As a passionate Elden Ring player with hundreds of hours under my belt, few enemies instill fear in me more than the sight of the Black Knife Assassins emerging from the shadows. Their sheer speed, invisibility skills and brutal ambush tactics combine to make them among the deadliest foes in the Lands Between.
But after countless tense encounters with these elite agents, I’ve unlocked many of their secrets. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share everything I’ve learned while mastering the art of hunting the assassins, including:
- Piecing together their mysterious lore
- Locating all their cunning hideouts
- Tactics to overcome their rapid attacks
- Perfect weapons and builds to counter them
- The rare crafting loot worth fighting for
If you want to defeat these stealthy adversaries and uncover their origins, while collecting epic knives and sorceries, then this intel is meant for you, Tarnished!
Born of Shadow: The Lore of the Black Knife Assassins
References scattered through Elden Ring’s world hint at the significance of the Black Knife Assassins, but leave much still unclear. As a lore hunter at heart, I’ve dug deep to piece together their full backstory:
They Descend From an Ancient Race – Their weapons describe the assassins asNumenkind. The eternal city of Nokron and its inhabitants also share this lineage – an advanced ancient race with ties to the Crucible primordial matter that predates the Erdtree.
Served Queen Marika Herself – Through dialogue from key characters like Enia and Gideon Ofnir, we learn that the Black Knives were actually in direct service to Queen Marika at one time. As her closest confidants and protectors, they likely operated akin to a covert special forces unit carrying out Marika’s secret directives in the shadows.
The Infamous Night of the Black Knives – Their most pivotal historical night came when the assassins infiltrated the Erdtree and stole Destined Death, using it to slay Godwyn the Golden. This assassination triggered the Shattering and plunged the world into chaos, but was it truly their own scheme or did they act on the Greater Will’s instructions?
Vanished After the Shattering – With the rulership of the Golden Order upended and the Elden Ring itself shattered, the Black Knives disappear entirely from recorded history. Whether they regretted their role in the plot, or went into hiding to avoid retribution, the elite order seemingly retreated from public view entirely.
Their Blades Still Hunger – Now only glimpsed stalking forgotten underground dungeons and fortresses, their daggers thirst for blood still. What drove them to shadow in the first place? What was Marika’s true plan for her most trusted followers? Uncovering their weapons and skills promises to shed light on this ages-old enigma!
Piecing together what we can tells a tale of an elite order whose loyalty saw them entangled in the secret workings of the Golden Order at the highest levels. Their exceptional skills made them perfectly suited for covert operations on behalf of Queen Marika herself.
But this insider status came at a grave cost – their blades were ultimately turned against the Erdtree they once served, ushering in history’s greatest upheaval in the Shattering. Now keys to their past are scattered across the Lands Between just waiting for a cunning enough Tarnished to reshape their destiny once more!
Shadow Tactics: Battling the Assassins
Of course, unravelling ancient conspiracies first requires surviving close encounters with the Black Knives themselves! Veteran dungeon divers know that an ominous shimmer or unexpected footsteps often herald the arrival of these deadly ambushers.
Harnessing every lesson learnt from countless assassin skirmishes, here are my hard-earned tips for fighting and defeating these agile adversaries:
Equip a Medium Torches – The assassins rely on Concealing Veil sorcery to vanish from sight and reappear behind you. But the revealing light of a torch will expose them through invisibility! Always keep a torch quick slotted.
Listen for Audio Cues – Concentrate closely and you’ll hear the echoing soundwaves whenever they teleport around you, along with footsteps. Let your ears guide your reactions!
Master Parrying & Ripostes – The few seconds after their combo strikes leave them prone for reprisals. Time guard counters and parry ripostes properly to deal huge damage during these fleeting windows.
Bleed & Holy Weapons Wreck Them – As ethereal knives rendered them weak to holy energy, while their choice of daggers also makes hemorrhaging blood loss especially destructive against Black Knives.
Aggression is Key – Passive and defensive tactics only prolong the fight. Commit to hyper-aggressive relentless attacks before their invisibility returns! Just don’t get greedy…
Leverage Ashes of War – The skills of weapons like Anchor, Glintstone Pebble and Lion’s Claw add special new attack options to catch them off guard and prevent escape.
Master these countering techniques and a Black Knife’s advantages of speed and stealth are neutralized. Then victory is assured! But what weapons and powers best complement this aggressive style of hunting assassins?
