One of the optional bosses in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Commander Gaius, might bring to mind some of the various horse-mounted foes you’ve faced before. However, don’t be fooled, as Commander Gaius offers a unique challenge and fights differently from any horse boss you’ve encountered so far. So, how do you defeat Commander Gaius? What should you watch out for? Let’s delve into it!
Finding Commander Gaius in Elden Ring DLC
Commander Gaius is located in a hidden area behind the Shadow Keep. To get there, you must first travel from Moorth Ruins to Bonny Village. Once you pass through Bonny Village, head to the Church District. Here, you’ll need to navigate across rooftops and jump from a cracked portion of one to reach an area patrolled by two fire sorceresses.
You can stealthily bypass the first fire sorceress. From her location, proceed straight ahead, ignoring the second sorceress. Take the first left to find a lever that lowers the water level in the Church District. Then, take the second left and ride the lift.
Next, you’ll arrive at the back area of the Specimen Storehouse. Climb a ladder and turn right at the top. You’ll find a crack in the wall behind a shelf. Pass through this crack to reach a floor with ledges where bats are flying around.
Follow the ledge path until you see an archway at the bottom. Jump down, follow the stairs outside, and take the lift, which will bring you to the boss fight location.
Exploiting Commander Gaius’s Weaknesses in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Like many other bosses in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Commander Gaius has several weaknesses that you can exploit to gain an advantage. Here are the key vulnerabilities to focus on:
1. Weak to Bleed: Commander Gaius is particularly susceptible to bleed damage. Weapons like katanas or Bloodhound’s Fangs are highly effective against him. The bleed effect will stack periodically, inflicting significant damage over time.
2. Weak to Physical Attacks: Physical attacks deal substantial damage to Commander Gaius. Using strength-based weapons can make the fight more manageable and allow you to deal considerable damage with each hit.
3. Weak to Fire: Fire-based attacks are another effective strategy. From personal experience during a summoning boss fight, Commander Gaius took signaaqqaqaificant damage from fire. Using fire-based magic or weapons will help you inflict substantial injury.
4. Weak to Freeze: Freeze damage, especially from magic, is also a notable weakness of Commander Gaius. If you have any freeze-based spells or abilities, they will be particularly effective in this battle.
Commander Gaius: Boss Fight Tips and Tricks
Now that we know Commander Gaius’s weaknesses, it’s time to strategize for the battle. Here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind while fighting this boss:
1. Summon Spirit Ash: Just like in many boss fights, you can summon a Spirit Ash to assist you. This will distract Commander Gaius, giving you the opportunity to attack while he’s preoccupied.
2. Wear Armor with Physical Protection: Commander Gaius deals significant physical damage with each hit, including charges from his boar. Equip armor that provides high physical protection to reduce the damage you take.
3. Roll Forward During the Charge: The boar’s charge has a notable iFrame. Roll towards Commander Gaius at the last moment to dodge the charge effectively.
4. Beware of Combos: Commander Gaius and his boar execute a three-part combo consisting of a lance attack, a boar swing attack, and a boar slam. Roll in any direction to dodge the lance attack, dodge sideways to avoid the boar swing, and dodge backward to evade the boar slam.
5. Dodge the Side Run Swing Attack: Gaius sometimes circles you and swings the boar’s head at you. Dodge sideways at the last moment to avoid this attack.
6. Avoid Gravity Attacks: Gaius has several AoE gravity attacks. For the Gravity Upward Slash, roll forward to dodge the ground AoE. He also summons rocks and hurls them at you, which can be dodged in any direction.
7. Prepare for the Explosion Dive: In phase two, after reducing Gaius’s health by 50%, he jumps in the air with his boar and performs an AoE Gravity Dive. Dodge just before he hits the ground to avoid taking damage.
8. Watch Out for Phase Two Gravity Attacks: In phase two, Gaius’s attacks gain additional gravity damage. He also introduces a new flying thrust attack, where he and his boar float and thrust through the air. Roll forward to dodge this attack.
Commander Gaius Rewards in Elden Ring
After defeating Commander Gaius in Elden Ring, you have the opportunity to claim rewards. Your first reward is the Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider, which can be exchanged with Enia at the Roundtable Hold for Commander Gaius’s Remembrance.
When you exchange the item, you have two options: Commander Gaius’s Sword Lance, requiring 21 Strength and 11 Dexterity with a base physical stat of 132; or the sorcery Blades of Stone, allowing gravity-manipulation to summon earth blades for AOE damage. You will receive 230,000 runes for leveling up as well.
This is how you defeat the elusive optional boss in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Share in the comments if you manage to find Commander Gaius.
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