While Elemer of the Briar is a boss type that is utilized all across Elden Ring, the primary variant of this enemy is among the more difficult humanoid enemies due to his command of the arena. A combination of Elden Ring's signature chasing enemies with attacks that can easily cover any distance, and combos that have an extended range, positioning is key to defeating Elemer or the similar Bell Bearing Hunters.
The variety of Elemer's combat helps to make him one of the harder encounters in Elden Ring, as what is normally a safe distance from an enemy becomes equally as dangerous as being face-to-face. In fact, one specific strategy allows for a counter-intuitive positioning to be the best option when trying to get past Elemer when encountering him in the Shaded Castle.
Elemer Takes Command at Range
Elemer stands out as one of the more difficult encounters throughout Elden Ring comes because the boss is able to control the small arena he is found in. At the top of the Shaded Castle within the Altus Plateau, Elemer sits in one of the larger spaces in the specific area, but an altogether smaller room by the standards of most boss arenas. While this is nothing like FromSoftware's notorious Dark Souls boss the Capra Demon, whose arena is about the size of a shoebox, the lack of space means that Elemer can usually attack the player from any position.
In most cases of Elemer's combat, this ability to punish from any position is similar to many Elden Ring bosses, with attacks that are telegraphed by a series of stomps that can close the distance before the main strike lands. This will often render most attempts to heal or apply buffs relatively useless, as there are few distances that will be safe from these charging attacks. However, the major difference between Elemer and other bosses is the way that he utilizes the unique skills of the Marais Executioner Greatsword in order to throw his weapon several feet in front of him in a series of long-distance swings.
The range of the Eochaid's Dancing Blade skill that comes with the Marais Executioner Greatsword is already enough to make getting a good position on Elemer difficult enough. Combine this range with the speed at which Elemer attacks and the trouble with depth perception when seeing the giant weapon coming screaming toward the player, and these attacks become immensely difficult to avoid. That being said, it is still possible to get the upper hand on Elemer in Elden Ring, with the key being to keep in close and avoid having his most dangerous attacks catch the player off guard.
Kiting and Countering Elemer to Death
While it is entirely possible to fight Elemer like any other boss, learning his moveset and practicing the timing for when to dodge or parry his attacks allows for an easier strategy. This alternative way of fighting Elemer also works to make fighting all of Elden Ring's Bell Bearing Hunter variants a breeze in a similar way to the classic FromSoftware tactic of bating out attacks in order to land a powerful backstab. However, since Elemer can't be backstabbed, the result is a quicker rhythm that allows players to consistently counter the boss from start to finish as long as they can keep their pace.
The trick comes from circling around Elemer's back in order to bait the boss to turn and slam his shield down onto the boss. If the player then responds by following the boss' motion to stay behind Elemer and counter after the shield slam, which will in turn bait out the same attack again to keep the process going in perpetuity. So, even Elden Ring's most difficult bosses still have viable strategies that can let any player get past them.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.