Elden Ring Boss Order: Battles (All Major and Optional)

Embarking on your Elden Ring journey requires strategic planning for boss encounters. Following an optimized progression path helps conserve resources while ensuring you’re properly equipped for each challenge. While some encounters can be bypassed with specific item combinations, most demand diverse combat approaches incorporating multiple weapon types and magical abilities. The upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree DLC promises to expand this challenging landscape even further.

Elden Ring presents a carefully structured difficulty curve through its boss encounters. Understanding this hierarchy prevents unnecessary frustration and resource depletion. Main story bosses follow narrative progression, while optional challenges test your mastery of game mechanics.

The game’s combat system rewards preparation and adaptability. Each boss features unique attack patterns, vulnerabilities, and phase transitions that demand specific counter-strategies.

Main Story Boss Fights

Margit, the Fell Omen: Your first major test guarding Stormveil Castle’s entrance

Godrick the Grafted: The twisted ruler of Stormveil Castle requiring aggressive tactics

Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon: Magical master of Raya Lucaria Academy

Optional Boss Fights

Starscourge Radahn: The legendary warrior challenging you in Caelid’s wastes

Malenia, Blade of Miquella: The most challenging optional encounter with devastating combos

Mohg, Lord of Blood: Hidden deep underground with brutal blood-based attacks

Proper equipment selection dramatically impacts your success against Elden Ring’s formidable bosses. Weapon scaling (the relationship between your stats and weapon damage) becomes crucial for maximizing damage output. Understanding your weapon’s affinity with Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith determines optimal stat investment.

Armor choice involves balancing protection with equipment load. Heavier armor provides superior damage reduction but may sacrifice mobility through increased roll recovery frames.

Strategic gear preparation involves these critical components:

Weapon selection based on move set versatility and damage type effectiveness against specific bosses

Defensive equipment prioritizing elemental resistance matching boss attack types

Talisman optimization for specific encounter requirements and stat boosting

Consumable items including curative flasks, status effect remedies, and temporary buffs

Spell selection covering both offensive capabilities and defensive utility applications

Advanced players should consider these optimization strategies:

1. Stat Allocation Optimization

Vigor investment to at least 40 provides sufficient health pool to survive most boss combos. Mind stat determines FP pool for weapon skills and spells, while Endurance governs stamina and equipment load capacity.

2. Weapon Upgrade Prioritization

Focus upgrade materials on your primary weapon first. Smithing stone availability follows progression pacing, so plan upgrades accordingly.

3. Ashes of War Customization

Customize weapon scaling and skills using Ashes of War to match boss vulnerabilities.

Mastering boss encounters requires understanding attack pattern recognition and phase transition cues. Most major bosses feature multiple phases with dramatically different behavior patterns requiring adaptive strategies.

Phase transitions typically occur at specific health thresholds (often 50-60% and sometimes 25%). Recognizing visual and audio cues signaling these transitions allows proactive positioning and resource management.

Strategic approach to major encounters:

Margit, the Fell Omen: Utilize guard counters against his delayed attacks. His second phase introduces golden weapon projections requiring lateral evasion rather than backward retreat.

Godrick the Grafted: Target his grafted dragon arm during phase transition for significant damage opportunity.

Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon: First phase requires destroying glowing children while avoiding books. Second phase demands magic resistance and aggressive pressure to interrupt spell casting.

Starscourge Radahn: Mounted combat provides mobility advantage. Meteor attack requires visual tracking and timed dismount invincibility frames.

Common mistakes to avoid:

Over-committing to attacks during boss recovery windows

Misjudging attack range due to camera angle limitations

Inadequate stamina management leading to inability to dodge or counter-attack

Failing to recognize tells for grab attacks and area-of-effect abilities

Environmental utilization strategies:

Environmental hazards can work both for and against you. Positioning bosses near cliffs or obstacles can create unexpected advantages but requires precise spacing control.

Optional boss encounters provide some of Elden Ring’s most valuable rewards. These hidden challenges test your mastery of game mechanics while offering gear that significantly enhances combat capabilities.

Secret encounters often require specific trigger conditions or exploration of hidden areas. These bosses typically feature unique mechanics not found in main story encounters.

Unique Material Acquisition

Dragon Heart exchanges: Defeating dragon bosses grants hearts redeemable for powerful incantations at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion.

Legendary Armament Collections

Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones: Rare upgrade materials found primarily through optional boss rewards and hidden path exploration.

Crafting Material Farming

Ghost Glovewort and Grave Glovewort: Essential materials for upgrading spirit summons, often guarded by field bosses in catacomb dungeons.

Strategic exploration priorities:

Night’s Cavalry encounters: These roaming bosses appear only at night in specific regions, dropping valuable ash of war and upgrade materials.

Catacomb exploration: These underground dungeons contain both valuable materials and unique boss encounters with specialized rewards.

Field boss hunting: Numerous overworld bosses provide runes and materials while testing your combat skills in varied environments.

Advanced combat techniques separate proficient players from masters. Understanding frame data, animation canceling, and advanced movement options dramatically improves boss encounter success rates.

Combat Rhythm Optimization

Learn boss attack rhythm through observation rather than immediate engagement. Most bosses feature predictable attack chains once you identify their pattern sequencing.

Resource Management Excellence

Stagger potential management: Heavy jumping attacks and charged heavy attacks build posture damage, creating critical hit opportunities.

Environmental Advantage Utilization

Environmental positioning: Use terrain features to control engagement distance and create safe healing windows.

Advanced technical strategies:

Camera control mastery: Manual camera adjustment during large boss encounters prevents disorientation and maintains situational awareness.

If you implement these advanced techniques while maintaining strategic awareness, you’ll systematically overcome Elden Ring’s most daunting challenges.

Remember that persistence and adaptation are key. Each defeat provides learning opportunities to refine your approach. The satisfaction of finally conquering these formidable foes makes the struggle worthwhile.

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