Summary
- Limgrave's Erdtree Avatar requires adaptability due to its punishing attacks and difficult terrain.
- Agheel, an early game dragon, presents a challenging fight that's made significantly easier with Torrent.
- The Demi-Human Chiefs boss is a difficult duo that can be better managed by clearing out their minions first.
Renowned as a hardcore action RPG, Elden Ring took Soulsborne gaming by storm in 2022 when it introduced open-world gameplay to the genre. No longer were the beautiful worlds and vibrant combat of Soulsbornes locked behind brutal boss battles that force players to perfect every movement or quit the game out of pure frustration. In Elden Ring, players can simply leave a difficult boss and continue exploring the game's captivating environments. Maybe they'll return to that boss, better equipped and ready to take revenge.
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With the release of Elden Ring: Nightreign just around the corner, there's no better time to jump back into the riveting world of Elden Ring. Get ready to refresh those dodging skills on the most difficult bosses Limgrave has to offer.
8 Erdtree Avatar
Adaptability Is Key
- Location: Weeping Peninsula Minor Erdtree
- Runes Given: 4,500
- Weaknesses: Fire and Strike
This tanky, hard-hitting brand of boss can be found across the lands of Elden Ring, but the one in Limgrave is likely to be the player's first time encountering this hulking beast. Accompanied by a handful of minions, this boss particularly punishes low-level players who have yet to perfect the art of dodging, as just a couple of hits from the Erdtree Avatar's staff can prove deadly. It is also easy to get caught on pots or stumble into the minions that surround the tree.
Despite its strength, the Limgrave Erdtree Avatar is relatively beginner-friendly, offering clearly telegraphed attacks that are easy to dodge once players have the timing down. Its combos also give ample opportunities for players to deal some damage.
7 Flying Dragon Agheel
A Punishing Early Game Foe
- Location: Dragon-Burnt Ruins
- Runes Given: 5,000
- Weaknesses: Pierce
A terrifyingly huge dragon with an equally large health bar, Agheel is not a boss for the faint of heart. Despite being found so close to the starting area, Agheel is an incredibly tanky and powerful enemy that can easily instantly kill or two-hit most low-level characters. Players looking to take on this beast at the beginning of the game are in for a truly terrifying and grueling fight, especially if they haven’t got Torrent.
This battle becomes much easier once players have spent some time leveling up and upgrading their weapons. Agheel's attacks are clearly telegraphed and easy to dodge, and there are also long pauses between most attacks, giving players ample opportunities to deal damage and heal. Torrent also helps players close the distance when Agheel flies away and uses his fire breath attacks.
6 Demi-Human Chiefs
A Terrifying Juggling Act
- Location: Coastal Cave
- Runes Given: 1,200
- Weaknesses: Slash and Sleep
The Demi-Human Chiefs are a brutally punishing duo when faced head-on, even for higher-level characters. Alone, these bosses aren't all that impressive, with average health and easy-to-avoid attacks, but with a horde of demi-humans at their disposal, this boss battle can be a management nightmare. Trying to find an opening while demi-humans are constantly staggering the player, interrupting their combos, and whittling down their health is incredibly challenging.
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Taking this battle slowly makes things a whole lot easier. Upon entering the arena, the bosses aren't actually focused on the player, giving them a perfect opportunity to pick off the demi-human minions at range before engaging the chiefs.
5 Leonine Misbegotten
Frantic Combat And Deadly Attacks
- Location: Castle Morne
- Runes Given: 3,800
- Weaknesses: Slash and Fire
It may not be the largest or most imposing of Elden Ring's bosses, but the Leonine Misbegotten certainly makes up for it with its combat prowess. Incredibly fast, agile, and hard-hitting, this boss leaves only the smallest windows for players to read and react to their attack. It is a brutal attacker that punishes even the slightest of mistakes, and its speed and mobility make it difficult for players to find an opening to heal, attack, or recover stamina.
Thankfully, it does have some weaknesses, though. For one, the Leonine Misbegotten can be staggered quite easily with heavy attacks, though finding an opening for them is far from easy. This boss also has a handful of attacks that, once learned, can be quite easily punished.
4 Ulcerated Tree Spirit
Massive, Fast, And Unpredictable
- Location: Fringefolk Hero's Grave
- Runes Given: 15,000
- Weaknesses: Fire and Frostbite
This fast and frantic beast is sure to strike fear into the hearts of any low-level character. Its distorted shape and frequent attacks make reading, learning, and dodging its attacks incredibly difficult. Its relentlessness also makes it hard to get enough distance or downtime to heal or recover stamina. It also makes blocking combos almost impossible at lower levels without getting staggered.
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The same size that makes the Ulcerated Tree Spirit so hard to dodge does, however, give it some considerable weaknesses. For one, hitting this beast is easy, so long as the player can close the distance. Moves like its breath attack can also be punished liberally if dodged.
3 Margit, The Fell Omen
Devastatingly Powerful With Varied Attacks
- Location: Stormveil Castle
- Runes Given: 12,000
- Weaknesses: Slash
Despite being one of the first big bosses players are likely to encounter, Margit is a terrifyingly powerful beast, sporting high HP, deadly combos, and various long and short-range attacks. Despite his size, he is also incredibly agile. Finding an opening to heal, regenerate stamina, or use items can be challenging, especially in such a small arena. He also has some long combos where each attack varies in speed, making for difficult dodging even for experienced Soulsborne players.
As players level up and upgrade their weapons, this fight becomes notably easier. To actually call it easy would do it a disservice, though. To the trained eye, Margit may have clearly telegraphed attacks, but his combos' sheer speed and variability ensure he is still a colossal hurdle to overcome.
2 Tree Sentinel
Tanky, Agile, And Powerful
- Location: On the road to the Church of Elleh
- Runes Given: 3,200
- Weaknesses: Lightning
Few bosses in Limgrave are quite as fierce as the Tree Sentinel. As his appearance might suggest, he is incredibly tanky, and with his horse beneath him, he is also agile, effortlessly weaving into and out of combat range. His attacks may have long cool-downs, but for the most part, he can ride away before the player has a chance to hit him. Stamina and health management are key in this battle of attrition.
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The Tree Sentinel's combos also have a lot of variability in their attack speed and frequency, making him a challenging boss for new players who are unaccustomed to Soulsborne dodging. There's no shame in players ignoring him until they are at a higher level and have more experience under their belt.
1 Godrick the Grafted
The Relentless Shardbearer
- Location: Stormveil Castle
- Runes Given: 20,000
- Weaknesses: Standard, Slash, Strike, and Pierce
Given he's one of the eight shardbearers, it's no surprise that defeating Godrick is a tough feat. He may be large, but make no mistake, he can cross the arena in moments, pinning the player against a wall with his onslaught of attacks. Like most fast-fighting bosses, finding an opportunity to heal or recover stamina amidst the chaos is quite a challenge, especially given that Godrick has both AOE and ranged attacks.
Adaptability and awareness of one's surroundings are vital to winning this fight. Players must be ready to move into and out of attack range at a moment's notice, as Godrick’s AOE attacks and second-phase fire breath deal devastating damage. Godrick's second-phase dragon head grab attack is even more deadly, so players need to be on their toes when they're within melee range.
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
