Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is arguably one of the most difficult DLCs, boasting some of the hardest bosses we’ve ever seen inFromSoftware’s portfolio.That was expected, though, as the game’s director,Hidetaka Miyazaki,said that they wanted to push players to their limits.
And the long-awaited DLC does just that. With a total of 80 bosses, the Land of Shadow challenged even the most seasoned of the Tarnished. Without further ado, here are the hardest bosses in theShadow of the Erdtree DLC, ranked from easiest to most difficult to beat.
12Romina, The Saint Of The Bud
Meet The Lady Centiscorpede
Boss Location
Church of the Bud
Difficulty Rating
Despite looking quite disturbing and lethal, Romina is one of the easier boss fights inShadow of the Erdtree. That said, even bosses who are not that hard to beat can come up with surprise attacks that will drain your HP bar in the blink of an eye. That applies to Romina as well.
Lurking in the Church of the Bud, Romina is all about inflicting Scarlet Rot with his long-reaching spear combos and Rot-drenched stings.She also tends to grab you and deal one-shotting damage right after attacking with her stings.
When she initiates her slash combo, rolling towards the slashes is best to avoid them.If you don’t have the necessary items to cure your Rot and defend against her attacks, dodging these slashes is even more important as they increase Rot buildup.
We suggest equipping theImmunizing Horn Charmas it offers a solid resistance against Poison and Scarlet Rot, which is critical for this fight.
11Golden Hippopotamus
A Health Bar Worthy Of Demigods
Shadow Keep
Those acquainted with FromSoftware’s games know that themost frustrating bossesin their games often lurk in narrow areas. The tradition continues with theGolden Hippopotamus, which is a large andagile beast with a health bar nearly equivalent to Lord Rykard’s, an actual demigod we face in the base game.
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Boasting a hefty health bar worthy of the gods is not the only problem with this hippo, though. It can easily throw its body mass around and quickly close the gap between itself and the player. In the meantime, his colossal mouth constantly snaps and bites, leaving nowhere safe in the arena.
Although most of his attacks are limited to bites and chin slams, the hippo tends to surprise the player with a sudden transition to a porcupine.Once its health drops to 65%, the hippo throws out a rain of needles and deals solid AoE damage.
Its most threatening move is the classic leap-and-crash, which deals immense damage that can one-hit your build despite boasting aScadutree Fragment. Since the area is pretty narrow,your best bet is to dodge forward as it’s about to crash onto the ground.
With its unpredictable porcupine needles and huge gaping mouth that does not telegraph its attacks much, Golden Hippopotamus is one of the hardest optionalShadow of the Erdtreebosses. Taking it down rewards the Tarnished with the spikyAspect of the Crucible: Thornsincantation.
10Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame
Vulnerable Stance With Frenzy-Infused Attacks
Abyssal Woods
Midra is one of the toughest and the most disturbing creatures in the Land of Shadow. It’s easy to figure that out even before facing him, as evenTorrent, can not be summonedbefore entering the woods because of being too frightened.
The path to Midra is filled with Lovecraftian creatures similar to the ones inBloodborne, so Torrent’s reaction is quite natural.Fortunately though, braving the woods and facing Midra’s frenzied wrath is entirely optional.But those who want to explore the area and take down one of the hardest bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree will be in a run for their money.
Midra, also known as the Lord of Frenzy, comes in two phases, with the second one being much more challenging, filled with unpredictable, fast-paced moves and ranged attacks. Midra is also quite fast with his greatsword and can quickly close the distance to reach the player.
The Lord of Frenzy is also quite eager to introduce you to eternal chaos, as his Frenzy-infused attacks are relentless and are difficult to dodge. That’s why it’s a good idea to raise your Focus and addClarifying Horn Charm +1to your set toincrease your build’s resistance to Madness.
Moreover,Midra’s stance can be broken in three successive parries. Unlike many other Shadow of the Erdtree bosses, he is also vulnerable against Bleed damage and tends to telegraph his greatsword attacks earlier in the fight.
9Blackgaol Knight
Scorched Ruins
Located in the Eastern Nameless Mausoleum, Blackgaol Knight is one of thoseShadow of the Erdtreebosses to warn the players before fully dedicating themselves to the DLC. Although he seems like a humble knight,he is no pushover and can be incredibly difficult to beat.
For instance, his unending barrage of fire bolts is a nightmare for slow melee builds. He also tends to burst out powerful sword attacks in quick succession, not leaving any room to dodge.
The small boss arena also contributes to the fight’s difficulty, as the knight tends to open suppressing fire that covers everywhere. He’s also quite fast with his Greatsword, which sends out a wave of energy that is extremely lethal.
The key to taking Blackgaol Knight down lies in taking the aggressive position. Waiting for him to attack often results in dying to his barrage of firebolts or losing half of the HP after his Greatsword attacks.
It’s a good idea to lunge towards him as soon as you go through the wall of fog. Attacking him while reloading his crossbow and rolling out as soon as he raises his sword is a good tactic.
While his moveset is not very versatile, mastering them can be a real pain, rendering the fight one of the hardest in the early stages of the DLC.
8The Divine Beast Dancing Lion
Sets The Tone Right For The DLC
As one of the first bosses players are likely to face,The Divine Beast Dancing Lion serves as a caution to the Tarnished following Miquella the Kind. Consisting of two massive dudes hiding under a blanket, The Divine Beast Dancing Lion has a ton of unpredictable attacks with a large area of effect.
These rotating and swirling attacks also inflict cold and lightning damage, making the fight even more frustrating for those who have just set a foothold in the DLC. The lion also lacks some kind of weapon and uses its body to attack instead.
