Elden Ring DLC: Bayle the Dread weakness and how to beat in Shadow of the Erdtree

Learn how to defeat Bayle, one of the hardest bosses in Elden Ring’s DLC.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

-Elden Ring DLC review-How to start the DLC-Scadutree Fragment locations-Revered Spirit Ash locations-Hand-to-hand martial arts-Best Elden Ring builds

AttentiveElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeplayers who investigate the area near the Suppressing Pillar in eastern Gravesite Plain will discover a hidden pathway that leads to one of the DLC’s secret areas: Jagged Peak. This gigantic craggy mountain is home to many different dragons and Ancient Dragons, with one brutal beast at its apex: Bayle the Dread. Known and feared for his savagery, he’s unsurprisingly one of the hardest bosses you can fight in the Land of Shadow.

Like most Shadow of the Erdtree bosses, Bayle hits incredibly hard, and has multiple attacks that will likely catch you off-guard until you learn how to counter them.Unlikeother bosses, though, the ancient dragon is only weak to one damage type and one specific type of weapon buff, and is highly resistant to all status effects.

To say that Bayle is extremely tough is an understatement — but the bout with him is an incredible one that’s full of jaw-dropping spectacle and some of the best music ever added toElden Ring. If you’re having a hard time taking him down, I’ve put together an in-depth boss guide below that goes over some general tips for defeating him as well as a complete overview of his moveset and how you can dodge each of his attacks.

Bayle the Dread weakness and tips

Boss guide: How to beat Bayle the Dread

Bayle the Dread Phase 2

At close to 50-60% health, Bayle will stand still and channel energy around him before exploding in a fiery lightning blast and sprouting electric wings, signaling the start of Phase 2. He gets some wild new attacks in this phase, and also empowers several of his previous ones with extra damage. Here’s how to survive the rest of the battle and take him down.

Do everything you can to survive Bayle’s onslaught of attacks while dealing your own damage whenever you can, and you’ll eventually come out on top. This is arguably the hardest dragon battle that’s ever been in a Soulsborne game, so don’t feel discouraged if you’re struggling a lot; once you beat it, you should feel proud. Note that he drops Bayle’s Heart when he dies, which you can trade for either the Bayle’s Flame Lightning or Bayle’s Tyranny Dragon Communion incantations at the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion.

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is finally here, and it makes one of thebest Xbox gamesandbest PC gamesof all time even better. It’s out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Windows PC for $39.99.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree |$34.89 at CDKeys (Xbox)

Shadow of the Erdtree is Elden Ring at its most refined, with the base game’s overly formulaic elements cut away and some of FromSoftware’s best boss fights. The result is a 40-hour-long masterpiece of a DLC that’s an absolute must-play for any Soulsborne fan.

Also see:Shadow of the Erdtree (PC, $37.09)|Deluxe Edition (PC, $90.89)

Collector’s Edition:Bandai Namco Store (€249.99)

Get the Windows Central Newsletter

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).