How to defeat Commander Gaius in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Commander Gaius is easily the toughest mid-game boss you will face in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. The difficulty of this encounter is only surpassed by the likes of Messmer the Impaler, Bayle the Dread, and the expansion's final boss. Thankfully, defeating Commander Gaius isn't necessary to complete the DLC's main story.

However, if you want to get your hands on what is essentially the best armor set in the game, in terms of defensive stats and weight, you must clash words against Gaius and emerge victorious. Commander Gaius can be found at the back of the Shadow Keep legacy dungeon, close to the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace.

Here's a comprehensive guide on how to easily defeat Commander Gaius in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

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Tips to easily defeat Commander Gaius in Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree

Commander Gaius, much like General Radahn from the base game of Elden Ring, uses gravity magic, which allows him to use really powerful AOE projectiles and also power up his regular melee attacks. Additionally, much like Radhan, Gaius is always mounted on his Wild Boar (hence he's called the Wild Board Rider in his Remembrance).

Commander Gaius boss fight location in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (Image via FromSoftware)

What makes the battle against Commander Gaius especially challenging is his speed and the ability to quickly close distances, making it harder to get enough breathing room to heal or charge an Incantation or Spell. Thankfully, the arena you fight Gaius at is pretty big and you're also given the ability to summon Torrent.

Here are some tips that should help you defeat the optional Remembrance boss in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, Commander Gaius:

• Once you trigger the boss fight, Commander Gaius starts the battle by charging towards you as soon you enter the fog gate. As such, it's highly recommended to use whatever buff or Crystal Tear you want for the battle, outside the fog gate.
• Once you enter the boss arena, quickly summon Torrent and spring to the edge of it. Do not get off of Torrent, lock onto Gaius, and hit him with a sprinting attack, while targeting the left side of the boss' body.
• Most of Gaius' attacks are on the right side, making his and his mount's left side the soft spot, at least in the first phase.
• Once Gaius' health drops to 75%, he will transition to phase two, where he charges every attack with gravity magic and also summons a Gravity Well that can easily one-shot you even at full health.
• Fortunately, most of Gaius' attacks in the second phase can be avoided if you're mounted on Torrent and aren't stationary.
• Gaius also occasionally does a "pile-diver" move, where he charges at you with his lance. You can avoid this attack with a well-timed dodge, or by simply running away on Torrent and waiting till the gravity magic subsides.
• Gaius is very weak to Bleed, much like any other boss in Elden Ring. As such, if you're having a hard time, I highly recommend switching to a pure-Bleed build, with a level 150+ character to easily get through the boss fight.

The build I used for the Commander Gaius boss fight in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (Image via FromSoftware)

Once defeated, Commander Gaius drops the Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider, which gives you access to his weapon the Sword Lance, or the gravity spell, the Blades of Stone. You also get access to Gauis' armor set after defeating him. However, to get Gaius' Greaves, you must explore the area adjacent to the boss arena.