Let Me Solo Her has achieved near-mythic status in the Elden Ring community. Outfitted in a Jar helm and armed with a Rivers of Blood katana and Uchigatana, Let Me Solo Her has helped more than a thousand players defeat the infamous boss Malenia, Blade of Miquella. This solo player's quest to rid everyone's games of Malenia has even caught the attention of Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco - which sent Let Me Solo Her a special sword as a reward.
To commemorate his achievement, Let Me Solo Her released a video detailing the many experiences he had fighting Malenia. While his skill is clear, those who summon Let Me Solo Her aren't always as knowledgeable. With this in mind, it pays to look at the many mistakes that players can make when fighting Malenia. While Let Me Solo Her intended his video to be humorous, one can always learn from other's mistakes to save time and suffering when tackling this tough Elden Ring boss.
Failing to Dodge Malenia's Combos and Scarlet Rot
Unlike most Elden Ring bosses, Malenia is a humanoid character with quick movements and even quicker attacks. Players who are used to hiding behind a shield will find it hard to block her advances due to how fast they can sap players' stamina meters. Add to this that Malenia heals a portion of her health regardless if players are blocking or not, and they would be better avoiding her attacks altogether.
According to Let Me Solo Her's video, what gets players killed most often are Malenia's Waterfowl Dance and Scarlet Aeonia. Waterfowl Dance is a flurry of attacks executed by Malenia that closes the distance between her and players while dealing a massive amount of damage. The timing of each attack is different, making it extremely difficult for players to gauge when to dodge. What's more, the final slash of Waterfowl Dance is followed up by an area-of-effect attack that throws players off if they aren't careful. Unless players are a good distance from Malenia when she performs the attack, the only way to avoid Waterfowl Dance is to learn the timing for each of her slashes.
Scarlet Aeonia is a much easier attack to dodge, but it can also instantly kill players who don't understand the way it works. Malenia only does this move in her second phase, diving toward the player and summoning a giant Scarlet Rot flower. The flower explodes soon thereafter and continuously damages those who are caught in its effective area. Players who manage to survive the explosion and damage over time usually neglect the fact that standing in the Scarlet Aeonia also builds up Scarlet Rot - resulting in a slow but almost inevitable death. The initial dive is quite easy to dodge, but players have to be mindful of the continuous damage and Scarlet Rot build-up that ensues whenever they get near Malenia.
Forgetting Malenia Has a Second Phase
Those who have little to no experience fighting Malenia might not know that she transforms once her first health bar is completely depleted. In her second phase, Malenia grows wings, deals more damage, and gains new moves in addition to her old ones. The most dangerous addition of all is her ability to inflict Scarlet Rot on players who are close to her. The rate at which health is lost when afflicted with Scarlet Rot is greater than being poisoned, but the effect lasts for a shorter duration.
Players who are unaware of Malenia's second phase don't realize how difficult she can be. Her new moves require players to study their timings, and her old moves have to be more cautiously avoided due to the extra damage and Scarlet Rot she inflicts. Since Malenia's transformation only occurs once players have beaten her first phase, those fighting her might not have enough Flasks of Crimson Tears to top off their health. It serves to show that those who have mastered Malenia's first phase and gotten used to her attacks are worthy to take on her more powerful form.
Failing to Give Let Me Solo Her His Space
As his namesake implies, Let Me Solo Her is a hardened veteran who fights better alone. With Malenia focused solely on him, Let Me Solo Her can easily predict where and how Malenia will attack. This allows him to better dodge and counterattack accordingly. Since Elden Ring boss fights end when the host is killed, it stands to reason that letting the summoned ally fight solo is in the host's best interests (it also gives players a chance to learn Malenia's moves and counters).
Let Me Solo Her has already defeated Malenia a thousand times, and shows no signs of stopping. With a level of 179, the player's summon sign can be found by the Summoning Pool Statue right outside Malenia's boss room. He only plays on PC, so those on the platform looking for some help can call on him anytime.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.