Elden Ring guide: How to defeat Ancient Dragons

The Ancient Dragons are a formidable force in Elden Ring (Image via FromSoftware)

Developer FromSoftware's Elden Ring is a massive game that allows players to explore the enormous map of the Lands Between from the get-go. As soon as they step foot in Limgrave, the starting area of the title, they are free to venture out almost anywhere on the map in search of countless fun and fascinating discoveries.

FromSoftware is known for its immaculate design and relentless difficulty in its games, which both translate without a fault to their open-world masterpiece: Elden Ring. Despite being much more open and welcoming to newcomers, it features the signature souls-like difficulty.

The title features some of the most intriguing and challenging main story bosses for gamers to face. Bosses like Malenia, Maliketh, Hoarah Loux, Mohg, and Radagon are unanimously considered some of the most difficult bosses FromSoftware has ever created.

Apart from the main story bosses, Elden Ring's many field bosses and optional confrontations offer gamers the same level of challenge as their previous games. One such challenging field boss is Ancient Dragon Lansseax, which appears in the Altus Plateau region in the game.

The Ancient Dragon appears later in Crumbling Farum Azula as a standard enemy. However, it retains the movesets and skills of the boss variant.

This article looks at the abilities and attacks of the Ancient Dragons and how players can easily defeat the monstrous dragons in Elden Ring.

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Reaching Ancient Dragons in Elden Ring

Ancient Dragons are predominantly found in two key locations of Elden Ring, i.e., Altus Plateau and Crumbling Farum Azula. Here's how users can encounter the Ancient Dragons in the game:

• They will encounter the Ancient Dragons for the first time in the title while making their way to the Altus Plateau from the Ruin-Strewn Precipice Overlook location, which is to the north of the Liurnia of the Lakes region.

• In the Ruin-Strewn Precipice Overlook, users fight the optional boss Magma Wyrm Makar, who, upon defeat, allows them to travel to the Altus Plateau region of the map.
• Ancient Dragon Lansseax makes a sudden appearance as gamers make their way uphill and immediately starts attacking. However, the dragon is not meant to be defeated here.
• If they manage to reduce the dragon's health by a quarter, it retreats and disappears in thin air, only to appear later.

• Readers can find the boss at a hill south of the Rampartside Path site of grace. This is where they can finally defeat the Ancient Dragon for good.
• Later in the Crumbling Farum Azula region, players will regularly encounter the Ancient Dragons, but without a boss health bar. However, they should not underestimate these enemies as they retain all the moves and skills of the boss variant, which can easily one-shot underleveled users.

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Beating Ancient Dragons in Elden Ring

Dragons in Dark Souls games have always been a symbol of royalty and power, yet they still have one weakness that gamers could use to their advantage while confronting them in the games: lightning.

Weapons imbued with lightning via resins significantly damage dragons in Dark Souls titles, making it a staple for users facing one of these colossal beasts.

However, alongside many other changes, Elden Ring shifts the weakness of the dragons to one of their strengths. In the game, the Ancient Dragons can harness lightning to deal area-of-effect damage to players and even conjure weapons made out of lightning to deal massive amounts of damage.

This change also comes with a few shortcomings that users can use to their advantage. Here's how they can defeat the Ancient Dragons:

• Due to relying more on lightning-based attacks, the Ancient Dragons rarely breathe fire, allowing gamers to stick to the weakest part of the monster's body: its head.
• These enemies are also very susceptible to stance breaking, so players should focus on charged heavy and jumping attacks against the dragons.
• The Ancient Dragons can also enter a second phase once their health drops below 50%, which adds a couple of new lightning-based attacks and increased resistance.
• The best way to deal with the Ancient Dragons is to stay aggressive with them and focus on stance-breaking attacks that will open the dragon to critical attacks, dealing enormous amounts of damage.

• Gamers can also use some of the most powerful summons like the Mimic Tear or Tiche to distract the beast from attacking them.
• It is highly recommended that they fight the Ancient Dragons without locking onto them as it will give them much more mobility and control.

Ancient Dragons are intimidating, sure, but at the same time are some of the most magnificent and spectacular enemies in Elden Ring. The game revolutionized how individuals approached dragon-type enemies in "Souls" games.