Gear Tailored to Slaying Shadows
Through extensive experimentation across my playthroughs, I‘ve identified ideal armaments and build archetypes for facing off against Black Knives:
Polearms & Twinblades – Glaives, halberds and twinblade pairs give you extended lethal reach plus bleed potential to shred assassins before they escape attack range.
Caster Hybrids – Back up melee strikes with ranged holy incantations like Lightning Spear or dragon cult lightning bolts to snipe teleporting targets. Faith or melee/caster builds do well here.
Parrying Shields – Equip a parry focused shield like Buckler to create openings for massive riposte damage when you successfully block their dagger strikes.
Holy & Lightning Weapons – Bring blessed armaments like Blasphemous Blade, Sacred Relic Sword or Wings of Astel to directly target the assassins’ celestial weakness.
Daggers & Bow – Quickstep dagger movesets keep pace with teleports while poison arrows inflict passive damage, especially effective powerstanced.
No matter your specialty, lean into holy blessed weapons to cleave through their dark shrouds – then wipe out these heretical assassins for good! But what rewards await those who survive the shadowy onslaught?
Looting the Bodies: Assassin Item Drops
While battles against Black Knives always pay off in runes, I prioritize fighting them for their rare crafting materials, gear and spells which unlock still more secrets across the Lands Between. Here’s what to watch for:
Concealing Veil – This sorcery briefly renders you invisible, perfect for stealthy exploration or to reposition in battle. Dropped in the Sage‘s Cave hidden beneath Altus Plateau cliffs.
Black Knifeprint – Used to craft weapons with the occult affinity at whetstone knives, boosting arcane scaling. Loot this from the lethal Black Knife Catacombs in south Liurnia.
| Item Name | Drop Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin’s Crimson Dagger | Deathtouched Catacombs | Crystal dagger that causes blood loss buildup alongside magic damage over time. |
| Assassin’s Cerulean Dagger | Black Knife Catacombs | Azure dagger that causes blood loss buildup and fire damage over time on critical strikes. |
| Black Knife Armour Set | Trade with Enia | The iconic Black Knife assassin garb consisting of hat, chest piece, gauntlets and greaves. Obtainable by trading all above drops to Enia at Roundtable Hold. |
Pureblade Stone, Gravel Stone – Loot these crafting stones off the unique Farum Azula exile Black Knife enemy to finally unlock the ability to buy the full Black Knife armour set!
Once you secure this epic dark assassin gear, you’ll look and fight just like one of Queen Marika‘s most feared covert agents. Embrace your shadowy past along with stealth killing edge!
Hunters Become the Hunted: Farming Runes & Items
As you become more attuned to an assassin’s approach through countless battles, an opportunity emerges – now you can start ambushing these elite enemies and claiming their treasures for yourself.
Thanks to their locations often near Sites of Grace, the Black Knives become perfect targets to farm for runes, rare crafting materials and gear unlocks after you’ve gained confidence facing them.
Here are some fruitful farming strategies I’ve honed specific to amassing more assassin loot:
Sage‘s Cave Run – This mini-dungeon packed with scarlet rot below Mount Gelmir offers 9000 runes per clear. The Concealing Veil Spell drop alone makes runs valuable.
Sainted Hero Duo – Clearing both overworld Black Knives at Sainted Hero’s Grave gives over 20,000 runes total. I farm this site endlessly while helping other players as a cooperative summon!
Deathtouched Blood – Rapid respawns after fast travelling allow accrual of the Assassin’s Crimson Dagger drop. Dual wield to cause extreme hemorrhaging!
Occult Weapons – The hidden Black Knife Catacombs contain a whetstone knife for adding occult affinity using their rare Black Knifeprint crafting item drop. This massively boosts arcane scaling!
Soon, you’ll embody the oppressive prowess of the Black Knives against your own foes, drenched in the rune riches claimed from these once unassailable agents of death. Glory to Marika!
A Legacy Reclaimed
We stand now at the precipice of rediscovery regarding Queen Marika‘s prowling eye clan. Too long have the secrets of her closest covert guardians remained obscured in shadow and superstition – but no more!
Through devoted study of the Black Knife Assassins, we can reclaim their lost artifacts to enhance our own journeys across the realm. In doming their signature shrouded garb and mystical arms, a Tarnished might even reshape their destiny towards a new age without false gods.
I hope relaying my hard-fought wisdom arms you well on your own quests through Lands Between with implacable new confidence against its deadliest shadow dwellers. Tread with care under the guidance of grace to unravel further enigmas!
This is ___, signing off for now as I step back into darkness in pursuit of our shared enlightenment to come. The secrets of the past shall liberate our future!
