Elden Ring’s Cliffbottom Catacombs, located in Liurnia of the Lakes, is full of twists and turns, multiple levels, sneaky Imps, anddeadly Omens. Despite the dangers, this minor dungeon is definitely worth fully exploring in order to acquire theNox Mirrorhelm, the classic FromSoft Scythe, and a couple of pretty greatSpirit Ashes.
It’s extremely easy to get turned around in it, though. Follow along with this guide to make sure you get every last item hidden in Cliffbottom Catacombs.
How To Reach Cliffbottom Catacombs
Cliffbottom Catacombs can be found in the southeast portion of Liurnia of the Lakes. From theLiurnia Highway Northsite of grace, look northeast. You’ll spot one of thosestrange statuesholding a candle. This will point you in the right direction. Interacting with the statue will activate the energy trail pointing south, though it disappears into the ground not too far away. You should spot a path heading south and downward.
Ride along this southern path, following the edge of Liurnia. You’ll eventually encounter some Vulgar Militiamen on the way. Continue riding past them all the way until you reach an item on acorpse sitting in a chair. Loot the item for one Somber Smithing Stone [2]. From this position, face north. You should spot two paths. On the right side, you’ll see the path you rode down. The path on the left will lead you to the Cliffbottom Catacombs entrance. Ride up that path until you reach the wooden door.
Exploring Cliffbottom Catacombs
After resting at the site of grace, head deeper into the catacombs until you reach anelevatorplatform. Ride this down to the bottom and proceed down the next hall. You’ll encountertwo Impsin the next room, lurking around the corners. Dispatch them and loot the Root Resin at the far end of the room.
Continue down the next passage until you reach the sealed boss room door. You’ll need to activate a lever later on in the dungeon in order to access the boss. Turn right at the door, heading deeper into the catacombs, and defeat the stone Imp waiting around the corner with the large sword. Proceed down the next hall and loot theGrave Glovewort [2]growing out of the dirt.
You’ll now enter an open, multi-tiered room. You can see the usualboss lever statueacross the way, but it’s currently inaccessible. Take the stairs down to the level below. You might notice an Omen in the pit below the stairs as you head down, but you’ll come back to him later. In the hallway beyond, you’ll spot an Imp hanging from the ceiling partway down. Be careful with the pressure plate trap on the floor just ahead. Stepping on it will send out three sets of three blue darts.
The hall turns left at the end; watch out for an Imp leaping out from around the corner.
At the end of the hall, you’ll enter a large room with a staircase running up the left side and a shadowy recess beneath the next landing. Beneath the next landing, you’ll find asleeping Omen. Defeat it or sneak past it to acquire the Grave Glovewort [3] behind it.
At the top of the stairs, you’ll encounter a fog door requiring aStonesword Keyto open and another patrolling Omen enemy off to the right. Above the Omen, you’ll spot a couple of Imps who will begin throwing blue explosive pots down at you. They can make fighting the Omen difficult, so you’ll want to run up the stairs past the Omen and dispatch the two Imps before facing off against the Omen. Once these enemies are dispatched, loot the Rune Arc from beneath the third landing. Then, check out the room requiring the Stonesword Key. Inside, you will encounter one Imp guarding theNox Mirrorhelm, one of the more unique helms in Elden Ring.
Proceed up to the third landing and into the room beyond. You should spot apressure plate trapjust at the entrance of the room in front of you, as well as an Imp hanging from the far wall. Another imp is lurking around the corner to the right. Once you’ve defeated these enemies, grab theGrave Glovewort [2]from the side of the room before proceeding down the next passage.
You’ll next find yourself back in the large room with the boss lever, but this time, you’ll be on the level above and across from the boss lever. Head into the side room ahead, but be careful; there’s apressure plate trapright as you enter. You’ll also need to fight off three Imps in this room. After defeating them, you’re able to acquire theScytheweapon on a corpse in the center.
