BEAST CLERGYMAN

Phase Strategy

The Beast Clergyman is the first half of one of Elden Ring's most demanding double-phase encounters. If you have been feeding Deathroot to Gurranq at the Bestial Sanctum, you will recognize this fight immediately — it is the same beast, now fully hostile and stripped of all restraint.

This phase is a test of patience and spacing discipline. The Clergyman fights like a feral animal: explosive lunges, unpredictable combo extensions, and rock throws that punish passive play. The arena in Crumbling Farum Azula is narrow with pillars that break line-of-sight but offer no real cover. You cannot hide. You must learn to read him.

Critical: The Beast Clergyman has only 6,500 HP — roughly half what most late-game bosses possess. The fight is designed to be aggressive but short. Bleed weapons will end this phase in under a minute if you play cleanly.

The Clergyman's aggression comes in waves. He will throw 2-3 claw combos in rapid succession, then pause to throw rocks or reposition. These pauses are your punish windows. Never chase him during repositioning. Wait for him to commit to an attack, then counter.

His most dangerous trait is combo variability. A two-swipe claw attack can suddenly extend into a four-hit chain if you roll too early. The tell is his stance: if his left claw stays raised after the second swipe, a third is coming. Do not roll until you see the claw drop.

Bleed and Stagger

The Clergyman is uniquely vulnerable to two mechanics: bleed and stagger. His poise is low for a late-game boss, and heavy jump attacks will break his stance reliably. A single stagger gives you enough time to proc hemorrhage with fast weapons.

If you are running a bleed build, this is your easiest Crumbling Farum Azula encounter. Rivers of Blood, Eleonora's Poleblade, or dual Seppuku-infused Uchigatanas will end the phase before he transitions.

For strength builds, Ruins Greatsword or Giant-Crusher with Lion's Claw Ash of War will stagger him every 3-4 jump attacks. The rhythm is: jump attack, roll his counter, jump attack, roll, jump attack — stagger.

Attacks & Counters

| Attack | Counter | |--------|---------| | Double claw swipe | Roll into him on the second swipe. If his left claw stays raised, delay the roll — a third hit is coming. | | Leaping claw slam | He leaps 10 meters forward and slams both claws down. Roll forward through him as he lands. Punish with 2 R1s. | | Four-hit claw combo | Alternating swipes, left-right-left-right. Roll on beats 2 and 4. Do not panic-roll on beat 1. | | Rock throw (single) | He hurls a glowing stone projectile. Strafe-walk left. Do not roll unless you are mid-attack animation. | | Rock barrage (three throws) | Rapid-fire stones. Sprint perpendicular to him, do not roll. Rolling locks you in place for the second throw. | | Ground stab + shockwave | He plants his claw into the ground. Roll backward twice. The shockwave has lingering hitbox frames. | | Tail swipe | Rare follow-up to claw combos. He spins 180° and swipes with his tail. Roll into the spin, not away. |

Recommended Loadout

The Beast Clergyman is designed to punish slow weapons and reward aggression. Fast bleed builds trivialize this encounter.

• Weapon (Bleed): Rivers of Blood +10 with Corpse Piler Ash of War. Proc hemorrhage in 4-5 weapon arts. Alternatively, dual-wield Uchigatanas +25 with Seppuku and Blood infusion.
• Weapon (Strength): Giant-Crusher +25 with Lion's Claw or Royal Knight's Resolve. Jump attacks stagger reliably.
• Spirit Ash: Mimic Tear +10 or Black Knife Tiche +10. Both survive long enough to draw aggression and let you bleed him out. If you want to solo the fight, skip the summon — the HP scaling makes the phase last longer.
• Talismans:
  • Lord of Blood's Exultation (attack power boost on bleed proc)
  • Claw Talisman (jump attack damage — critical for stagger builds)
  • Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman (physical damage negation)
  • Green Turtle Talisman (stamina recovery)
• Consumables: Exalted Flesh (temporary physical damage boost). Pop it before the fog gate. The phase is short enough that one usage covers the entire fight.

The Rock Throw Mind Game

The Clergyman's rock throws are not random. He uses them reactively:

• If you heal at medium range, he throws a single rock.
• If you stand still at long range, he throws a barrage.
• If you sprint toward him, he stops throwing and lunges.

The optimal counter is aggressive spacing. Stay at mid-range (8-10 meters), bait a claw combo, punish, then reset to mid-range before he can throw. Never give him time to breathe.

If he does throw rocks, sprint in a wide arc around him. The projectiles track your position at the moment of release — moving perpendicular breaks the tracking.

A Note on Maliketh

The Beast Clergyman is phase 1 of Maliketh, the Black Blade. Reducing his HP to zero triggers the phase transition immediately. There is no cutscene gap — Maliketh's opening slash begins the instant the Clergyman falls.

Critical: Do not heal during the transition animation. Maliketh's first attack hits before the camera finishes panning. Sprint backward the moment the Clergyman collapses.

If you are struggling with Maliketh's phase 2, consider practicing the Clergyman phase until you can end it without using any flasks. Every Crimson Tear you save here is another mistake you can afford in phase 2.

Lore Pause

The Beast Clergyman is Gurranq — the same creature you fed Deathroot to in Caelid. He guards the Rune of Death on behalf of Marika, but his hunger for Deathroot has driven him feral. By the time you reach Farum Azula, he no longer recognizes you. Or perhaps he does, and simply no longer cares.

His transformation into Maliketh is not a separate entity — it is the same being, unshackled. The black armor and Destined Death blade are his true form, suppressed by Marika's command until the Rune of Death was stolen.

The Beast Clergyman is not the wall. The wall is what comes after.

Related Bosses

After defeating Maliketh (the full encounter, both phases), you gain access to the final stretch of Crumbling Farum Azula and unlock the path to Leyndell, Ashen Capital. The endgame awaits.