Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreepresents many twists and turns in its narrative, especially around the NPCNeedle Knight Leda. Players may know her as an ally who guides them into the Land of Shadow, leaves messages at each Site of Grace, and offers support during boss fights. It is disheartening when players realize they must eventually turn against her and face her in battle.
In one of the most challenging and formidable boss fights, one of the final encounters in the DLC, Leda brings various allies into the fray, making the battle incredibly overwhelming. Players must devise a strategic plan to overcome her and her comrades to make this more manageable. Fortunately, there are numerous tactics available that can ease this challenge.
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Where To Find Needle Knight Leda In Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Cleansing Chamber Of Enir-Ilim
As you approach DLC’s end, you’ll find Leda and her allies waiting in the Cleansing Chamber of Enir-Ilim, the finaldungeon inElden Ring:Shadow of the Eritrea. The closest Site of Grace for fast travel is situated just before this area, in the’Cleansing Room Antechamber.'
To trigger the battle, interact with the red summon sign she leaves on the floor. This gives this boss fight the feel of an NPC invasion rather than a typical one but remains just as challenging.
Advancing to the final dungeon to battle Needle Knight Leda is amandatory part of the DLC’s main storyline. There’s no way to bypass this segment, so players must naturally progress through the Land of Shadow, clearing all required dungeons and encountering her at various Sites of Grace.
Follow Needle Knight Leda’s Questline
The second encounter with Needle Knight Leda occurs when players enterScadu Altus at the ‘Highroad Cross’ Site of Graceafter defeating Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, inCastle Ensis inElden Ring. Another NPC, Hornsent, will accompany Leda, and you must speak to both to exhaust their dialogues.
As you proceed towards the Shadow Keep, a message about the breaking of the Great Rune will appear on your screen, advancing the narrative related to these NPCs.
Upon returning to Leda and Hornsent by the road after the Seal is broken, you’ll notice a significant change in their behavior when interacting with them. Hornsent will express his desire for revenge against Messmer, while Leda will begin to question the intentions of Miquella’s remaining followers.
At this point, yourchoices will affect the storyline and how the boss fight with Needle Knight Leda will play out. Players must make a critical decision, where they can eithersuggest Thiollier or Hornsent to Needle Knight Leda.
Regardless of your choice,Leda will pursue Hornsent, leading to a battle between them where you can choose whether to intervene. If you don’t get involved, Leda will target another NPC, Sir Ansbach, resulting in another battle you can choose to join or ignore.
Your decisions in these scenarios will later determine who becomes your ally, which is crucial for your battle strategy against Needle Knight Leda.
Reach Ensir-Ilim Dungeon
Before reaching Enir-Ilim, you must defeat Messmer the Impaler in theShadow Keep inElden RingandRomina, Saint of the Bud. After defeatingMessmer the Impaler, take his Kindling to the sealing treebehind Romina’s boss arena and burn it. Doing so will transport you directly to Enir-Ilim.
Enir-Ilim is one of the toughest dungeons inElden Ring, filled with high-level, formidable enemies. You must slay each of these foes before reaching Needle Knight Leda. Ensure you are appropriately leveled and prepared for the challenges, as this is the final dungeon of the DLC.
Once you navigate the dungeon and reach the ‘Cleansing Chamber Anteroom’ Site of Grace, be sure to collect the finalScadutree Fragmentat the base of the statue behind it. This will help make the upcoming fight more manageable. Rest at the Grace, exit through the left door,and head up the stairs.
This path leads to a large arena where Needle Knight Leda will be waiting. Initially, this area will be a non-combat zone, so freely approach her and exhaust her dialogue. Afterward, aninvasion sign will appear on the ground, allowing you to begin the battle when you’re ready.
How To Defeat Needle Knight Leda
Gain NPC Allies
While the fight against Needle Knight Leda is mandatory, your decisions throughout her quest inElden Ringwill influence how the boss fight unfolds and determine who else appears in the arena. These choices affect her allies and those who may come to your aid. By making the optimal decisions, you can significantlyease the difficulty of the battle by securing support for yourself.
The tables below outline who will oppose you based on your decisions and who could potentially support you against Needle Knight Leda:
Possible Adversaries
Dryleaf Dane
Always appears in this encounter and is always hostile towards players.
