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Elden Ring Commander O’Neill boss guide

Relieve the commander of duty with our Elden Ring boss guide

Updated: Mar 18, 2022 8:29 am
Elden Ring  Commander O’Neill boss guide

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Commander O’Neill is one of the trickier bosses to be found in Elden Ring’s Caelid region. And given the overall difficulty of these rot-blighted wastes, that’s certainly saying something! We’ll help you make this stalwart solider a little bit easier to defeat with our Elden Ring boss guide.

Elden Ring: How to find Commander O’Neill

Commander O’Neill can be found wandering the Aeonia Swamp towards the east of Caelid. He is located in a clearing in the swamp roughly southwest of Sellia, Town of Sorcery. The clearing is fairly easy to spot, as it is wide-open and O’Neill is very distinctively armoured.

How to defeat Commander O’Neill

Perhaps the most dangerous thing to look out for in this fight isn’t O’Neill himself, but a buildup of Scarlet Rot. This debilitating status effect can easily be as lethal as O’Neill, if not moreso. In order to make this battle less trying, it is recommended to stock up on Preserving Boluses to temporarily negate the effects of the rot. Their crafting recipe can be retrieved from the Rotting Shack towards the west side of Caelid in Elden Ring.

Though a dangerous foe in his own right, O’Neill will not be fighting alone. Shortly after the battle begins, the commander will  summon soldier spirits to aid him, both ranged and melee. It is recommended to deal with these spirits as soon as possible, potentially with Torrent’s aid. Dealing with the accumulation of scarlet rot, numerous smaller foes and O’Neill all at once is next to impossible.

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Commander O’Neill boss mechanics

  • If in close-mid range, Commander O’Neill will swing his giant halberd at you. This weapon deals significant damage as well as having a large range on even its simplest attacks.
  • O’Neill lunges forward with his spear, either in a wide horizontal sweep or a forward jab.
  • The Commander slams his weapon down into the ground, emitting a burst of golden light.
  • If you are positioned behind O’Neill, he will swing backwards with the butt of his spear to quickly jab you
  • At any point, O’Neill may swing his halberd around and cause storm winds to appear in an AOE, similar to the knights in Stormveil Castle
  • O’Neill will often whirl his weapon around overheard before swinging it at you in a large sweep
  • The boss’ attacks can cause a buildup of scarlet rot. This is very dangerous and something to keep an eye out for, as a large burst of damage at once when it triggers will likely kill you
  • Scarlet Rot will also passively increase from the area itself, so always be alert to its buildup

When defeated, Commander O’Neill will drop 12,000 Runes and the Commander’s Standard, a replica of O’Neill’s own halberd. You will also receive the Unalloyed Gold Needle, an important quest item required by Sage Gowry at Gowry’s Shack just outside Sellia, Town of Sorcery.

All the Bosses in Elden Ring

If you want to find out more about all the bosses in Elden Ring, along with how to beat them, you can find everything you need in our Handy Elden Ring Boss Center.

More Elden Ring Content

We’ve been waiting to get our hands on FromSoftware’s Elden Ring for so long, we almost can’t believe it’s finally arrived and we have a massive amount of content just for you. Other than our Tier List, We’ll be here to walk you through every step of your journey through the Lands Between. Join us for all our Elden Ring content and guides over the coming days and weeks!


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