Head out of this room and turn toward your left. You’ll spot anImp hangingon the ceiling above the next passage forward. Down this passage, another Imp hangs from the wall. Head to the end of the hallway and loot theGolden Rune [3]and theGrave Glovewort [3], but do so quickly—another Imp is sneaking up behind you.
From here, the dungeon gets dicey. You’ll want to drop back down to the stairs below the level you’re on, and then you’ll want to dropdown into the pitwith the Omen below. Be very careful; there are two Omen in the immediate area here.
For the safest entrance, head to thebottom of the stairsand drop off theleft side; you should land in some green brush. Quickly crouch, and you will remain undetected. Another Omen will be patrolling the passages around the central chamber. Slip into thewide side passagenearby, where you may loot one Grave Glovewort [3] and three Hefty Beast Bone items.
This side passage has some maneuverability room, so wait here to fight the patrolling Omen. As long as you keep the fight contained to this room, the Omen in the central area won’t notice. As long as you’re taking on these Omen one at a time, you should be ok. Once both Omen are defeated, you’re free to loot the rest of this area. You’ll find one Ghost Glovewort [3], one Grave Glovewort [3], and onePrattling Pate “Wonderful”—a fun callback to Dark Souls and a way to communicate (sort of) with other players.
Head out the hallway at the east end of this chamber. At the end of this new hallway, turn right and loot oneGrave Glovewort [2]. In the next room, you’ll spot apressure plate trapin the middle of the room. A patrolling Omen will begin heading toward you from down the hall. This trap can be a hazard during this fight, but you’re able to alsouse it to your advantage, getting some free hits off on the Omen.
After defeating the Omen, head down the hall he came from, turn right, and you’ll find aladderacross the room. Climb up it, and you’ll enter a room with somebookshelves, glowing candles, and another Omen off to the left side. Defeat the Omen and loot the altar in front of where he was kneeling to acquire thePage Ashes, a pretty powerful Spirit Ash companion.
Face away from the altar, and you’ll spot theboss door leveracross the way. As you approach, be prepared for anImpto leap at you from around theright corner. Dispatch the Imp, loot the threeOld Fangitems around the corner, and pull the boss door lever.
To reach the boss door, simply roll to the stairs, and head up the staircase. Follow that hallway along, and you’ll eventually reach the boss door lever. You might want to rest at the site of grace before proceeding, though.
Boss Fight: Erdtree Burial Watchdog
You’ve likely faced a variant of this boss before, but in case you haven’t, be prepared for a challenge. The Burial Watchdog bosses haveerratic and powerful attacks, making dodging them extra difficult. This boss wields a staff, casts magic attacks, and will occasionally breathe fire from its three heads. If you’re using a ranged or magic build, you might have an easier time. You’ll just need to keep your distance and pepper the boss with an attack. If you’re mixing it up in the melee and having trouble getting the dodge timing right, consider using a shield forguard counters. Otherwise, here are some moves to watch out for:
Sorcery Of The Crozier
The Erdtree Burial Watchdog will raise its staff and summon severalglowing glintstone orbsaround its body. They will shoot upward, then seek you out. Simply dodging toward them at an angle will avoid most, if not all.
Levitating Slam
Another favorite of the Erdtree Burial Watchdog; it willfloat up into the airbefore striking the ground in a burst of blue magical energy. Even if you’ve put some distance between yourself and the boss, the aoe blast from the slam can hit you, so either prepare to dodge at the right time or get far away.
Fire Breath
Another move to watch out for, the boss will breathe ablast of fireout ahead of it as it advances on you. If you’re already close, you’ll be able toget behind the bossquickly and get some hits in, but you’ll want to be careful since the boss can turn much more quickly than you’d expect.
Walking Slam
The boss willrear upon its hind legs, staff raised high, and approach you with its eerie gait. This attack comes quickly, so keep your eye on its staff. The moment you see the staffraise up slightly, it’s going to slam down hard. Dodge at the right time, and you’ll have a great window to attack.
