Darkeater Midir’s Weaknesses: A Comprehensive Guide
Darkeater Midir, the colossal dragon from the Ringed City DLC of Dark Souls 3, is a formidable foe known for his immense health pool and devastating attacks. Many players struggle with this optional boss, often wondering about his vulnerabilities. So, let’s cut to the chase: Midir is primarily weak to lightning damage and physical damage, particularly thrusting and standard attacks. While he is a dragon, his weaknesses extend beyond the typical dragon archetype due to his corruption. Understanding these vulnerabilities is crucial for conquering this challenging encounter.
Understanding Midir’s Resistances and Immunities
Before diving into his weaknesses, it’s important to understand what Midir resists and is completely immune to. This knowledge will prevent you from wasting resources and strategies on ineffective approaches.
Resistances
- Magic Damage: Midir exhibits significant resistance to magic attacks. Relying on sorceries and spells won’t be very effective against him.
- Fire Damage: Unsurprisingly, as a dragon, Midir is resistant to fire damage. Fire-based weapons and spells should be avoided.
- Dark Damage: Midir also shows resistance to dark damage. Therefore, dark-infused weapons and spells will not be optimal.
Immunities
- Bleed: Midir is completely immune to bleed effects. Weapons that inflict bleed will have no added effect on him.
- Poison: Similarly, poison attacks are useless against Midir. Applying poison will not affect him in any way.
- Toxic: Toxic, like poison, will have no impact on the dragon.
- Frost: All frost-based weapons will not be effective against him.
Exploiting Midir’s Weaknesses
With Midir’s resistances and immunities in mind, let’s delve into how to best exploit his weaknesses.
Lightning Damage
As a true dragon, Midir is inherently weak to lightning damage. Weapons with innate lightning damage or buffs, such as Lightning Blade, are highly effective. This is a classic strategy against dragons in the Souls series.
Physical Damage
Contrary to expectations, Midir is more vulnerable to standard physical damage than he is to lightning damage. Weapons with high base physical damage, especially those that deal thrusting or standard damage, will prove to be more impactful than weapons with elemental damage infusions, with the exception of lightning. This makes weapons like greatswords, ultra greatswords, spears and rapiers very effective choices. It’s also important to note that weapons like the Farron Greatsword and Wolf Knight’s Greatsword are also known to do increased damage to him, as they were specifically designed to target corrupted beings.
Pestilence Mist
While not a traditional weakness, the spell Pestilent Mist is exceptionally effective due to Midir’s large health pool. This spell deals damage based on a percentage of the enemy’s health. Although not a burst damage option, it provides a consistent way of chipping away at his massive health bar.
Effective Strategies for Midir
Beyond damage types, how you approach the fight is just as crucial.
Head Targeting
The most effective way to damage Midir is to exclusively target his head. This is where he takes the most damage. Positioning yourself right in front of his mouth and dodging backward is essential. Close-range attacks reduce the likelihood of him using charging attacks or downward fire breath. Staying under him is not advisable, as his fire breath can hit you more often in this position.
Tail Targeting
Alternatively, if you struggle with head targeting, focusing on the tip of his tail is the next best strategy. While it deals less damage than his head, it offers a safer position to attack without suffering his more devastating attacks. However, be cautious of his tail swipe moves.
Patience and Observation
Midir is a boss where patience is essential. Do not get greedy, and observe his attack patterns closely. Attack only once or twice per engagement and then retreat to avoid punishment. This is a fight that requires you to learn his moves and exploit the openings he provides.
Frequently Asked Questions About Midir’s Weaknesses
Here are some frequently asked questions to further help you understand Midir’s vulnerabilities and how best to approach the fight:
1. Is Midir weak to dark damage?
No, Midir is resistant to dark damage. Using weapons and spells that inflict dark damage will not be very effective against him.
2. What type of physical damage is best against Midir?
Midir is particularly vulnerable to standard physical damage and thrusting damage, making weapons like greatswords, ultra greatswords, spears and rapiers strong choices for this encounter.
3. Do the Farron Greatsword and Wolf Knight’s Greatsword do extra damage to Midir?
Yes, both the Farron Greatsword and Wolf Knight’s Greatsword do increased damage to Midir due to his corruption, aligning with their lore purpose.
4. Is Pestilent Mist a viable option against Midir?
Yes, Pestilent Mist is highly effective against Midir due to his massive health pool. The percentage-based damage can significantly reduce his health over time.
5. Should I use a lightning-infused weapon against Midir?
Yes, lightning damage is one of Midir’s primary weaknesses. Lightning infusions or buffs can greatly enhance your damage output, however, high base physical damage is slightly better than lightning damage.
6. Is it better to fight Midir’s head or tail?
Focusing on Midir’s head is generally better for dealing maximum damage. If you are unable to consistently hit his head, focusing on the tip of his tail is a safer alternative.
7. Is Midir vulnerable to bleed?
No, Midir is completely immune to bleed. Weapons that inflict bleed will not have any additional effect on him.
8. Can Midir be poisoned or toxified?
No, Midir is immune to both poison and toxic. Applying these status effects will not affect him.
9. How do I effectively target Midir’s head?
To target Midir’s head effectively, position yourself directly in front of his mouth and dodge backward when he attacks. This reduces the likelihood of him using charging attacks and fire breath downwards.
10. What level should I be when fighting Midir?
Level is less important than learning Midir’s attack patterns. A level 80+ character should be fine, but focus on staying alive and understanding the fight rather than relying on raw stats.
11. How do I avoid Midir’s fire breath?
Avoidance mostly depends on positioning. If you stay close to the front, dodging to the side when he breathes is more effective. Avoid getting directly beneath him, as this can make you more susceptible to his fire attacks and increase his usage of fire attacks.
12. Can I summon help for the Midir fight?
Yes, you can summon other players to assist with the Midir fight. Look for summon signs near the boss arena. Be mindful that adding summons can increase the boss’s health.
13. Is Midir the hardest boss in Dark Souls 3?
Midir is often considered one of the most difficult bosses in the series, though the hardest boss can be subjective. Many players rank him as more challenging than even the Nameless King, although that is up for debate.
14. Is the Midir fight optional?
Yes, the Midir fight is optional, though it is required to join the Spears of the Church covenant.
15. Is it worth fighting Midir?
Yes, it is worth it! Not only will beating Midir provide a significant challenge, the reward for beating him, along with the covenant you can join afterward, make it worthwhile.