Elden Ring has set the bar so high with their boss fights, taking things straight to multiple duo and trio bosses. The Crystalians epitomise the former and the latter perfectly, and they're getting tougher the further you venture into The Lands Between. Found largely in caves, the Crystalians are known for their beautiful, intricate crystalline bodies, which also serve as a challenge for the lowly Tarnished.

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With considerable defensive capabilities due to their resilient outer shells, the Crystalians are certainly foes not to be underestimated. Thus, we have crafted a sweeping outline of how to defeat all Crystalian bosses found in the game.

Crystalian Overview

You can find Crystalian bosses in four different locations throughout The Lands Between. Each time, you'll face a Crystalian that wields a different weapon from the one previously. First, you may face the Ringblade Crystalian solo, before it upgrades into a duo boss fight, eventually skyrocketing to the Putrid Crystalians in Sellia Hideaway in north-eastern Caelid.

Take note that you require a Stonesword Key to access the Academy Crystal Cave, which is east of the Crystalline Woods Site of Grace and is below Raya Lucaria Academy.

The entrance to Sellia Hideaway is also hidden. Starting from the Church of the Plague Site of Grace, head up the hill where you'll eventually find a cemetery. Hit the rock wall behind it and the entrance will appear. As the Crystalians have tough armour, melee builds certainly have the advantage over this boss, as katanas and heavy weapons like greatswords are highly efficient against them.

Crystalians Attacks

You will encounter various Crystalians armed with a variety of different weapons: spears, staffs, and ringblades. You'll find a mish-mash of boss combinations, before ultimately meeting all three in Sellia Hideaway - beware, the latter inflict additional damage in the form of Scarlet Rot.

For the Putrid Crystalian Trio, craft and equip Preserving Boluses to negate the Scarlet Rot buildup.

Crystalian (Ringblade) Attacks

Ringblade Swipe Attack

This Crystalian will swipe at you with its ringblade if you get too close.

Counter: Roll backward or to the side.

Smaller Ringblade Toss Attack

If you're too far, this Crystalian will, at times, toss its smaller ringblade at you twice.

Counter: Simply dodge this weapon's trajectory.

Ringblade Boomerang Toss Attack

This Crystalian will toss its ringblade toward you, which will roll back to the boss.

Counter: Roll away from the weapon's trajectory, keeping an eye when it rolls back.

Ringblade Spin Attack

This Crystalian will spin around toward you with its ringblade extended.

Counter: Distance yourself as far away as possible from this attack.

Crystalian (Spear) Attacks

Spear Thrust Combo Attack

This Crystalian will thrust its spear at you thrice, before leaping into the air for one big jab.

Counter: Dodge each time it jabs its spear at you, before rolling back twice for the final attack.

Crystalian (Staff) Attacks

Crystal Burst Attack

This Crystalian will draw its staff close to its chest, before flinging it forward and unleashing a Crystal Release spell.

Counter: Roll far to the side to get out of this attack's range.

Crystal Release Attack

A large crystal will float above its head before releasing a barrage of crystal shards.

Counter: Roll backward and as far away as possible.

Crystal Torrent Attack

The boss will rear its staff back, charging up for a larger burst of crystal shards.

Counter: Roll as far away as possible, or hide behind one of the statues in the Academy Crystal Cave arena.

Putrid Crystalian Special Attacks

Scarlet Rot Buildup Attack

The Putrid Crystalian Trio inflict Rot buildup and damage when their attacks hit, and they can buildup very quickly.

Counter: Dodge their attacks and have a Spirit Ash to back you up. In the event that you can't dodge quickly enough, use Opaline Bubbletear and have some Preserving Boluses handy.

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Battle Strategies

There are two different tactics you can utilise in order to tackle these pesky Crystalians. As mentioned before, melee builds are in more of an advantage than ranged builds. But there are still amazing sorceries that you can use to inflict ridiculous damage and break down that armour.

Melee Strategy

Naturally, as Crystalians are not made out of flesh, they are immune to attacks such as Bleed or Lightning. As a result, a powerful barrage of physical attacks with heavy weapons is perfect for breaking down the Crystalians' armour. You should consider using weapons such as the Grafted Blade Greatsword or the Sword of Night-and-Flame. You can't go wrong with either of the two. Bloodhound's Fang is also a good option to consider.

Equip your Flask of Wondrous Physick with Opaline Bubbletear, especially if you're facing a Spear and Staff combo. Do note that every attack inflicted by the Putrid Crystalians builds up Scarlet Rot very quickly.

If you're facing duo or trio Crystalians, we suggest using a tanky Spirit Ash such as Kaiden Mercenary or Lhutel the Headless.

Ranged Strategy

As articulated prior, there are some powerful and amazing sorceries that can inflict tons of damage. The problem is when you're facing more than one, and the issue of keeping distance becomes a concern. We recommend using sorceries such as Comet, Rock Sling, and Comet Azur for maximum physical damage. The Cannon of Haima is also a great option for dealing damage to multiple targets at one time.

Plus, there are ways to cheese this fight. If you've already fought and defeated Astel, Stars of Darkness, then you can use the Meteorite of Astel incantation to hammer down upon your opponents and defeat them in one go.

Use Opaline Bubbletear and the Spirit Ashes recommended for melee strategy - note that they must be upgraded to at least a +9 for Putrid Crystalian Trio.

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