Summary
Elden Ring’sShadow of the ErdtreeDLC has taken the world by storm, bringing hundreds of thousands of players back to the Lands Between after a long time away. This new DLC promised challenging bosses, new fantastic areas to explore, and a world of possibilities - all of which, FromSoftware delivered on.
A key aspect of Soulsborne games has always been the large number of bosses every area has, andShadow of the Erdtreepacks some of the hardest-hitting ones within the first few hours of the expansion. In this DLC, eventhe most advanced playerswill be tested, and theboss fights in the Ancient Ruins of Rauhare certain to provide quite a few issues.
HP
16,000
Crucible Knights are at the bottom of mostElden Ringplayers' favorite boss lists, and that’s for good reason.They often team up, have hard-hitting attacks, a very aggressive moveset with patterns that are hard to memorize, and, to make matters worse, they don’t always drop anything to make fighting them feel worth it.
Devonia, Crucible Knightis among the bosses found in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. She has a big hammer that she can swing with the utmost dexterity to deliver deadly blows that can quickly exhaust a Tarnished’s Health bar. That said, compared to the rest of the bosses in this region, Devonia isn’t too hard once her attack patterns are memorized. Still, she drops a few valuable items, including a neat-looking helm.
90,000-100,000
AnyElden RIngplayer who has ever faced Trolls in the Lands Between will find fighting the newly introducedFurnace Golemsvery familiar. These massive enemies are perpetually burning with a bright orange-red color and can launch all sorts of fire attacks on those who challenge them.
While not particularly difficult, Furnace Golems have one of thelargest Health bars in the game, being more than twice as durable as theFire Giant. This steep increase in Health is likely meant to make this enormous foe endure repeated hits from high-level players to keep the fight interesting. Players can attempt to defeat all Furnace Golems in the DLC on foot; however, doing so while riding Torrent is advised, as it makes the fight more manageable.
23,000
Found resting near the foot of the Marika Statue in the Shadow Keep, theGolden Hippopotamusis a deadly enemy that will make players rethink their decisions and question whether they still want to take on this gigantic optional boss near the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.
Players who’veplayed other Soulsborne gamesin the past (specificallyDark Souls 3), might find the Golden Hippopotamus' moveset a bit familiar, as it looks similar to that of Pontiff Sulyvahn’s Beasts in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley and Archdeacon McDonnell’s final resting place in the secret room in Anor Londo. The Golden Hippopotamus' first phase isn’t too challenging once players learn its attack patterns; however, once it pulls out its porcupine quills, skill and feline reflexes will be key to emerging victorious.
25,600
Human-sized enemies inElden Ringcan be very deceiving, as some are simple enough to deal with, while others will have players respawning at the nearest Site of Lost Grace over and over. Unfortunately, theDeath Knightin theShadow of the ErdtreeDLC belongs to the latter group, requiring a ton of skill, patience, and pattern memorization.
What places this boss so high on the list is not only his ability to strike at the Tarnished almost tirelessly but also hisdeadly lightning AoE attacks, and his health-regeneration abilities. There’s one particular attack in his moveset that, if successful, will grab players, leech their health, and do considerable damage in the process. And while the Death Knight’s healing powers are not as impressive asMalenia, Blade of Miquella’s, he’s still a force to be reckoned with. This particular Death Knight can be found in the Scorpion River Catacombs, not too far from the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.
Church of the Bud
280,000 Runes,Remembrance of the Saint of the Bud
35,789
Found within the Church of the Bud near the Ancient Ruins of Rauh,Romina, Saint of the Budis one of those bosses that must have given the creeps to whoever worked on her at FromSoftware during development. With a humanoid torso and the lower body of a centipede, Romina has all the necessary elements to mess with players psychologically as they fight her.
Veteran players who’ve completed all theDark Soulsgames might find Romina very similar to Chaos Witch Quelaag, found toward the end of Bilighttown inDark Souls 1. However, they’re only similar in appearance, as Romina is much harder than Quelaag ever was, using fast attacks, wide AoE explosions, and rolling movements to test the mettle of any Tarnished who faces her.
≈23,000
Not only is theDivine Beast Dancing Lionone of the oddest-looking bosses in the history of Soulsborne games, but it’s also one of the hardest. Found in Belurat, Tower Settlement near the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, this lion-human hybrid will test the skills, patience, and reflexes of every player who wants to progress through the DLC, as it’s not an optional boss.
Reminiscent of the Lion Guardians in the base game, thisShadow of the Erdtreeboss can jump around the combat area in the blink of an eye and, givenits formidable size, hit players from considerably long distances. Thankfully, compared to other bosses, such as the Furnace Golems, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion has a fair Health pool of approximately 23,000 HP, which isn’t too much for a high-level player who can inflict upwards of 800-1,100 damage points per hit.
