There are three types of bosses in Elden Ring; Demigods like Godrick the Grafted, Great Enemies like Margit the Fell Omen, and Enemies like Erdtree Burial Watchdog. The first one is a main boss, and is mandatory for those hoping to progress in the game. Great Enemies, on the other hand, are mini-bosses that are often found guarding important items. The final type are optional bosses, which are typically found through exploration of Lands Between.
The Erdtree Burial Watchdog can be found in multiple catacombs in Elden Ring. Each of them has lesser enemies guarding the boss room. Tarnished will need to defeat them all in order to fight this boss.
Updated January 2nd, 2024 by Russ Boswell: The Erdtree Burial Watchdog comes in a variety of flavors that players must battle throughout their Elden Ring journey. These imposing bosses can be a bit annoying to deal with for those who aren't aware of their strange and punishing attack patterns. To better help players in beating the Erdtree Burial Watchdog in Elden Ring, the following guide has been updated to now include a companion video.
Where To Find Erdtree Burial Watchdog In Elden Ring
Erdtree Burial Watchdog can be found in five different locations:
- Stormfoot Catacombs in Limgrave.
- Impaler's Catacombs at the Weeping Peninsula.
- Cliffbottom Catacombs in Liurnia of the Lakes.
- Wyndham Catacombs in Mt. Gelmir.
- Minor Erdtree Catacombs in Caelid.
In most of the domains, the boss is behind a locked door that can only be opened by pulling a certain lever. The difficulty varies from one catacomb to another. Additionally, each one has different useful item drops like Runes, Spirits Summon, and Weapons.
Stormfoot Catacombs
To reach the Stormfoot Catacombs, players should teleport to Church of Elleh and walk northwest. They'll then need to jump down the small cliff and look for a closed door, behind which is a Site of Lost Grace. After lighting it up, players will need to explore the catacomb pretty thoroughly, all while being careful of the fire mechanisms inside. Tarnished can easily shut it down by using a Bow or Crossbow.
Impaler's Catacombs
To reach the Impaler's Catacombs, players should teleport to Castle Morne Rampart and climb up the cliffside from the east. They can then open the entrance and light up the Site of Lost Grace. Because dead bodies used to be left to rot in here, this domain is crawling with Imps and Skeletons. Players should explore the Impaler's Catacombs until they find a lever to open the big door.
Cliffbottom Catacombs
To reach the Cliffbottom Catacombs, players should travel to Liurnia Highway North and then head down southeast. As always, they should open the door and light the Site of Lost Grace. There are many traps inside here, so players should be careful not to step on any big square tile. Cliffbottom Catacombs are filled with Imps and Ogres, so it's best to kill the Imps before defeating the latter.
Wyndham Catacombs
To get to the Wyndham Catacombs, players will need to travel to Abandoned Coffin and then walk north. It's quite far from the Site of Lost Grace, so Tarnished will encounter many enemies on the way. Riding Torrent the Spirit Horse is immensely helpful. Upon reaching the catacombs' door, players should open it and light the bonfire. The final room (which has the lever) is guarded by an Imp and a Gold Dragon Cult Knight. After pulling it, players can go back to fight the Erdtree Burial Watchdog.
Minor Erdtree Catacombs
The Minor Erdtree Catacombs are located northeast of the Smoldering Church under the big tree on the map. Upon their arrival, players should open the gate and light up the Site of Lost Grace. The Minor Erdtree Catacombs is a bit different from the others, as there isn't a lever to open the boss door.
Instead, once players find the lift, they'll need to press the switch and let it go up then jump before it rises. A path that leads downwards will be revealed. Explore it, and Tarnished should be able to find the boss room.
How to Beat Erdtree Burial Watchdog In Elden Ring
Even though every catacomb has its own version of the Erdtree Burial Watchdog, their attacks are always very similar. If Tarnished manage to beat it once, then the others shouldn't be too challenging, but there are a few little additions. The one in Stormfoot Catacombs in Limgrave is the basic one.
Melee players need to approach them to trigger the Watchdog’s combo attack. They should wait for it to end, then try to hit them from their sides. Don't get greedy; land a few hits, then back away. Players will also need to be wary of their plunging attacks, as they sometimes do them five or six times in a row.
Tarnished should be patient and wait for them to end before making a move. If the boss ever tries to blow fire, players should avoid trying to block it. Instead, they should roll out of the way to their sides and then attack. Keep repeating these steps until the Watchdog is defeated.
Long ranged players that use Magic, Crossbows, or Bows can use an easier strategy. Simply stay away from them and keep firing attacks from afar. Glintstone Stars and Beast Claw prove to be useful in this fight. Other than that, players just need to make sure to dodge any incoming hits or plunging attacks and keep repeating these steps until the fight is over. Players can also summon the Kaiden Sellsword Ashes to distract them and land a few hits.
As for the other domains, here's how to defeat the Erdtree Burial Watchdog:
- Impaler's Catacombs: In addition to the Watchdog, some Imps inflict Bleed, so players need to kill them before attacking the boss. This enemy has two ways to attack, standing up and sitting. Each has one hit that's very easy to dodge. Once killed, they will grant the Demi-Human Ashes and 2400 Runes.
- Cliffbottom Catacombs: Same move sets as the original one. However, this Watchdog has three heads instead of one. Each of them will release a fire attack. In addition, they are holding a staff, which means they will hit players with spells. If defeated, they will drop the Kaiden Sellsword Ashes and 3200 Runes.
- Wyndham Catacombs: This Erdtree Burial Watchdog has a lightning tail. It will attack Tarnished with lightning and fire so players should make sure to hide behind a pillar. If they ever get too close, they might do a spin attack that causes a lot of damage. It's crucial to summon helpful spirits that will keep them busy while players heal or attack. The boss will drop Glovewort Picker's Bell Bearing (1) and 12,000 Runes once it finally dies.
- Minor Erdtree Catacombs: There are two Erdtree Burial Watchdogs in these catacombs; one holding a sword and another one that is holding a scepter. The latter is much more annoying because of their ranged attacks, so Tarnished need to kill them first while dodging the incoming hits from the other. Upon defeating the pair, players will be rewarded with Mad Pumpkin Head Ashes and 7,400 Runes.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.
