How To Defaat Deathbird In Elden Ring. The Deathbird is a boss in Elden Ring who can appear in a variety of places across the Lands Between. Deathbirds, like the Night Cavalry bosses, only appear at night and in certain locations. The first is directly south of the Warmaster’s Shack in Limgrave, which most players encounter.
Head east along the road from the Warmaster’s Shack until you notice a field with many Trolls to the south. When the player approaches too close to a Troll sitting down, a massive ruin appears on top of which the game’s first Deathbird spawns. The nighttime in Elden Ring is more perilous because of these bosses, who appear out of nowhere when you least expect it.
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Weaknesses and Moveset of the Deathbird
Deathbirds, like Birds and Bats, are technically flying creatures, and so may be successfully staggered if multiple Heavy attacks connect in a row. They are, however, formidable hitters, and being injured by even one of their assaults can knock you off Torrent.
When attacking, Deathbirds are slow, but they can quickly reposition themselves and have a few gap-closing weapons. Deathbirds are particularly vulnerable to Holy damage, which Incantation and Faith players can exploit to their advantage even this early in the game.
Moveset for Deathbird
- Deathbird will leap into the air, raise its staff, and bash down on the player’s location with its staff. Extremely damaging.
- Staff Cleave: Rapidly sweeps its staff in a frontal arc, causing damage to everything within a 180-degree radius. Damage is moderate.
- Deathbird’s Staff Swipe Combo consists of a single swipe of its staff followed by a more powerful swipe in the other direction. Damage is dealt in three stages: low, medium, and high.
- Staff Thrust Gap-Closer: Reaches back and stabs forward with its staff, occasionally embedding it in the ground for a brief moment. Damage is moderate, but it can close gaps.
- Deathbird slams its staff into the ground and immediately launches itself to another location with the intensity of the strike. Extremely damaging.
Weaknesses of the Deathbird
Deathbirds are extremely vulnerable when hit in the head, yet unless you’re a master Archer, it’s difficult to target this delicate region consistently. The boss can staggered quite easy, though chaining them together can be difficult. Breaking your posture is a swift attack.
When it comes to damage types, Deathbird is only vulnerable to Holy damage. Using Holy Pots or a weapon that deals Holy damage (such as the Sacred Blade Ash of War) deals nearly twice as much damage as normal.
Techniques for Defeating Deathbird
You can either ride Torrent or fight Deathbird on foot, depending on whether you wish to fight the boss in Ranged or Melee combat. This fight can made easier by riding Torrent and performing spells or shooting arrows, but riding Torrent and trying to deliver physical damage up close will almost always result in you knocked down.
Spirit Summons normally not allowed in this encounter, but if you draw the Deathbird north up a hill, you will find a location where they . The Deathbird should not despawn as long as you stay close to the ruin where it first spawned. If it does, return to its original spawn place as soon as possible to prevent its HP from replenishing, thereby restarting the fight.
Spellcasting/Ranged
Spellcasters and Archers will have the easiest time with this fight, which can cheesed by just running in a medium circle around the Deathbird while firing arrows or casting spells frequently. Due to the Deathbird’s susceptibility to Holy damage, Incantation users will have an easier time than Sorcerers.
Avoid getting too close or you’ll hit by a powerful melee attack, and be wary of its leaping strikes. Which can quickly narrow the space between you and the Deathbird, or reposition the Deathbird and cause an attack to miss.
Melee Techniques
Melee players should avoid using Torrent in this fight because it’s quite probable that you’ll miss a big melee attack. Fall off your horse, and exposed to another powerful assault (assuming it doesn’t kill you outright). Instead, aim to approach as near to the Deathbird as possible, preferably directly beneath it if you can, so that its melee swings don’t connect and it has to rely on aerial powerful strikes.
As the Deathbird recovers, dodge exactly as the staff smacks the ground and swiftly get back in close for a few seconds of free hits. The Deathbird, like other flying opponents, is easy to stun, especially in the split second it may hit while in the air – jumping Light attacks are more likely to hit as it goes upwards. Posture takes a lot of damage from normal Heavy hits to its feet.
Beating Deathbird Comes With Rewards
The Blue-Feathered Branchsword, a Talisman that enhances defence with low HP, and 3,900 Runes will dropped by the first Deathbird encountered in Limgrave. Other Deathbirds with higher HP and things to drop can encountered later.
The Sacrificial Axe, which restores FP with every kill, dropped by the Deathbird in the Weeping Peninsula, for example. The Red-Feathered Branchsword, a Talisman that increases a player’s damage while their HP is low, dropped by the Deathbird in Liurnia of the Lakes. A fifth can discovered on the outskirts of Leyndell, Royal Capital, and a fourth in Caelid.
