Most Elden Ring players prefer to spend as little time in the hellscape that is Caelid as possible, but there are some optional bosses in the zone for those looking for a challenge. Commander O’Neil is one such boss, and defeating him will reward you with a unique halberd as well as some Runes for your troubles.
Commander O’Neil can be a bit tricky to find, so here’s everything you need to know about his location and how to beat him.
Where is Commander O’Neil located?
Commander O’Neil can be found in the eastern section of Aeonia Swamp in Caelid. The easiest way to enter Aeonia Swamp is either from the south along the Caelid Highway or from the northeast, by traveling through Sellia, Town of Sorcery. Once you’re in the swamp, look for a thicket of large dead trees covered in Scarlet Rot. You’ll find Commander O’Neil in a clearing in the center of these trees.
The closest Site of Grace is Inner Aeonia, and we’d recommend grabbing this Site of Grace before taking on Commander O’Neil to save travel time between attempts. One thing to keep in mind while in Aeonia Swamp is the Scarlet Rot buildup that will be applied if you aren’t on Torrent while in the red ooze. Luckily, the status effect doesn’t build up while in the clearing that Commander O’Neil spawns in.
Once you’ve made it to Aeonia Swamp and grabbed the closest Site of Grace, it’s time to take on the boss. Commander O’Neil has relatively simple mechanics but can still be difficult to defeat, so here’s everything you need to know to bring him down.
How to beat Commander O’Neil
Commander O’Neil can be a bit tricky to take down, not because of his own moveset but because he summons ghostly soldiers to aid him in battle. These summons may seem easy to ignore, but Commander O’Neil can buff them, so it’s best to take them out as soon as he creates them. One thing to note for the fight is that you can make use of the area outside of the clearing he spawns in while fighting him. Just be aware of the Scarlet Rot buildup.
Seeing as the boss fight takes place in the open world of Elden Ring, one of the best strategies to defeating Commander O’Neil is to make use of your mount, Torrent. As soon as Commander O’Neil’s health bar shows up and the fight begins, run toward him to get some damage in while he’s casting his summon ability. Once he finishes, five crossbowmen will be summoned. At this point, hop on Torrent and quickly dispatch the crossbowmen before focusing back on Commander O’Neil.
For melee users, a hit-and-run tactic is optimal for taking Commander O’Neil down. The boss’ attacks are quite slow and have a long windup, so get close with Torrent and get a few strikes in before quickly getting out of his range.
One move to be especially mindful of is his Rotting Winds attack. You’ll know he’s using this move when he kneels before swinging his halberd three times. This attack affects a wide area around him with Scarlet Rot buildup and if he catches you with it, it will almost always guarantee a proc of the status effect. So if you see Commander O’Neil kneel (no pun intended), run away.
Once Commander O’Neil reaches 40-percent HP, he will begin summoning again and it will look nearly identical to his summon ability at the start of the fight. Run in and get some damage before focusing down the summons. This time, it will be three ax-wielding enemies.
For magic and ranged weapon users, the fight can be extremely easy. Just like melee users, make use of Torrent and take out the ghost soldiers as soon as Commander O’Neil summons them. Once it’s just you and the boss, kite him while hitting him with your long-range attacks. The boss makes no efforts to close the distance, so just whittle him down until he dies.
Defeating Commander O’Neil in Elden Ring will reward you with his unique halberd, Commander’s Standard, Unalloyed Gold Needle, a Key Item for Millicent’s questline, and 12,000 Runes. You will also gain access to the Heart of Aeonia Site of Grace upon his death.
