Understanding Dragonlord Placidusax: What Resistances to Expect

Dragonlord Placidusax, an optional but formidable boss in Elden Ring, is a significant challenge even for seasoned players. Understanding his resistances and weaknesses is crucial to prevailing in this epic battle. In short, Placidusax is highly resistant to bleed and poison, and also displays strong resistance to all elemental affinities. Despite these resistances, a few strategic options can be leveraged to chip away at the boss’s substantial health bar.

Placidusax’s Primary Resistances

Bleed Resistance

One of the most important resistances to acknowledge is Placidusax’s high resistance to bleed. While not entirely immune, the buildup of bleed damage is significantly reduced. This means that bleed-focused builds, particularly those relying on quick, repeated attacks to trigger bleed procs, will find their strategies less effective against this ancient dragon. The fight will become a drawn-out affair, often pushing players to adopt different tactics.

Poison Resistance

Similar to bleed, Placidusax exhibits strong resistance to poison. Applying poison damage, while possible, will take a considerable amount of time and might not prove to be an efficient method of inflicting significant damage. This resistance further limits players’ choices and forces them to explore alternatives.

Elemental Affinity Resistance

Placidusax is also generally resistant to elemental damage, including magic, fire, lightning, holy, and frost. While some sources suggest a vulnerability to fire and lightning, the overall impact of these elements is diminished compared to other enemies. This means that your typical elemental damage-focused builds might not see the same effectiveness as they do against other bosses. However, some elemental damage spells and weapons can still be leveraged effectively, as discussed further in the article.

Strategic Considerations for Placidusax’s Resistances

Given the significant resistances that Placidusax possesses, it’s important to approach the fight with a strategy that goes beyond direct brute force. Here’s a summary of effective strategies:

• Bypass Resistance with Scarlet Rot: Despite his strong affinity resistance, Scarlet Rot remains a valuable strategy. Using abilities like Rotten Breath can inflict this status ailment, which deals damage over time that bypasses typical resistance.
• Focus on Weak Points: While his head is a weak point, it’s hard to consistently hit for melee users. The area around his tail and hind legs, behind his wings, is a safer spot to attack consistently.
• Range Advantage: Placidusax is fairly easy to hit at range. Ranged attacks also enable you to avoid some of his more deadly moves. Therefore, utilizing spells, bows, or throwable items can be a strategic advantage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Placidusax’s Resistances and Weaknesses

What elements is Placidusax specifically weak against?

Placidusax is reportedly weak to fire and lightning. However, the effectiveness of these elements is limited, so be prepared for the damage to be less significant than against other enemies.

Is Placidusax immune to bleed?

No, Placidusax is not immune to bleed, but he is highly resistant to it. You can still inflict bleed damage but the procs will be much less frequent, and will inflict less damage.

Is Placidusax immune to poison?

Similar to bleed, Placidusax is not immune to poison, but he is very resistant to it. Poison buildup will take a long time to apply and the damage will be minimal.

Does Scarlet Rot work on Placidusax?

Yes, Scarlet Rot is quite effective against Placidusax. The status ailment inflicts damage over time, which is not impacted by his resistances. Rotten Breath incantation is a good tool for applying this.

What weapons are best against Placidusax?

The Dragon King’s Cragblade is a notable choice. It’s a heavy thrusting sword that allows you to mimic the dragon’s lightning dash and slam attack. Weapons that inflict Fire damage can be helpful as well.

Is Dragonlord Placidusax resistant to dragon weapons or Dragonwound Grease?

Yes, Placidusax is an Ancient Dragon type, and therefore does not take extra damage from dragon weapons or Dragonwound Grease. These are ineffective in this encounter.

Is Placidusax a hard fight?

Yes, Placidusax is considered a very hard fight, boasting massive AOE attacks. It requires careful planning and execution, making use of any advantage the player can secure.

What level should I be to fight Placidusax?

It is recommended to be at least level 100 with a fully upgraded weapon before attempting the Placidusax fight. Using a Rune Arc before the battle is also advisable.

Can you use Miquella’s Needle after killing Placidusax?

Yes, you can use Miquella’s Needle within the arena both before or after defeating Dragonlord Placidusax.

What are the safest spots to attack Placidusax?

The safest spots to attack Placidusax are around the base of his tail near his hind legs, and behind his wings. This allows you to avoid some of his more dangerous frontal attacks.

Is black flame effective against Placidusax?

While Placidusax is reportedly weak to fire, black flame may not show a significant damage difference. This makes other methods like Scarlet Rot more reliable.

What spells are effective against Placidusax?

Comet Azure and The Queen’s Black Flame can be effective spells as they allow you to deal significant damage from a distance. This can also be beneficial to avoid many of the dragon’s damaging moves.

How do you counter Placidusax’s lasers?

Getting away from Placidusax during the dragon breath is the best way to avoid the lasers. You can also roll towards the boss and get to his backside.

What other enemies are similar in difficulty to Placidusax?

Fallingstar Beast and Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast are quite difficult fights. The Meteoric Ore Blade +6 is effective against these beasts, especially the Full-Grown version. These enemies require a similar strategy, focusing on elemental damage, and aiming for weak spots.

How many heads does Placidusax have?

Placidusax possibly had four heads originally, as shown on the Old Man Talisman. He currently has two different heads that are part of one being.

Conclusion

In summary, while Dragonlord Placidusax presents considerable resistance to bleed, poison, and most elemental damage types, he is not impervious to all forms of damage. Understanding that Scarlet Rot is a reliable damage dealer, combined with precise positioning and exploiting his weaknesses, are critical for success. Employing a range-focused strategy, understanding his move set, and picking your openings carefully can be the difference between victory and defeat.