In early Elden Ring there are a few bosses players can come across that are intended to push them another way, encouraging exploration to get stronger and return later on. The Golem in Stormhill is one of these bosses, though it's much easier to beat at early levels than the Tree Sentinel or Margit.
The Stormhill Golem can be found in the boulder-filled field to the left of the ravine leading into Stormhill (the ravine next to the Gatefront Grace with the Troll who drops down). It is inert at first but will come to life if you get too close - in the Elden Ring Network Test this boss started with half HP, but in the official release, players have to take it on at full strength.
Stormhill Golem's Moveset And Weaknesses
The Golem in Stormhill has a moveset less robust than Golems found later on in Elden Ring, though its attacks are similar to Giants' attacks from other FromSoftware games. It wields a gigantic Halberd that can sweep over nearly the entire boulder field, and its close-range attacks can knock a player off of Torrent instantly if they don't get out of the way.
However, the Stormhill Golem is easy to cheese from a distance for spellcasters and archers, and is surprisingly easy to stagger in melee. The Golem moves slowly around the battlefield, lumbering towards you, though it has few ways to close the distance and can be reliably kited around his wide, flat arena.
Golem's Moveset
- Long-Range Halberd Sweep: The Golem will bend and pull its Halberd back on one side, releasing a very long-range sweeping attack after a delay. Very high damage, but can be jumped over.
- Stomp Combo: If the player is directly beneath the Golem, it will start stomping and smashing its Halberd into the ground over and over again. High damage, but easily avoidable by dodging backward.
- Long-Range Halberd Slam: Similar to the Halberd sweep, the Golem will raise its weapon up and come crashing down from a long distance. Very high damage and faster than the sweep.
- Fire Breath AoE: If the player spends too long beneath the Golem, it will rear its head down and crawl backward while breathing a torrent of flame at its feet. High damage, but running backward avoids the flames.
Golem's Weaknesses
The Stormhill Golem is slightly resistant to most forms of attack, though just like the Greek mythical hero Achilles, you only need to attack the heel to completely trivialize this fight. When you deal enough damage to the heel area on either leg, conveniently highlighted with inner flames, the Golem will collapse and give you an opportunity for a Critical Hit in its chest.
The Golem is made of sturdy stuff, so don't use slashing or piercing weapons on this stone-laden colossus. Blunt weapons, like Hammers and Maces, shatter this tough hide and deal much more damage than Swords, Daggers, Lances, and other pokey armaments in Elden Ring.
Strategies For Beating The Stormhill Golem
Whether you are an Archer, Incantation-user, Sorcerer, or Melee-only player, riding Torrent is the best way to take on the Stormhill Golem. It makes getting away from its lumbering sweeps and slams much easier, and timing a charge attack to its heels while riding past is a sure way to break its Posture incredibly quickly (especially with high-STR weapons like Greatswords).
Spirit Summons cannot be used for this fight, but there are other options. Other players can explore vast sections of Elden Ring's open world when summoned with you, including the Stormhill area in its entirety, though riding Torrent is not allowed during multiplayer. If you need another player with you, make sure you are ready to dodge its stomping attacks and attack its heels when able.
Spellcasting/Ranged
Spellcasters and Ranged players have the easiest time with the Stormhill Golem as they can stay a respectful distance away on horseback and fire volley after volley of Sorceries and arrows. Incantation-users will have a harder time with this as their spells tend to fizzle out faster than arrows or Sorceries.
While Sorcerers and Archers can stay out of hit range, Incantation-users will have to sprint closer, fire off a spell, and sprint away before being hit by one of the Golem's melee attacks.
Melee Strategies
Melee players should also stay on Torrent for this fight as it's much safer to run in, get a Heavy hit or two on the Golem's heel, and sprint away than to hang around its feet. Watch out for its sweeping attack and jump over it, and make sure to dash to the right or left of its vertical slam. Aim for the heels to stagger the Golem and get a Critical Hit opportunity.
The one downside to riding Torrent is that if you are hit by any of its attacks, it's very likely you will get knocked off and be left vulnerable to a follow-up. If you must be on foot you can deal more damage by attacking each leg and never fleeing, but you will have to watch out for its short-range AoE stomping combo when it realizes you are directly below.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.