The Scadutree Avatar, a towering sunflower-like menace in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, is far from a walk in the garden. With its three brutal phases, thorny Bleed-inducing attacks, and devastating holy explosions, this optional boss tests even the most seasoned Tarnished. But armed with fire-based strategies and precise critical hits, victory—and the coveted rewards—await those who dare to face it.
Scadutree Avatar is one of the bosses in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. You will face him in the Scadutree Base – to get there, go to Shadow Keep from the east to reach the flooded church district, find a mechanism in the district that drains the streets, and then go down to the tunnels under the fortress. This is one of the main bosses of the DLC, but fighting him is optional – you don’t have to defeat him to continue the DLC. On this page of the guide, we described how to fight the boss and what rewards you will receive for defeating her.
Rewards for defeating
Defeating the Scadutree Avatar in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree rewards players with substantial loot, making the challenging battle worthwhile. Upon victory, players receive 260,000 Runes, the Remembrance of the Shadow Sunflower, and Miquella’s Great Rune. The Remembrance can be exchanged for either the Shadow Sunflower Blossom melee weapon or the Land of Shadow Incantation, both of which are highly effective in PvP scenarios but have limited utility in PvE. Miquella’s Great Rune offers unique functionality in the final boss fight of the DLC, adding strategic depth to its use.
[yt=YR@E4r-dbdhp3I]
For defeating the boss, you will receive 240,000 runes, Miquella’s Great Rune and Remembrance of the Shadow Sunflower, which you can exchange for:
- Shadow Sunflower Blossom – huge weapon, deals partial holy damage,
- Land of Shadow – incantation, shoots many golden projectiles at once.
Scadutree Avatar in a nutshell
The Scadutree Avatar is a formidable Legend boss in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, known for its three-phase battle and floral monstrosity design. Found at the Scadutree Base near the Shadow Keep, this optional boss challenges players with devastating attacks like explosive charges and magic arrows. While its head is a vulnerable critical point, the Avatar’s weakness to Magic and Fire-type damage makes ranged builds or fire-based weapons like the Blasphemous Blade ideal for countering its moves. Defeating it rewards players with valuable items, including Miquella’s Great Rune and 260,000 Runes.
- The fight with Scadutree Avatar has three phases – the boss respawns twice upon death.
- The boss’s weak point is its head, which he often lowers after performing his attacks.
- You can avoid the boss’s ranged attacks by dodging after sprinting to the side.
- Remember to strike from above after a double spin attack and after a wide swing with the left vine – this attack seems to go through blocks.
- Be careful not to get grabbed with its head – you won’t block this attack, but if dodged, it reveals the boss for a short while.
- Thorns cannot be fully blocked – it is better to dodge them.
- After a combination of four blows, the boss lowers its head to the right – block or avoid the blows, then dodge to the right to avoid the thorns and get right next to the boss’s head.
- The new attack in the second phase, the triple charge, can be blocked – stop blocking between charges to restore your stamina.
- The new attack in the third phase, the light explosion, is extremely dangerous – just moving away from the boss will not do anything, because the explosion is accompanied by a laser directed at you. You need to move away from the boss and dodge right after the explosion.
How to fight the Scadutree Avatar?
To fight the Scadutree Avatar in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, focus on exploiting its weaknesses and mastering its three-phase moveset. The Avatar is highly vulnerable to Magic and Fire-type attacks, making ranged builds or weapons like the Blasphemous Blade ideal. During the fight, prioritize targeting its head for critical damage, especially when it drops after certain attacks. In Phase One, dodge its ranged attacks like vines and magic arrows by rolling sideways. Phase Two introduces aggressive moves like a slingshot dash and explosive charges; stay mobile and attack from a safe distance. Phase Three slows the boss down but adds devastating area-of-effect attacks; roll through these and capitalize on openings to strike. Using Mimic Tear spirit ashes or summoning allies can help manage aggro and create opportunities for consistent damage.
Scadutree Avatar may seem like a very simple boss at first, as he has quite little health. However, it will quickly turn out that the enemy is much more demanding – when you empty its health bar, you will have to deal a critical hit to knock him down. The enemy will rise from the dead twice – you must kill him three times to win.
The boss’s weak point is the sunflower that serves as its head. It’ll be out of your reach for most of the fight (unless you’re fighting from a distance), but the boss lowers it for a while after its attacks. If you’re close, he’ll rely on swinging its vines and head attacks. Most of its attacks can be blocked – some of these, however, leave behind thorns that shoot out of the ground after a while. These cannot be fully blocked, so be ready to dodge.
The best opportunities to attack come right after a head attack (you can block it), a headlock (the sunflower glows gold and points downwards – that’s when you have to dodge) and after a combination of four vine hits (the boss lowers its head to the right – after the fourth blow, dodge to the right to avoid the thorns and you will be right next to the boss’s head).
Pay special attention to two attack combinations – a double spinning swing with the vines and a single, wide swing with the left vine. The boss may seem vulnerable after them, but sometimes it’s misleading – you might then be attacked from above, a blow that can’t be blocked, only dodged.
While away from the avatar, you must defend yourself against two ranged attacks – waves of thorns and golden bullets. You will recognize the wave of thorns by a swinging vine – sprint to the side and dodge before the thorns hit you. The boss summons golden bullets by raising its head towards the sky and surrounding itself with light. It can fire one or three rounds of bullets at you. They can be avoided the same way as always, by sprinting to the side and dodging– the third series of bullets is longer and requires two dodges one after the other.
In the second phase of the fight, the boss gains a triple charge attack, which it uses when it is slightly away from you. It catches the ground with its vines and leans back, then launches itself towards you, repeating it three times in a row. Observe the boss – the attack only deals physical damage and can be blocked or dodged.
In the third phase of the fight, the boss gains a luminous explosion attack – it bends diagonally and begins to glow gold, and an explosion follows. Moving away by itself is not enough, because when the boss explodes, it also fires a golden laser at you. You have to move away from the boss and perform a precise dodge right after the explosion to roll under the laser. After the first use of this attack, subsequent uses consist of three explosions – dodge, wait a moment, then dodge twice in a row to avoid the last two lasers.
What are the best strategies to avoid the Scadutree Avatar’s thorns
To avoid the Scadutree Avatar’s thorn attacks effectively, follow these strategies:
-
Dodge Timing: When the Avatar summons thorns by slamming one or both arms into the ground, roll backward or sideways multiple times to escape their range. The single-arm attack covers a smaller area, while the double-arm attack affects a wider radius, requiring quicker reaction and distance.
-
Maintain Distance: Staying at mid-range can help you anticipate thorn eruptions and avoid unnecessary damage. Melee users should retreat slightly to observe thorn sprouting patterns before moving back in for attacks.
-
Armor and Talismans: Equip armor sets that boost Robustness, such as General Radahn’s Armor, and use the Mottled Necklace +2 Talisman to reduce Bleed buildup from thorn attacks.
-
Use Shields: A strong shield can absorb most thorn-related damage, allowing melee players to block safely and counterattack.
These methods will minimize your exposure to the Avatar’s thorn-based moves while creating opportunities for counterattacks.
What are the best armor sets to wear against the Scadutree Avatar
The best armor sets to wear against the Scadutree Avatar are those that increase Robustness to mitigate Bleed buildup from its thorn-based attacks. The General Radahn Armor Set is highly recommended for its excellent Robustness stats, offering strong protection against Bleed damage while maintaining decent overall defense. Additionally, pairing this with the Mottled Necklace +2 Talisman can further enhance your resistance to Bleed and other status effects.
