Information for Godfrey, First Elden Lord in the Leyndell, Royal Capital, including details about how to find and defeat the boss.

Where is Godfrey, First Elden Lord¶

Godfrey, First Elden Lord can be found in the palace along the southern end of Leyndell, Royal Capital. To reach this lofty structure you’ll need to make your way to the southwestern end of Leyndell, then climb some of the Erdtree’s roots, which will take you to a portico along the southern end of the palace. Once you enter the palace you’ll be confronted by Godfrey.

Attacks¶

Not a subtle opponent, Godfrey’s offense consists of a variety of swings with his axe and the odd stomp. His attacks are relatively ponderous and his range is generally moderate, although he is a determined and aggressive foe.

Axe Rush¶

Godfrey, First Elden Lord will charge forward holding his axe haft in both hands, then try to swat his target with the flat of his axe. Godfrey, First Elden Lord tends to use this to retaliate against ranged attacks, although it’s incredibly easy to avoid by dodging backwards.

Axe Thrust¶

Godfrey, First Elden Lord will wield his axe like a spear, thrusting it forward into the ground. Dodge sideways when he commits.

Dragging Sweep¶

Godfrey, First Elden Lord will drag his axe along the ground while performing a sweeping axe swing. He’ll often do this when attacked from the rear and flank, but he can also use this as part of his Axe Combo attack.

Overhand Chop¶

Godfrey, First Elden Lord will perform a two-handed, overhead chop with his axe. He telegraphs this attack, so you should see it coming, but its range can make it hard to dodge. He can get extra range by switching to a lunging, one-handed swing mid-attack, and this attack can be used to end or begin Axe Combos.

Axe Combo¶

Performs a succession of axe swipes, possibly including his Axe Thrust, Dragging Sweep and Overhand Chop attacks.

Jumping Axe Smash¶

After jumping into the air and hovering there for a moment, Godfrey, First Elden Lord will smash downward, axe leading the way. Either get away while he’s in midair (he doesn’t have the ability to travel terribly far from where he hovers) or rely on iframes to dodge when he descends.

Stomp¶

Godfrey, First Elden Lord will perform a stomp - he’ll deliberately raise his foot to signal this attack. When he stomps, stone spikes will erupt from the ground in a cone, dealing moderate damage over a fairly large area. You can jump over this attack with good timing. Godfrey, First Elden Lord can perform this immediately after dashing, so relying on distance isn’t always going to work.

Strategy¶

This is a surprisingly simple fight for a foe with such a title, but to be fair, you’re only fighting Godfrey’s projection. You’ve got a fairly open chamber in which to fight, aside from the odd column, and Godfrey has little answer to a character with ranged attacks. You can avoid most of what he throws at you by keeping your distance and dodge rolling when he closes, so you don’t even have to really learn any of his attacks. If you’re more confident in your abilities, however, you’ll find that many of Godfrey’s attacks are well-telegraphed, relatively slow and easy to punish in melee.

Like most bosses, Godfrey has two distinct phases. During phase one he’ll stalk towards you and generally just make use of various axe swings. Some of his attacks have moderate range, but they’re so deliberate that you can usually rely on iframes to avoid damage. If he does land a hit, he may perform a combo, and Godfrey can probably chop down even strong foes in three or four hits, so don’t try to trade fists with him.

Once he’s reduced to around 50% of his HP he’ll enter phase two, where he’ll gain some dangerous abilities, including his Stomp attack, his Jumping Axe Smash and, perhaps most troublesome, a dash attack that allows him to close ground quickly. This will make him more dangerous for ranged characters, but for melee fighters, iframes will still see you through fine, or jumping, in the case of his Stomp attack.

All in all, Godfrey’s deliberate axe attacks tend to be easy to dodge, and while he can kill you quickly if he closes into close combat, you’ll usually have plenty of time to withdraw and chug a flask. If you have any reasonable quick ranged options and are willing to use a summon, Godfrey shouldn’t pose much trouble.

Godfrey, First Elden Lord is reasonably receptive to all forms of physical damage, but especially to Thrust damage. He’s moderately resistant to Holy damage, has minor resistances to Magic and Fire, and is fully susceptible to Lightning damage. All in all, only characters who rely on Holy really need to worry about their damage output.

For defeating Godfrey, First Elden Lord, you’ll gain the right to continue through the palace. You’ll also gain another Talisman Pouch (allowing you to equip four such accessories) and you’ll be able to activate the Erdtree Sanctuary Site of Grace.