Elden Ring, the game that brought attention to the Soulslike niche subgenre with its punishing yet satisfying game design, just recently received a completely…
How to defeat the Tree Guardian boss in Elden Ring
Butcher79
The Tree Guardian or Mounted Golden Knight is the first field boss you will encounter in Elden Ring. Here's how to defeat him and get the Golden Halberd weapon.
A heavily armored and highly decorated sentry guards the tree. Who dares to resist him?
While the Tree Guardian isn't the first boss you'll encounter in Elden Ring, he's the first field boss you'll encounter when you exit The Land's Between. It also deals one hell of a hit and will likely crush most players who let their guard down or take it lightly. Nevertheless, tree guardian (Tree Sentinel) is not immortal.
tree guardian looks imposing, but there are ways to easily lower it to the ground. Here is a selection of strategies that will make your life easier - and put an end to the existence of the guardian.
Location of the Tree Sentinel boss in Elden Ring
The Tree Sentinel can be found when exiting the open world from the starting point, on the road leading to the Church of Elleh and Ruins on the Shore.
How to defeat the Tree Sentinel boss in Elden Ring
Best Tips for Tree Sentinel:
- You can fight from a horse if you have a bow or magic to make this fight easier
- His attacks have different timings, so blocking might be easier for you than dodging depending on your shield.
- Don't attack this boss as soon as you see it if you are new to From Software games
Close combat strategy on foot
If you want to fight him on foot (which is best not to do for a beginner), then wait for him to finish his attack by dodging it, and then try to hit him a few times if you can. He prepares an attack that reads well, so it's best to activate the acceleration, run away, and then approach the boss again and land a couple of accurate hits. Do not be greedy in your attacks, as he will catch you and punish you for being assertive. You also need to make sure you have enough stamina to roll back once he recovers, which he does quickly.
The shield is also a good strategy if you're not completely sure about dodging yet, although two-handed weapons will end the fight faster. You will have fewer attacks to dodge, but you must be better at it. This is because blocking with two-handed weapons is not as effective as blocking with a shield.
As soon as you bring him to half health, he will lose his temper, and the 2nd phase of the fight will begin. He will now start slamming his shield into the ground, which can deal damage from a distance. Roll away the moment he raises his shield.
Repeat the strategy from phase 1, but just be extra careful to dodge his shield attack. Also, don't try to block it, it's too risky. Just walk away from the punch as if your life depended on it.
Close combat strategy on horseback
If you return to fight the Tree Guardian on horseback, it will be much easier for you. Poison the guard with summoned wolves and circle around the opponent as often as possible.
The trick is to keep moving, aim at him and try to time your heavy attack to get right on target when you get close to him. This will interrupt his patterns and give you some more time to hit him with one or two light attacks before walking away and repeating the process.
Magic or long-range strategy
Fighting the Tree Guardian with ranged or magic attacks is the easiest way to win the fight. If you are on foot, then run away from him, find a vantage point and take a few shots. If you can find a place to shoot him safely, do so. Although, most likely, he will realize that he is helpless in this situation and get out of the way.
If you're on a horse then this fight becomes pretty easy with long range strategy. Just keep moving and shoot him while he recovers from his attack animation. Keep your shield handy in case any of his attacks do hit you.
Ranged spells work best here, as it means you don't have to get close to him to deal damage.
Drop from the Tree Sentinel boss in Elden Ring
Tree Sentinel drops weapon "Golden halberd" after his defeat and 3200 Runes.
So, these are all our tips and tricks you need to defeat the Tree Guardian in Elden Ring. Make sure you check out our WiKi Page Elden Ring for all the latest news and guides. You can check other Elden Ring boss guides by choosing from the list below:
Rune Bear | Bloodhound Knight Darryvil | Bastard Leonin | night riders | Pumpkinhead Madman | Ancient Hero of Zamora |
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