Summary
There are plenty of strong enemies inElden Ring’s new DLC, but one particularShadow of the Erdtreefoe seems unfairly powerful for a non-boss. Even though many people have already learned that boss fights are not always thedeadliest parts ofShadow of the Erdtree, it cannot be denied that the DLC’s foes are extremely frustrating at times. Nevertheless, many Tarnished have experienced tougher fights than what might be expected at certain points.
AlthoughShadow of the Erdtreehas had performance issues, its actual design is still more than enough to pose an enormous challenge. Its various bosses can, of course, be extremely powerful, prompting many to level up and upgrade their Shadow Realm Blessings no matter how much they may have prepared beforehand. Of course,Shadow of the Erdtreeis not without flaws, which can make the game less enjoyable on occasion, but on the whole it clearly stays true to the consistently punishing reputation of Soulsborne games, even at points where it would be preferable to have a little leniency.
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The Shadow Keep’s Fire Knights Are Akin To Respawning Bosses
Fire Knights Have Few Vulnerabilities
Completing the Shadow Keep is an important step in progressing throughShadow of the Erdtree, but doing so requires making it past many Fire Knights. Members of Messmer’s Army,Fire Knights, are powerful both at range and in melee and have high health. As a result, they can be very hard to defeat, to the point thatit is not uncommon to drink several Flasks during each encounter. However, given that there can be several Fire Knights standing between one Site of Grace and the next, such a gauntlet seems tailor-made to wear the Tarnished down until they die.
The Shadow Keep dungeon actually has two entrances to find, which lead to the Main Plaza and Church District areas respectively.
A Fire Knight’s speed and agility are incredibly high as well, making it difficult to attack them without being hit multiple times in the process. Considering thatFire Knights can quickly whittle down a Tarnished’s HP, this is clearly far from ideal, but there seems to be little choice in the matter. Although some can be fought mainly at range, mostly those found around the dungeon’s exterior, most Fire Knights are instead found within the narrow spaces of the Shadow Keep’s interior. This makes it far easier for combat to see them enter melee range, where dodging is nearly impossible.
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The confined spaces of the Shadow Keep make dodge rolls a remarkably dangerous maneuver, especially if the player’s spatial awareness is limited by them locking on to the enemy. It is all too easy for the Tarnished to find themselves trapped in a corner or even dodge backward over a ledge and suffer a deadly fall. Another point of note is the fact that enemy Fire Knights have extremely high Poise, more than it is technically possible to have when the Tarnished wears a full set of Fire Knight Armor themselves.
The Fire Knights Encourage Elden Ring Players To Avoid Them Whenever Possible
An Enemy That’s Best To Skip
Because of their strength,it often seems the best way to deal with Fire Knights is to avoid them altogether. Unfortunately, while stealth can bring the Tarnished past some of the powerful soldiers, not all can be avoided. Some Fire Knights actively patrol their surroundings, whilst plenty of others guard the way deeper into the keep. Additionally, the fact that they are not even miniboses means that they all respawn as well, forcing the Tarnished to make it past all Fire Knights in one run to make it to the next Site of Grace.
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On the other hand, it is possible to cut down on the number of Fire Knights the Tarnished engages by simply running away. While Fire Knights will pursue them with both blades and magic, it can be possible to avoid outrun enough Fire Knights to make the Tarnished’s Flasks last them until the next Site of Grace. But with so many Fire Knights to face, it is very easy to make a mistake, something which naturally can easily prove lethal.
Although it can be tempting to simplyfarm runes inShadow of the Erdtreewhenever a big obstacle appears, the difficulty spike created by the Fire Knights of Shadow Keep is not so easy to overcome. These enemies are incredibly strong in relation to their position in the DLC, especially given their environment and ability to respawn. Although this certainly makes the Fire Knights memorable new additions toElden Ring, the fact that they are so easily a source of frustration, with none of the justification a difficult boss would have, makes their design feel all the more unfair.
