Overview

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is the final challenge of Miquella's Haligtree and widely considered the hardest boss in Elden Ring. You'll find her at the bottom of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, past the Haligtree Roots grace. To even reach her, you need both halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion—the right half from Albus at Village of the Albinaurics, the left half from Commander Niall at Castle Sol. Then you ride the Grand Lift of Rold, cross the Consecrated Snowfield, solve the puzzle in Ordina, Liturgical Town, and fight through the Haligtree. She's optional, but she drops the Remembrance of the Rot Goddess and blocks the "Malenia, Blade of Miquella" achievement.

Malenia has lifesteal on every hit, a brutal Waterfowl Dance, and a second phase where she becomes the Goddess of Rot. The cheese strategy bypasses most of her mechanics by overwhelming her with two sources of damage. The core is using Mimic Tear Ashes alongside a weapon that staggers and bleeds her—Rivers of Blood or Blasphemous Blade are the best choices. When both you and your Mimic Tear spam the weapon skill, Malenia gets stunlocked, bleed procs constantly, and she rarely gets a chance to use Waterfowl Dance. This guide walks you through the setup and execution.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

  1. Get Mimic Tear Ashes. Defeat Radahn in Caelid, then a meteor opens a hole in Limgrave, allowing you to enter Nokron, Eternal City. Progress to Night's Sacred Ground and defeat the Mimic Tear boss. You'll receive Mimic Tear Ashes. Upgrade it to +10 using Ghost Glovewort, found in Nokron, Nokstella, and Deeproot Depths. Summoning it costs 660 HP, so make sure your Vigor is high enough.

  2. Get your weapon. For Rivers of Blood, reach Mountaintops of the Giants and rest at the Church of Repose grace. Bloody Finger Okina will invade. Defeat him to get the katana. Alternatively, defeat Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy in Volcano Manor, and trade his Remembrance of the Blasphemous to Enia at Roundtable Hold for Blasphemous Blade.

  3. Respec if needed. Rivers of Blood requires 12 Str, 18 Dex, 20 Arc. Blasphemous Blade requires 22 Str, 15 Dex, 21 Fai. Use Larval Tears at Rennala in Raya Lucaria to meet these stats.

  4. Prepare talismans and flasks. Shard of Alexander boosts skill damage. Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and Millicent's Prosthesis boost attack with successive hits. Carian Filigreed Crest reduces FP cost. For defense, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman. In your Wondrous Physick, use Opaline Hardtear and Greenburst Crystal Tear.

  5. Buff up. Cast Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength before summoning. If you have the Commander's Standard, use its skill. These buffs apply to your Mimic Tear if you summon it after buffing.

  6. Enter the arena. From Haligtree Roots grace, go through the door. Malenia sits on a chair. Immediately summon Mimic Tear. Then buff if you haven't already. The Mimic Tear copies your current equipment, talismans, and buffs.

  7. Execute the cheese. Let the Mimic Tear draw aggro. Spam your weapon skill (L2) at Malenia. With Rivers of Blood, Corpse Piler causes bleed and stagger. With Blasphemous Blade, Taker's Flames knocks her down and heals you. If she targets you, dodge backwards and let the Mimic Tear take over. Keep spamming. The goal is to keep her between you and your summon, so she's constantly hit by at least one of you.

  8. Phase 2. At 50% HP, she transitions to Goddess of Rot. She creates a large Scarlet Rot explosion. Run away or let the Mimic Tear tank it. Then continue the same strategy. She's more aggressive, but bleed and stagger still work. Watch out for Scarlet Aeonia—she jumps into the air and dives at you. Run away from the impact.

  9. Win. She dies. You get Remembrance of the Rot Goddess, which you can trade for Scarlet Aeonia or Hand of Malenia.

Tips and Strategies

  • Upgrade your Mimic Tear to +10. A maxed Mimic Tear has much more HP and damage, making it a reliable tank. You can get Ghost Glovewort from Nokron, Nokstella, and the Haligtree.
  • Equip the right talismans before summoning. The Mimic Tear copies your talismans. Put on Shard of Alexander, Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Millicent's Prosthesis, and Lord of Blood's Exultation for bleed builds.
  • Use bleed. Malenia is weak to bleed. Rivers of Blood, Swarm of Flies, and Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear all cause bleed. Bleed procs deal percentage-based damage and stagger her. Swarm of Flies is found in Mohgwyn Palace and is a great ranged option.
  • Use frost. Frostbite also works well. Weapons like Frozen Needle or Cold-infused weapons can help.
  • Stay aggressive. The longer the fight, the more chances she has to use Waterfowl Dance. With two sources of damage, you can often kill her before she uses it.
  • If she uses Waterfowl Dance, run away from the first flurry. Then dodge into the second and third. Or use Bloodhound's Step. If you have Mimic Tear, she may target it instead.
  • For phase 2, watch out for Scarlet Aeonia. She will jump into the air and dive at you. Run away from the impact. The Mimic Tear can tank it if it has enough HP.
  • If Mimic Tear dies, use Black Knife Tiche. Tiche's Blade of Death reduces her max HP and knocks her down. You get Tiche from the Ringleader's Evergaol in Moonlight Altar after completing Ranni's quest.
  • Summon a cooperator if you're still struggling. But the cheese is designed for solo play.

Common Mistakes

  • Not upgrading Mimic Tear. A +0 Mimic Tear dies in seconds. Always upgrade to +10.
  • Having low Vigor. 60 Vigor is recommended. Malenia can one-shot you with Waterfowl Dance if you have less than 40.
  • Trying to block Waterfowl Dance. She heals even on blocked hits. Dodging is the only way.
  • Being too passive. If you stay back, she will use Waterfowl Dance. Stay close and aggressive.
  • Forgetting to buff. Golden Vow, Flame Grant Me Strength, and Physick flasks make a huge difference.
  • Using Scarlet Rot. Malenia is immune to Scarlet Rot. Don't waste incantations on it.
  • Summoning Mimic Tear too late. Summon immediately at the start of the fight.
  • Not managing FP. Carry Cerulean Flasks. The weapon skills cost FP.
  • Letting Mimic Tear die. If it dies, the cheese is much harder. Protect it by drawing aggro when needed.

FAQ

Q: Can I still cheese Malenia after the Rivers of Blood nerf? A: Yes. Rivers of Blood was nerfed in patch 1.07, but it still causes bleed and stagger. With Mimic Tear and proper talismans, it remains a strong cheese. Blasphemous Blade is an even better alternative now because Taker's Flames knocks her down and heals you, making the fight much safer.

Q: Do I need to complete Millicent's quest to cheese Malenia? A: No, Millicent's quest is not required. However, completing it can give you the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, which boosts your attack with successive hits. You can also summon Millicent for the fight if you progress her quest to the Haligtree, but she is not necessary. If you want the talisman, help Millicent at the Haligtree instead of killing her.

Q: What is the best summon for this cheese? A: Mimic Tear is the best because it copies your build, including your weapon and talismans. If you don't have Mimic Tear, Black Knife Tiche is a strong alternative. Her Blade of Death reduces Malenia's max HP and knocks her down, giving you openings to attack. Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff is also decent for tanking, but Mimic Tear remains the top choice.