How to Defeat Bayle The Dread

As you progress through the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, you will ask yourself how to defeat Bayle the Dread, and most answers might leave you stumped. This terrifying boss awaits atop the Jagged Peak, and while you may make a new friend along the way, reaching him itself is no small feat.

Bayle the Dread is considered among the toughest bosses in Elden Ring due to his large health pool and attacks that hit like a primordial truck of fire. But fear not, Tarnished, for just as grace guided you in the Lands Between, our Shadow of the Erdtree guides will mentor you on how to take down this boss in the Land of Shadow.

How to Prepare to Fight Bayle the Dread?

Taking on a dragon in Elden Ring is difficult enough, and Bayle is considered a late-game boss, even for the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. As such, he’s not going to be a pushover, and the player will need to prepare for a difficult fight where timing and spacing are essential.

The climb along the Jagged Peak path will also offer some good practice for the player, as they will face several drakes and even Ancient Dragon Senessax along the way.

Bayle’s attacks will do Fire, Lightning, and Physical damage, so you want your armor to have a decent balance of resistances. Going for medium to light armor will be ideal, as it’s going to be very taxing to tank all of his attacks with heavy armor.

For defense boosts, the Flamedrake Talisman +3 and Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman +3 should give you some defense, but you’ll be better off focusing on dealing more damage, similar to going on the offensive with weapon mods in Starfield.

Choosing a weapon that deals extra damage to dragon-type enemies, like the Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana or the Dragon King’s Cragblade, will be a great choice for this fight. Bayle is weak to Pierce damage, so make use of thrusting weapons for maximum effect.

If you don’t have these weapons, you should look at getting some Dragon Communion Grease or Dragonwound Grease to buff the damage of your arms. The Ritual Sword Talisman, Blue Dancer Charm, Shard of Alexander, and Rotten Winged Sword Insignia can all boost your attack damage.

In your Wondrous Physick, you can choose a tear that boosts your stamina capabilities, along with the Opaline Bubble Tear to reduce the damage of a single hit. If you’re a mage, you can also use the Cerulean Hidden Tear to inflict massive damage with some hard-hitting spells and get him to his second phase quickly.

If you’re running an Elden Ring mage or faith build, spells and incantations that deal high damage or serious status effects should be your pick. Ekzykes’s Decay, Loretta’s Mastery, Glintstone Nails, and Shard Spiral can be very useful. Bayle is weak to Frost damage, so Ranni’s Dark Moon and Glintstone Icecrag can prove useful.

Godfrey Icon, Graven-School Talisman, and Radagon’s Icon can be very effective when paired with the right spells. You can also dual-wield Azur’s Glintstone Staff in your off-hand for the casting boost and Lusat’s Glinstone Staff for extra damage.

How to Defeat Bayle the Dread in Shadow of the Erdtree?

The first time you enter the arena is going to be a moment of pure cinema as Bayle crashes down in front of you in a cloud of dust and red lightning. He’s going to be aggressive right from the start, so you better be ready with your dodges.

This remains true even for subsequent attempts, as while he won’t once again crash down from the sky, he may lunge from his starting position right at the gate.

Your best strategy as a melee build will be to stay underneath him and attack his legs and tail. Take every opportunity you get to attack his head, as he takes extra damage from these hits.

Magic users can stay at a distance and use spells such as Shard Spiral and use the second phase transition to get off heavy-damage spells like Comet Azur.

As with many bosses in the game, Bayle has two phases, and his attacks do change slightly across these two phases. His attacks hit hard, but FromSoftware has made it so this Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree boss telegraphs the move before it lands. The moves you need to watch out for are:

