Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: How to beat Romina, Saint of the Bud
You'll definitely want to employ these tips, tricks, and strategies in order to beat Romina, Saint of the Bud in Elden Ring's new Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
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Romina is one of the last bosses that you'll face in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, so make sure to use these tips and strategies to take her down and head into the final stretch with momentum.
Boss breakdown
You'll fight Romina at the Church of the Bud, which is found at the end of the Ancient Ruins of Rauh area. She is a mandatory boss if you're looking to complete the DLC, and it's likely that you'll tackle her after beating Messmer in the Shadow Keep.
She has two phases, although they are less distinct than most other 'main' bosses in the DLC. Where her challenge truly lies, though, is the threat of Scarlet Rot, as her attacks all deal the deadly status effect that can ruin even the best run if you become inflicted.
Understandably then, she is immune to Scarlet Rot and also Poison/Sleep/Madness, leaving her susceptible to Bleed and Frostbite which you should focus on.
Additionally, she also has no negation against Fire damage, which can be especially helpful when using many of the strongest weapons and Ash of Wars available within the DLC.
Strategy, tips & tricks
The best thing you can do before heading in to fight Romina is to make sure that your Immunity stat is as high as possible. This governs your resistance to Scarlet Rot, which, as you can imagine, is rather helpful when facing the Saint of the Bud!
Talismans and armour that help build this up are as follows:
- Talismans:
- Immunizing Horn Charm +2
- Mottled Necklace +2
- Kindred of Rot's Exultation
- Armour:
- Mushroom set
- Verdigris set
You can also use the Speckled Hardtear Crystal Tear in your Wonderous Physick to boost your Immunity by 90 for three minutes, but I'd say that it's not really worth it considering the alternative options, and you're better off with the Opaline Hardtear or one that boosts your specific damage type.
First phase
Most of Romina's attacks are fairly well-telegraphed and not too challenging to dodge once you learn the tells. She'll generally attack from her front centipede head, and the best way to avoid this is to stay left of this, hugging her body as closely as possible.
Mixed in with this will be lunging stabs from the rear stinger, which are typically telegraphed once it starts moving independently. She can also throw in some attacks with her halberd weapon, which you'll know when to dodge when it starts glowing purple. These are typically in groups of two and are fairly slow swings that are easy to dodge.
One of the attacks that you'll need to especially watch out for is when she curls herself into a ball. After a short pause, she will then extend her body out again and do three attacks in quick succession. The third is quite hard to dodge as it's a prod as opposed to a swing, so make sure to dodge sideways to avoid this.
She will also curl up into a ball and start rolling around the arena - similar to that of the Godskin Noble. I found this really tricky to dodge as the hitbox is so large, so I'd recommend running away and steering clear as much as you possibly can, then dodging sideways away from its turn if you have to.
Second phase
The second phase will begin once Romina starts summoning butterflies around her - which will become a repeated presence following this transformation.
Not only are these butterflies a persistent AoE attack, but they will also turn purple shortly after, turning into another AoE that you'll have to dodge. This deals significant damage and Scarlet Rot buildup if you're caught within it, so definitely try and steer clear.
Within this new phase, she will jump up into the air and curl into a ball, followed by a diving lunge that does heavy damage. This has a similar tell to when she starts rolling around, so be prepared for either to happen.
One new dangerous combo starts when she jumps into the air and starts charging up her halberd. This begins with two aerial swipes and then a third and final spinning attack that has a trail of butterflies following it. It's best to dodge this attack sideways, as it gives you a better chance of avoiding the following butterfly AoE.
Rewards
- 380,000 Runes
- Remembrance of the Saint of the Bud
- Poleblade of the Bud (Halberd)
- Rotten Butterflies (Incantation)
While you might have some fun with either Remembrance reward here, the lack of bosses that are properly weak to Scarlet Rot is a bit disappointing, and the weapon skill for the Poleblade leaves a lot to be desired in my eyes.
About The Author
Harry Boulton
Harry is a Guides Writer at GGRecon, having completed a Masters of Research degree in Film Studies. Previously a freelance writer for PCGamesN, The Loadout, and Red Bull Gaming, he loves playing a wide variety of games from the Souls series to JRPGs, Counter-Strike, and EA FC. When not playing or writing about games and hardware, you're likely to find him watching football or listening to Madonna and Kate Bush.
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