Necromancer Garris |
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| Location | Sage's Cave, Altus Plateau |
| Drops |  9,000Family Heads |
| HP | 3,202 |
| Stronger VS |
Weaker to |
Necromancer Garris is a Field Boss in Elden Ring. Necromancer Garris is found in Sage's Cave as one of two different bosses that can be fought within. This is an optional boss as players don't need to defeat it to advance in Elden Ring.
The heads of his flail were made to resemble those of his wife and two children.
Elden Ring Necromancer Garris Boss
- This is an optional boss
- This is a Tarnished enemy: its stats and attacks work like a player character with equipped items
- Closest Site of Grace: Sage's Cave
- Multiplayer is allowed for this boss
- You can summon Spirit Ashes for this boss
Elden Ring Necromancer Garris Location
Necromancer Garris is a secret boss in Sage's Cave, through a hidden fog gate behind an illusory wall, along with two treasure chests, shortly before the location of the Black Knife Assassin fog gate further along the ledge. [Map Link]
Necromancer Garris Combat information
- Health: 3,202 HP
- Poise: 3
- Parryable: No
- Damage:
Strike, 
Magic - Drops 9,000, Family Heads
Negations (or Absorptions)
Standard
Slash
PierceThe negation numbers are the % of your damage that gets blocked. For example, if a negation is 60, 40% of that damage by that type will go through and 60% will be negated. Bigger number = less damage. A negation of 100 means no damage goes through, and a negation of -100 mean the enemy takes 2x damage from that source. 0 means damage goes pretty much as is.
Resistances
Poison: 174
Scarlet Rot: 174
Hemorrhage: 148
Frostbite: 148
Sleep: 229
Madness: 229
Death Blight: 226
The resistance numbers are the buildup amount to trigger it. For example, if a resistance is 100 you must deal 100 points of the given buildup to trigger it. Note that these go down over time, and increase each time the effect procs.
NG+ and Beyond (click to reveal)
| NG | NG+ | NG+2 | NG+3 | NG+4 | NG+5 | NG+6 | NG+7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 3,202 | 4,150 | 4,565 | 4,772 | 4,980 | 5,395 | 5,602 | 5,810 |
| Runes |
9,000 | 2,700 | 29,700 | 30,375 | 32,400 | 33,075 | 33,750 | 34,425 |
Defenses |
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| Physical | 100 | 118 | 121 | 124 | 130 | 136 | 142 | 154 |
| Magic |
131 | 155 | 157 | 159 | 162 | 164 | 166 | 169 |
 Fire |
117 | 138 | 140 | 142 | 145 | 147 | 149 | 151 |
 Lightning |
95 | 112 | 114 | 116 | 117 | 119 | 121 | 122 |
 Holy |
100 | 118 | 120 | 122 | 124 | 125 | 127 | 129 |
Elden Ring Necromancer Garris Boss Guide
Necromancer Garris Boss Video Guide
[video coming soon]
Necromancer Garris Fight Strategy
The Best Tips for Necromancer Garris:
- Use strike weapons to quickly dispatch the skeletal snails, which can roll at you at fairly high speed and make the fight more difficult.
- The trickiest part about this encounter are the Skull Snail Summons that also have the ability to cast death magic (summon the homing skulls)
Melee Users
This fight is reasonably straightforward for melee users, who will be able to take down Garris' small health pool quickly. Focusing on slash weapons will help speed the encounter as Garris can bleed. The fight has only two major dangers. First, Garris is able to do damage very quickly with his flail, which also causes bleed buildup. Staggering mid-combo will help avoid this, but his AI acts like an NPC invader so expect Garris to roll to avoid being stunlocked and counterattack. If the player has their poise broken, Garris will move in for a counterattack and can deal significant damage this way. Second, the Skeletal Snails spawn in regularly throughout the match, apparently dropping from the ceiling, without input from Garris. These serpents will also attack with death magic, and while not individually dangerous the spam they add to the room can break a players rhythm and create an opening for Garris. Typically it is best to finish the fight quickly to avoid spam buildup.
