats you'll want to invest in if you plan to use this weapon effectively. It's a great option for a hybrid build that mixes physical damage with some holy magic, you see.

The weapon art for Maliketh's Black Blade is called "Destined Death." This skill is very powerful, as it creates a wave of black flame that deals damage and applies the "Destined Death" effect, just like Maliketh himself uses. This effect reduces the enemy's maximum health and drains their current health over time, which is, honestly, a fantastic way to finish off tough enemies or chip away at bosses. It's a very cool weapon, and quite fitting after such a hard fight.

To use this sword well, you'll want a character with good Strength and Faith, and some Dexterity. You could pair it with incantations that buff your physical damage or holy damage, or even use defensive incantations to make yourself tougher. It's a weapon that encourages a direct, powerful play style, allowing you to deal big hits and then let the "Destined Death" effect do its work. It's, truly, a rewarding weapon to master, especially if you enjoy colossal swords.

Common Questions About Maliketh Builds

Many players have questions when they're getting ready to face Maliketh or when they're thinking about using his gear. Here are some common ones, with answers to help you out.

How can I beat Maliketh, the Black Blade easily?

There isn't a single "easy" button for Maliketh, as he's a very challenging boss, you know. However, making the fight easier often comes down to preparation and understanding his moves. Focus on high Vigor for health, and equip talismans or armor that boost holy damage negation. Using spirit ashes, like the Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche, can draw his attention, giving you openings to attack or heal. For offense, consider builds that use Bleed, Frostbite, or powerful weapon arts like the Blasphemous Blade's Taker's Flames. Learning his attack patterns and timing your dodges is, arguably, the biggest part of making it "easy." He's relentlessly aggressive, so finding those small windows to act is key.

What are Maliketh's weaknesses in Elden Ring?

Maliketh, in both his Beast Clergyman and Black Blade forms, does have a few vulnerabilities. He is, generally, susceptible to status effects like Bleed and Frostbite. These can deal significant damage or create openings. As a beast, some beast-specific items might have a slight effect, but Bleed and Frostbite are the more impactful weaknesses. His second phase attacks deal holy damage, so boosting your holy damage negation is a very smart defensive move. He can also be stance broken, especially in his first phase, if you land enough heavy hits to his head, leaving him open for a critical blow. Knowing these helps you pick the right tools for your "Maliketh build."

How do I get Maliketh's Black Blade weapon, and what are its stats?

You can get Maliketh's Black Blade after you defeat Maliketh, the Black Blade, in Crumbling Farum Azula. Once he's down, you'll receive the Remembrance of the Black Blade. You then take this remembrance to Enia at the Roundtable Hold. She will let you exchange it for either Maliketh's Black Blade, the colossal sword, or the Black Blade incantation. The weapon itself scales primarily with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, meaning it benefits from investments in all three of those stats. It's a powerful weapon for a hybrid character who likes big physical hits combined with holy damage and its unique "Destined Death" effect. It's, honestly, a very cool reward for such a tough fight.

Getting Ready for the Next Challenge

Taking on Maliketh is a big moment in Elden Ring, and getting your "Maliketh build" just right can make all the difference. Whether you prefer to swing a massive sword, cast powerful spells, or rely on quick, bleeding attacks, there's a way to prepare your character for this intense encounter. Remember that patience and learning his moves are just as important as your stats and gear. You can find more discussions about boss strategies and character setups on popular Elden Ring communities, which is, truly, a great place to get more ideas.

Once you've beaten Maliketh, you'll have opened up new areas and possibilities in the Lands Between, and you might even be using his own powerful weapon. This journey through Elden Ring is full of amazing discoveries and challenging fights, so, you know, every victory feels earned. For more details on other challenging bosses, you might want to learn more about boss strategies on our site, or even check out this page for advanced combat tips. Keep exploring, Tarnished!