There are many challenging foes to stumble upon in Elden Ring, with the Fire Giant being among the more formidable. For being a towering, hulking enemy, he sure moves around quite fast and can dish out absurd amounts of damage in a blink of an eye.
Still, even with the Fire Giant's unique approach to combat, he doesn't pose an insurmountable challenge and can be bested with just a little bit of patience, the right strategy, and maybe some luck. Overall, this encounter encourages you to try something new and will assuredly have people mixing up their playstyle throughout the battle.
Fire Giant Overview
| Fire Giant Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mountaintops of the Giants |
| Optional | No |
| Summons | Players and Spirit Ashes |
| Drops |
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| Weak To |
|
Fire Giant is a Legend Boss found in the Mountaintops of the Giants and is a mandatory encounter to progress the game's main storyline. Being a battle that takes place towards the back half of the game, it is pretty challenging as a result, and we recommend being at least Level 80-85 before attempting to take him on.
If you successfully slay the last known Fire Giant in the Lands Between, you will be handsomely rewarded with 180,000 Runes and Remembrance of the Fire Giant, which is exchangeable with Enia at the Roundtable Hold. Additionally, you will gain access to Crumbling Farum Azula, a mandatory late-game area.
Fire Giant Attacks
Fire Giant has many attacks that can be quite surprising from someone his size but has the damage output you would probably expect. He possesses a wide range of AoE attacks, a handful of ranged attacks, and even more close-ranged options that will devastate anyone he hits. Furthermore, if Fire Giant doesn't like the situation, he can instantly create space by rolling out of harm's way across the arena.
Due to many odd attacks and the surprising mobility of Fire Giant, it will be incredibly challenging at first. However, once you recognize his patterns, he will become much more manageable but still packs a punch if you get too careless or misread the situation. Overall, this encounter will test your limits, but it isn't impossible. You've made it this far, and there's no giving up now!
Phase 1
| Phase 1 Attacks |
|---|
Shield Shovel
The Fire Giant will plant his giant shield into the snow, then swiftly fling a line of snow out at the player. The snow travels at a rapid pace and is long-reaching. Fire Giant typically starts the encounter with this attack and uses it when you're far away. However, be warned he will occasionally use this move when you're close.
Counter: Roll to the left or right just before the snow reaches you. If you're close, try getting behind him when you see him plant the shield into the snow.
Stomp
Fire Giant will periodically stomp his feet when you get too close/beneath him. He will stomp the foot you are standing near and do it relatively quickly, giving you a small window to react.
Counter: Roll out of the way just before he slams his foot down.
Shield Swipe
Fire Giant will swipe his enormous shield at you and may even follow it up with another swing immediately after. Due to the shield's immense size, you will see him ready this attack by lugging it to his side.
Counter: Roll through the shield swing to negate damage and get closer to the Fire Giant for a few easy strikes.
Shield Charge
Fire Giant raises his great shield high, over his head, and charges towards you, finishing the motion off with a devastating slam. If this move hits you, you are likely dead or very close to it.
Counter: Time your dodge and roll through the shield slam just before he makes contact with the ground. The timing of this can be tricky at first, but this will allow you to get in a few uncontested hits.
Flame Projectiles
Fire Giant ignites his hands in fire then launches swift-moving flame projectiles at the player. While present in the first phase, this attack will also appear in his second phase, so be prepared for it at all costs!
Counter: When you see the flame projectile leave the Fire Giant's hand, evade immediately. These move extremely fast, giving you almost no time to react if you hesitate slightly.
Flame of the Fell God
Fire Giant will spawn in a slow-moving orb of fire that tracks to his target. Whenever the orb gets within range, it will explode, covering a small area in fire and dealing significant damage. This attack will also appear in his second phase, where he will cast two fire orbs instead of one, so be on the lookout for that.
Counter: When the opportunity presents itself, get close enough to the orb to cause it to explode, then immediately dodge out of the way to avoid damage. The best way to deal with these is to bait them and flee the scene.
Phase 2
| Phase 2 Attacks |
|---|
Eruption
Fire Giant leans its large body back, then opens the mouth on its stomach, which violently erupts like a volcano, spewing molten rock all over the arena aperiodically. Fire Giant will typically start the second phase off with this attack, but it's not a guarantee.
