How to Beat Godrick the Grafted in Elden Ring: Fast Boss Guide

How to beat Godrick the Grafted

Godrick is the first major demigod and shardbearer most players reach, and his moveset is far more readable than Margit's. Follow these steps:

1. Rest at the Secluded Cell Site of Grace, top up Flasks, and make sure your main weapon is upgraded before stepping through the fog gate.
2. Summon help before the fight. Exhaust Nepheli Loux's dialogue in her room so her summon sign appears outside the boss door, and bring a tanky Spirit Ash to soak aggro.
3. Apply a status effect early. He is weak to Bleed, Poison, and Scarlet Rot, so a fast bleed weapon (Katana or Dagger) or a Rot/Poison summon chips a large health bar without needing perfect openings.
4. Stay on his left side. Most of his big swings and cyclones come from the axe on his right, so circling left keeps you out of the worst arcs.
5. Bait and punish. His Axe Lunge, Jumping Slam, and the final hit of his Fury Swings combo all have long recovery windows. Roll into or past the attack, land 2-3 hits, then disengage.
6. Respect the wind. When he charges an Axe Spin or cyclone, back off, because the area-of-effect shockwave can interrupt spells and punish greed.
7. In phase 2, get to his side. Once he grafts the dragon head, his fire breath and fire stomps are well telegraphed and slow, so move in close beside him and punish while he exhales.
8. Heal when the summon has aggro. Let Nepheli or your Spirit Ash distract him, then drink or reposition. Do not panic-heal in his face.

Phase-by-phase breakdown

Recommended setup

For melee players, a bleed weapon such as a Katana with the Reduvia-style fast hits or any Blood-infused armament builds his Hemorrhage meter quickly and matches his physical weakness. Pair it with the Jellyfish Spirit Ash or another durable summon so it can tank hits while you flank. Magic and ranged builds should bring the tankiest summon available and avoid greedy long casts because of his shockwaves; low-cost tracking spells like Glintstone Stars are safer. A high-Strength quality build also works well, using charged heavy attacks and jump attacks to build Stance damage for critical hits. Whatever you run, prioritize Vigor so his heavy axe blows do not two-shot you, and upgrade your weapon before the fight rather than over-leveling.

After the fight

Take the Remembrance of the Grafted to Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold. You can exchange it for the Axe of Godrick (a Strength/Dexterity Greataxe) or the Grafted Dragon armament, or consume it for extra Runes. Godrick's Great Rune must still be activated at the Divine Tower of Limgrave before it does anything. Defeating Godrick also progresses several quests, moving Roderika, Rogier, and Nepheli toward the Roundtable Hold.

FAQ

What level should I be to fight Godrick? Around Level 25-30 is the common recommendation, though weapon upgrade level and Vigor matter more than raw level. If you have already beaten Margit the Fell Omen, you are in good shape.

What is Godrick weak to? Physical damage (slash, strike, and pierce) for stance-breaking, plus the Bleed, Poison, and Scarlet Rot status effects. He resists Holy damage and is somewhat resistant to Fire in phase 2.

Can I skip Godrick? Yes. He is technically optional, and you can reach Liurnia of the Lakes without beating him. However, you must defeat two of the five shardbearers before entering Leyndell, and Godrick drops a Great Rune, a Remembrance, and 20,000 Runes, so he is worth killing.

Should I summon Nepheli Loux? Yes, if you can. Exhaust her dialogue in her room inside Stormveil so her summon sign appears outside the boss fog gate. She tanks hits and adds damage, and you can stack her with a Spirit Ash for two distractions.

When does phase 2 start? At roughly 60% of his health, a cutscene plays and he grafts a dragon head onto his arm, adding fire breath and fire stomp attacks. His timings get slower but his hits do more damage.