How to Beat Needle Knight Leda and Allies in Shadow of the Erdtree

As a seasoned adventurer with countless battles under my belt, I can confidently say that the fight against Sote’s Needle Knight Leda and her entourage is one for the books. With years of exploration in Elden Ring’s vast world, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges, but this particular encounter left me both exhilarated and relieved once it was over.

In Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, as I delve into the enigmatic Land of Shadows, I encounter various devotees of Miquella. We’re all in this together, driven by our shared desire to find the elusive Miquella within these dark lands. However, as the narrative unfolds, tensions rise and eventually lead to a bitter divide among us. This rift culminates in an intense showdown between me and Needle Knight Leda, with her loyal NPC companions at her side.

In Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the outcome of the boss battle can be significantly affected by the choices you make during the game. This guide will feature a brief segment explaining how to bring each NPC to the fight or eliminate them earlier for an easier experience if preferred.

NPCs and Their Movesets

Needle Knight Leda

How to Beat Needle Knight Leda and Allies in Shadow of the Erdtree

Leda, the Knight wielding a Needle-infused Light Greatsword, is an unyielding participant in this battle, irrespective of your previous moves. Her arsenal includes Holy Spells and swift attacks with her quick-paced Light Greatsword. Notably, her unique skill generates a ring of needles around her, which pierce enemies in front and strip them of all active buffs or debuffs upon contact. If you wish to preserve your buffs like or , it’s crucial that you dodge these needles. Leda deals damage swiftly with her basic attacks but is the last NPC to enter the fray, so consider taking out the other combatants first to isolate her.

Dryleaf Dane

How to Beat Needle Knight Leda and Allies in Shadow of the Erdtree

Regardless of your previous moves, Dryleaf Dane is committed to engaging in the battle with you. He employs Dane’s Footwork to execute a series of kicks and utilizes Fundamentalist Incantations to throw light rings as an attack. His fighting style can be described as bold, but due to his light armor, he becomes disoriented if you wield heavier weapons.

Redmane Freyja

Freyja Redmane may choose to participate in the battle only if you assist her in interpreting the texts she finds in the Black Keep’s Specimen Storehouse by asking Sir Ansbach for aid on her behalf. If this task is neglected, it could lead to Freyja’s demise before the fight begins. Freyja is an adept fighter with a curved greatsword and a distinctive shield. Her shield possesses the “Roaring Bash” ability, which produces a powerful forward bash that pushes back and disorients adversaries within a considerable range in front of her. The curved greatsword wielded by Freyja is enchanted with the “Whirling Crash,” enabling her to execute a spinning slam attack, which she can repeat once more. This maneuver inflicts substantial damage but is quite predictable, providing you with an opportunity to evade behind her if you precisely time your dodges.

Sir Moore

If Miquella’s Charm is shattered, approach Sir Moore and urge him with “Move On” during the conversation. Contrarily, selecting “Be Perpetually Sad” will result in his corpse being found close to the Crusade Church at a later time. Clad in bulky armor, wielding a massive shield, and hurling Rot Pots that instantly infect enemies with Scarlet Rot, Sir Moore is a formidable adversary. Be prepared for his forceful Shield Bash attacks. To effectively harm him, it’s recommended to maneuver behind him.

Sir Ansbach

If you want Sir Ansbach to join forces with you during the battle, make sure he survives until then and present him with the “Secret Rite Scroll” once you locate him in the Specimen Storehouse. Then, activate his Summon Sign prior to initiating the fight to secure his assistance. With his repertoire of Bloodflame Spells and formidable scythe attacks, Sir Ansbax will inflict bleed and cause significant damage on enemies using his unique signature.

Thiollier

If you assist Thiollier in locating St Trina and finishing the prerequisite tasks in his questline, he could join your side in this battle. You can summon him by activating his sign prior to initiating the fight. Thiollier is proficient in poisoning enemies with his Deadly Poison Perfume and a fist weapon, ” “, which puts targets to sleep eternally and deals additional damage via its skill when opponents are under its effects.

General Strategy

Fighting alone in this battle can be quite challenging, especially if you have engaged Freyja and Sir Moore as allies. More enemies will continuously join the fray, increasing the difficulty and risk of being outnumbered. To boost your chances of success, consider summoning a spirit or recruiting Sir Ansbach and/or Thiollier for backup. These allies will typically enter the battle mid-way through, often after an enemy NPC makes their appearance.

When it comes to who to focus on first during the battle, give priority to Sir Moore if he’s present and Dryleaf Dane because of Sir Moore’s powerful throws and Dryleaf Dane’s ability to quickly combine attacks that can be deadly. Leda is another risky opponent due to her quickness and high damage output. However, luckily for you, she holds back until the later stages of the fight before joining.

Spellcaster Strategy

As a sorcerer, make the most of your ability to summon spirits and the two NPC allies to distract enemies, allowing you to unleash powerful damaging spells. If possible, use Spirit Summons like Ekzykes Decay or Scarlet Rot to afflict multiple targets with debilitating effects, while Ekzykes Decay is also effective in this regard. High Faith builds can harness Lightning Damage for swift and easy elimination of Sir Moore, employing spells to attack him from above and bypass his shield. Additionally, spells like those that cause stagger or deal significant damage to Sir Moore’s defenses can be valuable additions to your arsenal.

As a fan of Intelligence Builds, I’m thrilled about the latest addition of Glintstone Nail Sorceries. These spells allow me to land multiple hits with precision, dealing an impressive amount of damage in a short period. The NPCs’ dodge mechanics become less effective against my quick succession of attacks. Similarly, Night Sorceries prove to be a reliable choice for the same reason. And let’s not forget about the classic “turn enemies into pancakes” with . Its effectiveness is undeniable, especially during intense battles.

Rewards

As a devoted player, I’ve come to appreciate the unpredictability of each encounter in this game. The outcome of which Non-Player Characters (NPCs) make it to a fight significantly influences the rewards I can obtain. Upon defeating Leda, her Sword drops as a guaranteed reward, and her armor lies waiting in the hallway leading to the next room. Near the exit of the boss room, Dryleaf Dane’s lifeless body clutches an unopened Hand-To-Hand Art focusing on powerful kicks.

2024-07-15 15:55