How to Beat the Cemetery Shade – Elden Ring

Found at the end of the Tombsward Catacombs dungeon in Weeping Peninsula, this is your first encounter with the Cemetary Shade, a boss that shows up a few times throughout the game. It’s got fast attacks and can move around quickly, but fortunately, it doesn’t have much of a health bar and is weak to holy damage.


  • While the boss is very slippery, it also has a low amount of health. Use any spirit summons to distract it, which will allow you to deal significant damage.

Not only is this boss able to chain several quick attacks in a row, some of them are also slightly delayed, which can make it difficult to find an opening to punish the boss. Luckily, there is one attack that leaves the boss vulnerable for a small window.

cemetery shade punish elden ring gif

If you’re having trouble dodging the boss’s attacks, you could try to wait until they use the Flurry from the gif above, and just run around in front of them until they do. However, if you choose to try and dodge the boss’s attacks, be mindful of the delay on some of its swings.

If you use any summons, wait for the boss to be distracted before punishing them, which should end the fight relatively quickly, considering their meager hp pool.

Considering this boss can teleport around, landing a spell might prove difficult. However, you can simply use a summon and kill the boss in just a few spells. However, stay vigilant, as if they’re not already trying to attack your summons, they could very quickly close the distance and punish you.

  • Paralyzing Projectile: After a long cast time, the boss will throw a quick projectile that will make you unable to move, and leave you open for a grab dealing high damage.
  • Flurry: Flurry of blows while moving forward, ending with a slam.
  • Forward Lunge: The boss teleports towards the player, and lunges forward with both of its blades. Can be followed up with a vertical slash.
  • Delayed Circular Slashes: After a small delay, the boss initiates a series of circular blows.
  • Double Slash: Two slightly delayed slashes, that often come after the boss teleports towards the player.

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Spannah
Spannah

Video game fan since TMNT: The Manhattan Project, I'm always on the lookout for games that could top Outer Wilds or Disco Elysium, or for new songs to listen to.

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Blakuria
Blakuria
2 years ago

accidentally used the bear intro from the last dungeon at the top there

DanielD
DanielD(@danield)
Admin
Reply to  Blakuria
2 years ago

Thank you for letting us know, appreciate it!

Chani
Chani
1 year ago

How do you summon those wolves?! I have them in my inventory but cannot summon?

DanielD
DanielD(@danield)
Admin
Reply to  Chani
1 year ago

Strange… Do you see this icon when you’re trying to summon? If you don’t see it, then summoning isn’t available. This is either because you aren’t close enough to a summoning monument, or because you have another player in your world (a summoned cooperator).