Magic and Ranged Users
Be aware of the arena since it is an enclose space, you may need to reposition to keep clear of getting stuck if focused on ranged weapons especially with a lot of things going on in the arena for this encounter. During this fight, remember to focus on clearing the Skeletal Snails that are summon because like Garris they can cast the death magic homing skulls which act as his main ranged attack. Other than that, his moveset isn't so quick so you just have to keep the arena from being surrounded. If having a difficult tie with this, use a tanky summon to take the load off of other things in the arena. If possible use quicker casting spells to potentially interrupt his home skull spell cast.
Necromancer Garris Attacks & Counters
| Attack | Description | Counter |
| Flail Melee | He deals a series of regular melee attacks that don't have a large range and can be followed with a dodge roll away. | These actions can be interrupted and blocked. It is recommended that you stay close to follow up with a series of your own attack. |
| Homing Skulls (Death Magic) | Has the ability to cast a hoard of skulls that have a slow homing feature | If you can back away from these and avoid them long enough, they eventually disappear. This action also has the opportunity to be interrupted and cancelled. |
| Skeletal Snail Summon | These creature summons can roll around and even roll lunge towards you, and can cast their own homing skulls as well a do a small melee lunge. | They are easy to clear or keep a distance from, but don't put off clearing them because Garris can summon more and each of them can cast a homing skull. |
Necromancer Garris Lore, Notes & Other Trivia
- Voice Actor: ??
- According to the description of the Rancorcall spell, Garris was the person who unearthed and rediscovered the spell.
- The three copper heads of his flail were made to resemble his wife and two children.
- He wields the Prince of Death's Staff, a staff embedded with sullied amber, which was said to be a part of Godwyn, the Prince of Death. The staff was deemed heretical by the academy for being able to be augmented through faith in addition to intelligence. He also wears the Sage Set, an outfit worn by wise sages that were deemed heretical and driven from towns.
- Other Notes and Trivia Go Here
Necromancer Garris Image Gallery
[screenshots and artwork go here]
AnonymousThis guy is a lot like Pinwheel: he's a total joke if you're the right level for the cave, but if your damage output sucks and the fight drags on too long, his skull spam becomes pretty ridiculous.
- Anonymous
I feel like this boss is a reference to Pinwheel. He had the mask of the mother, father and child and Garris has the family heads.
- Anonymous
Funny story on my first run through encountering this guy. My character basically had the same coloration and hair as he does, so I thought the encounter was some sort of mimic / mirror image fight. I was also using the night rider flail, a staff and battlemage set to really top off the match. I actually yelled out "hey its my evil twin"... Lol
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I swear I'm the only person who has Garris literally spam the skulls every half second to the point I cant even get a hit in without being 1-shotted by a wave of skulls
- Anonymous
Had my problems with this Guy. Tried to rush him with colossal weapons on a strenght / vigor / endurance build, was killed several times. Got 2-shotted by his flail or interrupted by the snail. Finally got him by lionclawing my Golem-Hallberd and some luck.
Was a much easier fight with my intelligence-dex build wielding Estoc...
- Anonymous
How difficult is this guy, can I just rush him at the start of the game?
- Anonymous
Co-op is definitely possible. I was summoned with another cooperator. 3v1, was the fastest boss fight I’ve ever been in.
- Anonymous
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I locked on to him as soon as I crossed the fog-gate and he did the exact same thing in NG+ that he did my first time in Sage's cave. He sprinted straight at me and started swinging his flail, that's it. Twice I've killed him and he hasn't summoned the skull snails either time. But if he does summon them they are as weak against holy damage as the undead, they will take massive damage from sacred blade, holy water pots or finger maiden Therolina. I don't know for sure, I have 80 FTH, but I think Therolina would be the best option if you don't have any levels put into FTH she can deal a load of holy damage and two shot revenants independent of the attributes her summoner has invested in.
