Elden Ring Deathtouched Catacombs Guide: How to Beat the Black Knife Assassin and get the Uchigatana
Catacombs and assassins seem to go hand in hand.
The Lands Between is not lacking in caves, catacombs, and tunnels for Tarnished to go about exploring. There are multiple dungeons across Elden Ring laden with loot, traps, secret passageways, and in some instances, even unexpected boss fights.
Deathtouched Catacombs is located in north Limgrave, and possesses plenty of items to aid you with upgrading your trusty Spirit Ashes. However, you cannot get your hands on everything the catacombs have to offer without some trouble.
The trouble, in this instance, is another one of Elden Ring's more annoying enemies: the Black Knife Assassin. In this guide, we will wlak you through Deathtouched Catacombs, and explain exactly how to fell the agile enemy.
Deathtouched Catacombs Items
- Root Resin
- Grave Glovewort
- Grave Violet
- Uchigatana
- Bloodrose
- Assassin's Crimson Dagger
- Deathroot
How to make your way through Deathtouched Catacombs
Deathtouched Catacombs can be accessed from the Saintsbridge Site of Grace in north Limgrave. From here, head west up the hill (not along the bridge).
Before you reach the camp atop this hill, you want to attempt to scale the cliffs on your right. This will require a U-turn, and the catacombs are only a short distance up here.
As you go up the cliff, there will soon be a spectral figure sat beside a door on your left. Open the door, and you've found the Deathtouched Catacombs. Grab the Grace and head down the stairs.
Up ahead is a locked door, and some Root Resin beside it. Go down the stairs on your left and be prepared to take on some skeletons while you're down here.
Go down the next set of stairs and U-turn to go underneath them first so that you can grab the Grave Glovewort. Almost directly behind you will be a skeleton, and a passageway to the left of them.
Through the passageway is a small room with more skeletons, Grave Glovewort, and Grave Violet. There is also another passage to the left of the room. Through here, you can loot the Uchigatana off the corpse ahead, and acquire some more Grave Glovewort.
Jump down from the platform you're on, take caution of the skeletons, and grab the Grave Glovewort down here before advancing into the next room.
Activate the lever in the next room and grab the Grave Glovewort. Turn around, and their is a corpse to the left of the doorway which you can loot a Bloodrose from.
Advance through the prior room and up the stairs ahead, grabbing the Grave Glovewort along the way. Go up the next set of stairs to the left and you'll be at the locked door from earlier. Continue ahead to traverse the yellow mist and face off with the Black Knife Assassin of Deathtouched Catacombs.
How to Beat the Black Knife Assassin of Deathtouched Catacombs
When it comes to fighting Black Knife Assassins, they never fail to put up a tough fight. Whether you're encountering them in dungeons across Limgrave, at an Evergaol, or have one stalking you around Ordina, they're simply everywhere.
You think you're done with these guys, and then you're battling it out with yet another assassin before long. They're unavoidable to an extent, and due to how relentless their attacks can be, they're one of the most annoying enemies in Elden Ring. They're no competition for how annoying dogs across The Lands Between are, though.
If you have already battled it out with an assassin, you'll know by now just how fast and agile they can be. They'll often relentlessly attack, can jump around you, and can often teleport quickly to close any distance between you both. With all this to hand, it can be challening to even land a hit initially. Luckily, this boss arena is much larger than others we've seen the Black Knife Assassin in.
It's also worth noting that this particular boss has some pesky resistances to Poison, Scarlet Rot, Frost, and Bleed. So, if you primarily use any of these to fell foes, you're doing to need to change your game plan temporarily. Black Knife Assassins can also absorb 20% of Magic, Fire, and Lightning damage, and 40% of Holy damage. So, you know they're going to be a huge pain in the ass from this alone.
First things first, when fighting with any assassin, be sure to have plenty of health flasks available and if you can, use your trusty summons to take some of the aggro so that you can strike. Otherwise, it can be really difficult to land hits or even find time to chug a flask.
Summons are vital to these fights until you feel comfortable or powerful enough to take on an assassin solo. With assassins often dancing around you, summoning the Mimic Tear or even your Lone Wolf Ashes from the beginning of the game can be enough to keep the Black Knife Assassin busy while you try to chip away at their health bar.
If you feel like a chad, however, grab the Black Knife Tiche Ashes and show the assassin a taste of their own medicine. These are some of the best Spirit Ashes in the game, but they aren't easily acquirable if you're yet to step out of Limgrave.
While sticking close to the assassin and hoping that your Spirit Ashes keep them busy for the most part, use the time to study their attacks so that, if your summon dies, you will know when is worth striking, and when to keep dodging. Also, make sure you have suitable Talismans equipped. The Blue-Feathered Branch Sword can increase your defense when your HP is low, and the Turtle Talisman increases your stamina recovery speed.
Considering the amount of dodging you're going to be doing, you'll want to keep this in mind. Additionally, you can always armour up for protection and equip the Arsenal Charm so you can have an increased equip load while still being able to roll.
When the Black Knife Assassin of Deathtouched Catacombs is felled, they'll drop Assassin's Crimson Dagger. This, funnily enough, is a great talisman to equip whenever facing off with assassins in future.
Finally, before leaving the dungeon, don't forget to open the chest at the back of the room and loot the Deathroot.
For more Black Knife Assassin content, I recommend paying a visit to Black Knife Catacombs or Sage's Cave if you haven’t already. Meanwhile, for more on Elden Ring, take a look at our walkthrough for The Lands Between.