The Divine Beast Dancing Lion is an early boss in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion that presents a significant challenge to players. Many Tarnished may find themselves struggling against this ancient creature, especially on their first encounter. Fortunately, with the right strategies and a bit of patience, you can overcome the Dancing Lion and continue your journey through the Land of Shadow. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive approach to defeating this formidable foe, ensuring you emerge victorious.
Decoding the Dancing Lion’s Initial Assault: Phase One Strategy
Divine Beast Dancing Lion Phase One Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
In the initial phase of the fight, the Divine Beast Dancing Lion operates at a manageable pace, typically lasting until you’ve depleted roughly one-third to one-half of its health. This phase is your prime opportunity to play aggressively and inflict substantial damage. The Dancing Lion is notably susceptible to stagger in this phase, making it ideal to capitalize on critical hits. Employing jump attacks and Ashes of War renowned for their staggering potential, such as Transient Moonlight from Moonveil or Bloodblade Dance from Eleonara’s Poleblade, can be highly effective. While Bleed and Frost are less potent against this boss, focusing on raw damage and stagger is key during phase one.
One of the Dancing Lion’s signature moves in this phase involves aerial assaults. It will take to the sky and dive towards you, sometimes executing a command grab. While being caught by the grab results in significant damage and a punishing animation, it’s generally not fatal, unlike similar grabs from bosses like Malenia or Astel in the base game.
The most deceptive attack in the Dancing Lion’s arsenal during phase one is its breath attack. Often appearing at the end of a lengthy combo, the boss will rear up on its hind legs, seemingly presenting an opening for attack. However, this is a trap. When you see the Dancing Lion rear up, it’s crucial to immediately back away to avoid its circular breath attack. Staying close during this animation almost always results in taking damage.
Navigating the Elemental Onslaught: Phase Two Tactics
Divine Beast Dancing Lion Phase Two Elemental Power Ups Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
As the Divine Beast Dancing Lion transitions into phase two, typically when its health drops to between one-half and two-thirds, the fight intensifies significantly. It gains elemental power-ups, cycling through three distinct forms that add new layers of challenge to the encounter. While its core moveset largely remains consistent, each elemental phase introduces unique hazards that demand specific counter-strategies:
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Lightning Phase: Drawing inspiration from Ancient Dragon fights in the base Elden Ring game, the Dancing Lion in its lightning phase will periodically trigger ground-based lightning strikes. The ground will glow briefly before lightning erupts in those areas. During this phase, it’s crucial to exercise caution and avoid overcommitting to attacks, as staying in close proximity to deal damage often leads to being punished by lightning strikes. Maintain mobility and observe the ground cues to evade these powerful attacks.
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Frost Phase: This is arguably the most perilous phase. The Dancing Lion inflicts frost buildup with all of its attacks during this phase, particularly its breath weapon. It also gains a Hoarfrost Stomp-style area-of-effect (AOE) move. This AOE attack can be evaded by jumping or dodging, but the pervasive frost buildup makes this phase especially dangerous. Prioritize avoiding hits and consider using consumables or spells to mitigate frost buildup.
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Air Phase: In contrast to the Frost phase, the Air phase often feels like a relative reprieve. However, the Dancing Lion gains a homing tornado attack during this phase that can be tricky to dodge. The tornado’s tracking ability makes simply rolling or running away less effective. Experiment with different dodge timings and directions to find the most reliable method for evading this move. Despite the tornado, this phase is generally considered the safest of the elemental transformations.
Utilizing Summons and Progression
If the Divine Beast Dancing Lion proves too overwhelming, consider summoning Redmane Freyja before entering the boss room. While this guide hasn’t specifically tested the fight without her assistance, summoning Freyja can provide valuable support and draw aggro, potentially making the encounter more manageable. To ensure Freyja is available as a summon, you should speak with her at the Three Path Cross site of grace in the Gravesite Plain to advance her questline.
Persistence is key to victory. By understanding the Dancing Lion’s attack patterns, adapting to its phase transitions, and employing effective strategies, you will eventually triumph. After defeating the boss, remember to explore the area thoroughly. Proceed through the door and ascend the elevator on the northern wall of the boss room (to your right when facing away from the entrance). This area contains crucial context for the Shadow of the Erdtree narrative, and skipping it can lead to missing important story elements later in your playthrough.
Continue your adventure in the Shadow of the Erdtree, and may your journey be filled with triumph over adversity.
Related Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Questlines:
- Leda quest: Track the Erdtree main quest
- Ansbach quest: Help the former servant of Mohg
- Hornsent quest: Complete the quest for vengeance
- Thiollier quest: Pay homage to the saint of sleeping
- Freyja quest: Where to find Redmane Freyja
