Decoding the Elden Beast: Maximizing Damage Against Elden Ring’s Final Boss
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The quest to become Elden Lord culminates in a challenging battle against Radagon of the Golden Order and the Elden Beast. To inflict the most damage against this final foe, focus on physical damage and fire damage, while exploiting the Scarlet Rot status effect. While the Elden Beast is resistant to many forms of damage, these strategies will give you the edge needed to emerge victorious.
Understanding the Elden Beast’s Weaknesses and Resistances
Before diving into specific weapon recommendations and tactics, it’s crucial to understand what the Elden Beast is vulnerable and resistant to. This knowledge will inform your build choices and combat strategies.
Resistances
- Holy Damage: As a being of the Greater Will, the Elden Beast naturally exhibits high resistance to Holy damage. Avoid relying on Faith-based offensive incantations or weapons that primarily deal Holy damage.
- Bleed: Status effects like Bleed are largely ineffective against the Elden Beast.
- Poison: Similar to Bleed, Poison builds are not recommended for this fight.
- Sleep: Attempts to put the Elden Beast to sleep will be futile.
- Madness: Incantations or weapons that trigger Madness will not work.
- Frostbite: Inflicting Frostbite is not an effective strategy against the Elden Beast.
Vulnerabilities
- Physical Damage: The Elden Beast is far less resistant to physical damage than Holy. Weapons with high physical attack power are a solid foundation for your build.
- Fire Damage: Radagon is surprisingly weak to Fire damage, making this a key element of a successful strategy for the overall final boss fight. While Elden Beast doesn’t share that weakness, it’s not resistant either.
- Scarlet Rot: This status effect deals percentage-based damage over time, making it incredibly effective against high-health bosses like the Elden Beast.
- Black Flame: This damage type does percentage based damage making it useful against higher health bosses such as the Elden Beast.
Top Weapon Choices for Maximum Damage
Given the Elden Beast’s resistances and vulnerabilities, certain weapons stand out as particularly effective choices:
Dual Spears with Occult Infusion
- Spears with the Occult infusion scales Arcane which means higher bleed build up, which increases overall physical damage output. The Cross-Naginata spear is a good choice for this strategy.
Blasphemous Blade
- The Blasphemous Blade is a greatsword that deals Fire damage and heals the user on hit with its Taker’s Flame skill.
Great Stars
- Great Stars is a colossal weapon that can deal high physical damage and heals the user on hit.
Rivers of Blood
- While both final bosses are immune to Bleed, the high physical damage and Corpse Piler skill still makes Rivers of Blood viable for this encounter, especially against Radagon.
Fallingstar Beast Jaw
- The Fallingstar Beast Jaw’s weapon skill does strike damage which the Elden Beast is not resistant to.
Black Flame Incantations
- Black Flame incantations deal percentage based damage which can do a significant amount to bosses with high health pools such as the Elden Beast.
Strategies and Tactics for the Elden Beast Fight
Beyond weapon choice, your overall approach to the fight will significantly impact your damage output and survivability.
Buffs and Consumables
- Flame, Grant Me Strength: This incantation boosts both physical and Fire damage, making it a valuable buff for melee-focused builds.
- Golden Vow: This incantation increases attack power and defense for you and your allies, providing a general boost to your combat effectiveness.
- Uplifting Aromatic: This consumable increases attack power and reduces damage taken, further enhancing your offensive and defensive capabilities.
Summoning Mimic Tear
- The Mimic Tear is an incredibly powerful spirit ash that creates a copy of your character. Equip your Mimic Tear with one of the aforementioned weapons and this can double your damage output.
Dodging and Positioning
- The Elden Beast has a wide range of attacks with long windups. Mastering the timing of your dodges is crucial for avoiding damage and maintaining uptime on the boss.
- Position yourself strategically to avoid being caught in the Elden Beast’s AoE attacks and to maximize your opportunities to deal damage.
Focus Fire (with Summon)
- If you are using a summon, work in tandem to stagger the boss, opening it up for critical hits. Communicate effectively with your summon (if possible) to coordinate your attacks and exploit the Elden Beast’s vulnerabilities.
Optimizing Your Build for the Final Encounter
The Elden Beast is a challenging opponent, and a well-optimized build can make the difference between victory and defeat. Consider the following when building your character:
Vigor
- Prioritize Vigor to ensure you can survive the Elden Beast’s powerful attacks. Aim for at least 60 Vigor.
Endurance
- Sufficient Endurance allows you to wear heavier armor for increased protection and to perform more actions (attacking, dodging, blocking) before running out of stamina.
Strength/Dexterity
- Invest in the necessary Strength or Dexterity to wield your chosen weapon effectively.