Counter: Distance yourself from the Fire Giant and wait patiently until the attack finishes. Getting caught by the molten rock can spell the end for you, even with lots of health.
Sporadic Flames
Fire Giant will engulf his hands in flame before shoving them into the snow, erupting the surrounding space in sporadic fire patches. The area the flame covers is quite large, but where and when the flames pop up will be too hard to predict.
Counter: Get far away from the Fire Giant until the flames stop spawning. You can also try getting in close and keep an eye out for the fire patches, but it may be too risky for some and can kill you instantly, so we don't recommend doing that.
Elbow Drop
Fire Giant will occasionally perform an elbow drop in an attempt to line its body face up with you, then quickly spew lava out from it, dealing lethal damage that will kill almost anything it touches instantly.
Counter: If you see the Fire Giant begin to elbow drop the ground, try running through the opening and getting behind him. This will allow you to get several uncontested hits on him before he gets back up. However, if you can't do that, strike him once or twice, then run far away from the area. This attack will end most players, so don't risk it. You're too close.
Flaming Strike
Fire Giant swipes his flaming hands at you from either the left or right, dealing a decent amount of damage to whoever gets struck by it.
Counter: Time your rolls and dodge through the strikes. Additionally, you can also try getting behind him, which will allow you to land a few attacks.
Battle Strategy
The Fire Giant will test the patience of every type of player in Elden Ring and is easily one of the more challenging mandatory boss encounters in the game. While no playstyle is safe from this giant's wrath, the challenge isn't impossible. And with the right strategy, you will see him fall in no time.
Melee Strategy
In phase one, you will see a rope tied around the Fire Giant's left leg. Hit the rope repeatedly to eventually snap the rope and reveal a weak spot on the boss, which will also pause his attacks for a brief moment. Take this opportunity to get in several uncontested hits. From here, just focus on his left leg while dodging his attacks and regaining the distance from his rolls. Always try staying behind or underneath him, which will force him to roll away, allowing you to get back in as he attempts to do one of his few ranged attacks.
Fire Giant will tear off his left leg at the start of the second phase of the fight, eliminating the weak spot from the first phase and moving it to his left forearm, which is somewhat awkward to hit for ground melee users. However, every attack from the Fire Giant from this point onward will be forward-facing attacks, so try sticking to his side or back to get in multiple hits before he attempts rolling around to face you. Patience is the best practice here, as he has a large pool of health, and you will hardly be able to hit his forearm. But, if you can keep getting behind him, you will eventually take him down.
Ranged Strategy
For the Fire Giant encounter, ranged players will follow a very similar strategy to melee users but will have a much easier time carrying the plan out. You do not want to be too far away in this fight because the Fire Giant has a handful of annoying ranged attacks. Instead, get in close with a powerful spell that you can cast rapidly -Stars of Ruin, for example- and target his weak points. In phase one, the weak spot will be his left ankle. Stay close and position yourself either behind him or underneath him to force him to perform basic attacks or roll away from the area.
In phase two, ranged users can target and hit his left forearm with a much greater outcome when compared to ground melee users. Due to ranged attacks naturally having excellent precision, you can take advantage of his onslaught of forward-facing attacks and occasionally peek around and hit his weak spot before positioning yourself behind him. After a few successful hits, you can break Fire Giant's guard, then attack the large eye on his stomach for more significant damage. Repeat this process until you take him down.
Torrent Strategy
In general, we do not recommend using Torrent for the first phase, but he will come in handy during the second phase for melee users. The elevation gained by mounting Torrent will give you the height and range needed to hit Fire Giant's left forearm, which can potentially break his poise after a few solid strikes. Ranged users can also use Torrent in the second phase, but it isn't necessary for them. Just remember to position yourself behind Fire Giant and only attack the weak spots whenever you have a clear opening, and you will have him killed in no time!
General Tips
- Be Level 80-85 or Higher
- Always try staying behind or underneath him
- Only use Torrent in phase two to reach his weak spot (Melee only, Ranged optional)
- Bait the fire orbs to explode, then flee the area to negate damage and remove the annoying obstacle.
- Be patient. Fire Giant has a large health pool, so you won't kill him fast or likely in the first go. Just keep your composure and stick to the game plan!
