InElden Ring’snew DLC,Shadow of the Erdtree, the final boss that marks the end of the road is hands-down the hardest boss you’ll face within the Shadow Realm. The jury is still out on who runs them closest as the second-highest fight, though. While a lot of players suggest that this accolade belongs to Messmer The Impaler, we actually have a different opinion. Our second hardest fight was against Bayle The Dread.
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Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death.
As far as dragon fights go, aside fromDragonlord Placidusax, they all tend to be the same. Hide under their legs and hope you don’t get stomped on. Well, Bayle The Dread is a much more nuanced fight than this and it will test you to your limit. So if you want to conquer the Jagged Peak summit and stick your flag in there good and proper, you need to check out this guide.
Bayle The Dread is a boss located at The Jagged Peak Summit. This area is only accessible if players work through Dragon’s Pit. This will see you emerge at the Foot of Jagged Peak.
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Before You Head Up The Mountain, Slay This Big Boy.
Along the path to the summit, you will have the option to fight 3x Jagged Peak Drakes, as well as Ancient Dragon Senessax, but players can choose to run past them if they wish to avoid these fights.
How to Prepare For Bayle The Dread
Bayle The Dread is a hard boss to set up for, mainly because they don’t have any particular weaknesses. They have immunity to all status effects, and deal some very strong elemental damage of their own. The first thing to do here is set up with theDragoncrest Shield Talisman +2to negate physical damage, theFlamedrake Talisman +3to negate fire damage, and theBoltdrake Talisman +2to negate Bayle’s lightning damage. Then, in the last slot, something like theCrimson Amber Medallion +3is a good option.
As for your build, there’s not much you may do to catch Bayle off guard due to their immunities and the fact that their stance can’t be broken all that easily. A good option is to go with a piercing weapon such as theSword of Night and Flame,Moonveil, or theGargoyle’s Halberd, to name a few. Plus, you can also make use ofDragonwound Greaseto deal some added damage to this enemy throughout this fight.
You will be allowed to use Spirit Ashes in this fight, and I would personally recommend either theMimic Tear AshesorBlack Knife Tiche Asheshere. But generally speaking, any Spirit Ash that is mobile will work well. You will also have access toIgonas a summon in this fight depending on your interactions with them, but just know that using them will up the total HP of Bayle, so you’ll need to decide if their help is worth the additional health count.
How To Beat Bayle The Dread
Bayle The Dread will immediately open proceedings with a flame breath attack, meaning you won’t be able to summon your spirit ash right away. To give yourself the most time after this attack to summon, run left into the sweeping flame and dodge roll through, then cast your summon.
After this, the fight can go in many directions, but most likely, Bayle will either perform a claw attack and close in on your position, or they will charge with lightning energy and perform a jumping attack. Either way, the best way to avoid this is by waiting for the movement, and then dodging at the point of impact.
This will then allow you to get under Bayle, which, as is the case with most dragon fights, is exactly where you want to be. You’ll want to focus on landing heavy attacks on their legs and undercarriage, but watch out for their flame breath attack, which they will perform to try to get you out from under them.
During this first phase, they may also rush at you to perform a bite attack, and if they get you, you’ll be locked in an inescapable animation where they will thrash you in their mouth before tossing you to the ground. The tell for this one is that they will raise their head and charge with Lightning; at this point, you should be ready and dodge to avoid their advances. Otherwise, you’ll likely lose over half of your health.
They also have access to an attack that begins with a roar and then leads into a triple-swipe attack, finishing with a lightning-charged AOE slam. When they roar, it’s your cue to back off and roll if you can’t get away in time.
This will continue until you work their health down to about 60%. At this point, they will begin transforming into their true form. The ground will form cracks, indicating the magma that is about to spew from below, and when this AOE attack occurs, Bayle will sprout wings and take off into the skies. When this transformation begins, it’s best to run to the arena’s edge.
This will immediately be followed by a flying attack where they will shoot fireballs at you before crashing down on top of you from above. To avoid this, run to the right to avoid the fireballs as they come at you, and then prepare to dodge the impact of Bayle sliding toward you when they land. Also, note that there is another magma AOE attack straight after this, so if you get hit, make the most of your I-Frames, because if you rush to get up, you could die through no fault of your own.
During this second phase, Bayle maintains the vast majority of their first-phase melee attacks, but these now all come with an additional flame burst effect after the impact, so be on guard and have some more stamina in the can for an additional dodge roll if needed.
They also will use a series of flying slam attacks, but the most dangerous of these flying attacks is his new flame breath attack, where they will spray breath from left to right and, then, after a short pause, right to left. It’s all about precise timing here and rolling in the opposite direction of the fire.
Then lastly, Bayle also can shoot a long and long-lasting strip of fire breath and small AOE lightning pillars. In both cases, it’s best to run away, and if you get caught in one, get up fast and roll your way to safety.
The key to success here is to spend most of your time below the dragon, chopping away at their legs and belly. In the first phase, you can spend all your time here if you know when to dodge, but to endure the second phase, you will need to analyze their aerial attacks and know how to handle them, as one false move can ensure your demise.
Rewards for Defeating Bayle The Dread
If you manage to beat Bayle The Dread in this fight, you will earn the following rewards for your efforts:
This will almost definitely be enough runes for one, if not two level-ups, which is always a good thing. The marquee item in terms of boss rewards here, however, is the Heart of Bayle. This item can be turned in at the Grand Altar of the Dragon Communion, which will give the player the choice of two incantations:Bayle’s TyrannyorBayle’s Flame Lightning.
Both of these options are desirable. The Flame Lightning channels the form of Bayle and casts the dragon’s arm, which crashes to the ground and emits flame lightning. Then Bayle’s Tyranny causes a roar attack and is followed by a AOE heatwave. Both are excellent options, but simply due to the fact that Bayle’s Tyranny can be combined with theRoar Medallionfor a stronger effect, this Dragon incantation just edges it.
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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
