While Malenia, an optional boss, was the most prominent boss in Elden Ring, Messmer is indeed a mandatory boss in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. He is difficult, but he is far from being the most formidable opponent of the expansion from our point of view.
Preparations
- You can reach level 15 and above of Shadow Realm Blessings by searching the different regions of the game well. This will help you greatly in this fight.
- At least two different summons can be unlocked in Messmer’s room. Unfortunately, they are not in front of the entrance, which will force you to use them in the heat of battle. There is the Kerastienif he is alive. And Jolàn, the swordsman of the nightif you have at least completed the first stage of Ymir’s quests.
- As always, a spirit summon will help you as well. The Mimic Tear is always a good choice.
- This boss’s damage is mostly physical and fire-type. Talismans and buffs that can reduce this damage will significantly help you survive. In addition to the Dragon Shield Talisman, we recommend using the new Fire Dragon Talisman +3for a massive fire resistance bonus.
- As you probably suspect, Messmer has a very high fire resistance. It is better to use another element.
Phase 1
The fight against Messmer is very intense, you will have to dodge, block or parry many attacks, as well as some spells. On the other hand, he does not have a very large amount of health, and he does not heal himself. If you are playing in melee, favor rolling on the sides and behind Messmer rather than backwards, in order to be able to counterattack quickly and often. It is almost impossible to get out of range of his spear anyway. As a bonus, this will help you avoid the halos of flames emitted by many attacks, they affect a large area. Being close to Messmer is ironically less dangerous than being far away in general.
Aside from all that, there is no real miracle solution to this fight, you have to learn to recognize his attacks, and master the timing required for dodges.
Messmer almost always starts the fight with his Flame Orb. The principle is quite similar to the beginning of phase 2 of Malenia. You have to dodge backwards just before the impact, then a second time a few moments later, to avoid being thrown by the explosion. If you master this attack, you will have many opportunities to attack Messmer.
Messmer has a lot of jumping attacks, it’s hard to identify them all, especially since the timing tends to differ for dodging.
With the simplest, he just dives with his spear, allowing you to counterattack immediately after impact.
The most painful is the one that makes flames appear all around him. After a moment, devastating spears will impale their position. You have to dodge the impact, but with an adapted angle in order to arrive between two spears, for example by rolling sideways to the left. But the room for maneuver is not very wide. Chaining 2 rolls to get out of range of the spears is probably safer.
When Messmer’s right hand flares up and he leans forward, he’s getting ready to grab you. Doing a well-timed roll, or being very far away from him are the only ways to avoid being skewered.
When Messmer is aggressively advancing with a series of lance thrusts, a well-timed forward roll is probably the best way to avoid the blows.
Phase 2
Like almost all the bosses in the DLC, Messmer enters Phase 2 at around 50% to 66% health. Remember that you can skip the cutscene, there is no need to inflict it on yourself every time.
Messmer will be adding new attacks to his arsenal, but he is not significantly more difficult during this phase. In addition to dodging attack combos, you will have to react very quickly to dodge the snake heads. Don’t hesitate or think twice, as soon as you see one, dodge!
One advantage of this phase is that Messmer often moves into the snake head. When he does, you often have an opportunity to attack, before he reverts to his normal form.
Another notable difference during the second phase is that you should avoid staying close to Messmer, when blood appears on the ground. The invocation of his snakes is each time accompanied by a rather dangerous area effect.
Awards
Still no Major Rune in this case, but a Memory of the Impaler, as well as Messmer’s Burning Seed. You’ll need them to set the occult tree ablaze.
If he is alive, the Kerastian will also be in the room. His attitude will depend on whether you summoned him during the fight or not. If you killed Messmer without him, he will be depressed.
Memory of the Impaler
As always, you can return to the Round Table to exchange memories from the expansion’s bosses. You can even buy armor pieces from the Augur of Fingers in some cases. Press “RB” from the map.
You have two rewards to choose from:
- Impaler’s Spear : A spear that deals physical and fire damage, with stats based primarily on Dexterity and Faith.
- Messmer’s Orb : A huge, devastating fireball, requiring 60 Faith.
Blessings of the Shadow Realm Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Where to find Splinters of the Eldtree and Revered Spirit Ashes?
In the Elden Ring DLC, FromSoftware has integrated a new system to progress your power. Discover how it works in this guide, as well as the position of the objects in order to obtain the Blessing of the Occult Tree and that of the Revered Spirit Ash.
