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What Do You Get for Killing Black Blade? A Deep Dive into Elden Ring’s Rewards

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Defeating a “Black Blade” in Elden Ring can refer to a few different scenarios, each yielding unique rewards. Primarily, the term evokes thoughts of Maliketh, the Black Blade, one of the most formidable bosses in the game. However, it can also refer to the Black Blade Kindred, a recurring optional boss. Therefore, the rewards vary drastically depending on which “Black Blade” you manage to fell.

Defeating Maliketh, the Black Blade, rewards you with:

220,000 Runes: A substantial amount of runes, crucial for leveling up your character, upgrading weapons, and purchasing essential items.
Remembrance of the Black Blade: This Remembrance can be exchanged at the Roundtable Hold with Finger Reader Enia for either Maliketh’s Black Blade (a Colossal Sword) or the Black Blade Incantation, depending on your character build and preferred playstyle.
Maliketh’s Set: After defeating Maliketh, you unlock the ability to purchase his armor set from Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold. This includes Maliketh’s Helm, Maliketh’s Armor, Maliketh’s Gauntlets, and Maliketh’s Greaves.

Killing Black Blade Kindred yields different rewards, which also vary depending on where you encounter them. Generally, you’ll receive a hefty sum of runes and sometimes a useful item. Specific locations and their rewards are:

Black Blade Kindred in Caelid (outside Bestial Sanctum): Provides a good amount of Runes. This serves as a decent early to mid game source of runes.
Black Blade Kindred in Forbidden Lands: This one also rewards Runes, though typically more than the Caelid variant.

Let’s delve deeper into the implications of each reward and discuss some frequently asked questions surrounding these formidable foes.

Unpacking the Rewards: Runes, Remembrance, and Armor

The rewards for vanquishing these Black Blades extend beyond the immediate gratification of defeating a challenging boss. They significantly impact your character’s progression and offer powerful new tools to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

The Value of Runes

Runes are the lifeblood of Elden Ring. They are the currency used for virtually everything: leveling up your attributes to increase your strength, dexterity, vigor, or intelligence; upgrading your weapons to inflict more damage; and purchasing essential items from merchants scattered throughout the Lands Between. 220,000 runes from Maliketh represents a significant boost, allowing you to catch up if you are feeling under-leveled or to push your build into more specialized territory.

Remembrance of the Black Blade: Sword or Incantation?

The Remembrance of the Black Blade presents a crucial choice: Maliketh’s Black Blade or the Black Blade Incantation.

Maliketh’s Black Blade: This Colossal Sword scales primarily with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, making it ideal for hybrid builds. Its unique weapon skill, Destined Death, unleashes a devastating attack that reduces the enemy’s maximum HP and applies a damage-over-time effect. This makes it incredibly potent against bosses with large health pools.
Black Blade Incantation: This Faith-based incantation conjures a blade of black fire that deals significant damage and applies the Destined Death effect. It’s a powerful option for Faith builds looking to inflict serious damage at range and debuff their enemies.

The choice between the sword and the incantation depends entirely on your character’s stats and playstyle. If you prefer melee combat and have invested in Strength, Dexterity, and Faith, the sword is likely the better choice. If you are primarily a Faith caster, the incantation will be more effective.

Maliketh’s Armor Set: Style and Substance

While not directly impacting your offensive capabilities, Maliketh’s armor set offers a distinct visual flair and decent protection. More importantly, collecting boss armor sets allows you to embody the strength and story of the demigods you have overcome. It’s a testament to your progress and a way to show off your accomplishments in the Lands Between.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Black Blades in Elden Ring

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the intricacies surrounding “Black Blades” in Elden Ring:

Is Black Blade Kindred optional? Yes, the Black Blade Kindred is an optional boss. You don’t need to defeat it to progress the main story.
Where can I find Black Blade Kindred? You can find it outside the Bestial Sanctum in Caelid and in the Forbidden Lands. A similar duo fight appears in Nokron, Eternal City.
What are the weaknesses of Maliketh, the Black Blade? While he is immune to many status effects like Scarlet Rot, Poison, Frostbite, and Hemorrhage, Maliketh is vulnerable to attacks that can inflict stagger or knockdowns. Using the Blasphemous Claw to parry his Destined Death attacks is also crucial.
What is the Blasphemous Claw? The Blasphemous Claw is an item that allows you to parry Maliketh’s special Destined Death attacks. It’s found relatively close to the boss arena.
Can you get Maliketh’s Black Blade without defeating him? No, you must defeat Maliketh and exchange the Remembrance of the Black Blade to obtain his sword.
Is Maliketh’s Black Blade a good weapon? Yes, it’s a very powerful Colossal Sword, especially for hybrid Strength/Dexterity/Faith builds. Its weapon skill, Destined Death, is particularly effective against bosses.
What does Maliketh’s Black Blade do? Its unique weapon skill, Destined Death, unleashes a wave of black blades that reduces the enemy’s maximum HP and applies a damage-over-time effect.
Is it worth killing Black Blade Kindred? Yes, even though it’s optional, killing Black Blade Kindred rewards you with runes and can be a good challenge for players looking to test their skills.
What should I do before killing Maliketh? Completing certain NPC quests, such as Nepheli Loux’s questline, is recommended before defeating Maliketh, as his defeat triggers significant changes in the world.
What happens after killing Maliketh? Killing Maliketh transforms Leyndell, Royal Capital, into Leyndell, Ashen Capital, locking players out of certain areas.
What is Destined Death? Destined Death is a powerful force that reduces an enemy’s maximum HP and inflicts a damage-over-time effect. Maliketh wields it through his Black Blade and related Incantation.
Can you parry Maliketh’s attacks? Yes, but only certain attacks that are imbued with Destined Death can be parried using the Blasphemous Claw.
Is Maliketh one of the hardest bosses in Elden Ring? Yes, many players consider Maliketh to be one of the most challenging bosses due to his fast movements, aggressive attacks, and the devastating Destined Death effect.
What are the stats for Maliketh’s Black Blade? To effectively wield Maliketh’s Black Blade, you will need adequate Strength, Dexterity, and Faith. Check the weapon’s specific requirements in-game to ensure you meet them.
Where can I learn more about Elden Ring’s lore and mechanics? There are many fantastic resources available, including community forums, wikis, and educational organizations like the Games Learning Society, which researches the educational and social impact of games (visit GamesLearningSociety.org for more information).

Conclusion: Embracing the Challenge and Reaping the Rewards

Defeating the “Black Blades” in Elden Ring is a significant accomplishment that yields valuable rewards, including runes, powerful weapons, and unique armor sets. Whether you’re facing the optional Black Blade Kindred or the formidable Maliketh, the Black Blade, these encounters will test your skills and ultimately make you a stronger Tarnished. Understanding the rewards associated with each encounter will help you make informed decisions about your character build and progression, allowing you to conquer the challenges that await you in the Lands Between. Remember to explore every corner, experiment with different builds, and embrace the challenge.