This requires players to analyze its dancing patterns and prepare beforehand to dodge its attacks. Its disproportionate body also does not telegraph much, since it’s covered under a blanket.
Fortunately, though,the movements of the lion’s head can give a heads-up on its next move.Despite its killer dance moves, watch the lion’s head to gain the edge you will need.
It’s also worth noting that the NPCRedmane Freyja can be summoned before entering the wall of fog, making the fight against one of the hardest Shadow of the Erdtree bosses a bit more manageable.
7Needle Knight Leda and Miquella’s Followers
Dreadful And Overwhelming
Fighting Needle Knight Ledaand the faithful followers of Miquella is one of the most memorable fights in the entire game.Beating them is also required to advance further in the DLC.That’s no easy task, however, as the Needle Knight Leda and her company are some of the hardest Shadow of the Erdtree bosses.
Unlike many other boss fights, the players must fight several combatants to further their quest in Enir-Ilim. Leda and her companions put up an overwhelming fight, often requiring players to summon ally NPCs.
For that reason, it’s also one of the most controversial boss fights, since most players are adamant about beating the game without summoningMimic Tear Ashesor other allies.
That said, it seems like this specific boss encourages players to depend on summons. Because Leda and her allies gang up on the Tarnished brutally, not giving them a brief moment to breathe.
Despite its unique difficulty, fighting against Leda and several other combatants can be easier with aweapon inflicting Hemorrhage, along with TalismansLord of Blood’s Exultation, andWinged Sword Insignia.
The former increases attack power by 20% for 20 seconds against enemies inflicted by Hemorrhage. Conversely, the latter is a highly effective Talisman that raises attack power with successive attacks.
Combined with an Ash of War that bursts out successive attacks, the chances of emerging victorious rise significantly.
6Scadutree Avatar
Third Time’s The Charm
Scadutree Base
Scadutree Avatar is one of the hardest Shadow of the Erdtree bosses due to the fight’s unique nature and three-phased structure. Located in the Shadow Keep, the Avatar has a wide arsenal of powerful moves, slowly unraveling and getting more serious in every phase.It also deals solid Bleed damage and sends out orbs that inflict Holy damage.
What’s more,the Tarnished has to deplete Scadutree Avatar’s health bar three times before emerging victorious.
While the Avatar starts every phase with a slightly smaller health bar, fighting it is still painful due to its constant 360 attacks and the overly aggressive moveset in the third phase.
It’s best to keep aiming for its head and avoiding its lethal charges every time a new phase starts.
5Metyr, Mother of Fingers
Visually Stunning And Incredibly Frustrating
Finger Ruins of Miyr
As one of the optional bosses inShadow of the ErdtreeDLC, Metyr stands out as an eldritch nightmare shooting out laser beams and constantly bursting out AoE attacks.
She is an amalgamation of arms and fingers and tends to call them to her aid during the fight. Her unpredictable move set and helping hands make her one of the toughest bosses the DLC throws our way.
Despite having a ton of twisted fingers, Metyr can navigate her way around quite fast to eradicate the Tarnished. She comes up with extremely fast attacks that deal solid damage out of nowhere, too.
Although she can be frustrating to take down,aiming for her fleshy stomach is critical in eradicating this Lovecraftian horror.Since she consists of hands and fingers,Metyr also hates paper cuts. So ensure you’re running with a Bleed-focused build to drain her health pool.
Otherwise, it will take much longer to take her down, since she can traverse the distance between herself and the player in the blink of an eye,constantly jumping to attack and stepping backward to shoot out laser beams.
Although difficult to beat by builds lacking a focus on Bleed, it’s one of the most stunning boss fights inShadow of the Erdtree, perfectly showcasingFromSoftware’s talent in environmental design.
4Rellana, Twin Moon Knight
Dark Souls 3’s Dancer Meets Bloodborne’s Orphan
Castle Ensis
Rellana is arguably one of the best bosses inShadow of the Erdtree,as it’s a brilliant result of FromSoftware’s experience at tailoring fast-paced one-on-one boss fights.
Fighting Rellana feels like fighting against theDark Soulstrilogy’s Pontiff Sulyvahn, Dancer of the Boreal Valley, and Artorias the Abysswalker simultaneously.
That’s because Rellana is a master swordsman wielding dual swords and bursting out extremely aggressive attacks.Although incredibly powerful in close-quarters combat, Rellana is also dangerous at range. In fact, some of the most powerful attacks in her attack pattern are her ranged attacks.
Fortunately, those boasting aFrozen Lightning Spearwill have a much better time during the fight, since Rellana is prone to lightning.
As the twin sister of one of the pushover bosses in the base game, Rennala, this moon-exploding knight is undoubtedly one of the hardestShadow of the Erdtreebosses, for sure.
3Messmer the Impaler
He Is The DLC’s Frontman, After All
As the star of the long-awaited expansion pack,Messmer the Impaleris undoubtedly one of the hardestShadow of the Erdtreebosses. He is extremely aggressive and has an incredibly wide arsenal of powerful and unpredictable attacks.
In close combat, Messmer heavily depends on her fiery spear and deals powerful damage with unrelenting spear combos. However, he’s just as unforgiving when it comes to attacking from a distance, as his spear reaches pretty much anywhere in the boss arena.
Mastering to dodge his attacks, or being lucky enough to survive the first phase is far from easy. The fight gets even more brutal whenMessmer transforms into a huge serpent and deals massive Elemental Damage.
FromSoftware designed Messmer to push the players to their limits. That’s why it’s essential to collect as manyScadutree Fragmentas possible before facing Messmer and his sneaky moves.
