There are many Tarnished you will face in your travels across Elden Ring. Many will be friendly, but most just want to see you meet a horrible fate. One of these Tarnished that you will face twice in the game is Roundtable Knight Vyke.
He was the only other Tarnished to almost make it to Elden Lord but would forsake the throne before seizing it. A tough boss and invader, Roundtable Knight Vyke will kill you swiftly if you are not careful. This guide will help you take on Roundtable Knight Vyke and his invader version, Festering Fingerprint Vyke.
Roundtable Knight Vyke Overview
Roundtable Knight Vyke shows up in two forms: as an invader named Festering Fingerprint Vyke in Liurnia of the Lakes and as a boss in Lord Contender’s Evergoal on the Mountaintops of the Giants. Both versions pose a significant threat to the player.
He has an arsenal of Madness and Dragon Incantations, and he can also heal himself to full health with a Flask of Crimson Tears. Do not be discouraged yet.
Is Roundtable Knight Vyke optional?
Not at all. Though his invader version is involuntary, it can be avoided by not straying too close to the Church of Inhibition. You can also ignore the Evergoal version, as completing Elden Ring is unnecessary.
However, you miss out on an amazing spear, armor set, and lighting Incantation if you skip Roundtable Knight Vyke and his invader version, Festering Fingerprint Vyke.
Is Festering Fingerprint Vyke a player?
No, Festering Fingerprint Vyke is not a player. He is an NPC invader that can invade you offline and online. So, preparing for him is crucial if you are trying to pass through Liurnia of the Lakes. Roundtable Knight Vyke has many similarities to playing against a player. Let us see how to take on both versions of this Tarnished.
Elden Ring Roundtable Knight Vyke/Festering Fingerprint Vyke Location
As mentioned, you will encounter two versions of Vyke in Elden Ring. His invader version, Festering Fingerprint Vyke, is near the Church of Inhibition in Liurnia of the Lakes. His invasion occurs much earlier in the game than in the Evergoal version. You fight later. He will only invade you once you get close to the church itself. Beware of the Madness status effect as you make your way there.
Madness status effect
Madness, yes. A Frenzy-Flaming Tower here inflicts heavy Madness status as it pulses. There are also various Frenzied rats, Godrick Soldiers, and villagers who can inflict Madness. The enemies and Madness status effect will quickly knock you off your horse and leave you vulnerable. It is best to sneak or methodically remove the enemies to get to Festering Fingerprint Vyke.
Here is where to engage him on a map.
Now, for Roundtable Knight Vyke. That fight can be found way north, past the Capital of Leyndell. You must have traversed most of the story and beaten several bosses, including Morgott, the Omen King. Once you have, just make your way through the cold to The Lord Contenders’ Evergoal in the upper right-hand corner of the map. Here is it on the map itself.
Pre-Fight Preparation
We can take out Roundtable Knight Vyke and Festering Fingerprint Vyke in two ways. Each will require different preparation, with the invader version requiring the Tenished to be at least 60-70 level. The Evergoal encounter occurs later in the game, where you’re expected to be at least 100-120.
Stat investment
When you get to Liurnia of the Lakes, you will want 15 to 25 Vigor for a decent HP pool. The fight up to Festering Fingerprint Vyke is quite the challenge, as the invasion takes place in the Church of Inhibition, with several enemies between you and the invader.
Now that you have HP taken care of, you will also need a fair amount of Endurance when fighting Festering Fingerprint Vyke. We would recommend at least 15 into this stat to not only dodge Vyke’s pike but so that you can also get your damage in. You will be dodging a lot, so stamina is paramount.
Now, for Roundtable Knight Vyke, because you fight him in a much higher Soul Level area, we recommend a Vigor investment of 40 and an Endurance stat investment of 30. You should have enough runes to get your stats higher by this point in the game.
Immunity to status effects
Understand that status effects like Frostbite, Hemorrhage, Poison, and Scarlet Rot do not work on Festering Fingerprint Vyke nor Roundtable Knight Vyke. We will be utilizing just melee and magic for this guide.
Melee and Magic Build – Festering Fingerprint Vyke
Your build can be flexible and not set in stone so much as Roundtable Knight Vyke and Festering Fingerprint Vyke are Tarnished. We went Strength for our melee build, so we invested 25 points for Strength with 10 in Dexterity. The Dexterity makes it so we can wield the weapon, as it takes 17 Strength and 9 Dexterity. We would also need at least 11 into Mind to use the weapon art we will discuss later.
Regarding a magic build, we suggest at least 25 Intelligence and 15 into 20 Mind. This will ensure your spells will hit Vyke hard, and we can get enough casts in.
Get the Banished Knight Greatsword
The Banished Knights Greatsword is a great weapon for a melee build. This weapon has solid stats, but you will mostly use it for its weapon art: Stamp (Upward Cut).