Just a heads up though, if he sprints at you and starts swinging instead of summoning snails or using the weapon art on his flail don't make the mistake of thinking Garris can't hurt or kill you that way, he can.
- Anonymous
So, i found out that if you instantly lock on to him, the AI just breaks, he just stays down you can kill pinwheel even easier now lmao
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I have been summoned for this boss via a placed summon sign. So coop is possible.
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- Anonymous
Low key disappointed he's actually in the game. Was hoping he was one of those DS-style lore characters you never see.
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I’m really disappointed that we didn’t get a Death Sorcery to summon skeletal snails… Missed opportunity for a truly unique spell that would’ve helped Death Sorceries really start to shine.
I hope we get it in a DLC.
- Anonymous
Mf was hiding behind two fake walls and the tarnished still found and kicked his ass
Most absolutely jacked necromancer in the game. Dude hits with that flail like he means it. Half the time he doesn't even do anything with that staff, he just summons the angry skulls every now and then when he's not trying to slap the **** out of you with three solid bronze heads on chains. No idea what this dude's problem is or why he's there, but he is freaking furious that you walked in on him.
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No way this guy is not a pinwheel refrence, he summons skeleton snails that drive into you like bonewheels, spams spells and his flail has the heads that resemble his wife and child.
- Anonymous
Amazingly high poise value; seems to overrule any attack I try and make, wins "trades".
- Anonymous
Garris got absolutely absolutely folded by bloody slash, I 2 hit staggered him as bloodhound violentely finished it with the third hit. That old man did not deserve that
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I wonder if this is a reference/easter egg/whatever to director Mick Garris
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Boss designed to troll player. Cannot be backstabbed. His AI, even when immobile casting, will turn with total precision to keep you in front of him. Don't be fooled looking for backstabs.
- Anonymous
He is mentioned in the rancorcall sorcery:
"Once thought lost, this ancient death hex was rediscovered by the nercomancer Garris"
- Anonymous
He's just chilling in his cave with his pet snail and we just murder him
- Anonymous
I'm positive i DID get runes after beating this guy. Probably around 9k lika the other boss of the dungeon... Maybe they fixed it?
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God what a miserable fight. Between the homing skulls spam, the bone snails' rolling bonewheel skeleton attack, the summoned skeleton spam, and Garris' seemingly infinate stamina pool as he sprints after you forever, there's barely any openings at all to deal damage to him.
It also seems like the only advice anyone has on how to deal with it is to be so overlevelled that you can burst him down in a couple of seconds, so that his attacks don't factor into the fight at all....
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Just fought him with summons. Maybe fixed post-update? Fought him after the assassin, for context.
- Anonymous
you can summon in this.room, even after killing the Assassin first
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In the Necromancer’s room there is a ledge above, does anyone know how to get up there?
- Anonymous
One of these hidden rooms has 4 chests in it and 4 high level skeletons that charge you as soon as the wall illusion is down. They are mad and crazy fast. It took me several tries to kill these bastages..
- Anonymous
Multiplayer is allowed actually, need to fight this first before invisible boss.
Has anyone figured out how to get to the cave ledge/entrance in this boss' room?
I looked around the place and rolled everywhere but don't see a path.
- Anonymous
Am i the only one who was sorely disappointed we didn't get Ashes to summon his super cool skeleton snail??
- Anonymous
Don't kill the assassin first because the game is stupid and will not allow you to summon anything anymore in this dungeon if you do. First do this mage.
- Anonymous
When I fought him he didnt drop any ruins so either weird decision or a huge bug
Drop Family Heads (INT scaled Flail) and NO runes after killed lol
Hot take, but could he be a former ravenmount assasin? I mean we find the whole raptor set in his home, and he uses trick walls which would fit a former assasin. But this is just a theory.
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