How to Beat Godfrey, First Elden Lord: Boss Fight Guide

This is a guide on how to beat Godfrey, First Elden Lord, a boss in Elden Ring. Read on to learn more about Godfrey, First Elden Lord's strengths, weaknesses, attack patterns, and lore!

Godfrey, First Elden Lord General Info

Stats and Rewards

Godfrey, First Elden Lord
Weakness	Resistance	Immune
━	Holy	Bleed Scarlet Rot
Affected By	Poison, Bleed, Scarlet Rot, Frost, Sleep
Spirit Ashes Available?	Yes
Rune Rewards	80000 (NG)
Summonable NPCs	None
Location	・Leyndell, Royal Capital, Altus Plateau
Item Drops	・Talisman Pouch

Godfrey, First Elden Lord Location

Where to Find

Map Location
View Full Image
Recommended Level	Lv.60

Godfrey, First Elden Lord can be found in the southern portion of Leyndell, Royal Capital, in the region of Altus Plateau. The nearest Site of Grace is the Avenue Balcony, but there is a Stake of Marika right outside the boss arena where you can respawn.

How to Beat Godfrey, First Elden Lord

Tips for Beating Godfrey, First Elden Lord
Exploit Godfrey, First Elden Lord's Long Wind-up and Recovery Animations
Keep a Shield Equipped for his Heavy Attacks
Be Patient With your Dodge Timings since he'll Delay Several of his Attacks

Click a link above to take you to that section.

Ranged Strategy

Godfrey, First Elden Lord Boss Tips
Use Tanky Spirit Ashes
Defensive Spells are Very Effective

Use Tanky Spirit Ashes

Godfrey, First Elden Lord's high damage means he can obliterate most of the Spirit Ashes you can summon. If you want to lose aggro and safely attack him from a distance, get a tanky Spirit Ash such as Banished Knight Oleg or even the Spirit Jellyfish. These should be able to withstand Godfrey's attacks long enough for you to deal severe damage.

Defensive Spells are Very Effective

Godfrey, First Elden Lord is an extremely aggressive boss who will constantly be connecting various patterns. This makes defensive spells such as Night Maiden's Mist strong against him since he'll always end up taking all the damage as he tries to reach you. You can also spam Crystal Barrage for some easy damage.

Melee Strategy

Godfrey, First Elden Lord Boss Tips
Use Ashes of War that Extend your Attack Range
Prioritize a Counterattacking Strategy

Use Ashes of War that Extend your Attack Range

Despite his heavy damage in close combat, Godfrey, First Elden Lord only has one move that can close any distance between you. Stay defensive and employ a midrange attack strategy and use Ashes of War that can be used from a distance such as Storm Blade.

Prioritize a Counterattacking Strategy

It can be tempting to wail away at Godfrey, First Elden Lord due to his wide hitbox and slow animations. This can be a fatal mistake, however, due to the immense damage he could deal with even one hit. Stay defensive and only attack him once he finishes a moveset.

Godfrey, First Elden Lord Attack Patterns

Axe Attacks

Axe Attack Variations
Jumping Axe Toss: Godfrey will jump, throw his axe at you, then land at where he threw his axe. He'll usually start the fight with this move, but if you don't stay too far from him he won't use it again. It's easy to avoid due to the long cast animation of his throw.
Two-Handed Axe Slam: Godfrey will grip his axe with both hands then quickly slam it at you. He'll follow this up with an upwards swipe. Blocking will drain a lot of stamina so it's better to roll to the side to evade this. Doing so will also let you avoid the follow-up swipe and get free hits in.
Axe Swipes: Godfrey's most common attacks are diagonal axe swipes that he can follow up with a variety of final attacks. Watch his shoulder movement to see if he'll continue the combo with another attack pattern or not. That will be your best tell on whether to counterattack or continue evading.
Overhead Slam: After spinning with his axe, Godfrey will lift it overhead and strike at you. This is a delayed attack, which makes it a bit difficult to time correctly. It's safest to just dodge backward as soon as he starts spinning.
Axe Thrust: Godfrey will shove his axe straight at you. You can block this or dodge to the side.
Plunging Strike: Godfrey will jump then slam into the ground. Wait for him to reach the peak of his jump then dodge. His recovery animation from this is slow, allowing you to attack him 2 to 3 times.

Stomping Attacks

Stomping Attack Variations
Earthquake Stomp: Godfrey will stomp with one foot, which will create spikes that come from the ground. It can be difficult to time a dodge against this due to the earthquake's aftershock effect so it's safer to block it with your shield. If you time it correctly, you can also jump to him right before he stomps, which will allow you to attack him a few times.

Elden Ring Related Guides

List of All Bosses

DLC Bosses

Main Bosses

Optional Bosses

Mini-Bosses

Hostile NPCs and Invaders