• Maul: Bayle’s mouth will glow orange, and he will lunge at you. If caught, he will slam you down on the ground three times before letting you go. Dodge backwards, and this will allow you to land a hit on his head.
• Fatal Crush: Bayle will jump into the air and then crash down with an explosion. In the second phase, this attack is followed by magma erupting from below at random spots. Dodge just as the attack lands and then hit his wounded leg, and be aware of glowing spots underneath you in the second phase.
• Lightning Breath (Sweep): This is a ranged attack, and Bayle will breathe out Lightning Breath in a wide arc in front of him. With proper timing, you can dodge through the wave and avoid damage.
• Lightning Breath (Beam): This is a single-direction breath attack in your direction and can easily be dodged by rolling to the left or right at the last moment.
• Downward Lightning Breath: If you’re below Bayle, he will rear back and spew Lightning Breath below him to cover a wide array. You will need to sprint away to avoid the AoE range.
• Lightning Spear: Bayle will raise his broken right hand, and it will glow with lightning before slamming it down at the player. The second phase will also summon lightning strikes in randomized locations. You can avoid this attack by either running below Bayle or dodging at the time of impact.
• Lightning Summon: Bayle will roar, and lightning will start to strike the area around you. If you notice the ground below you crackling and glowing, move away quickly.
• Claw Stab: Bayle will rush at you with his claw to stab you. When you see him rearing back and raising his claw, that’s your cue to get ready to dodge just as he reaches you.
• Multiattacks: Bayle will swipe and flail his wings and limbs to land multiple attacks in front of him. When you see him start to move erratically, get underneath him to avoid the flurry of attacks.
• Tail Swipe: This attack occurs when you are behind this Shadow of the Erdtree boss and attacking the tail. He will pause and then swipe his tail in your direction. Bayle will pause for a moment and then swipe his tail around to face you.
• Bayle’s Tyranny: This is the start of his second phase. Bayle will stop fighting as magma channels open underneath him, and he will then create an explosion from which he sprouts wings. You will have to run away to avoid this attack and the following bombardment.
• Flying Bombardment: Bayle will take the skies with his new wings and circle the arena, shooting tracking fireballs at you before crashing down on top of you. Keep sprinting in a single direction to avoid getting hit and then dodge the moment he crashes down.
• Flying Lightning Breath: Bayle will once again take to the skies and hover and then do two passes across the arena while breathing fire and lightning. The path of this attack on the ground will also come with a delayed explosion.
• Bayle’s Flame-Lightning: Similar to the Lightning Spear, Bayle will raise his broken claw and imbue it with lightning. He will then slam it down into the ground, creating cracks in the earth that will erupt in a delayed explosion for a lot of damage.

It may sound like a lot to remember, but after a few attempts, you’ll know the timing for dodges and attack patterns. Feel free to summon both Igon and a Spirit to help take the heat off of you, giving you a chance to refill your health and FP.

Who is Bayle the Dread?

Dragons have long existed in FromSoftware games, allowing players to either face off against them in combat or approach them as neutral parties. Black Dragon Kalameet and Darkeater Midir are two of the most memorable bosses from the studio, but the number of dragon bosses in Elden Ring are greater than all other FromSoftware games combined.

These reptilian terrors have been given some history in the base game, but we truly understood their history from the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

Bayle the Dread is, technically, not even a dragon. He’s a drake, but we doubt that’s a point you’ll be focusing on when he’s chewing down on you. Lore-wise, this is quite important, as drakes were considered a lesser variant of the ancient dragons such as Lansseax and Fortissax.

It’s also important to note that Bayle rebelled against the ancient dragon race, going so far as to engage Dragonlord Placidusax in mortal combat.

With Placidusax’s Outer God no longer conferring with him, Bayle believed the Dragonlord no longer warranted the title of Elden Lord. So, the drakes led a mutiny against the ancient dragons, with the final conflict between Placidusax and Bayle resulting in the Dragonlord losing two of his five heads and Bayle’s arm and leg being torn off his body.

After retreating from the fight, Bayle made the crest of the Jagged Peak his home. Surrounded by storm clouds crackling with red lightning, this drake now awaits any challenger who dares to step into his domain.

The dragons still have it out for Bayle, and anyone who undergoes the Dragon Communion ritual will be imbued with the same hate and desire to kill him. That’s why Igon, despite missing an arm and a leg himself, is so adamant about facing Bayle in combat.

That’s about everything you need to know on how to defeat Bayle the Dread in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree! Which boss has been the most challenging for you? Let us know in the comments below and check out our other guides for more Elden Ring help.