Hornsent
He will fight against players if they help him defeat Leda in Shadow Keep, but don’t summon him during the fight against Messmer the Impaler or kill him during the invasion at the Church of the Bud.
Moore
Appears in the arena if players previouslytold Moore to’put it behind you’while completing his quest.
Redmane Freyja
Will fight players if they completed her quest and gave her Sir Ansbach’s letter.
Possible Allies
Sir Ansbach
Assists players if they complete his quest, give him the scroll, and help fend off Leda’s attack.
Thiollier
Joins the fight on the player’s side if his quest has been completed.
Sanguine Noble Nataan
Replaces Sir Ansbach if he doesn’t appear in the Cleansing Chamber, such as if he died during Leda’s invasion.
In addition to these useful NPC allies who can support you in the battle against Leda, be sure to bring your own Spirit Ash Summon.Mimic Tear inElden Ringis especially recommended as one of the best comradery choices.
Boss Fight Preparation
When preparing for your battle against Leda and her allies, it’s important to note that theyall share similar weaknesses. This simplifies your preparation, as you won’t need to customize your skillset for different enemies.
Leda and her allies are vulnerable to Frostbite and Blood Loss. Therefore, apply an affinity to your weapon that exploits these weaknesses. Alternatively, consider using Blood Loss or Frostbite Incantations likeAdula’s Moonbladeor aPerfume weapon build inElden Ringsuch as the Chilling Bottle perfume to maximize your Frost damage against them.
Bringing items or weapons that inflict these effective damage types is also highly effective against Leda and her allies. Utilizing throwable items like Freezing Pots or coating your weapon with Blood Grease are effective strategies for gaining an extra edge in battle.
Defeat Leda’s Allies
Needle Knight Leda joins the fight a few minutes in,usually after at least one of her allies has been defeated. The challenge in this battle lies in the possibility of facing up to four strong enemies simultaneously, depending on how you handled the NPC quests earlier. To make the fight more manageable, swiftly take down each enemy present with the help of your comrades before Leda joins.
Below is an overview of each potential NPC opponent’s key attacks and movesets, along with effective counter strategies that players can adopt:
As these are invasion-style battles, never give them or Leda a chance to use their Healing Flasks. These opponents behave like real player invaders, utilizing complex movesets. Due to this, they are prone to staggering if you are relentless and decisive with your attacks.
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Needle Knight Leda Boss Fight Strategy
Leda’s moveset features amix of close and long-range attackswith herGreatsword inElden Ring, capable of killing you in two to three hits. Look out for her strikes and prioritize blocking or dodging to avoid taking damage.
She uses piercing and jabbing attacks, along with a jump-swing attack that can significantly stagger players. Be sure to dodge at the right moment to avoid her hits. Fortunately,Leda has relatively low poise, making it easy to stagger her if you maintain a relentless offense.
One strategy is to keep your distance and let your ally and Mimic take aggro from Leda. This will provide an opening for players to get behind her and land a backstab for a Critical Hit.
Abyx Gamingrecommends using the Milady Light Greatsword to deliver powerful blows. According to the YouTuber, Leda won’t even be able to touch players. This weapon is highly effective atcausing her to quickly bleed to death via Hemorrhageand works well against her allies, too.
Needle Knight Leda Boss Fight Rewards
Leda’s Sword, Armor, & Oathseeker Set
Once the battle ends, you will be teleported back to your own world. Here, you canscavenge the bodies of your former traveling companionsto obtain their weapons, armor, and Moore’sBell Bearing inElden Ring.
Exit through the door at the back of the room to find Leda’s corpse. Your rewards for defeating Leda includeLeda’s Sword, Leda’s Armor, and the Oathseeker Knight Helm, Gauntlets, and Greaves.
Leda’s Sword is a powerful weapon equipped with a strong Ash of War and becomes especially potent when upgraded to the maximum level, enchanted with Magic, or boosted with Consumables:
FP 19
Passive
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Leda’sarmor set inElden Ringis an altered variant of theOathseeker Knight Armor. It has a unique ability thatstrengthens attacks following a dodge roll or backstep and dash attacks by 10%. Since players frequently use the dodge mechanic, this feature is extremely powerful.
