Tombsward Catacombs are hidden dungeons near the Minor Erdtree in the Weeping Peninsula in Elden Ring. These caves are filled with dead soldiers waiting to take you down if you dare enter. So you need to be vigilant to avoid getting jumped.
This is the perfect spot for hunting Grave Gloveworts, Grave Violets, and not to mention the Legendary Spirit Summon Lhutel the Headless. This Elden Ring Tombsward Catacombs Walkthrough contains the necessary information to locate the Tombsward Catacombs and how to defeat Cemetery Shade.
Elden Ring Tombsward Catacombs Location
The dungeon itself is in the Weeping Peninsula. You can reach the entrance directly south from the Church of Pilgrimage towards the Minor Erdtree.
The entrance to the dungeon is easy to miss. Look for a door leading inside the mountain hidden behind a stone pillar. We have marked the location both on the map and in the game world for your ease.
Grab The Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook
You will find the first Site of Grace near the entrance. Head straight down, and you will find a mist wall that can be unlocked using the Stonesword Key. Unlock it, and the path ahead of you will be cleared. Here, you will find the Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook (9) guarded by skeletons.
Collect it and go back, move to the first right leading towards stairways going down. You will be led to a room with two statues, make a right again.
Collect The Grave Glovewort
You will again find two paths, make another right and you will find some Grave Glovewort. Collect them and head down after another right turn. Be careful of the skeleton throwing bombs. Make your way to the room with a flame-throwing column toward the left at the very end of the hallway.
When the fire stops, sprint and roll right to cross the column, strike the column, and it will lower into the ground.
You can head into a room towards the left of the pillar to fight some skeletons and get Gloveworts to upgrade your spirit ashes, or you can strike the fire-spitting column again while quickly jumping on top of it.
Find Prattling Pate
Once the pillar goes down, you will get a grave violet here and go to the unexplored room here. You will find Prattling Pate “Thank You.”
Go back to the room with fire-pillar and climb on top of it to get to the second level. Be aware of as there will be a bomb-throwing skeleton on the top. Head straight into a room with stone coffins. There will be two skeletons in here as well. Defeat them and then turn right.
There will be a lever right Infront of you. Pull the lever, and this will open the door at the very start of the dungeon. From here, you can head back to the door. From the door, head down the stairs to a mist wall. Right past that mist wall will be the boss – The Cemetery Shade.
How to Defeat the Cemetery Shade
The Cemetery Shade is a black spectral creature with two main attacks. The first one is the immobilizing Spit. The creature summons a green ball of spit above its head. Then, it fires the ball at you, and if you make contact, you will be immobile for a few seconds.
The Cemetery Shade uses two fast-striking blades that inflict heavy damage. Its attack is a three-phase combo that is incredibly fast and difficult to block. The black creature can also teleport instantly, so be wary of that.
Though you can attack the boss from a distance, melee attacks deal more damage. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy. A good way of fighting the Cemetery Shade is by summoning a spirit similar to The Lone Wolf Ashes.
You can get up close and end the fight even before the wolves are killed.
Cemetery Shade Rewards:
You will earn the following rewards by taking down Cemetery Shade in the Tombsward Catacombs:
- 2200 Runes
- Lhutel The Headless, a legendary Spirit Ash