The weapon skill comes in two parts; the first part puts you into a stance, while another press causes a vertical uppercut that sends smaller enemies flying. The weapon art has amazing poise, thus giving you some crowd control versus Festering Fingerprint Vyke.
You can farm the Banished Knight Greatsword from the Banished Knights of Stormveil Castle. Going to the Secluded Cell site of Grace in Stormveil Castle is an easy farm route. Head up the broken ramp pathway and turn right. Head to the wall and jump on the ledge that runs along the wall. Follow the ledge and jump through an opening at the end.
You will find a Stormveil Hawk and Banished Knight just ahead. We recommend taking out the hawk before taking on the Banished Knight. Run back to the bonfire and repeat if the sword does not drop. You will get this weapon up to 8+ to 10+ before the Festering Fingerprint Vyke invasion.
Get the Demi-Human Queen Staff, Glintstone Arc, and Carian Greatsword
Demi-Human Queen Staff would be a safe bet if you’re rocking a magic build. The Demi-Human Queen Staff is the best for those who have Runes invested in Intelligence. The staff should allow you to inflict maximum damage using Glintstone Spells.
You will need to beat the Demi-Human Queen located in The Weeping Peninsula. Since The Weeping Peninsula is an early-game area, the staff should be easy to obtain. Here is where the boss is on the map.
For spells, the Glintstone Arc and Carian Greatsword are accessible by this point in the game and work wonders against Festering Fingerprint Vyke.
Carian Greatsword will catch his roll, while the wide arc of Glintstone Arc will help you hit the invader from a wider angle. Of course, you can supplement your build with Glintstone Pebble for quick hits.
Melee and Magic Build – Roundtable Knight Vyke
Roundtable Knight Vyke is a higher-level version of his invader counterpart, minus the Madness part (Thank goodness!) However, he does take a bit more preparation and different gear. For melee users, we would recommend the Ruins Greatsword. This weapon has a whopping requirement of 50 Strength to wield, however. Like the Banished Knight Greatsword, we are in it for its weapon art: Wave of Destruction.
This weapon’s art is one of the best in the game regarding damage, crowd control, and style. This weapon crushes both versions of Vyke easily. However, you must get your Intelligence up to 16 as the gravity magic scales with Intelligence.
We recommend investing 15 to 20 into Mind to ensure we can cast the weapon art multiple times.
The sword is acquired by defeating the Misbegotten Warrior and Crucible Knight duo in the Redman Castle Plaza.
Magic users should be taking advantage of Rogier’s Rapier. Use it to perma-stagger Vyke. Just make sure you have 50 Intelligence to boost the Rapier’s damage, 30 Mind for a healthy FP pool, and 17 Dexterity to ensure you can use the rapier. You can pair this with a shield-like Brass Shield if you feel more comfortable with one. Remember to level your weapons to the max, as The Mountaintops of the Giants is a late-game area.
Talismans and Gear
The Talismans we chose for melee builds are the Green Turtle Talisman for increased Stamina recovery speed and The Dragoncrest Shield Talisman for the Physical damage negation.
You will have two extra slots when you reach Roundtable Knight Vyke. We chose The Erdtree’s Favor for those slots for HP, Stamina, and Equip Load boosts and Boltdrake Taliman for Lightning Negation.
Magic users will use the Graven-School Talisman and the Cerulean Seed Talisman. These Talismans will boss your sorceries and give you more FP when you use your flasks. In the Roundtable Knight Vyke fight, use the Primal Glintstone Blade for lessened FP usage and the Boltdrake Talisman.
Fight Strategy
Although you will face the same Vyke in both battles, they each have their strategy. Festering Fingerprint Vyke uses Frenzied Flame Incantations, while Roundtable Knight Vyke uses lightning. Because of this, each fight will need to be handled in its manner.
Let us look at each battle’s similarities before discussing the variations in strategy.
Festering Fingerprint Vyke Strategy
Use Greatswords to roll catch
Both versions of the boss love to roll out of your attacks, so catching them between attacks is crucial. That and both versions can heal themselves with a Flask of Crimson Tears, albeit just one usage. Do not be discouraged when they heal; just play it safe while waiting for openings.
The Banished Knight Greatsword and the Carian Greatsword spell are amazing for roll-catching either version of Vyke. Use these abilities if you are having trouble landing a hit on him. He has the standard spear attack animations: long thrusts and quick pokes.
Timing and reading him will be the best way to avoid his melee attacks. Watch out, as Roundtable Knight Vyke and his invader version hit very hard. Let us dig deeper into the Festering Fingerprint Vyke battle.
Watch your Madness Build up
The key is not to engage Festering Fingerprint Vyke near the eye-shot of the tower. The area beside the church is a good place to engage him as it’s fairly open. You must take it slow, as you do not want to engage the invader when your meter is almost full. Keep your distance as a melee user till the meter is low.
