The Crucible Knight duo at the end of Auriza Hero's Grave is one of the meanest optional fights in the base game — two of the toughest solo bosses in the Lands Between, jammed into one arena at the same time. This guide covers where to find them, their exact stats, and the three strategies that actually work, verified against the latest wiki data on base game version 1.16.1 (2026-08-28's patch 1.17 does not change this fight).
Quick answer: The Auriza Hero's Grave boss is officially Crucible Knight Ordovis — a duo of two Crucible Knights: Ordovis (greatsword + shield, HP 5,460 NG) and a second Crucible Knight wielding Siluria's Tree (a holy spear). Kill the spear knight first because its reach disrupts you the most, keep the pillars between you and the other one, and parry whenever a knight is isolated — parries are the single fastest way to end this fight. Spirit Ash summons (Mimic Tear) and ranged/magic builds trivialize it by splitting aggro. The knights are immune to Bleed and Madness, so don't bring status weapons expecting a shortcut.
Where to find the Crucible Knight duo
The fight lives at the bottom of Auriza Hero's Grave, a catacomb-style dungeon in the eastern Capital Outskirts — follow the main path inside the outskirt walls all the way east until you hit the grave's Site of Grace (Src: Fextralife — Auriza Hero's Grave).
Two things to know before you go in:
- You need one Stonesword Key. Right after the entrance grace, an Imp statue blocks a side room — but more importantly the grave is a proper dungeon with a run before the boss.
- The Chariots are the real gatekeeper. The descent is lined with rolling Chariot hazards. Sprint down each slope and duck into the alcoves/arches between the pillars to let them pass; standing between the pillars on a slope means the Chariots can't hit you. Clear the run first, rest at the pre-boss grace, and go into the duo fresh.
This is an optional boss — you do not need to beat it to progress the main game — but the rewards (Ordovis's Greatsword and a big rune payout) make it a popular target for melee and quality builds.
Crucible Knight duo stats (verified)
The fight is two separate enemies. The one labeled "Crucible Knight Ordovis" carries Ordovis's Greatsword; the one labeled just "Crucible Knight" carries Siluria's Tree, a spear. Both must die to win. Numbers below are Ordovis's, verified on Fextralife (page last edited 2026-08-14):
| Stat | Ordovis (NG) | Ordovis (NG+) |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 5,460 | 7,977 |
| Defense | 111 | 118 |
| Runes on kill | 28,000 | 84,000 |
Status immunities and resistances (both knights behave the same way):
- Immune to Hemorrhage (Bleed) — a bleed build gives you nothing here.
- Immune to Madness.
- Poison, Scarlet Rot, Frostbite, and Sleep all only proc at a very high 543 buildup (rising each time), so status procs are slow and unreliable. Treat this as a straight damage fight.
One more critical number: Crucible Knights take 30% less damage from critical hits (Src: Fextralife — Crucible Knight). Ripostes still hurt — they're just not the one-shot nukes they are on some bosses, so plan on landing several.
How to beat the Crucible Knight duo
Every experienced player says the same thing about double-boss fights: you cannot fight both at once. The entire game plan is separating them so most of the fight is a series of 1v1s. Here are the three approaches that work, in order of reliability.
Strategy 1 — Separate them, kill the spear knight first (melee)
This is the wiki's recommended melee route, and it matches what players consistently report: "space yourself carefully so you're only engaged with one at a time."
- Target the spear Crucible Knight (Siluria's Tree) first. It has the best reach and is the best at closing distance and interrupting your attacks on the other one, so it does the most to overwhelm you (Src: Fextralife). Removing it turns the rest of the fight into a manageable duel with Ordovis.
- Use the pillars. Keep an arena pillar between you and Ordovis while you work the spear knight down. Line the two knights up — get one directly behind the other — and float just in front of the lead one so you bait its moveset without pulling the second in.
- Don't get greedy. One or two hits, then reset. If you commit to a long combo, Ordovis catches up and punishes you. As one 500-hour player put it: "It's tedious but you can space yourself carefully… you'll have to back off and reset. It takes a while."
- Jump the dives. Both knights use lunging dive/dash attacks; you can jump them instead of rolling, which keeps you facing them and ready to punish.
Strategy 2 — Parry them into oblivion
Crucible Knights are among the most parry-friendly bosses in the game, and this fight is where a good parry hand shines. Most of a Crucible Knight's Phase 1 attacks are parriable, and you can often parry several in a row.
