Elden Ring is a masterpiece, and the last thing you want is an early boss ruining your experience. So here’s how to beat Godrick the Grafted – the first major boss most players will come up against.
Elden Ring is full of memorable boss battles, and coming out on top is no easy task. Godrick the Grafted is the first ‘shardbearer’ most players are likely to encounter, and, as one might expect, his numerous horrific limbs are capable of laying down some serious smackdown.
Many Tarnished will die many times against this atrocity, but that’s no reason to get down on yourself and give up; Elden Ring has been designed to be a challenge after all. However, to help those struggling, we’ve created a how to beat Godrick the Grafted strategy guide.
The first thing to remember is that levelling in Elden Ring is essentially your difficulty setting. If you’ve tried a challenge many times and it still seems impossible, it might be best to explore a different path for a while.
If Godrick the Grafted dominates you, don’t give up – give it a break. Limgrave (the area south of Castle Stormveil) is ideal for collecting runes, gear and gaining levels. So take off on your noble steed and explore what other treasures and pleasures Elden Ring have to offer.
Character build and gear in Elden Ring
For this how-to beat Godrick the Grafted guide, I will be focusing on a melee build that doesn’t require too much skill to do well with. There are many ways to play Elden Ring, but my personal favourite is to grab a heavy weapon and wade into the thick of the action.
FromSoftware melee combat is legendary, and while the magic system in Elden Ring is lots of fun, the thrill of swinging a sword is untouchable. I wore the Vagabond armour set, wielded the Lordsworn Greatsword, and focused on levelling up Strength and Vigor.
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Also important in Elden Ring are Summons and Spirits (even for a melee character). I chose to use the Lone Wolf Ashes summon and feel it helped me beat Godrick the Grafted; primarily as a brief distraction that allowed me to get a few cheap hits in.
In terms of an appropriate level to beat Godrick the Grafted it really depends on your experience and skill. I initially tried to kill him around level 25 and realised it would be very difficult. I came back around 35 and found him pretty easy, so be mindful of over-levelling if you want a challenge.
How to beat Godrick the Grafted (easy melee strategy)
Godrick the Grafted is a heavy hitter, so you will want to do your best to avoid his powerful attacks. Rolling and jumping are critical in Elden Ring, but the Lone Wolf Ashes can also be useful at the start of the fight.
Essentially, your wolves will keep him busy while you work on your spacing and get a few cheap hits in from behind. If you know what’s good for you, try making these attacks two-handed jumping heavy strikes (R2).
Jumping attacks do extra damage to an enemy’s poise in Elden Ring, meaning that if you hit them a few times consecutively, they will become staggered. The benefit to this is massive; it will disrupt their current attack and leave them open to a critical strike.
Using the Lordsworn Greatsword, I was able to stagger Godrick the Grafted with 4-5 heavy jumping attacks. And if you can learn the basics of landing these strikes, your level of play in Elden Ring will improve drastically.
If you are going to beat Godrick the Golden with this strategy, it’s essential to be aggressive. Getting multiple strikes in quick succession will leave Godrick reeling, giving you the upper hand. Don’t get greedy though; if he starts going berserk, get out of there with a few quick rolls.
Godrick’s second phase
Once you’ve taken Godrick to below half his health pool, it will trigger the fight’s second phase. In a move that is pure Elden Ring, Godrick grafts a dead dragon’s head to his arm and starts blasting fire and trying to munch you.
Don’t panic. This second phase is, in many ways more manageable than the first. Remember to roll or jump through the flame, or if possible, sprint behind him and hit whack him good.
If you are still struggling to figure out how to beat Godrick the Grafted, check out our video demonstration of the strategy. There are sure to be cleaner takes out there, but this strategy should be helpful to players that are just starting to get their heads around Elden Ring‘s core gameplay mechanics.
Finally, if he’s still taking you for a ride, then it’s probably a good idea to explore elsewhere. Find some new gear, level up your key stats, upgrade your flasks. You’ll get there eventually, and besides – there is no point rushing through a game as good as Elden Ring.
Alternative melee strategy (updated)
Godrick the Grafted is rather susceptible to Bleed damage, as are most humanoid enemies in Elden Ring. While staggering him with a heavy weapon is my preferred strategy, devastating him with Bleed damage is very effective too.
To do this strategy you need a weapon like Uchigatana or Reduvia that causes the Bleed status effect. Slice Godrick the Grafted repeatedly and a bar with fill up, once full Godrick will be on the end of some massive damage. Rinse and repeat, baby.
So good luck, fellow Tarnished! I look forward to crossing paths (and swords) with you one day in the Lands Between.
