When you ask anElden Ringplayer what they associate with the word ‘Commander’, they’ll probably think back toCastle Soland their battle withCommander Niall. Which will undoubtedly be followed by the memories of all the deaths that came courtesy of this rugged and battle-hardy boss. Well, it seems there is a new commander you need to be worried about, thanks to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, whose name is Commander Gaius.
This boss is found by locating Shadow Keep’s back gate and will see you face off against a horseback boss with plenty of tricks up their sleeve. It’s a tough boss, but one that we hope, with the aid of this guide, you’ll be able to take down and explore Scaduview at your leisure.
Where is Commander Gaius in Shadow of the Erdtree?
Commander Gaius is a hard boss to track down, as they’re located in an area that will require you to navigate the upper region of the Specimen Storehouse in Shadow Keep. You’ll need to begin in the Specimen Storehouse Loft, and then take the elevator up to the rafters.
Then, you’ll need to carefully navigate these beams, taking out enemies that would happily have you fall to your death as you go. Then, when you reach the elevator on the other side of the room, you may use it to descend down and you’ll be able to take another elevator down to the Shadow Keep Back Gate.
How to Prepare For Commander Gaius
Commander Gaius is a boss that will use a lot of gravity attacks to deal damage to players, but the good news is that all of their attacks will register as standard physical damage. So there is no need to prepare any elemental defense here. Instead, go with theDragoncrest Shield Talisman +2, theCrimson Amber Medallion +3, and theGolden VowSpell.
As for your build, Gaius is particularly weak to fire, so you can change your Ash of War to deal fire damage or equip Messmer Fire Grease. Lightning, Holy, Bleed, and Frost all work well, too, so don’t feel you need to completely alter your build if you have something you like already kitted out.
Then as for Spirit Summons, you have access to Spirit Ashes in this fight, and as usual, we would recommend theMimic Tear Ashesfor this fight, butBlack Knife Tiche AshesandLhutel the Headless Ashesare also good options.
How to Beat Commander Gaius
The fight with Commander Gaius bursts into life right from the moment you walk through the gate, as Commander Gaius will charge at you atop their Boar steed. You’ll want to run into the arena and move left or right to avoid their initial charge, and then you should have a moment to cast your summon when this attack is avoided.
From there, you’ll be bombarded with Commander Gaius' melee attacks assortment, which is a mix of head bashes from his Boar and heavy swing attacks with his weapon. These usually happen in tandem, about half a second apart, meaning it’s near impossible to roll to dodge both these attacks, and it’s better to move and roll backward away from the impact.
They also may use a Gravity Stab attack, which is a charged attack that can be avoided with a well-timed dodge roll, but also has a modest AOE, so it can also be beneficial to dodge or move backward instead.
They will also use some standard melee attacks you’ll have seen with plenty of other bosses, such as a belly slam, a charge attack, a slash attack, and a hind leg kick. All are relatively easy to read and avoid, and if you’re able to tuck into the side of the Boar’s body, all you’ll need to worry about is Commander Gaius' slash attacks.
Commander Gaius will work with this basic move pool until their health reaches 70%. At this point, they will charge themselves with Gravity Magic and will perform a new move to signal the beginning of the second phase. This is an attack that will see them leap into the air and then perform a spinning gravity drill attack, creating a large AOE where crystals will burst from the earth. The best way to avoid this attack is to run from the initial impact and keep running to avoid the aftermath.
They will also have access to Gravity Ball attacks which will act as a tractor beam sucking the player into their orbit, which can make it trickier to avoid any attacks they follow up with, so do your best to sprint out of their AOE when they are cast. Gaius also has access to ranged gravity ball cluster attacks and a charged stab attack with a much larger range. These are easily avoided with a timed dodge roll.
Other than this, you’ll just need to deal with the attacks from the first phase that now deal a little more damage due to the charged Gravity Magic. The key to winning this one is tucking into the side of Commander Gaius' Boar and landing heavy attacks to break stance. Then, when this isn’t possible, it’s usually best to backtrack and retreat from Commander Gaius' barrage of attacks. Plus, avoiding being pulled into a Gravity Ball is vital, as you need the freedom of movement to avoid being humbled by this guy’s heavy attacks.
Rewards For Defeating Commander Gaius
If you manage to defeat Commander Gaius, you will earn the following rewards for your efforts:
Commander Gaius is a remembrance boss, and that means when you beat him you’ll be able to claim some top-tier rewards back at the Roundtable Hold. You’ll have the choice of the Blades of Stone incantation, or the Sword Lance.
TheBlades of Stoneincantation is a brilliant one that mimics the AOE caused by Gaius' drill attack in the fight just fought. But even with that in mind, I would nudge players toward theSword Lance.
This is a great weapon for several reasons. Firstly, it has excellent physical damage scaling. Secondly, it has a brilliant skill called the Spinning Gravity Thrust that deals a lot of potential damage, and thirdly, it’s a weapon that can still be infused and buffed with ashes of war to help you lean into a particular elemental effect.
As it is a lance, it’s not going to do more damage than a lot of the Greatswords and colossal weapons out there, but being able to shield yourself while attacking is a nice trade-off if you’re more of a defensive-minded person. All in all, both items are great options, but the Sword Lance edges it for us.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree - 10 Best Colossal Swords, Ranked
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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.
