Shadow of the Erdtree: How to beat Commander Gaius? Elden Ring guide, walkthrough
Commander Gaius is one of the main, but also optional bosses in the Shadow of the Erdtree add-on for the Elden Ring game. On this page of the guide we have described how to fight him and what rewards you will receive for defeating him.
Last update: 27 June 2024
Commander Gaius is one of the bosses in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. You will face him in the Scaduview region, at the secret exit from the Shadow Keep, the second main dungeon of the DLC. He is one of the main bosses of the expansion, but you don't have to defeat him to continue the main story. On this page of the guide, we described how to fight the boss and what rewards you will receive for defeating him.
Reward for defeating
For defeating the boss, you will receive 230,000 runes and Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider. The boss also protects a Scadutree Chalice, in front of which you will find as many as five Scadutree Fragments.
Gaius in a nutshell
- The boss rides on a huge boar and can perform powerful charges.
- When you get behind the boar, it will kick you - you can provoke it to kick and avoid the attack to gain an opportunity to counterattack.
- Watch out for ranged attacks - an electric projectile from the boss's lance and gravity stones through which you can dodge.
- Stick to the boss' side - lance attacks are easier to predict than boar tusks.
- Frontal combinations are often accompanied by the boar kicking - do not attack until the boss stops.
- Halfway through the fight, the boss will become electrified - watch out for the animation, as it deals damage.
- To avoid the corkscrew attack, dodge about three seconds after the boss jumps into the air.
- When Gaius throws a gravity orb, run away from it - fortunately, the arena is large, so you have plenty of space.
How to defeat Gaius?
The fight with Gaius takes place in a large, open arena. The boss wields a long lance and rides a huge boar. If you move away from him, Gaius will start charging towards you - you can block the charge or dodge.
The rider's lance attacks are quite predictable, consisting of simple swings and thrusts. However, the boar's kicking and attacks with its tusks are much less predictable. For this reason, you should try to stick to the side of the boss instead of his front - Gaius will then mainly use lance attacks, so you won't have to worry too much about the boar.
If you approach the boss from behind, the boar will try to kick you. Remember to avoid this attack - you can also deliberately provoke him to kick to gain a moment to counterattack after blocking or dodging. When the boar starts kicking, focus on defense - its movements are then very unclear and it is difficult to spot a good opportunity to attack.
The boss also has two ranged attacks at his disposal - shooting a lightning from the electrified lance and throwing stones torn from the ground. Both of these attacks can be dodged, but they deal damage when blocking.
When Gaius drops to about half his health, he will electrify himself and start using gravitational powers. His attacks now deal minor damage even through block. Beware of the electrified animation that marks the transition to next the phase, as it can deal damage to you.
In the second phase, Gaius gains a corkscrew attack - he will jump into the air and after a while he will hit you while spinning around his own axis. To avoid damage, you should dodge towards the boss about three seconds after he jumps into the air.
The boss will also gain the ability to throw gravity orbs, which pulse three times, dealing damage around them. When Gaius throws an orb, you should move away to fight elsewhere - fortunately, the arena is very large, so you have plenty of room to escape.