Elden Ring’s Cliffbottom Catacombs, located in Liurnia of the Lakes, is full of twists and turns, multiple levels, sneaky Imps, and deadly Omens. Despite the dangers, this minor dungeon is definitely worth fully exploring in order to acquire the Nox Mirrorhelm, the classic FromSoft Scythe, and a couple of pretty great Spirit Ashes.

It’s extremely easy to get turned around in it, though. Follow along with this guide to make sure you get every last item hidden in Cliffbottom Catacombs.

How To Reach Cliffbottom Catacombs

elden ring Liurnia Highway North map

Cliffbottom Catacombs can be found in the southeast portion of Liurnia of the Lakes. From the Liurnia Highway North site of grace, look northeast. You’ll spot one of those strange statues holding a candle. This will point you in the right direction. Interacting with the statue will activate the energy trail pointing south, though it disappears into the ground not too far away. You should spot a path heading south and downward.

elden ring cliffbottom catacombs hidden path

Ride along this southern path, following the edge of Liurnia. You’ll eventually encounter some Vulgar Militiamen on the way. Continue riding past them all the way until you reach an item on a corpse sitting in a chair. Loot the item for one Somber Smithing Stone [2]. From this position, face north. You should spot two paths. On the right side, you’ll see the path you rode down. The path on the left will lead you to the Cliffbottom Catacombs entrance. Ride up that path until you reach the wooden door.

Exploring Cliffbottom Catacombs

elden ring cliffbottom catacombs elevator in blue-lit room

After resting at the site of grace, head deeper into the catacombs until you reach an elevator platform. Ride this down to the bottom and proceed down the next hall. You’ll encounter two Imps in the next room, lurking around the corners. Dispatch them and loot the Root Resin at the far end of the room.

Continue down the next passage until you reach the sealed boss room door. You’ll need to activate a lever later on in the dungeon in order to access the boss. Turn right at the door, heading deeper into the catacombs, and defeat the stone Imp waiting around the corner with the large sword. Proceed down the next hall and loot the Grave Glovewort [2] growing out of the dirt.

elden ring catacombs with levels

You’ll now enter an open, multi-tiered room. You can see the usual boss lever statue across the way, but it’s currently inaccessible. Take the stairs down to the level below. You might notice an Omen in the pit below the stairs as you head down, but you’ll come back to him later. In the hallway beyond, you’ll spot an Imp hanging from the ceiling partway down. Be careful with the pressure plate trap on the floor just ahead. Stepping on it will send out three sets of three blue darts.

The hall turns left at the end; watch out for an Imp leaping out from around the corner.

elden ring Tarnished holding torch high exploring catacombs

At the end of the hall, you’ll enter a large room with a staircase running up the left side and a shadowy recess beneath the next landing. Beneath the next landing, you’ll find a sleeping Omen. Defeat it or sneak past it to acquire the Grave Glovewort [3] behind it.

elden ring Tarnished spotting an Omen in the shadows of the catacombs

At the top of the stairs, you’ll encounter a fog door requiring a Stonesword Key to open and another patrolling Omen enemy off to the right. Above the Omen, you’ll spot a couple of Imps who will begin throwing blue explosive pots down at you. They can make fighting the Omen difficult, so you’ll want to run up the stairs past the Omen and dispatch the two Imps before facing off against the Omen. Once these enemies are dispatched, loot the Rune Arc from beneath the third landing. Then, check out the room requiring the Stonesword Key. Inside, you will encounter one Imp guarding the Nox Mirrorhelm, one of the more unique helms in Elden Ring.

elden ring cliffbottom catacombs hanging Imp and pressure plate trap circled in red

Proceed up to the third landing and into the room beyond. You should spot a pressure plate trap just at the entrance of the room in front of you, as well as an Imp hanging from the far wall. Another imp is lurking around the corner to the right. Once you’ve defeated these enemies, grab the Grave Glovewort [2] from the side of the room before proceeding down the next passage.

You’ll next find yourself back in the large room with the boss lever, but this time, you’ll be on the level above and across from the boss lever. Head into the side room ahead, but be careful; there’s a pressure plate trap right as you enter. You’ll also need to fight off three Imps in this room. After defeating them, you can acquire the Scythe weapon on a corpse in the center.

elden ring catacombs hanging imp circled in red

Head out of this room and turn toward your left. You’ll spot an Imp hanging on the ceiling above the next passage forward. Down this passage, another Imp hangs from the wall. Head to the end of the hallway and loot the Golden Rune [3] and the Grave Glovewort [3], but do so quickly—another Imp is sneaking up behind you.

