How To Beat Messmer The Impaler In Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree

Messmer the Impaler is more than just a boss—he’s a test of endurance, strategy, and sheer will in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Hidden atop the labyrinthine Shadow Keep, this fiery adversary combines devastating attacks with relentless aggression, making him one of the most challenging foes in the DLC. Can you conquer his explosive fury and claim the rewards that shape the fate of the Shadow Tree?

Rewards for defeating

Defeating Messmer the Impaler in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree rewards players with 400,000 Runes and the Remembrance of the Impaler, which can be exchanged at the Roundtable Hold for either the Spear of the Impaler or Messmer’s Orb. Additionally, players receive Messmer’s Kindling, a key item required to access the Tower of Shadow. After defeating him, his armor set becomes available for purchase from Enia at the Roundtable Hold, providing further customization options for your character.

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For defeating the boss, you will receive 400,000 runes, Messmer’s Kindling and Remembrance of the Impaler, which you can exchange for:

Spear of the Impaler – a large spear that deals partial fire damage, and the heavy attack throws the spear, allowing you to fight from a distance,
Orb of Messmer – incantation, creates a fireball around itself which explodes after hitting the ground.

Messmer in a nutshell

Messmer the Impaler is a pivotal figure in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, embodying both tragedy and terror. As the supposed firstborn of Marika, he was tasked with a brutal crusade to purge the Land of Shadow of anything deemed impure to the Golden Order. Residing in the Shadow Keep, Messmer’s mastery of fire magic and his role as an enforcer of Marika’s vengeance make him a symbol of fear across the land. However, beneath his fearsome exterior lies a tormented soul, abandoned by his mother and consumed by resentment. His curse, tied to an Abyssal Serpent within him, and his eventual embrace of this darkness during his boss fight reflect his descent into despair. Messmer’s story is a haunting exploration of loyalty, betrayal, and the devastating consequences of being a pawn in Marika’s grand design.

The fight with Messmer has two phases – the second phase begins when the boss loses half of his health.
Messmer is very aggressive, his melee attacks have a long range and his ranged attacks deal huge damage and are difficult to avoid – stay close to the boss, attack him and heal yourself only after his attack sequences.
Regular spear attacks can be easily blocked – fire spear attacks are better dodged.
Messmer usually ends his attack sequences with a wide swing of his spear or by thrusting his spear into the ground – that’s your time to attack.
Be careful not to be grabbed – it does massive damage and will probably immediately kill you.
You can avoid the fireball attack by dodging when Messmer hits the ground and by dodging a second time with a slight delay when the ball explodes.
You can recognize Messmer’s most dangerous combo by him rising into the air while spinning his fire spear – dodge towards the boss, back away to avoid the quick stabs, do another dodge to avoid the ground punch and one last dodge to avoid the spears shooting out of the ground.
In the second phase, Messmer becomes extremely agile – keep an eye on him by aiming the camera at him.
Many of Messmer’s punch combos are finalized with an additional jab at the end.
Snakes that attack directly can be blocked, snakes that attack from above must be dodged.
Once Messmer melts into the floor, move away from the goo puddle on the ground to avoid the huge snake that will shoot out of it in a few seconds.
After avoiding transformation attacks, try to attack Messmer before he turns into a human again – this will give you an extra moment to deal more damage.

How to fight Messmer?

Messmer the Impaler is a formidable boss in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, requiring precise strategy and preparation to defeat. To counter his fiery attacks, equip fire-resistant gear like the Flamedrake Talisman and use the Flame, Protect Me incantation. Messmer is weak to Cold damage, Bleed, and Poise-breaking attacks, so weapons imbued with frost or bleed effects are highly effective. During Phase 1, dodge his fiery orb slam by rolling twice—once for the impact and again for the explosion. Avoid panic rolling during his lunging thrusts and impaling attacks; instead, time your dodges carefully. In Phase 2, his moves become faster but follow similar patterns. Summoning allies like Mimic Tear or Hornsent can help distract him while you land heavy attacks during openings, particularly after he slams his spear into the ground.

