GamesAction RpgElden RingHow to beat the Shadow of the Erdtree Commander Gaius bossWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAction RpgElden RingHow to beat the Shadow of the Erdtree Commander Gaius bossWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Jump to:How to beat Commander GaiusRewardsGaius’s location
Jump to:How to beat Commander GaiusRewardsGaius’s location
The Shadow of the Erdtree Commander Gaius boss is one of Elden Ring’s more powerful bosses, a wild boar riding knight at the back of the Shadow Keep who wields a heavy lance and gravity magic - not to mention giant tusks.
Gaius became a bit easier recently after patches took some of the sting out of his initial onslaught, but all that means is that you have a moment to consider things before the Commander is bearing down on you - or perhaps we should saying boaring down on you. As one of the more brutalShadow of the Erdtree Remembrance bosses, we’ll cover how to beat Commander Gaius below, with strategies, weaknesses and rewards laid out clearly.
How to beat Commander Gaius in Shadow of the Erdtree
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
We’ll go into more detail about how to beat Gaius in Shadow of the Erdtree below, but here’s a quick summary of tips on how to unseat the Commander for good.
More Shadow of the Erdtree guidesShadow of the Erdtree Divine Beast Dancing LionShadow of the Erdtree Rellana Twin Moon KnightShadow of the Erdtree Golden HippopotamusShadow of the Erdtree Ghostflame Dragon
More Shadow of the Erdtree guides
Shadow of the Erdtree Divine Beast Dancing LionShadow of the Erdtree Rellana Twin Moon KnightShadow of the Erdtree Golden HippopotamusShadow of the Erdtree Ghostflame Dragon
Shadow of the Erdtree Divine Beast Dancing LionShadow of the Erdtree Rellana Twin Moon KnightShadow of the Erdtree Golden HippopotamusShadow of the Erdtree Ghostflame Dragon
Gaius is a boss that has caused some annoyance among the playerbase, asthe Boar Rider’s hitboxes are erratic, meaning it’s entirely possible to hit him in the side and do absolutely no damage - hardly ideal, and probably not intentional, but still something you’ll have to deal with. It’s possible that this gets fixed in the future, but I’ll write this guide as though that situation were still ongoing.
Your strategy in the arena depends on whether you fight at range or close up.Ranged fighters and spellcasters probably have the advantage here- Gaius is mainly a melee fighter who will try to close distance on you, though he does have some gravity spells and AOEs in a pinch. Keep your distance,use an Ash Summon to hold his attention,and bombard him with spells. The moment he gets close, focus on backing away again.
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Melee fighters will have more of an issue,Gaius' hitboxes being what they are. Dodging his attacks with rolls is tricky, because he doesn’t telegraph his pig’s kicks, headbutts, spins and movements much. As a rule, if you have to dodge,you want to dodge towards him at an angle.The worst thing you can do is roll directly away, as most of his attacks carry him forward, and you’ll likely just end up under his hooves anyway as he literally charges over you.
Shields help a lot here,as you can stay consistently defended and do theGuard counters that chew through his Poise,though obviously managing your stamina is its own challenge. Otherwise, I found the best method in melee is to stay at mid-distance, wait for the pause between his attacks, and dive in for a jumping attack with a heavy weapon before backing away again. Basically, the larger your weapon movements and impact, the more chance it has of hitting his suspiciously elastic hitbox.
Commander Gaius rewards
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
When beaten, Commander Gaius drops theRemembrance of the Wild Boar Riderand 230,000 Runes.You can also buyGaius’s Armor set at the Roundtable Hold,with one exception - the Greaves of that armor set are just through the arch to the west of the arena. Through there is a cliffpoint, with the “Albinauric’s Shack”, a broken building with a talisman in the rubble. Hanging around it is an archer riding a wolf - defeat them and you’ll get Gaius’s Greaves to complete the set.
Commander Gaius’s location
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
If you’re wondering how to get to Commander Gaius, you need to work out how to get to theback door of the Shadow Keep and the Scadutree, or rather, the section of cliff closest to the Scadutree.
You can get more info in our guide on how to reachall Shadow of the Erdtree areas and locations, but for a quick summary: you need to enter the Shadow Keep via the East Church District, unflood the area, then go to the second level of the main church and take the path North to an elevator that brings you up to the back of the Specimen Storehouse. Climb all the way to the rafters at the top, and you can jump down to a balcony which leads to a second elevator, this one bringing you down to the Scadutree region.
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