Best builds to use for Commander Gaius boss fight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Commander Gaius is one of the many annoying bosses that you'll encounter during your time in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. Gaius deals a ton of physical damage and can easily take you out in just a couple of hits. Taking him on is not recommended until your Scadutree Blessing is at least 10. However, despite how tough he is supposed to be, defeating him can be made easy.

If you're having trouble defeating Commander Gaius in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, you might need to change up your build and then challenge him to another fight.

Here are the best builds to use for Commander Gaius' boss fight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

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What are the best builds to use for the Commander Gaius boss fight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree?

Perfume Bottle

The Perfume Bottle build in action (Image via FromSoftware)

• Vigor: 50
• Mind: 30
• Endurance: 40
• Strength: 18
• Dexterity: 50
• Intelligence: 20
• Faith: 30
• Arcane: 8

This Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree build revolves around the Lightning Perfume Bottle. The Perfume Bottle weapons are some of the strongest in the game. When combined with the Rolling Sparks Ash of War, you can easily do 4-6k damage to Commander Gaius in a single hit, assuming you have all the right talismans equipped.

For this build, you must use the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for damage negation, Perfumer's Talisman for boosting your damage, the Shard of Alexander for increased damage with Rolling Sparks, and finally, the Lightning Scorpion Charm for a hefty buff to your damage.

Before heading into the fight, mix the Opaline Hardtear to take your damage negation to the next level and the Bloodsucking Cracked Tear for a hefty increase in damage.

Now, to defeat Commander Gaius in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree with this build, you only need to land four to five hits with the Rolling Sparks Ash of War. However, landing this attack can be a bit tricky because of how mobile the boss is. If you can't find a window to employ it, using a spirit summons should make things a lot easier.

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Black Flame Milady

Black Flame can eat through the HP of most bosses in Elden Ring (Image via FromSoftware)

• Vigor: 60
• Mind: 25
• Endurance: 40
• Strength: 50 (as high as you can go while meeting the other stats)
• Dexterity: 50 (as high as you can go while meeting the other stats)
• Intelligence: 14
• Faith: 25
• Arcane: 9

For the second build, you should use the Milady Light Greatsword in Elden Ring, with the Wing Stance Ash of War and quality affinity. You can apply the Black Flame incantation to this weapon to massively increase the amount of damage you do over time. You should also make use of the Old Lord's Talisman to make your incantation last longer.

For the final steps of the build, you can add the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, which is excellent for a weapon like Milady, and Rellana's Cameo for boosting damage while you're in the Wing Stance. Finally, you should use the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for damage negation.

The strategy for this build is simple: the Black Flame incantation, when applied to Milady, will deal enough damage to make short work of Commander Gaius. All you need to do is patiently wait for an opportunity to strike and use Wing Stance's excellent moveset to wreak havoc on the boss and his boar.

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Dragon Breath

Dragon Breath attacks can make short work of most enemies in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (Image via FromSoftware)

• Vigor: 60
• Mind: 25
• Endurance: 40
• Strength: 16
• Dexterity: 30
• Intelligence: 14
• Faith: 25
• Arcane: 80

For our last build, you should use the Dragon Communion Incantation, Agheel's Flame. Commander Gaius is susceptible to fire damage, which makes Agheel's Flame an excellent pick for the fight against him. You should combine this incantation with the Faithful's Canvas Talisman to boost potency.

The Ritual Sword Talisman, Beloved Stardust, and Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman are also excellent choices for this build. Finally, you can use the Dragon Communion Seal for a damage bonus.

The build is as simple as it gets; you won't use any weapons and will focus on taking down Commander Gaius with Agheel's Flame alone. As soon as you enter the fight, use a spirit summon to draw the boss' attention away from you.

Now, all you need to do is spam Agheel's Flame; four to five hits should be enough to take down Commander Gaius.

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Check out our other articles covering Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree:

• All Elden Ring weapon buffs and nerfs for Shadow of the Erdtree
• Best Great Katana build in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• Best Reverse-hand Sword build in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree ending explained