Messmer may seem very overwhelming at first – he has a lot of health, his attacks deal a lot of damage and he is extremely aggressive, charging at you almost all the time. His attacks are quite predictable, but any mistake can be disastrous – Messmer’s spear gives his attacks a long range, which makes it difficult to heal safely, which should rather discourage you from keeping your distance. To defeat him, you must be equally aggressive – stay close to the boss, attack and heal only during the breaks after his attacks. By standing close to Messmer, you will avoid the flame splashes caused by his attacks and will have plenty of opportunities to attack.

Messmer’s punch combos usually end with a wide swing of the spear or stabbing the spear into the ground. The boss can also ignite his weapon in the middle of a combo – regular attacks can be safely blocked, but fiery attacks are better dodged, because some of the damage will go through your block.

Beware of Messmer’s grab – the boss runs towards you with a raised, burning hand. You have to dodge at the right moment, a little later than expected – the grab deals enormous damage and will kill you instantly, unless you have invested in a very high level of health and collected many Scadutree fragments.

You also have to watch out for the fireball attack, which Messmer can create after rising into the air. The boss will hit the ground, forcing you to dodge – you must then dodge again with a slight delay to avoid the explosion. Messmer’s most dangerous combo starts with him rising into the air while spinning his fire spear – Messmer will charge towards you (you should dodge towards him), perform several quick stabs towards you (you should either retreat or block), hit the ground (now dodge) and summon many spears, which will shoot out of the ground (now dodge with a slight delay).

In the second phase of the fight, Messmer becomes extremely agile – many of his punch combinations are finalized with an additional jab at the end, during which the boss slides on the floor. He also gains the ability to summon snakes and transform into a huge snake himself – front and side snake attacks can be blocked, attacks from above are better dodged. Messmer retains his fireball attack, which is dodged in the same way – but he only uses it in his snake form. The transformed Messmer moves extremely quickly around the arena – keep an eye on him with your camera so as not to lose sight of him.

One of the boss’s new attacks is to melt into the floor – a huge puddle of dark goo will appear on the ground. Move away from the puddle to avoid Messmer, who will soon shoot out of the ground. The second phase gets aggressive again. When Messmer hits the ground in his snake form, he is vulnerable to your attacks for a short while – hitting him before he turns back into a human will knock him out of his snake form and make him vulnerable to attacks for longer than in the first phase.

What are the best strategies to dodge Messmer’s attacks

Dodging Messmer the Impaler’s attacks in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree requires precise timing and understanding of his patterns. Here are the best strategies:

Avoid Panic Rolling: Messmer’s attacks often have delayed timings. Reacting too early can leave you vulnerable. Stay calm and time your rolls carefully, especially during his lunging thrusts and impaling moves.
Phase 1 Dodging Tips:

What are the most common mistakes players make when fighting Messmer

Players often make critical mistakes when fighting Messmer the Impaler in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Here are the most common errors to avoid:

Panic Rolling: Many players roll too early, especially against Messmer’s delayed attacks like his lunging thrusts or grab move. This leaves them vulnerable to follow-up strikes.
Misjudging Distance: Keeping too much distance from Messmer can trigger his ranged flame orb or spear throw, which are harder to dodge and deal significant damage.
Failing to Recognize Attack Patterns: Players often struggle with Messmer’s mix of slow sweeping attacks and fast combos, leading to mistimed dodges. For example, his “Messmer’s Assault” requires precise timing to evade each phase of the attack.
Neglecting Phase Transition Cues: In Phase 2, players may fail to anticipate new serpent-based attacks or misjudge the timing of his flame orb explosion, resulting in unnecessary damage.
Overcommitting to Offense: Greedy attacks during Messmer’s recovery windows can lead to punishment, especially if players don’t account for his quick retaliatory moves.

Avoiding these pitfalls and staying calm under pressure are key to overcoming this challenging boss.