From here, the dungeon gets dicey. You’ll want to drop back down to the stairs below the level you’re on, and then you’ll want to drop down into the pit with the Omen below. Be very careful; there are two Omen in the immediate area here.

elden ring hiding in the bushes from an Omen

For the safest entrance, head to the bottom of the stairs and drop off the left side; you should land in some green brush. Quickly crouch, and you will remain undetected. Another Omen will be patrolling the passages around the central chamber. Slip into the wide side passage nearby, where you can loot one Grave Glovewort [3] and three Hefty Beast Bone items.

This side passage has some maneuverability room, so wait here to fight the patrolling Omen. As long as you keep the fight contained to this room, the Omen in the central area won’t notice. As long as you’re taking on these Omen one at a time, you should be ok. Once both Omen are defeated, you’re free to loot the rest of this area. You’ll find one Ghost Glovewort [3], one Grave Glovewort [3], and one Prattling Pate “Wonderful”—a fun callback to Dark Souls and a way to communicate (sort of) with other players.

elden ring using a pressure plate trap against an omen

Head out the hallway at the east end of this chamber. At the end of this new hallway, turn right and loot one Grave Glovewort [2]. In the next room, you’ll spot a pressure plate trap in the middle of the room. A patrolling Omen will begin heading toward you from down the hall. This trap can be a hazard during this fight, but you can also use it to your advantage, getting some free hits off on the Omen.

elden ring sneaking up on an omen in a blue room

After defeating the Omen, head down the hall he came from, turn right, and you’ll find a ladder across the room. Climb up it, and you’ll enter a room with some bookshelves, glowing candles, and another Omen off to the left side. Defeat the Omen and loot the altar in front of where he was kneeling to acquire the Page Ashes, a pretty powerful Spirit Ash companion.

elden ring catacombs imp attacking Tarnished

Face away from the altar, and you’ll spot the boss door lever across the way. As you approach, be prepared for an Imp to leap at you from around the right corner. Dispatch the Imp, loot the three Old Fang items around the corner, and pull the boss door lever.

To reach the boss door, simply roll to the stairs, and head up the staircase. Follow that hallway along, and you’ll eventually reach the boss door lever. You might want to rest at the site of grace before proceeding, though.

Boss Fight: Erdtree Burial Watchdog

elden ring Tarnished battling Erdtree Burial Watchdog boss

You’ve likely faced a variant of this boss before, but in case you haven’t, be prepared for a challenge. The Burial Watchdog bosses have erratic and powerful attacks, making dodging them extra difficult. This boss wields a staff, casts magic attacks, and will occasionally breathe fire from its three heads. If you’re using a ranged or magic build, you might have an easier time. You’ll just need to keep your distance and pepper the boss with an attack. If you’re mixing it up in the melee and having trouble getting the dodge timing right, consider using a shield for guard counters. Otherwise, here are some moves to watch out for:

Sorcery Of The Crozier

elden ring erdtree burial watchdog magic attack

The Erdtree Burial Watchdog will raise its staff and summon several glowing glintstone orbs around its body. They will shoot upward, then seek you out. Simply dodging toward them at an angle will avoid most, if not all.

Levitating Slam

elden ring erdtree burial watchdog slamming down with magic energy

Another favorite of the Erdtree Burial Watchdog; it will float up into the air before striking the ground in a burst of blue magical energy. Even if you’ve put some distance between yourself and the boss, the aoe blast from the slam can hit you, so either prepare to dodge at the right time or get far away.

Fire Breath

elden ring erdtree burial watchdog breathing fire

Another move to watch out for, the boss will breathe a blast of fire out ahead of it as it advances on you. If you’re already close, you’ll be able to get behind the boss quickly and get some hits in, but you’ll want to be careful since the boss can turn much more quickly than you’d expect.

Walking Slam

elden ring erdtree burial watchdog standing up straight

The boss will rear up on its hind legs, staff raised high, and approach you with its eerie gait. This attack comes quickly, so keep your eye on its staff. The moment you see the staff raise up slightly, it’s going to slam down hard. Dodge at the right time, and you’ll have a great window to attack.

Upon defeat, the boss will drop 3,200 Runes and the Kaiden Sellsword Ashes.