How to defeat Bayle the Dread in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Shadow of the Erdtree's Bayle the Dread is easily the most spectacular boss in the entirety of Elden Ring, far surpassing the likes of Elden Beast, Malenia, and even Dragonlord Placidusax. What's even cooler is the arena where you fight Bayle, and how it contrasts with the ferocious nature of the gravely injured yet incredibly powerful beast.

Although the boss fight is meant to be one of the final few encounters in the expansion, akin to the Putrescent Knight, Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame, and Metyr, Mother of Fingers, you can reach Bayle the Dread quite early. However, it's best to leave Bayle for the end game unless you have a very overpowered build.

Bayle the Dread, much like Dragonlord Placidusax, is incredibly challenging and has access to certain attacks that can easily one-shot you, even if you're at max health with 60 Vigor. So, here's a comprehensive guide on how to defeat Bayle the Dread in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

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Tips to easily defeat Bayle the Dread in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Bayle the Dread can be found towards the easternmost extreme of the map, which is only accessible after you defeat the Ancient Dragon-Man boss in the Dragon Pits dungeon. From the Dragon Pit, you eventually make your way to the Jagged Peak mountain, where you will have to fight your way through multiple Drakes, including the Ancient Dragon Senessax.

Bayle the Dread's location (Image via FromSoftware)

On this path, you will also find two key NPCs - Igon the Dragon Hunter and the Dragon Priestess - near the DLCs' only Dragon Communion site. I highly recommend interacting with these two NPCs and starting their questlines since doing so unlocks some really cool rewards after you defeat Bayle.

As for Bayle the Dread himself, it's essentially an Ancient Dragon boss fight but on steroids. Most of Bayle's attacks come with added AOE blasts which, if you fail to dodge in time, can easily knock you back and leave you vulnerable to its follow-up attacks. Additionally, Bayle's second phase is pure nightmare fuel, with massive AOE and dive bomb attacks.

Here are some tips that should help you easily defeat Bayle the Dread in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree:

• I highly recommend switching your build to Strength-Dexterity, which is what you need to wield the Dragon Hunter's Great Katana. You get this weapon upon defeating the Ancient Dragon-Man boss in the Dragon Pits.
• The Dragon Hunter's Katana is not only an excellent end-game weapon, but it also deals additional damage to Dragon-type enemies - something you would want for both Senessax as well as Bayle the Dread.
• Additionally, make sure you have at least 30 points in Mind (40 recommended) to allow you to use the Dragon Hunter's weapon art without having to worry about MP consumption.
• Bayle always starts with a lunge attack as soon as you enter the arena. I highly recommend not locking onto the boss and instead running underneath him as soon as you can.
• Target Bayle's hind legs, where you will be dealing damage via your regular attacks, and as soon as you see Bayle charging a fire breath or a lightning storm, roll out of him and lock onto his head to immediately retaliate with the Dragon Hunter's weapon art.
• If you land three successive weapon art attacks on Bayle's head, you will break his poise, allowing you to deal a critical hit.
• After dropping below 65% HP, Bayle transitions to his second phase, where you should immediately unlock the camera and run in circles following Bayle's flight path. You can also roll to avoid the fireballs he chucks at you.
• As soon as you see him diving towards you, run as far away from him as you can (a similar strategy as the one used to avoid Malenia's Scarlet Aeonia).
• Once Bayle comes down, head right back under him and attack his legs until you stagger the boss once again. If you manage to deal enough damage in the second phase, you won't have to deal with the dive bomb attack a second time, making the boss fight much easier.

The build I used for this boss fight (Image via FromSoftware)

I highly recommend making use of the Dragon Hunter's Great Katana's weapon art as much as you can in this boss fight, since it deals tremendous amounts of damage and can also inflict Bleed. Once defeated, Bayle drops his heart, which you can take to the Dragon Communion to unlock one of two Dragon Incantations - Bayle's Flame Lightning or Bayle's Tyranny.