- Parry does double duty here. The invulnerability frames during the parry animation and the follow-up critical hit both help keep you from getting collapsed by the double-team (Src: Fextralife). Even when you can't fully separate them, a parry buys space.
- Still isolate when you can — parrying one knight while the other is winding up a swing is how people get hit. Get one on its own, then parry it down.
- Remember the 30% crit reduction: your ripostes chip rather than delete, so keep parrying consistently instead of expecting one riposte to end a phase.
Strategy 3 — Split aggro with a summon, or snipe from range
If parry timing isn't your thing, this is the low-stress path — and it's exactly what summons are designed for.
- Bring a Spirit Ash. Spirit summons are allowed for this fight. A Mimic Tear or another tanky summon will grab one knight's attention while you blitz the other while they're separated. Players are blunt about it: "The game is throwing two enemies at you, and then gives you a way to make that a fair fight."
- Ranged and caster builds have it easiest. The knights are relatively slow, so magic and ranged users can kite and snipe. The moves to respect are Ordovis's Flying Dive and Great Tail Spin, and the spear knight's Flying Dash — learn to dodge those three and punish the recovery. Lightning and Fire spells are called out as strong picks here (Src: Fextralife).
- Stagger tools help too: skills like Giant Hunt, Stamp (Upward Cut), and Lion's Claw can stagger a Crucible Knight out of its combos, and Lion's Claw grants super armor so you're not interrupted mid-swing.
Recommended level and gear
FromSoftware never publishes "correct" levels, so treat this as community consensus, not official: most players tackle the Auriza duo around level 60–90 with a +15/+7 (or higher) weapon and at least 30–40 Vigor, since both knights hit hard and can chunk you in a two-on-one. If you're getting flattened, the fastest fix is almost always more Vigor and a stronger weapon rather than a new strategy — see our guide on how much Vigor you actually need in Elden Ring for the HP breakpoints. Fire and Lightning affinities are good calls because neither knight resists them the way they shrug off Bleed.
What you get for winning
Beating the duo drops the runes above (28,000 on your first clear) plus access to the knights' signature weapons for players who want them: Ordovis's Greatsword (a colossal sword with the Ordovis's Vortex skill) and Siluria's Tree (a holy heavy thrusting spear). Both are strong endgame options and a big part of why this optional fight is worth clearing.
FAQ
Where is the Crucible Knight duo in Elden Ring? At the bottom of Auriza Hero's Grave, a dungeon in the eastern Capital Outskirts. Follow the main path inside the outskirt walls all the way east to reach the entrance grace, clear the Chariot run, and the two Crucible Knights are the end boss.
What is the Auriza Hero's Grave boss actually called? Officially Crucible Knight Ordovis. It's a duo: one knight labeled "Crucible Knight Ordovis" (Ordovis's Greatsword + shield) and a second labeled "Crucible Knight" wielding Siluria's Tree, a spear. Both must be defeated.
Which Crucible Knight should I kill first? The spear knight (Siluria's Tree). Its reach and gap-closing make it the bigger disruptor, so removing it first turns the rest of the fight into a cleaner duel with Ordovis.
Can you use summons on the Crucible Knight duo? Yes. Spirit Ashes are allowed and multiplayer co-op is enabled. A tanky summon like the Mimic Tear to split the two knights apart is one of the most reliable ways to win.
Do Crucible Knights bleed in Elden Ring? No — both knights in this fight are immune to Hemorrhage (Bleed) and Madness, and their Poison/Scarlet Rot/Frostbite/Sleep resistance is very high (543 buildup). Bring raw damage, ideally Fire or Lightning, rather than a status build.
Is the Crucible Knight duo optional? Yes. You don't need to beat it to advance the main story — but it rewards a large rune drop and the knights' weapons (Ordovis's Greatsword and Siluria's Tree), so most players clear it.
What level should I be for the Crucible Knight duo? There's no official number; community consensus is roughly level 60–90 with a well-upgraded weapon and 30–40+ Vigor. If you're dying fast, add Vigor and weapon upgrades before changing tactics.
Facts in this guide are verified against the official base game (version 1.16.1) and the Elden Ring Wiki (Fextralife) as of September 2026. Boss HP/defense/rune values are NG and scale up in NG+. Recommended levels are community consensus, not official FromSoftware guidance.
Want more Elden Ring boss help? Read our guides on how to beat Godrick the Grafted, how to beat Margit the Fell Omen, and how to beat Commander Gaius.
