How To Find (& Defeat) The Putrid Crystalian Trio

The Putrid Crystalian Trio is one of the most vexing boss battles in Elden Ring due to the unfair nature of the fight and the lack of space.

The Putrid Crystalian Trio of Sellia Hideaway is widely considered one of the most brutally demanding boss fights in Elden Ring, as Tarnished must face three Rot-inflicting Crystalians all at once. While many will recognize bosses such as Malenia and Maliketh as exceedingly challenging, their mechanics are learnable and can be defeated through perseverance or even cheesing. On the other hand, the battle with the Putrid Crystalian Trio is ruthless, forcing players to handle three Elden Ring bosses simultaneously within a small enclosure.

To find the three Putrid Crystalians in Elden Ring, Tarnished must reach the end of Sellia Hideaway, a Dungeon hidden behind an Illusory Wall northeast of the Church of the Plague in Caelid. Players can get to this location by either completing Sellia's Magic Barrier Puzzle or falling from the ridge south of Fort Faroth. Within this area, Elden Ring fans will encounter a graveyard. If they strike the cliff wall directly north of the largest tomb monument, they will discover the secret entrance to Sellia Hideaway.

While there's no way to cheese the Putrid Crystalian Trio after entering the boss room, Elden Ring players can damage and even possibly kill at least one of the bosses from the exterior. Standing outside the fog gate, cast the Gravity Sorcery, Rock Sling. The projectiles will go through the mist and can strike one of the Crystalians standing in the chamber. While this technique doesn't guarantee the death of one of the members, it will save Tarnished some time in whittling down the HP of at least one.

Putrid Crystalian Trio Boss Fight In Elden Ring

Those who've faced Crystalians prior to the Putrid Crystalian Trio will know that the enemy mob can endure a large amount of damage before their protective covering cracks. The fastest way to break their covering is by using armaments that deal blunt damage, such as hammers or club-like weapons. Accordingly, a basic Warhammer can be more effective against the Putrid Crystalians than a Dagger at max upgrade level.

Circling the room, focus on smashing the mage (Staff) variant first, as that Crystalian is the biggest threat. Summoning Spirit Ashes can help distract at least one of the bosses during this process. Once the mage is dead, direct all attacks on the Ringblade-wielding one. Finally, Tarnished can deal with the Putrid Crystalian (Spear) once its ranged partners have been defeated.

However, this boss fight is extra challenging for mages since the Putrid Crystalians have a high resistance to magic. Fortunately, Sorceries such as the Night Maiden's Mist can penetrate the Crystalians' defenses and whittle away their HP without issue. Alternatively, spellcasters can use the Gavel of Haima, which can easily stagger and smash the Putrid Crystalians, as their Poise stands no chance to any blunt-like attacks in Elden Ring. Once the boss trio is dead, Tarnished will be rewarded with the Crystal Torrent Sorcery.

Next: Elden Ring: Complete Walkthrough, Boss Strategies & Build Guides

Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.