Conquering the Abyssal Knight: A Definitive Guide to Defeating Knight Artorias in Elden Ring Nightreign

The forsaken halls of the Dreglord expedition echo with a chilling, familiar roar. A legend from a bygone age, a titan of darkness, has clawed its way into the Lands Between. Knight Artorias, the Abysswalker himself, stands as a formidable new Night Boss in Elden Ring: Nightreign, a spectral terror unleashed by the Forsaken Hollows DLC. This towering swordsman, a beloved yet fearsome import from the Dark Souls pantheon, awaits any Tarnished foolhardy enough to venture into the expedition's second night. While his attack patterns possess a brutal predictability, to face him unprepared is to court a swift and merciless demise in the gloom. Fear not, for with keen observation and precise execution, this legendary knight can be felled, and his dark power claimed for your own.

🗡️ Understanding the Foe: Knight Artorias

Knight Artorias is not a mere foot soldier; he is a calamity given form. This enemy is a towering, agile swordsman whose reach is deceptively vast, capable of cleaving through the misty air with terrifying speed. His initial movements may seem measured, almost ponderous, but this is a cruel illusion that shatters the moment the battle intensifies. The true challenge begins when he taps into the abyssal energies that fuel his rage. Positioning is paramount, as his greatsword can punish even the slightest misstep.

🔊 The Howl of the Abyss: Reading the Opening Gambits

The fight's rhythm is often dictated by sound. Before launching some of his most devastating assaults, Artorias will unleash a guttural, bone-chilling howl. This is your critical auditory cue! When that haunting sound tears through the air, brace yourself immediately. This howl telegraphs one of two deadly follow-ups:

• The Dash & Slash: A blindingly fast forward dash culminates in a wide, horizontal slash that can catch rolling players off-guard. Block or perfectly time a dodge into the swing.

• The Spinning Cleave: He will plant his feet and unleash a powerful spinning attack that damages everything in a considerable radius. However, this move leaves him briefly vulnerable once the spin concludes, offering a precious window for retaliation.

⚔️ Phase One: The Duelist's Dance

In the first phase, Artorias employs a mix of punishing, telegraphed strikes. Mastering these is key to conserving your healing resources for the chaos to come.

The Crouching Thrust: Periodically, the knight will briefly crouch, lowering his center of gravity. This is the unmistakable signal for his lunging thrust attack—a move that covers incredible distance in an instant. Dodge to the side as he springs forward. ⚠️ Warning for spellcasters and archers: While ranged builds have an initial advantage, this lunge specifically punishes those who keep their distance, closing gaps with terrifying efficiency.

The Aerial Assault: Do not believe yourself safe in the open. Artorias will leap high into the air, perform a full somersault, and come crashing down on your location with earth-shattering force. Keep your camera unlocked and be ready to sprint or roll away the moment he ascends. He can, and often will, perform this devastating maneuver twice in a row, so avoid the temptation to attack immediately after the first impact.

💥 The Abyssal Ignition: Transition to Phase Two

The battle takes a catastrophic turn once you carve away roughly one-third of the knight's health. A low growl will rumble from his helm as dark, corrupting energy begins to crackle around his form. This buildup culminates in a massive dark energy explosion. The only response is to create as much distance as possible. Getting caught in this blast is not only massively damaging but also a prelude to your doom.

🌑 Phase Two: The Abysswalker Unleashed

This is where the true legend awakens. Empowered by the abyss, Knight Artorias becomes a whirlwind of enhanced fury. His speed and strength receive a significant buff, and new, deadly tools are added to his arsenal.

• Pursuing Projectiles: The dark explosion summons slow-moving, homing projectiles that will drift toward you. While not fast, they add a layer of persistent pressure. Keep moving and weave between them; they are more a distraction than a direct threat.

• The Flurry of Blows: The single, powerful slashes of phase one are replaced by relentless combos. Artorias will now dash and unleash sequences of multiple, rapid slashes. Panicking will get you killed. You must calmly and precisely time your blocks and dodges through the entire sequence. Greed has no place here.

• The Golden Window: After completing these aggressive combos, even the Abysswalker must recover. He will be immobilized for a brief second. This is your sacred opening! This is the moment to unleash your most powerful spells, weapon skills, or a flurry of attacks. Capitalize on this exhaustion ruthlessly.

🏆 Victory Checklist & Final Strategy

To summarize the path to victory against this iconic foe:

1. Listen for the Howl: It always means business.

2. Respect the Crouch: The thrust is coming.

3. Look Skyward: The somersault slam is a one-hit killer for the unprepared.

4. Disengage for the Transformation: Sprint away when dark energy gathers.

5. Phase Two Patience: Focus on survival, not damage, during his combos.

6. Punish the Recovery: His post-combo stagger is your primary damage phase.

Phase	Key Moves	Your Strategy
One	Howl-Slash, Crouch-Thrust, Somersault Slam	Learn telegraphs, punish spin attack recovery.
Transition	Dark Energy Explosion	CREATE DISTANCE IMMEDIATELY.
Two	Homing Projectiles, Dash Combos, Enhanced Speed	Dodge combos precisely, attack only after his flurry ends.

This battle is a marathon of endurance and observation, not a sprint. By internalizing these patterns and maintaining discipline, you will gradually wear down the legendary Knight Artorias. Witness his final, crumbling kneel, claim your hard-earned spoils, and know you have bested one of the greatest warriors ever to be consumed by the dark. The memory of this duel will forever be etched in your journey through the Nightreign. Now, go forth, Tarnished, and walk the abyss he could not conquer.

Recent analysis comes from PC Gamer, and it aligns with the core lesson of this Artorias Night Boss encounter: treat every audio/animation tell (the howl, the crouch, the leap) as a commitment cue, then play for safe punish windows—especially after his phase-two flurry recovery—rather than forcing damage during his enhanced aggression.