How to beat Black Knife Ringleader

On this page of the Elden Ring guide you will learn how to defeat the boss in the Liurnia of the Lakes region. We are talking about a boss named Alecto, the Black Knife Ringleader.

Table of Contents Show

Reward for defeating
General advice:
Melee build - how to fight?
Best Strategy for Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader in Elden Ring
Where to Find Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader in Elden Ring
How to Defeat Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader – Strategies, Weaknesses & Tips

Last update: Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Next Liurnia of the Lakes Omenkiller Prev Liurnia of the Lakes Adan, Thief of Fire

This page of our Elden Ring guide is dedicated to an optional boss encounter taking place in Liurnia of the Lakes region. Your target is called Alecto, the Black Knife Ringleader. Defeating him yields, among others, legendary ashes .

To get access to this boss, you need to travel to Ringleader's Evergaol. The closest site of grace to the location is called Moonlight Altar. (site of grace #52 on our map) Unfortunately, accessing it is only possible after defeating Astel . The region is of importance, as there are questlines to undertake here.

Ringleader's Gaol is located to the northwest of the aforementioned site of grace (view the attached screenshot) Along the way, watch out for 2 dragons that may attack you both at the same time.

Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader is an optional boss that you do not need to defeat to complete the game.

Reward for defeating
General advice:
Melee build - how to fight?

Reward for defeating

For defeating Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, you will receive Runes (80,000) and Black Knife Tiche - the legendary Spirit Summon .

General advice:

Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader is immune to almost all negative statuses . The only thing that can be imposed on him is frostbite.
During Alecto encounter, dodges are the most important . The enemy's attacks are too fast and too strong to use a shield.
An opportunity to strike appears after the boss has performed a jump attack. Avoid his strike than return with a series of your own hits.
Consider equipping fast weapons, as well as stay fast and agile. Katanas are useful here, as they will make reaching the constantly retreating opponent easier.
When it comes to items, consider equipping equipment that protects from physical damage and fire.
You are prohibited from using allies or ashes during this fight- you have to defeat the opponent on your own.

Melee build - how to fight?

As you enter Ringleader's Evergaol, you need to get close to a hole in the ground to initiate the encounter. The hole is at the edge of the prison, north. Once you approach it, the enemy will appear on the arena and the fight begins.

If you are at a medium distance from the enemy, he may fire a projectile (similar one to Black Knife Assassin). The best way of avoiding it is to dodge in any direction (preferably towards the enemy) moments before the projectile strikes you. If struck, you'll lose health over time, as a fire status has been placed on you.

The opponent will also jump up, lifting his weapon. Dodge as it hits the ground and you will have an opportunity to land a few hits. After this attack, the opponent takes a few moments to rise and because of that, this is one of the best opportunities for an attack of your own.

Alecto will try to grab you . You'll recognize that this attack is incoming thanks to the boss's raising his arm and quickstepping towards you. In such cases, you can move away from the opponent by dodging backward, or performing a perfect dodge at the moment when the grab is about to take place. If you're grabbed, the enemy will impale you with your dagger.

The opponent will sometimes set his dagger on fire and start charging a jump. When that happens, get away as quickly as possible, as he will strike with a tornado of cuts. Being struck means losing a lot of HP, as the attack places the fire status on you. Fire damage is one of the biggest dangers during this fight.

Alecto is a difficult and fierce opponent. Only good moment to strike appears after the jump attack - in other cases he most likely will punish you. Players equipped with larger swords can try to throw him off-balance but still have to watch out for retaliation. Don't throw multiple attacks.

Using health items can be difficult, as the enemy seems to have infinite stamina - whenever you move away from it to try to apply a health potion, he will either attack with his melee weapon or fire a projectile So heal as often as you can and start the fight only after you've upgraded your bottle.

Next Liurnia of the Lakes Omenkiller Prev Liurnia of the Lakes Adan, Thief of Fire

Elden Ring features plenty of bosses, but one of the most difficult is Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader. Here’s how to defeat this Evergaol boss.

There are a few mandatory bosses in Elden Ring, but many are completely optional. Some of the toughest bosses are found in Evergaol.

Evergaols are prisons that keep away dangerous enemies from The Lands Between, and finding yourself facing whatever is inside can be a difficult task.

One such Evergaol boss is Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader. While she is a tough boss, her defeat gives you one of the best Spirit Ash Summons in the game: Black Knife Tiche.

Here’s the best strategy on how to defeat Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader in Elden Ring.

Best Strategy for Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader in Elden Ring

Where to Find Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader in Elden Ring

You can find Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, in the Ringleader’s Evergaol, which can be found near the Moonlight Altar Site of Grace in Liurnia of the Lakes.

Unfortunately, reaching this part of Liurnia of the Lakes is locked to the completion of Ranni’s Questline. You’ll need to progress her quest to reach Alecto.

Once you’ve progressed enough, head to the Moonlight Altar Site of Grace. After that, go to the location on the map below to find the Ringleader’s Evergaol.

How to Defeat Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader – Strategies, Weaknesses & Tips

Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader is a difficult boss to face. Here are some tips on how to defeat this Evergaol challenger:

Spirit Ash Summons or Multiplayer summons aren’t available in this fight. You’re on your own.
As soon as you step into the Evergaol, make a run for where she spawns. You’ll be able to get a couple of free hits as she enters.
Avoid using your shield, or the Ash of War: Barricade Shield, as it won’t help and will likely leave you open to attacks.
When Alecto jumps into the air and dives towards you, dodge. If you miss the attack, she’ll be left open for a few moments, giving you the time to get some hits in.
Your goal is to break her poise with your openings. Using Ash of War: Glintblade Phalanx is a great idea for this. Keep a pace of using the Ash of War, normal hits, Ash of War, normal hits, etc.
If you’re using a Strength weapon, keep using light jab attacks when she closes in on her combos. If she charges Red, run as far back as you can as this is a powerful AoE attack. When she lands the attack, close the gap again.
Using ranged weapons, like bows or a Weapon Skill can help keep your distance. Find out some of the best bows in Elden Ring.
Alternatively, the Moonveil’s Weapon Skill is excellent against Alecto. Here’s where to find the Moonveil Katana.

SweetJohnnyCage / FromSoftware

With some of these tips, a bit of luck, and some perseverance, you should have killed Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader, in no time!

While you’re here, check out our comprehensive guide on how to beat Elden Ring!

Or, check out our ranked lists of the best gear in Elden Ring: