This is a guide on how to beat Dragonkin Soldier, an optional boss in Elden Ring. Read on to learn more about Dragonkin Soldier's drops, weaknesses, and recommended level!

Dragonkin Soldier General Info

Stats and Rewards

Dragonkin Soldier
Weakness	Resistance	Immune
Slash	Lightning Bleed Frost Scarlet Rot Poison	Sleep Madness Instant Death
Affected By	Poison, Scarlet Rot, Bleed
Spirit Ashes Available?	Yes
Rune Rewards	• 16000 (Siofra River) • 58000 (Lake of Rot) (NG)
Summonable NPCs	None
Location	• Siofra River • Lake of Rot
Item Drops	Siofra River: • Dragon Halberd Lake of Rot: • Dragonscale Blade

Dragonkin Soldier Location

Where to Find Dragonkin Soldier (Siofra River)

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The Dragonkin Soldier is encountered as a boss in Siofra River located in the western part of the area in a shallow river basin.

Accessible Using the Arcane Waygate

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The area where the Dragonkin Soldier is located is only accessible by using an arcane waygate in the south western part of Siofra River. The waygate is located on the base of a broken pillar guarded by an Ancestral Follower wielding a bow.

Where to Find Dragonkin Soldier (Lake of Rot)

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The Dragonkin Soldier is encountered as a boss in the Lake of Rot located in the eastern part of the area within the lake. The boss is accessible by activating the platforms to safely cross the Lake of Rot.

When to Fight Dragonkin Soldier

Fight at Level 50+

You can fight the Dragonkin Soldier in Siofra River very early in the game if you head straight to Siofra River Well.

Get your character's level to at least Level 50 with enough vigor and attacking stat investment so you can better withstand its attacks and deal as much damage as possible.

Fight at Level 80+

The Dragonkin Soldier in the Lake of Rot is only accessible after progressing enough in Ranni's questline. While not a particularly difficult boss, it's located in an area that causes fast build up of Scarlet Rot.

Get your characters level to at least Level 80 with enough vigor and attack stat investment so that you can withstand its attacks and take down the boss as fast as possible.

How to Beat Dragonkin Soldier

Tips for Beating Dragonkin Soldier
Use Spirit Ashes to Summon Spirits
Stay Under the Dragonkin Soldier
Lure Out the Dragonkin Soldier in the Lake of Rot
Avoid Locking On to the Boss
Use Weapons that Deal Slash Damage

Use Spirit Ashes to Summon Spirits

The Dragonkin Soldier's attacks cover a wide area, making it very difficult to dodge. Summon your tankiest spirit ash before the fight to distract the boss.

Great summons for this fight include Banished Knight Oleg and Banished Knight Engvall. Both are very aggressive and have powerful attacks that will always keep aggro on top of being tanky.

Lhutel the Headless is another good choice; while less aggressive, she teleports while evading, which means she's less likely to get hit by the Dragonkin's sweeping attacks.

Stay Under the Dragonkin Soldier

While the Dragonkin's location gives you ample room to evade, the safest place during the fight is still right under the boss. Staying under the boss lets you avoid the Dragonkin's wide slashing and slamming attacks that can easily dismount you from Torrent.

Lure Out the Dragonkin Soldier in the Lake of Rot

Lure out the Dragonkin Soldier in the Lake of Rot from the lake and onto one of the platforms. This prevents the boss from using a dangerous smash attack that can spread Scarlet Rot in the area.

Avoid Locking On to the Boss

Avoid locking on to the Dragonkin during the fight and instead use free aim. The boss' large size often causes the character to snap to the boss when it moves which will cause your view to mess up and even prevent you from seeing that it's readying an attack.

Use Weapons that Deal Slash Damage

Both Dragonkin Soldiers lacks any resistance to weapons that deal slash damage. Fast slashing weapons such as Uchigatana can quickly deplete its health, especially if you powerstance it with another katana.

Rivers of Blood is very useful against the Dragonkin Soldier in the Lake of Rot. While the boss has high resistance to bleed, the Corpse Piler weapon skill deals very fast slashing damage that covers a significant area in front of you, allowing you to attack the boss safely at a distance.

Elden Ring Related Guides

List of All Bosses

DLC Bosses

Main Bosses

Optional Bosses

Mini-Bosses

Hostile NPCs and Invaders