How to beat the Elden Ring Godskin Duo boss fight
How to beat the Godskin Duo, both Apostle and Noble, in Elden Ring
The Elden Ring Godskin Duo boss fight in Crumbling Farum Azula is a tough one, with the two recurring enemy types now teaming up like some nightmarish version of Laurel and Hardy. Using a combination of magic and sudden strikes to overwhelm players and unbalance them , this marks one of the tougher Elden Ring experiences, especially considering that both these horrors need to be fought at once. Fortunately, we've brought them down, and can explain how to beat the Elden Ring Godskin Duo boss fight, whether you're having trouble with the enormous Godskin Noble or the angular Godskin Apostle, or if you just want some tips and tricks.
How to beat the Elden Ring Godskin Duo boss fight
Slay the Godskin Duo and you'll nearly have beaten all the Elden Ring main bosses! Check out our guide to see what titans are left to topple.
To beat the Elden Ring Godskin Duo boss fight in Crumbling Farum Azula, we should first address the obvious fact - you need to do whatever you can to fight them individually. Fighting both of them at once is a path to failure, as both are tough enemies in their own right and will have no issue taking you apart as you fail to defend yourself from two angles.
That's why those who are struggling need to make use of Ash Spirit summons. Find the tankiest, most durable summon you have and bring it in the moment you enter the arena. It doesn't matter which of the two Godskins your summon goes after - you fight the other one while it keeps the first foe distracted. After you finish your own enemy, go help your summon kill his nemesis before a new one spawns.
Oh, we should address that - it's not enough to simply kill the Godskin Duo. They keep respawning (which admittedly takes a little time) as long as their shared health bar remains. You just have to kill them until the health bar is gone, which should mean you have to kill about four or five Godskin foes before their collective health vanishes and they stop hounding you.
Whichever of the Godskin Duo you find yourself struggling to take down, we'll explain their individual strengths and weaknesses below, as well as some general tips for the fight itself.
Godskin Duo tips and tricks to prepare
The Godskin Duo have some shared weaknesses and strengths, meaning that strategic advice applied to one can apply to the other too. Here's some basic thoughts to keep in mind both before and during the boss fight.
- The recommended level for the Godskin Duo is at least 100, with weapons of +18 or higher. That being said, you should probably end up being a little higher than this at this point, assuming you've not just been on the critical path.
- There's a little bit of a trek from the previous Site of Grace to the arena - the best thing you can do is evade the enemies along the way, sprinting and rolling past them, heading left down the steps and then dropping down to the thin ledge off the broken path with the arena entrance ahead on the right. You'll encounter two or three knights along the way, but leave them in your dust.
- Alternatively, if you approach from the secondary Site of Grace to the Southeast, the Dragon Temple Transept, there'll be an option to summon the friendly NPC Recusant Bernahl.
- The Godskin Duo are a little vulnerable to Slashing damage and general status effects like Bleed and Frostbite, but highly resistant to Striking, as well as Fire, Lightning and Magic, leaving little in the way of physical weaknesses.
- The Sleep effect can help make this fight a lot easier - sedate one of the Godskins with a Sleep Pot, Soporific Grease or a St. Trina's Arrow, then leave them be while you battle the other one.
- Both can be parried and staggered, but not easily. Only try to parry if you're feeling brave, or risk taking the attack on the nose.
- The pillars around the arena can be used for cover and protection - make use of them at all opportunities.
- Generally you want to kill the Godskin Noble (the big one) first, as he's more of a threat and can do more damage. It's not essential though, and while the Apostle (the skinny one) is less damaging, he's also faster, lashing out from a good distance with little warning.
- Each of them has a move where they levitate into the air surrounded by black fire, and will immediately drop back down to create a shockwave. Roll away when you see it happen! The shockwave is short-range but damaging, and will throw players back to the ground and leave them vulnerable for follow-up.
- Once the collective health bar is emptied, any remaining Godskins die, regardless of their individual health.
Alternatively, check out below for an explanation of how to deal with the two Godskins individually. Everything above applies to both of them, but they each also have their own nuances listed below.
Fighting the Godskin Duo in Elden Ring
Below we've got the Godskin Duo explained as separate entities, so if you're really struggling with one or just need to know what makes them tick, we've got that laid out clearly!
How to beat the Godskin Noble
The Godskin Noble is the more dangerous of the two by our reckoning, a huge tank enemy who can withstand most attacks and send players flying with his bulk. Here's some things to keep in mind.
- The Noble's most dangerous attack has him inflate to huge size and roll around, trying to crush the player. He can't turn sharply, so use this against him - roll to the side at the last second, or try to sprint around him as his attack animation starts. You'll probably have to dodge him at least twice, as he rolls around for a while.
- Most of the Godskin Noble's more normal-looking attacks have some kind of surprise follow-up. If he lunges with his rapier, he's likely going to perform a strike or secondary stab without warning.
- As a rule, you want to try to stay behind the Noble when possible. Most of his attacks are directed forwards, and he can use a belly-shove move that comes out of nowhere and staggers players badly.
- The Noble's lack of manoeuvrability means you can use the pillars against him nicely - ranged players should find him a lot more manageable, as he's mainly a melee fighter who struggles to close the gap if the player's determined to keep backing away from him.
How to beat the Godskin Apostle
The lanky, elastic Godskin Apostle is a different beast, capable of whiplashing about the battlefield and fighting more in the medium-range than his friend. However, he's a bit less robust as an enemy, and can't quite throw you about as much as the Noble can.
- The Apostle is capable of stretching rapidly and using rapid strikes with his twinblades. You should consider him in "melee range" even well beyond the standard limits.
- It's a bit more viable to use a shield against the Godskin Apostle, whose fast-hitting attacks won't stagger you the way the Noble can do. Catch the first of his combos on your shield, then use the brief gap before the next strike to roll away.
- If the Apostle starts spinning his weapon, back away! These twirling attacks can devastate health if the player is caught in them.
- The Apostle can be knocked out of his animation easier than the Noble - feel free to play more aggressively if you think you can mix in the necessary evasion.
Godskin Duo boss fight rewards
Once you've killed the Godskin Duo, you'll be rewarded with 170,000 Runes (less than the Fire Giant, which is a shame), but more interestingly, you'll get the Black Flame Tornado Ash of War, and the excellent Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing [4], the best Bell Bearing available for standard Smithing Stones! Even if this weren't a mandatory boss fight, you'd want to kill these guys anyway just for that reward.
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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and raconteur with a Masters from Sussex University, none of which has actually equipped him for anything in real life. As a result he chooses to spend most of his time playing video games, reading old books and ingesting chemically-risky levels of caffeine. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at USgamer, Gfinity, Eurogamer and more besides.