A flail-based tactic should provide Elden Ring players a simpler way to dispatch the often difficult NPC invaders. Of all of Elden Ring's difficult enemy encounters, invaders can prove among the most challenging. Said invaders come in two forms - competitive players who use a Bloody Finger or Small Red Effigy to enter another user's game or enemy NPCs that spawn when the Tarnished least expect it. Both appear in the world as stark red highlights that won't leave until they've either killed their target or their target kills them.
Of course, the idea of invading enemies is nothing new to FromSoftware. Previous Dark Souls titles, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice allowed players to invade the games of others for impromptu one-on-one battles. More often than not, these situations put the invaded user on their back foot, forcing them to adjust tactics on-the-fly. The invasion part of the Souls games' multiplayer suites, thus, remains a fan-favorite, even if it proves difficult to manage at times. Luckily, various Elden Ring tips and tricks have made some challenges a little easier to surmount.
As spotted by VG247, Reddit account Elden_Ring_Guides found a way to tactically reduce the difficulty of some NPC invasions in Elden Ring. Players should first ensure they have a flail on-hand, a weapon type that's readily available in a Limgrave carriage. When near an NPC invader's spawn point, users can simply hold Battle Art as the enemy appears and watch as repeated stun animations with the flail lock them in place for a quick and painless defeat. Check out Elden_Ring_Guides' clever method in the following gameplay video:
VG247 notes that such a "bully" tactic works with the Roundtable Hold invader because of its easy-to-spot spawn location. However, this particular maneuver is likely tough to pull off in Elden Ring's vast open-world environments. Nevertheless, players now know what strategy to employ when the going gets tough with those pesky enemy NPC invaders.
Developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment shipped Elden Ring less than a week ago to rave reviews. And, setting aside performance troubles and the like on PC and consoles, most fans agree the lengthy wait was more than worth it in the end. Notably, Elden Ring serves as the first true open-world entry in FromSoftware's Souls games, opening the experience up to a much wider audience. It's worth noting, though, that the enemies - bosses and their smaller counterparts alike - are as difficult to dispatch as ever.
Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Elden_Ring_Guides/Reddit (via VG247)