Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: How to beat Scadutree Avatar

Scadutree Avatar is one of the toughest bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree when looking at its health alone, so make sure to follow this strategy if you're struggling to beat it.

Boss breakdown

Don't get the Scadutree Avatar confused with its base game 'equivalent', as they are very much not the same. Unlike the slow and limited Erdtree Avatars, Scadutree is fast, deadly, and has a wide range of attacks that you'll have to watch out for.

The single most dangerous aspect of this boss, however, comes from its triple health bar. That's right - killing the boss once or twice still isn't enough, as it'll grow back again and require you to deplete its health bar three whole times. Each phase has new attacks to contend with as well, making this a test of endurance as well as skill.

Strategy, tips & tricks

Scadutree Avatar will always open with two projectile thorn attacks just after you go through the fog gate, making it difficult to summon or cast straight away in the fight. I found that dodging left then right (or vice versa) was the best way to deal with this attack - and make sure to lock on to the boss to make it easier.

After that, your best bet is to focus on the head, as it'll deal significantly more damage compared to the body, even if it is somewhat harder to hit. Because of this, I'd recommend trying a projectile-based build, or a weapon with a projectile skill as it'll make hitting the head consistently a lot easier.

I personally used the Spear of the Impaler as its standard and charged heavy attacks throw the spear, dealing high damage. However, any other throwing weapon, magic build, or even specific weapons with projectile skills like the Dragon-Hunter's Great Katana would work perfectly.

Most of its attacks in the first phase will be with its arms, swinging them around in combos that typically don't last longer than two or three hits. 

If you see its arms engulfed in thorns then it'll be prepping an aftershock-like attack that deals bleed damage. This will cause thorns to grow out of the ground, then pop up about a second after dealing big damage if you're not careful. The best way to avoid this is simply to jump, but mastering the timing can be quite hard.

If it raises its head in the air while looking down/forward, then it'll be preparing for a head-slam attack. Make sure to get out of the way, but be ready to rush back in while it lies exposed after the attack.

The only other main attack you have to watch out for is when it raises its head and looks towards the sky. This will summon a barrage of projectiles towards you, but they can be easily avoided with well-timed sideways rolls.

You'll always want to make sure that you pull off the critical attack at the end of each health bar, as it'll reduce the next phase's health by about a quarter.

The second phase will always start with a spinning attack, so either stay away as it pops up or learn the dodge timings in order to get a hit or two in as it recovers. It's also likely to go straight into the rushing attack after, which is telegraphed when it pulls its body back with its 'hands' on the ground.

This rushing attack has the potential to be part of a three or four-hit chain, so only let your guard down once you know the chain has finished as it can leave you trapped in a cycle that's difficult to escape.

I also found that this phase has a much higher chance of casting projectile thorns when distance is created between you and the Avatar. This made healing quite challenging if you get unlucky, so always watch out for any tells before you heal.

The only other real change in this second phase is that the sky projectile attack becomes a bit more complex, so you'll just have to watch out for that and hope that you're able to dodge it!

Finally, the main new addition in the third phase is a holy AoE attack that deals a lot of damage if you're caught in it. This is telegraphed when the Avatar raises its arms and golden light starts cracking from its chest.

I couldn't figure out a consistent way to dodge roll through this myself, so your best bet is to simply run as far as you can away before it strikes. It thankfully drops its head after the attack giving you time to get a few hits in or heal, so you won't have to worry if even if you were hit.

Rewards

• 260,000 Runes
• Remembrance of the Shadow Sunflower
  • Shadow Sunflower Blossom (Colossal Weapon)
  • Land of Shadow (Incantation)
• Miquella's Great Rune

Unlike most other Great Runes in the game, Miquella's isn't used to buff your character. It instead functions in a similar fashion to an item like Mohg's Shackle, dealing with a specific attack during the final boss - so make sure to save it until then!