How To Beat Furnace Golem in Shadow of the Erdtree Boss Guide & Tips

In the scorching landscapes of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, one of the most formidable foes awaits: the Furnace Golem. These towering, fire-encrusted behemoths are as intimidating as they are challenging, but with the right strategies, you can harness the flames to your advantage. Dive into our comprehensive guide to uncover the secrets of defeating these blazing giants and claim the coveted Crystal Tears that lie within their fiery grasp.

In the Realm of Shadow you will encounter huge unique enemies – furnace golems, war machines of the demigod Messmer. These are dangerous enemies that don’t respawn after death, deal huge damage, and attack with powerful fire artillery.Fighting them is long and requires some unusual strategy, but it’s also worth the effort because you’ll get new Crystal Tears from them. On this page of the guide, we described how to fight these fire giants and how to create the items required to defeat them.

How to fight fire giants?

To fight Furnace Golems, also known as fire giants, in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, you need to employ different strategies based on whether they are armored or unarmored. Unarmored Furnace Golems can be defeated by targeting their legs, which are their weak spots. Stagger them three times by hitting their legs, causing them to fall over, and then perform a critical hit on their face for significant damage. For armored Furnace Golems, melee attacks on the legs are ineffective due to the armor. Instead, use Hefty Fire Pots or Hefty Furnace Pots, which can be thrown into the furnace on their back to deal massive damage. Typically, three to four pots are enough to defeat them. Using Torrent can make the fight easier by allowing you to dodge their explosive attacks more effectively.

Furnace golems are divided into two types – armored and unarmored. You will recognize them by the iron armor around their legs. Armored golems require the use of a specific item, and we will describe the strategy for dealing with them below. Unarmored golems can be defeated immediately, although this will require patience.

When fighting a furnace golem, the most important thing is to get close as quickly as possible. Torrent, our spectral steed, is indispensable for this clash. The golem will attack mainly with bursts that cover the ground with fire. If one of his legs starts to burn, he will immediately stomp on one leg – double jump on Torrent to avoid the flames. If both legs start to burn, move away from the opponent and double jump to avoid the flames and explosion. The boss will stomp with one foot more frequently as his health decreases, performing combinations of up to three stomps.

The process of defeating the golem is tedious, but easy to understand – you have to constantly slash at its legs to break its posture. Eventually you will hear the sound of the body breaking and the golem will stagger. Keep attacking, but be careful not to run out of stamina, which you also need to jump over enemy attacks. When you stagger the golem three times, it will fall. Approach its face (where an orange light is glowing) and deal a critical hit to take half of its health. Two takedowns and two critical hits are enough to defeat the enemy.

How to fight armored fire giants?

To fight armored fire giants in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree, you’ll need a strategic approach. These giants are immune to the standard tactic of targeting their legs due to the iron armor surrounding them. For melee characters, the most effective method involves using Hefty Furnace Pots. Position yourself at a high point near the giant and lure it closer. When it approaches, throw a Hefty Furnace Pot into the fireplace on its head, which will deal significant damage. Typically, four successful hits with these pots should be enough to defeat the giant. Be cautious, as the ingredients for these pots are lost upon use, and running out can force you to retreat or craft more during the battle. Ranged fighters can also target the faces on the giant’s body for an alternative approach.

Armored fire golems are immune to this tactic due to the armor surrounding their legs. Ranged fighters can shoot the faces on their bodies. However, melee characters need to use Hefty Fire Pots introduced in the DLC. Next to each armored golem there is a high point that you must reach. Encourage the golem to come closer, and when it gets very close to you, throw a pot into the fireplace on its head. This will deal high damage to it – four thrown pots should be enough to eliminate the opponent.

You must be extremely cautious – if you run out of pots, you will have to withdraw or make more pots in the midst of the battle while the golem is attacking. Regardless of whether you hit or miss, the ingredients used to create the pot are lost forever when you throw them – you won’t get them back after death or after resting at a Site of Grace. This may prove to be quite challenging as some of these components are extremely scarce or have a restricted quantity in the game.

How to craft Hefty Furnace Pots?

To craft Hefty Furnace Pots in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, you will need a few specific ingredients and the Greater Potentate’s Cookbook. The cookbook can be found at the Run-Down Traveler’s Rest, located under the Ellac Greatbridge in the Gravesite Plains area. Once you have the cookbook, gather the necessary materials: one Hefty Cracked Pot, two Redflesh Mushrooms, two Embers of Messmer, and one Furnace Visage. The Furnace Visage is particularly rare and often requires defeating a Furnace Golem to obtain. With all ingredients in hand, open the item crafting menu and select the Hefty Furnace Pot recipe to craft these powerful items, which are ideal for taking down Furnace Golems.

The item you need is the Hefty Furnace Pot – this is the best weapon against Furnace Golems. Before collecting ingredients, make sure you have at least four Hefty Cracked Pots – the number you have determines the maximum number of throwing pots you can craft. Cracked Pots are also the only ingredient you keep after throwing the pot.

