Elden Ring Boss Guide: How to Beat the Cleanrot Knights

In the mid-game of Elden Ring, there are many ways to progress your build. Talismans are a great way of creating synergy between your abilities. The Cleanrot Knight boss fights found in Liurnia and Caelid both drop some useful items you’ll want to add to your inventory. 

We advise you first fight the Cleanrot Knight in Stillwater Cave in Liurnia of the Lakes, just north of the Lake-Facing Cliffs in the ravine. He drops the Winged Sword Pendant, a Talisman that raises attack power with each successive attack, useful for a dual-wielding build.

But it’s the duo of Cleanrot Knights at the bottom of the Abandoned Cave in Caelid that have the real treasure. This hidden cave is where you can find the Golden Scarab, one of the best Talismans in Elden Ring. When equipped, the scarab gives you 20% more Runes from each enemy you kill, making leveling quicker and easier. 

How to Defeat the Cleanrot Knights in Elden Ring

The lone Cleanrot Knight in Stillwater Cave carries a spear and sword, appearing again in the Abandoned Cave alongside another with a sword and sickle. 

The best thing to do for these boss fights is to apply any buff spells or items you have, then rush in and do as much damage as possible upfront. For the fight in the Abandone Cave, it will be less than 30 seconds before the next Cleanrot Knight spawns in.

Cleanrot Knight (both) Attack 1: Off-Hand Sword

The least deadly move in the Cleanrot Knights’ repertoires are swipes with their swords. These can be blocked by a shield with ease. Both knights have similar strike patterns and one quick three-hit-combo. 

Occasionally, a Cleanrot Knight will cross both weapons in front of his body, which will act like a shield as well, severely reducing the damage of all incoming attacks. The second summons a shield of pure magic in a defensive move mirroring his partner. This is a great time to heal or turn your attention to the other opponent. 

Cleanrot Knight (Spear) Attack 2: Golden Spear Thrust

This is the attack to avoid at all costs. It will likely be a Cleanrot Knight’s opening salvo as well, so be on your guard. If this thrust hits, the Knight will lift you up into the air and do an immense amount of Scarlet Rot damage. Getting hit by this is a surefire way to be out of the running early. This is classic FromSoft risk-reward, though, since successfully dodging the attack gives you a generous opening to backstab the boss.

Backstabbing is especially useful here because it not only deals a critical hit, but it also makes you invincible for a second or two to whatever the other Cleanrot Knight boss throws your way. 

Clearnrot Knight (Spear) Attack 3: Spear sweep and spikes

The other move to watch out for is this Cleanrot Knight’s AoE attack. He will drag his spear across the floor in front of him, which is your cue to back up; a wall of spears coming up from the ground will spawn soon. 

Cleanrot Knight (Sickle) Attack 2: Sickle Throw

The second Cleanrot Knight has a lot of range, mostly due to his sickle throw. He isn’t throwing his weapon but summoning magic circular blades that do a decent chunk of damage and come at a tricky diagonal angle. 

Cleanrot Knight (Sickle) Attack 3: Scarlet Bile

Of course, you can’t get away with the boss of the Scarlet Rot dungeon not doing more Scarlet Rot damage. The sickle Cleanrot Knight does so with a large AoE move where he pukes out a wide foundation of deadly Scarlet-Rot-inducing liquid. 

A great boon for this fight will be your Lone Wolf Spirit Ashes. Not having both bosses full attention on you is a game-changer. Summoning only makes the two-on-one fight fair so, whether it be these helpful wolves or a friendly player, it only makes sense to bolster your forces.

The Cleanrot Knight will drop the Golden Scarab Talisman and a healthy lump of Runes. Now you have an equipable item in the Gold Scarab Talisman that allows you to get stronger faster, farming Runes more quickly than before. This will put you ahead of the curve and make defeating later game bosses like Starscourge Radahn a whole lot easier. You can find more helpful tips like where to find Smithing-Stone Bell Bearings by visiting our comprehensive Elden Ring guides hub.