Lord of Blasphemy Rykard is one of the toughest yet optional bosses in Elden Ring. This God-Devouring Serpent boss is one of the Shardbearers in the game and is found at the end of Volcano Manor, near the Royal Capital.
This epic boss fight has two phases and can also be defeated by completing the quest given by Tanith, the headmistress of the Volcano Manor. To get to the Volcano Manor, you must get to Mt. Glemir, located in the Altus Plateau. When you get to the Manor, talk to Tanith and get access to Rykard’s lair from her.
The following guide will provide all the details on Rykard Lord of Blasphemy in Elden Ring to help players locate and defeat him easily.
Elden Ring Rykard Location
The easiest way to find Rykard is to complete the quests given by Tanith, but if you don’t want to do that, go to the side corridor of the Manor and get a key from Tanith. Take this key to the right side and enter the first room. You will notice an Illusory Wall with a painting on it. Use the key to open the hidden door.
Enter and follow the pathway to the basement until you get to the Prison Town Church. Exit the area, and you will find yourself in the open.
Head southeast from the church, and you will reach the Temple of Eiglay. Here, you will encounter another optional boss, Godskin Noble.
Defeat him and head right to the elevator, then go to the right side of the mountain. Cross the magma river, and you will notice a small door. Enter, and you will find a ladder. Climb and go to the corridor on the left. Take the first door to the right, and you will find yourself on the balcony with a portal, which will take you to Rykard.
How to Defeat Rykard in Elden Ring
Rykard is weak against Serpent-Hunter swordspear, so you better get your hands on this before heading into the arena. Fortunately, you will find this weapon on your left before encountering the boss.
You can use the weapon to hit Rykard from a distance without having to go across the lava. When you strike the weapon in his direction, it throws a massive gust attack, lethal to Rykard.
Since Rykard is very large, he is very slow to react. So whenever you see an opening while dodging his attacks, attack him, and you will easily be able to inflict some damage.
The boss fight with Rykard is divided into two phases, and both phases have a set of unique attacks. Let’s down all the attacks and their counters:
Rykard Fight Phase 1: God-Devouring Serpent
| Attack | Effect | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Snake Bite | Rykard will lunge at you from every side trying to hit and give you maximum damage | Dodge it by rolling to side |
| Digging Magma | The boss raises its head and plunge in into the ground causing magma to errupt | Move back to keep significant distance when you see Rykard plunge its head |
| Grab | The boss raises its head trying to grab you with its mouth | Dodge to the right side before it comes near |
| Head Magma Slam | The boss tilts its head and hits the ground causing magma to fall near you | Roll backward to avoid the magma |
| Poison Spit | Rykard spits poison pool in front of it giving you damage as you get near increasing your poison bar and making your movement slow | Run away from the poison to avoid getting hit |
| Magma Thrash | Rykard will look to the side and start spinning around, causing magma to erupt around it | Either block to reduce the damage or run away from it |
Rykard Fight Phase 2: Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy
| Attack | Effect | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Stab Combo | The boss stabs the player three times | Dodge the attack |
| Sword Combo | The most common attack where Rykard sweeps the sword from one side to the other | Dodge the first strike when you see it coming, the second strike is slower as he hits the ground first, so don’t dodge before that |
| Magma Leap | The boss jumps or move forward and backward hitting on the ground sending magma in different directions | Keep your distance if he jumps in the air; as for magma, dodge it |
| Snake Bite | Rykard will make a serpent on its head and try to bite you | Dodge it by moving to the left |
| Sword and Snake Bite Combo | The boss swings his sword while lunging its snake head | Dodge the incoming attack when you see it coming |
| Explosive Trails | Rykard releases red flaming skulls from its mouth that will track you for a while and then explode | Run away from the skulls |
| Rain of Skulls | When the boss’s health drops to 50%, it will raise the sword, the sky will turn red, and many red flaming skulls will fall down | Keep moving from till all the skulls have exploded |
| Sky Cleaver | Rykard will channel the fire from sky into its sword and slam it on the ground causing an explosion | Sprint to side and dodge the strike |
Rykard Lord of Blasphemy Drops
Once you defeat Rykard Lord of Blasphemy, you will get the following rewards:
- 130,000 Runes
- Rykard’s Great Rune
- Remembrance of the Blasphemous
How to Cheese Rykard in Elden Ring
If you want to take down Rykard as quickly and easily as possible, follow the strategy below to cheese him.
For this strategy to work, you will need a Spirit Ash, Mimic Tear Spirit Ash works best as it serves a distraction and helps you take down Rykard. Another thing you need to have is the Serpent Hunter Sword.
Before you initiate the fight, there’s an exploit that you need to learn how to do. Go through the mist wall, which leads to the boss area, and then jump on top of the rock to your immediate right.
This will take a few tries to do so, so be patient and take your time. Once you learn how to get up on top of the rock, come back down and go to the boss to initiate the fight in Elden Ring.
After the fight starts, immediately summon your Spirit Ash and then run back to the rock. Get up on top of the rock, continue going up the hill, and then stand on the platform directly above the mist wall you walked through.
Once you’re up there, you will have great cover from the boss. Now, use the Serpent Hunter Sword to sling away at Rykard.
The boss will still be able to attack you, but his attacks will be significantly easier to dodge from this platform.
