In the lush, eerie landscapes of the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, a formidable foe awaits: Romina, Saint of the Bud. This enigmatic, hybrid creature combines the ferocity of a scorpion, the agility of a centipede, and the ethereal beauty of butterfly wings. To progress through the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, you must confront and defeat Romina in a battle that tests your skill and strategy. Here’s how to outmaneuver her deadly attacks and exploit her weaknesses to emerge victorious.
Rewards for defeating
Defeating Romina, Saint of the Bud, in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC yields significant rewards. You will receive 380,000 Runes, which can be used for leveling and upgrading purposes. Additionally, you will obtain the Remembrance of the Saint of the Bud, an item that can be exchanged with Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold for either the Poleblade of the Bud, a powerful halberd that induces rot, or the Rotten Butterflies Incantation, which summons a swarm of butterflies causing Scarlet Rot. If you duplicate the Remembrance, you can acquire both items. Defeating Romina also grants access to the sealing tree, a crucial step in progressing through the DLC’s storyline.
[yt=YR@jDWn71m8G88]
For defeating the boss, you will receive 380,000 runes and the Remembrance of the Saintof the Bud. You can exchange it for the following weapons:
- Poleblade of the Bud – halberd, inflicts scarlet rot status,
- Rotten Butterflies – incantation, summons exploding butterflies causing scarlet rot.
Romina in a nutshell
Romina, Saint of the Bud, is a pivotal boss in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. She is a tragic figure who survived the destruction of her church by Messmer’s crusade, only to discover a twisted divine element that she wove into the Scarlet Rot. This transformation turned her into a grotesque creature with features of a centipede, scorpion, and butterfly. Romina leads a cult centered around the Scarlet Rot and is crucial to the DLC’s storyline, requiring players to defeat her to progress. Her fight involves complex attacks, including spear strikes and transformations into a ball of insects, making her a formidable opponent.
- Romina uses three weapons at once – look out for the glaive, the giant centipede, and the scorpion’s stinger.
- Glaive and centipede attacks only deal physical damage – stinger and glowing glaive attacks increase the scarlet rot bar even when blocked.
- Be very aggressive and constantly attack the boss – Romina’s attacks have a long range, but their hitboxes usually don’t cover the area right next to Romina.
- To avoid the air attack, dodge when the boss’s sting lights up and you hear a characteristic sound.
- The boss has the ability to coil the centipede and stinger around itself, rolling across the map or spinning, and delivering three rapid attacks in a row.
- Beware of the grab, which you’ll recognize when Romina spins glaive above her – the animation is brief, and if caught, you’ll probably be instantly infected with the scarlet rot.
- In the second phase, Romina begins to summon exploding butterflies, the explosions of which you must block or move away from them.
How to fight Romina?
To defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree, preparation is key. Ensure your character is well-equipped and upgraded, particularly with Scadutree Fragments for enhanced blessings. Utilize Spirit Ashes like Mimic Tear to distract Romina and take advantage of her weaknesses to Frost and Bleed. Keep a safe distance to avoid her Rot-inducing attacks and dodge her swift movements. When she uses her aerial attacks, roll or jump to avoid damage. By exploiting her weaknesses and maintaining a strategic distance, you can successfully overcome this challenging boss and claim the Remembrance of the Saint of the Bud, which can be exchanged for powerful items like the Poleblade of the Bud or the Rotten Butterflies incantation.
Romina wields three weapons at once – a glaive, a centipede extending from the front, and a scorpion stinger extending from the back. All of these weapons make her deadly at medium range; however, their hitboxes don’t cover the area right next to her. By constantly attacking the boss and attempting to get past or behind her, most of her attacks will completely miss you. You have the option to either block the remaining attacks or evade them by dodging towards the boss – Romina’s regular attacks don’t cause significant damage, even if they manage to get past your defense. This strategy will make the fight much easier.
Glaive and centipede attacks only deal physical damage. Stinger and glowing glaive attacks also deal physical damage, but they also increase your scarlet rot bar – if it fills, you will take continuous damage. So it’s better to avoid them.
The boss has a few moves that are worth watching out for, even when playing aggressively. One of them is an air attack – Romina floats towards the sky, sticking out a small pink stinger. After a while she will fall on you, trying to pierce you. Dodge the attack when the stinger lights up and you hear the distinctive sound.
Romina has the ability to coil the centipede and stinger around herself, rolling across the arena and delivering a blow with her glaive after uncoiling, or delivering three consecutive blows. The boss’s most dangerous attack is the grab – it’s preceded by a very short animation, and a hit usually means immediate infection with the scarlet rot. Dodge when you see Romina swinging her glaive above her head.
In the second phase of the fight, Romina gains the ability to summon hordes of exploding butterflies covering a large area. You can block the explosions or get out of the area covered with butterflies before they explode. Other than that, the battle strategy remains largely the same – press on the boss and stay close to her, and you will emerge victorious.
What are Romina’s weaknesses
Romina, Saint of the Bud, has several weaknesses that players can exploit to defeat her:
-
Physical Damage: Romina is vulnerable to physical attacks, which can effectively break her poise and deal significant damage.
-
Bleed: She is highly susceptible to bleed damage, making weapons like Reduvia and Rivers of Blood particularly effective.
-
Frostbite: Romina is weak to frostbite, which can slow her movements and make her easier to attack.
-
Ice: Using ice-based weapons or spells can also be effective against her.
-
Sacred Attacks: Some sources suggest she is vulnerable to sacred attacks as well.
Additionally, Romina’s attack patterns become more predictable when you stay close to her, allowing for better dodging and counterattacking opportunities.
What are the best weapons to use against Romina
To effectively defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud, in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, you should use weapons that exploit her weaknesses to frost and bleed. Here are some of the best weapons and strategies to consider:
Best Weapons for Romina
-
Frost-Infused Weapons:
-
Glintstone Icecrag
-
Adula’s Greatblade
-
Zamor Ice Storm (for sorcery builds)
-
Divine Beast’s Frost Stomp (Ash of War)
-
Hoarfrost Stomp (Ash of War)
-
Icerind Hatchet
-
Darkmoon Greatsword
-
-
Bleed-Infused Weapons:
-
Rivers of Blood
-
Morgott’s Cursed Sword
-
Varre’s Bouquet
-
Milady with bleed-related Ashes like Blood Blade or Bloody Slash
-
Backhand Blade with bleed affinity
-
Additional Tips
-
Avoid Blunt Weapons: Hammers and similar blunt weapons are less effective and riskier due to their short range.
-
Use Spirit Ashes: Summons like Mimic Tear can help distract Romina and provide opportunities for attack.
-
Stay Close: Romina’s attacks are more manageable at close range, allowing for better dodging and counterattacks.