The recipe for the Hefty Furnace Pot is included in the Greater Potentate’s Cookbook [2] – you can find it in the cottage just west of the Ellac Greatbridge. The ingredients are as follows:

1. Redflesh Mushroom – A common ingredient found throughout the Realm;
2. Ember of Messmer – an ingredient dropped by some enemies in Shadow Keep;
3. Furnace Visage – a very rare ingredient found on destroyed golems. You can find many of them when leaving the Shadow Keep canals – we have explained how to get there on a separate guide page.

If you can’t find the materials for Hefty Furnace Pots, you can craft Hefty Fire Pots instead – they deal less damage, so you’ll probably need to craft more of them mid-fight, but the ingredients required to craft them are more common. The recipe for them is included in the Greater Potentate’s Cookbook [1] which can be found in the Scorched Ruins in the Gravesite Plain.

What are the rewards for defeating golems?

Defeating Furnace Golems in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree offers several valuable rewards. Each victory yields a unique Crystal Tear, which can be used in the Flask of Wondrous Physick to provide new benefits tailored for the challenges of the Shadow realm. Additionally, players receive a Furnace Visage, an important crafting material. The runes rewarded can vary, typically around 10,000 or more, depending on the specific Golem defeated. These rewards make it worthwhile to confront these formidable enemies early in your progression to maximize their benefits.

Each golem you defeat will reward you with one Furnace Visage and a new, unique crystal tear, which you can use to brew Flasks of Wondrous Physick. Each golem drops a different tear with different effects:

1. Deflecting Hardtear – dropped by the golem in the Gravesite Plain, near the Scorched Ruins. When drunk, it gives you the ability to “parry” with any weapon – both your block and your counterattack after blocking will become stronger if you press the block button right before you are hit. This tear will allow you to parry all melee attacks even without a shield, making the fight more similar to, for example, Sekiro or Lies of P.
2. Glovewort Crystal Tear – dropped by the golem in Charo’s Hidden Grave, just west of the Cerulean Coast. When drunk, increases the damage dealt by summoned spirits.
3. Viridian Hidden Tear – dropped by the golem near the Ellac River, south of the Gravesite Plain. When consumed, it grants you temporary infinite stamina.
4. Crimsonburst Dried Tear – dropped by the golem just before the main entrance to the Shadow Keep. After drinking, it automatically regenerates the health of the player’s allies – it has no effect on your character.
5. Cerulean-Sapping Cracked Tear – dropped by the golem east of the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. After drinking, you regenerate focus when hitting enemies.
6. Oil-Soaked Tear – dropped by the golem at the exit from the Shadow Keep sewers. When consumed, it automatically covers nearby enemies with oil, which increases your fire damage.
7. Bloodsucking Cracked Tear – dropped by the golem at the exit from the Shadow Keep sewers. The golem is inactive and lies in front of the entrance to the Ruins of Unte – you must activate it by creating and throwing a Hefty Furnace Pot into its inactive furnace. Then you have to defeat the enemy. When drunk, it temporarily increases the damage dealt at the cost of a gradual loss of health points.
8. Crimson-Sapping Cracked Tear – dropped by the golem in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. After drinking, striking enemies temporarily regenerates your health.

What are the best strategies to avoid the Furnace Golem’s fire attacks

To effectively avoid the Furnace Golem’s fire attacks in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, consider the following strategies:

1. Mobility and Positioning:

   • Use Torrent to strafe around the Golem, especially at a distance, to avoid fireballs and other projectiles1.

   • Stay behind the Golem as much as possible to minimize exposure to its sweeping attacks.

2. Dodging Techniques:

   • Flame Stomp: Roll or jump as the Golem’s foot hits the ground to avoid the explosion.

   • Double Stomp: When the Golem jumps with both feet, run away from it and then jump over the flames as it lands36.

3. Elevated Positions:

   • If possible, use higher ground to throw Hefty Fire or Furnace Pots into the Golem’s basket, which is a weak point3.

4. Aggro Management:

   • Summon Spirit Ashes like Mimic Tear to distract the Golem and reduce the pressure on you.

5. Avoiding Fireballs:

   • Mount Torrent and circle around the Golem to avoid barrages of fireballs1.

What are the best ways to dodge the Furnace Golem’s flame stomp

Dodging the Furnace Golem’s flame stomp in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree requires precise timing and positioning. Here are the best ways to avoid this attack:

1. Single Leg Stomp:

   • Jump or Roll: As the Golem’s foot hits the ground, jump or roll to avoid the explosion. This is relatively easy to dodge, especially on foot, as Torrent can have animation lockouts.

2. Double Leg Stomp (Jumping Slam):

   • Create Distance: When the Golem jumps with both legs, quickly move away from it. As it lands, jump over the spreading flames to avoid damage15.

3. Positioning:

   • Stay behind the Golem whenever possible to minimize exposure to its stomping attacks. This also helps in avoiding other frontal attacks like sweeping hands.

4. Using Torrent Strategically:

   • While Torrent can be useful for evading attacks at a distance, its jump input delay makes it less ideal for dodging the flame stomp. Instead, use Torrent to quickly move away from the Golem during the double leg stomp.