Faith/Arcane
- Depending on your build, invest in Faith for incantations like Flame, Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow or Arcane for the Occult infusion.
Talismans
- Ritual Sword Talisman: Increases attack power when at full HP.
- Fire Scorpion Charm: Increases Fire damage.
- Shard of Alexander: Greatly boosts the attack power of skills.
- Green Turtle Talisman: Increases Stamina recovery speed.
Overcoming the Holy Resistance
While the Elden Beast is resistant to Holy damage, there are ways to mitigate this resistance and still deal significant damage:
- Faith Scaling: If you are using a Faith-based weapon, ensure your Faith stat is high to maximize your damage output.
- Weapon Upgrades: Fully upgrading your weapon to +10 (Somber Smithing Stones) or +25 (Smithing Stones) will significantly increase its base damage, which will help to overcome the Holy resistance.
- Buffs: Incantations like Golden Vow can increase your overall attack power, helping to offset the Holy resistance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What level should I be to fight the Elden Beast?
A character level of 140 or higher is generally recommended for tackling the final boss. This ensures you have sufficient stats to survive the encounter and deal adequate damage.
2. Is the Elden Beast harder than Malenia?
Many players consider Malenia to be the most difficult boss in Elden Ring due to her aggressive combat style, rapid attacks, and ability to heal on hit. However, the Elden Beast’s large health pool and diverse moveset can also pose a significant challenge. The difficulty is ultimately subjective and depends on your build and playstyle.
3. Can you summon help for the Elden Beast?
Yes, you can summon other players or use spirit ashes to assist you in the fight against the Elden Beast. Summoning a powerful spirit ash like the Mimic Tear can significantly increase your damage output and survivability.
4. Does the Elden Beast have any specific elemental weaknesses?
While it’s resistant to Holy, it is not resistant to Fire damage.
5. What is the best armor to wear for the Elden Beast fight?
Armor with high physical defense and decent holy resistance is recommended. The Bull-Goat Set is a good option for its high physical defense and poise. However, remember that heavier armor will reduce your mobility, so choose a set that allows you to effectively dodge attacks.
6. Is it possible to parry any of the Elden Beast’s attacks?
No, the Elden Beast’s attacks cannot be parried. You’ll need to rely on dodging to avoid damage.
7. How do I deal with the Elden Beast’s ranged attacks?
The Elden Beast has several ranged attacks that can be difficult to dodge. Utilizing your mobility to constantly reposition yourself and closing the distance when possible can help you avoid these attacks.
8. Is there a specific strategy to avoid the Elden Beast’s Elden Stars attack?
The Elden Stars attack is a barrage of projectiles that can be difficult to dodge. The most effective strategy is to run perpendicularly to the attack and use I-frames (invincibility frames) provided by your dodge to avoid the projectiles.
9. Can the Elden Beast be staggered?
Yes, the Elden Beast can be staggered. Focus on landing heavy attacks and using weapon skills that deal high poise damage to stagger the boss and open it up for critical hits.
10. How important is it to upgrade my Flask of Wondrous Physick for this fight?
Upgrading your Flask of Wondrous Physick is crucial for maximizing your survivability and damage output. Consider using the Crimson Bubbletear for healing and the Opaline Hardtear for damage reduction.
11. Is it worth using Spirit Ashes in this fight?
Absolutely. A fully upgraded Spirit Ash, like Black Knife Tiche or Mimic Tear, can provide invaluable support, drawing aggro and dealing significant damage.
12. What is the ideal stat distribution for a melee build facing the Elden Beast?
Aim for approximately 60 Vigor, 40 Endurance, sufficient Strength/Dexterity for your weapon, and remaining points in relevant offensive stats (Faith, Arcane) based on your chosen build.
13. How can I improve my timing for dodging the Elden Beast’s attacks?
Practice is key. Spend some time learning the Elden Beast’s attack patterns and timing your dodges accordingly. Pay attention to the visual and audio cues that precede each attack.
14. What’s more important, raw damage or status effects against the Elden Beast?
While raw damage is important, Scarlet Rot is a powerful status effect to inflict because it deals damage based on the boss’s maximum HP.
15. Where can I learn more about the mechanics of Elden Ring and its bosses?
There are numerous online resources, including wikis, forums, and video guides, that can provide detailed information about Elden Ring’s mechanics. Additionally, consider exploring resources from academic communities interested in the educational potential of games. You can find valuable insights and research at the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. GamesLearningSociety.org offers a wealth of knowledge about how games contribute to learning and skill development.
By understanding the Elden Beast’s weaknesses, choosing the right weapons and build, and mastering the combat mechanics, you can significantly increase your chances of defeating this challenging final boss and claiming your place as Elden Lord.