Elden Ring features some of the toughest bosses in FromSoftware’s history, with some having multiple phases with unique attacks that can catch players by surprise. However, Elden Ring gives fans plenty of ways to make their gameplay experience easier, with summon signs being one of the most common methods to stack the odds in one’s favor.
Gamers can summon spirit ashes, NPCs, and other players to help them defeat a boss or get through a difficult level. A special golden summon sign outside the boss fog gate shows that users can summon important NPCs for that particular fight. It's seen as early as Margit, the first major boss of Elden Ring, but some summons require fans to fulfill specific conditions before they show up. One Elden Ring player recently came across a surprising summon sign outside a major story boss after spending over 200 hours in the game.
A Reddit user named phantominoo discovered that it’s possible to summon Melina in the boss battle against Morgott. Phantominoo claims to have played Elden Ring for 240 hours and expresses their shock at seeing Melina’s summon sign just outside the fog gate. It appears that Melina is incredibly helpful in this fight, with many calling her overpowered due to her mobility and healing capabilities.
Some posters claim that her movement abilities are similar to that of Black Knife Assassins, and she uses unique incantations not found elsewhere in the game. Furthermore, Melina fights with the Blade of Calling, a dagger similar to the Black Knife. Players interested in trying out this weapon can acquire it from a late-game area near the Forbidden Lands Site of Grace.
Fans later comment on how much they like quest-related NPC summons in Elden Ring, with Nephali being mentioned several times throughout the thread. A Redditor named ColonelJinkuro claims that Elden Ring’s summon signs take a second to show up, so users running too fast may miss them. It could be the reason why it took phantominoo 240 hours, and likely multiple playthroughs, to discover it.
Melina plays a key role in Elden Ring, both in terms of gameplay and the narrative. Players can’t level up or summon Torrent before meeting her, and her actions have a significant impact on the story. As Melina is one of the most important NPCs in Elden Ring, it’s not surprising to see FromSoftware allow fans to fight alongside her.
Elden Ring is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.