Elden Ring: Chief Bloodfiend Boss Guide
This detailed guide explains how to locate the Chief Bloodfiend, understand his moveset, and use the best strategies, Spirit Ashes, and builds to defeat him efficiently.
Where to Find the Chief Bloodfiend
The Rivermouth Cave is located in the Land of Shadow, one of the darker corners of Elden Ring's sprawling world. You can reach it by heading south from the Temple Town Ruins or southwest from the Northern Nameless Mausoleum.
Follow the rocky descent carefully, it's easy to fall to your death if you rush. Once you reach the bottom, keep to the right cliff wall, and you'll soon spot a narrow entrance marked by the faint glow of a torch: the Rivermouth Cave.
Inside, you'll face groups of lesser Bloodfiends, grotesque humanoid creatures drenched in crimson ichor. Take your time clearing them, as the Chief himself awaits deeper within. This fight takes place in a compact arena filled with blood-stained rocks, a confined environment that forces close-range combat and rewards precise dodging.
Chief Bloodfiend Overview and Lore
The Chief Bloodfiend is a Great Enemy Boss, far larger and stronger than the Bloodfiends that lurk in the cave's tunnels. His skin is dark and cracked, pulsing with veins of coagulated blood, and he wields a massive club made from the bones of fallen warriors.
Lore-wise, many Tarnished speculate that the Chief Bloodfiend is one of the early victims of the Scarlet Rot or Bloodflame curses, his mind eroded, his flesh twisted by forbidden rites. The Rivermouth Cave itself might once have been a place of ritual sacrifice, and the Chief stands as its corrupted guardian.
Defeating him not only grants a hefty number of Elden Ring Runes, but also drops several valuable Elden Ring Items that enhance blood and rot-based builds.
Recommended Gear and Preparations
Before challenging the Chief Bloodfiend, it's wise to prepare properly. His attacks inflict massive physical damage and cause Blood Loss buildup, which can instantly chunk your health bar if ignored.
Recommended Spirit Ashes: Black Knife Tiche
The Black Knife Tiche summon is particularly effective in this battle. She's agile, deals consistent chip damage, and can draw the Chief's attention away from you, giving precious windows for healing or counterattacks.
Tiche's Destined Death ability also reduces the boss's maximum HP temporarily, accelerating the kill time.
Recommended Weapons: Black Knife or Any Bleed-Infused Weapon
The Black Knife itself works wonderfully, as it inflicts both Bleed buildup and Destined Death, dealing steady damage over time. Alternatively, weapons like Rivers of Blood, Uchigatana (Bleed-infused), or Bloodhound's Fang can exploit the Chief's slight vulnerability to bleed.
Recommended Ash of War: Bloodhound's Step
Mobility is essential here. The Bloodhound's Step Ash of War lets you phase through attacks and reposition instantly, crucial for dodging the Chief's slam and ground-pound combos.
Recommended Spells: Rotten Breath
For Faith or Arcane builds, Rotten Breath is a superb spell choice. The Chief Bloodfiend is moderately susceptible to Scarlet Rot, allowing you to slowly whittle him down while focusing on evasion. Cast it early to apply the status effect, then kite him around while it ticks away his HP.
Helpful Elden Ring Items
Bring along a mix of Tears and consumables to survive longer:
Cerulean Hidden Tear: Enables continuous spellcasting for a short period.
Opaline Bubbletear & Hardtear: Reduce incoming physical damage, useful for surviving his club slams.
Windy Crystal Tear: Boosts dodge speed, making your evasions more reliable.
Stanching Boluses: Essential for curing Blood Loss buildup if you get caught in his combos.
How to Defeat Chief Bloodfiend
The Chief Bloodfiend relies on brute strength and area control. His attacks are deliberate but devastating, so patience and timing are key.
Phase 1: Ground Slams and Swings
At the start, he'll charge forward with a massive overhand club swing, followed by a quick horizontal sweep. These combos can easily one-shot unarmored Tarnished.
Tip: Roll diagonally toward his weapon arm to dodge both swings.
After his second attack, he pauses briefly, an ideal moment to land two or three hits.
Avoid attacking from directly behind; his backward club sweep can catch you off guard.
When you see him raise his club high and roar, he's about to perform a ground slam that sends out a small shockwave. Jump or roll just before impact to avoid both the slam and the shockwave damage.
Phase 2: Blood Burst and Frenzied Swings
At about 50% HP, the Chief enrages. His body glows red, and he starts coating his club with his own blood. His moves become faster and more erratic, and every hit now builds up Blood Loss.
Tip: Keep Stanching Boluses ready. Don't let the buildup reach full, the burst damage can kill instantly.
If you're using Rotten Breath, reapply Rot during this phase for consistent chip damage.
Summon Black Knife Tiche early so she can distract him during his frenzy.
Keep circling him, punish his slower wind-up attacks, and never get greedy, one missed dodge can lead to a fatal combo.
Rewards and Drops
Defeating the Chief Bloodfiend grants a significant amount of Elden Ring Runes, helping you level up attributes like Vigor or Endurance before tackling harder bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree.
You'll also receive several Elden Ring Items, including:
Chief Bloodfiend's Club: A colossal weapon that scales primarily with Strength and Arcane, capable of inflicting heavy Bleed buildup.
Bloodfiend's Hide: A crafting material used to upgrade blood-based gear.
A high chance of random drops like Smithing Stones or Golden Runes, depending on your item discovery rate.
These rewards make the battle well worth the effort, particularly for players pursuing bleed builds or hunting for rare materials.
Final Thoughts
The Chief Bloodfiend is an unforgettable fight, a mixture of raw brutality, tense spacing, and careful resource management. Though optional, it embodies what Elden Ring does best: rewarding skill, preparation, and adaptability.
Whether you're hunting for Elden Ring Runes to bolster your build or collecting rare Elden Ring Items to complete your arsenal, this battle is a rewarding challenge for any Tarnished brave enough to descend into the Rivermouth Cave.