Magic users will have an easier time fighting while waiting for the Madness meter to empty. Just be wary, as Festering Fingerprint Vyke’s spear has a long reach and causes Madness. Just keep him back and watch for his spells.
Avoid the Howl of Shabriri when in melee range
This Frenzied Flame Incantation is mostly a threat when you are melee. When you see Vyke hold his head, roll back to avoid the spell. It does not deal damage, but the howl has massive Madness build up if you stand too close. Moreover, the spell can stun-lock you if he continues to channel it. If you are fast as a melee user, you can use the Stamp weapon art on Vyke and send him flying.
Watch for Frenzied Burst
Melee and Magic will have to contend with the Frenzied Burst Incantation — a spell that comes out quickly and deals with massive damage and Madness build-up. Thankfully, the attack is telegraphed by Vyke holding his forehead before it comes out. Watch for this and roll as he fires it.
Melee users, watch for The Flame of Frenzy
Another spell to be wary about at range is The Flame of Frenzy. Festering Fingerprint Vyke fires a frenzy flame from his eyes in a chaotic arc around him. Magic users will easily avoid it as the flames fire out and drop to the ground after a short distance. Use the opportunity to fire a Glintstone Arc or two at him as he channels.
Melee users should disengage and strafe toward Vyke, as the fire comes out in a cone and is easier to dodge up close. You can riposte him while he is turned if you are fast enough.
Avoid the Leaping Thrust
Vyke leaps into the air and lands on the player, spreading out and inducing flames in a large area. Roundtable Knight Vyke will not cause a wave of Frenzied Flame, but it can still be devastating if he connects.
When you see him leap, lock on and roll toward him as he lands. The flames emerge from where he lands, so rolling to his back ensures a riposte or weapon art as a melee user. Magic users should keep their distance when they see him leap and follow up with a Glintstone Arc when he lands.
Roundtable Knight Vyke Strategy
This version of Vyke has no Madness spells to worry about. Instead, he has Dragon Cult Incantations you need to avoid. Use jumping attacks, as they are much safer against Roundtable Knight Vyke than his invader counterpart.
Dodge to avoid the Lightning Bolt incantations
Roundtable Knight Vyke has two offensive spells in his arsenal: Fortissax’s Lighting Spear and Lightning Strike. With Fortissax’s Lightning spear, he uses two lightning stakes and drives them each into the ground one after another. Each strike will send a wave of lighting at the player. Watch for the ground to light up red and roll as the bolts come down.
The Lighting Spear spell will scatter a lighting bolt that chases the player briefly. The spell travels linearly, so just dodge right or left to avoid it.
Vyke also can enchant his weapon with lightning damage, making him cause more damage with his attacks., Avoid his heavy attack, which will shred your HP and roll catch you.
Cheese Method on Roundtable Knight Vyke
Cheese Method using Ruins Greatsword
You can punish Roundtable Knight Vyke easily with the Ruins Greatsword. As Vyke spawns, get close and start the charge animation for the Wave of Destruction. Once it connects, Vyke will fly into the air before landing hard on the ground. The recovery on this weapon art is swift, allowing you to chain it into another. It is possible to juggle him until death if you have enough FP.
Cheese Method using Rogier’s Rapier
Magic users will start the battle by casting the weapon art on Rogier’s Rapier. Once you have the swords hovering around you, get Roundtable Knight Vyke to spawn by walking forward. You will be kiting backward as he chases you.
The Glintblade Phalanx has crazy poise damage and will stagger him with one cast while he tries to chase. As he staggers, you will cast the weapon art again and continue moving back to avoid his attacks. When done right, this strategy can keep the boss battle in your favor.
Make sure you have enough FP or Cerulean Flasks to keep the cheese going if you’re using the Ruins Greatsword or the Rogier’s Rapier.
There you have it! It’s a way to beat Roundtable Knight Vyke and his Festering Fingerprint Vyke version.
Rewards
Here is the breakdown for both Festering Fingerprint Vyke and Roundtable Knight Vyke:
Festering Fingerprint Vyke Rewards
- 2180 Runes
- Furlcalling Finger Remedy: Consumable item that reveals co-op and hostile summon signs if you are online.
- Fingerprint Grape: Story item necessary to progress Hyetta’s questline.
- Vyke’s War Spear: A Great Spear that scales with E Strength, C Dexterity, and D Faith. Though the weapon requirements are a little high, the move-set, Madness build-up, and weapon art make this a beast in PvP. The weapon art gives you Vyke flying thrust ability, which covers the ground in madness-inducing flames. It compliments Frenzy builds very well, and we highly recommend it.
Roundtable Knight Vyke Rewards
- 78750 Runes
- Fingerprint Armor Set
- Vyke’s Dragonbolt: This is the same Incantation he uses against you in the boss battle. It enchants your weapon with lighting while lowering the player’s resistance to lightning. It’s not a bad addition to Faith builds that want to build for Lightning Damage.
