Commander Niall is an optional boss that players can find in Elden Ring. The boss watches over Sol Castle and blocks the way to an optional key item that opens a new area.
Where can you find Commander Niall? Elden Ring
After reaching the mountaintop of the Giants, players can find Sol Castle in the northeast of the area. The castle is not as big as, for example, Storm Veil Castle, but it offers some interesting places. Already at the entrance, a lion guardian is waiting for the players, who is still a serious opponent later in the game due to his fast attacks.
After the players have taken care of the lion guardian, they can explore the castle a bit more closely. In the south of the area they will find the Church of Eclipse. The place of mercy is a good place to rest and have a final refreshment. Afterwards, the players can leave the church through the eastern gate. At the end of the path, the players will find the battle arena, where Commander Niall is already waiting.
Combat Commander Niall: Strategy, Combat
At first glance, the commander seems heavy and ponderous. Due to his heavy armor, the knight seems very slow and with his wooden leg he gives the impression that he can’t be a real threat for fast attacks. At first, the commander doesn’t seem to be seriously interested in a fight either. He keeps his distance and stomps around a bit awkwardly with his halberd.
However, the commander doesn’t have to fight either. Instead, he is assisted by two spectral knights who, unlike their leader, charge directly at the players. One of the knights is equipped with two swords and relies on combination attacks to destroy the stained. The other knight has a shield and a sword. He does less damage in a direct comparison, but he’s also hard to take down because he’s good at blocking players‘ attacks.
The interaction makes the spectral knights dangerous, and players must be careful with their own resources if they want to survive the battle. While supporting spectral creatures can be summoned, there is a risk that the spirits will already take too much damage from the knights and, in the worst case, die before the commander can even be dealt with.
Once the Spectral Knights are defeated, however, Niall also decides to enter the fray. Besides his attacks with the halberd, Niall has several elemental spells at his disposal. He can summon a whirlwind that inflicts frostbite damage on players. He can also charge up lightning energy with his artificial leg and unleash it through powerful jumps. However, there are also attack windows after some combo attacks, where the commander drops to his knees for a moment, exhausted. If players catch such a moment, they can significantly wound Commander Niall and eventually defeat him.
The reward for the effort: Reward Commander Niall, Elden Ring
Commander Niall is not an easy boss. Both the first phase with the Spectral Knights and his second battle phase drain your stamina and require a great deal of concentration and stamina. However, if the Tainted are victorious in the end, they will be rewarded with 90,000 runes and the Veteran’s Prosthesis. The prosthetic is a fist weapon that has a large blade mounted on it. It does physical damage, lightning damage, and also deals critical damage. When Stained activates the Storm Kick special attack, they first slam the prosthetic into the ground, triggering a whirlwind, before leaping into the air and unleashing a lightning attack.
Another reward that awaits players after fighting Commander Niall is the left half of the Haligbaum Medallion. Together with the right half of the medallion, which is hidden in the Albinaurian village in Liurnia of the Lakes, players can use Rold’s elevator.
Previously, Stained could only use the elevator from Leyndell after defeating Morgott, King of the Mal. Players could use the elevator to get to the mountaintop of the Giants, where they eventually defeated Commander Niall. However, if they return to Rold’s Elevator with the two halves of the Halig Tree Medallion, they have a new travel option. The elevator now takes them to the Consecrated Snowfields with the medallion. This secret area is only accessible via Rold’s Elevator and offers new challenges and custom bosses for players to face.