Elden Ring: How to beat Rykard Lord of Blasphemy

Rykard Lord of Blasphemy is the major boss in Elden Ring‘s Mount Gelmir region and Volcano Manor dungeon. This fight has a couple of phases and, although Rykard has high-damage abilities, you’ve got something that can aid you during the bout. Here’s our Elden Ring Rykard Lord of Blasphemy boss guide to help you defeat this great foe to clear Mount Gelmir and Volcano Manor.

Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub.

Elden Ring boss guide – How to beat Rykard Lord of Blasphemy in Volcano Manor

You’ll want to prepare a bit prior to fighting Rykard Lord of Blasphemy in Elden Ring. In my case, I had over 1,000 HP and around 11 Crimson Flasks (+6). That meant I could brute force my way even if I took a few hits. Likewise, this particular strategy also involves having just a bit of fire resistance.

You can acquire the Flamedrake Talisman from the Groveside Cave dungeon in Limgrave. Meanwhile, the Scaled Armor set can be yours after beating Old Knight Istvan, the first Invader mission target. It’s a bit heavy, so you might want some extra Endurance or talismans that increase carry weight.

Note: Speaking of Invader missions, make sure you’ve completed all of them (I’ve been told that there are five) before you battle Rykard. If you kill Rykard, some NPCs will leave and the whole quest chain would get cut short.

Getting the Serpent-Hunter

If you recall, the ghost in Volcano Manor said that he left something that can slay the beast. Well, if you manage to make your way through all the monsters in the Legacy Dungeon, you’ll find a teleporter that takes you to Site of Grace: Audience Pathway. It’s just a little cave with the boss arena in front. Once you enter, you can pick up the Serpent-Hunter on the ground.

This is a great spear with no stat requirement, which means you can wear it without penalties. However, the most important factor here is its inherent power. While in the boss’ arena, the Serpent-Hunt will unleash torrents of wind. A straight stab casts a lancing shot, while a charged attack creates a slashing projectile. These have massive range and damage as well.

Note 1: This power is only active in the boss’ arena. Whenever you go outside, the Serpent-Hunt will just be a normal weapon.

Note 2: The Serpent-Hunt weapon in Elden Ring scales better with STR (B) instead of DEX (E). If you want, you can use a Larval Tear to respec so you can pump points into STR, though it can be a hassle if you can’t find extra Larval Tears later to correct your build.

Elden Ring Rykard boss fight – Phase 1

For the first phase of the fight, you’re battling the God-Devouring Serpent. Don’t mind its close-range attacks, as these can be dodged. Ideally, you’ll want to stand next to it or even on the lava (i.e., fire resistance) so you can keep stabbing it with the weapon.

The one thing you do need to beware of is a medium to long-range attack. If you’re too far from the God-Devouring Serpent, it will cast an earthquake that will hit for thousands of damage. I’ve been told that this can be blocked, but it will chew through your stamina as well.

Elden Ring Rykard boss fight – Phase 2

After killing the lizard, a cinematic will play. You’ll now fight Rykard the Lord of Blasphemy in Elden Ring. Again, staying close to him or even wading in the lava would be better, as you’re just spamming the hits. You can use the regular stab or charged slash depending on the situation. If you see any of his limbs about to crash down, then block or dodge it (you’ll survive as long as you’ve got decent health and mitigation).

Note: The damage of the Serpent-Hunter is extremely high, which means as long as you’re hitting Rykard, you have a high chance of breaking his Super Armor.

There are also two more abilities to watch out for:

• Infernal Orb – Rykard will spawn a flaming orb that travels in mid-air. It will leave a trail that will cause explosions shortly.
• Screaming Skulls – This is a deadly ultimate attack, and also why we don’t want to go too far from him. Rykard will summon multiple skulls that will track and follow you. You can run/sprint away. But, if they catch up, they’ll explode after a split second. They can be blocked, but I wouldn’t suggest it since several of them can hit in quick succession.

After beating Rykard Lord of Blasphemy in Elden Ring, you’ll acquire the following:

• Remembrance of the Blasphemous – Can be exchanged with Finger Reader Enia to obtain either of these two:
  • Blasphemous Blade (greatsword) – STR 22, DEX 15, and FAI 21; STR (D), DEX (D), and Fai (D).
  • Rykard’s Rancor (Sorcery spell) – INT 40 and FAI 18.
• Rykard’s Great Rune – This still has no power and needs to be activated. You’ll have to trek all the way to the Divine Tower of West Altus.

Again, the above method is just pure brute-forcing your way through an encounter. If you’d like to see how the full fight progresses with more tactical skill involved, you can watch the video below from YouTuber The Outerhaven. (Thanks, Keith Dwayne Mitchell!)

Elden Ring is available via Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.