Can You Stop Rennala From Summoning in Elden Ring? A Deep Dive
The Queen of the Full Moon, Rennala, is a formidable boss in Elden Ring, known for her unique summoning abilities during the second phase of her battle. The question on many Tarnished minds is: Can you actually stop her from summoning those spectral terrors? The short answer is no, you cannot completely stop Rennala from summoning. Her summoning mechanic is a core part of the fight’s design and is scripted to occur during specific phases and at certain health thresholds. However, understanding her patterns and how to effectively deal with her summons is crucial for victory.
Understanding Rennala’s Summoning Mechanics
Rennala’s summoning abilities are primarily active during the second phase of her fight. Once her health is depleted in the first phase (which involves defeating her scholars and bringing her down from the ceiling), she transitions to a more aggressive stance, where her magical prowess truly shines. In this phase, she will regularly summon various spectral enemies to assist her. These summons range from Wolves, a Bloodhound Knight, and even a Dragon or a Troll, all of which are ephemeral, lasting only a few seconds before disappearing.
This constant barrage of summons, coupled with her magical attacks, can make the fight overwhelming for unprepared players. While you can’t stop her summoning, you can mitigate their impact with careful strategy and timing.
Why Focus on Mitigation, Not Prevention?
Since you cannot stop Rennala from summoning, your approach should shift to managing her summons effectively. Instead of attempting the impossible, focus on the following:
- Ignoring Smaller Summons: The wolves and smaller humanoids are designed to be a nuisance rather than a significant threat. It’s more efficient to ignore them and maintain your focus on Rennala, as they will disappear quickly.
- Dodging Major Summons: Larger summons such as the Dragon and Troll pose a more substantial threat. Learn to recognize their animations and dodge their attacks, ensuring that you don’t lose critical HP or focus on these summons for too long.
- Prioritizing Damage: Your primary focus should always be on dealing damage to Rennala. By being aggressive, you can reduce her health quickly enough that she will not have as many opportunities to summon again.
Recommended Strategies Against Her Summons
- Spirit Summons: While you can’t stop Rennala’s summons, you can summon your own! Spirit Summons are invaluable during this phase. As the old article mentions, summons like the Godrick Soldier Ashes or Lone Wolf Ashes are particularly effective at interrupting Rennala’s spellcasting and creating an opening for your attacks. Saving your summons for the second phase is highly recommended.
- Melee-Focused Builds: Rennala is vulnerable to melee damage, so utilizing slashing, stabbing, and striking attacks is incredibly effective. Engage her directly and maintain pressure to prevent her from having a clear opportunity to cast and summon.
- Shield Use: The Carian Knight Shield, obtained before the elevator leading to Rennala, provides significant magic damage negation, allowing you to better withstand her magical barrages and those of her summons.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Rennala and Her Summoning
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to give you a comprehensive understanding of the Rennala fight in Elden Ring:
1. Is Rennala an optional boss?
While Rennala is technically optional, she is a Shardbearer, and defeating two Shardbearers is necessary to access Leyndell, Royal Capital. Also, defeating her is required for certain endings. So, while the game may not explicitly force you to fight her right away, you’ll likely need to face her to progress.
2. Can you summon other players for the Rennala fight?
Yes, you can summon online players to assist you in the Rennala battle. You can also use your Spirit Ashes as well.
3. What are Rennala’s weaknesses?
Rennala is notably weak to standard Slashing, Stabbing, and Striking attacks. Melee weapons are highly effective against her. She is not particularly weak to her own magic type, so focusing on physical damage is advisable.
4. What level should I be to fight Rennala?
It is generally recommended to be around level 40-45 with a weapon upgraded to +7/+8 before engaging Rennala. However, this can depend greatly on your skill level and chosen build.
5. What are the best spirit ashes for the Rennala fight?
The Godrick Soldier Ashes and Lone Wolf Ashes are excellent choices for interrupting her spells. Saving your Spirit Summons for phase two is generally recommended, as the first phase is straightforward.
6. How do I handle Rennala’s summons during the second phase?
Ignore the smaller summons and focus on Rennala, as they disappear quickly. Dodge the attacks of larger summons like the Dragon and Troll and prioritize dealing damage to Rennala directly.
7. What is the best shield for the Rennala fight?
The Carian Knight Shield is highly recommended for its superior magic damage negation. This makes it easier to deal with both Rennala’s magic and her summons’ attacks.
8. What is inside the chest behind Rennala?
The chest contains the Dark Moon Ring, an essential item for Ranni’s questline.
9. What is Rebirth, and how is it related to Rennala?
After defeating Rennala, she allows you to perform Rebirth, which allows you to reallocate your stats using a Larval Tear. You can essentially “respec” your character by resetting attribute points. You can also use her to change your character’s appearance.
10. Can you skip Rennala and proceed to Leyndell?
While Elden Ring suggests tackling Godrick and Rennala first, the game’s open-world nature allows for other routes. You can explore the game and even progress without immediately confronting Rennala but it’s unlikely you would want to skip the rewards from this fight, especially because of the Rebirth feature she provides.
11. What is the Rivers of Blood katana?
The Rivers of Blood katana is considered one of the best bleed weapons in the game. This is not particularly relevant to Rennala directly but is a weapon many players use, and was mentioned in the original article.
12. What enemies can Rennala summon?
Rennala can summon a Bloodhound Knight, three Wolves, a Dragon, and a Troll. These summons are temporary and vanish after a few seconds.
13. How does summoning affect the boss’s health in Elden Ring?
Summoning one other player increases the boss’s health by 60% and their resistances by 50%. Summoning two additional players further increases these buffs, making the boss fight significantly harder.
14. How many Runes do you get for defeating Rennala?
Defeating Rennala rewards you with 40,000 Runes, along with the Great Rune of the Unborn and the Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen.
15. What happens to Rennala after you defeat her?
After the fight, Rennala remains as an NPC, and her arena becomes a non-combat zone. She provides access to the Rebirth function (respeccing) and cosmetic changes.
Conclusion
While you cannot stop Rennala from summoning her spectral allies in Elden Ring, understanding her mechanics and strategizing accordingly is key to success. Use this information to adjust your approach, and remember to use your Spirit Summons to control the chaos. Ultimately, by focusing on offense and minimizing her openings to summon, you can overcome this challenging yet satisfying boss battle. Happy adventuring, Tarnished!