Defeat Ghostflame Dragons in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Boss Guide

Facing the Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a fiery trial that tests your skill and patience. This spectral beast, lurking in the murky waters of Gravesite Plain and beyond, demands a blend of close-quarters combat and strategic dodging to conquer. From targeting its legs to exploiting its vulnerability to Holy damage, mastering this fight unlocks powerful rewards essential for your journey through the DLC’s harsh new landscapes.

Whether you’re melee or ranged, fond of spirit steeds or not, here’s how to defeat the Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.

Ghostflame Dragon locations in the Elden Ring DLC

In Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Ghostflame Dragons can be found in three key locations. The first is at the Abandoned Ailing Village, where the dragon rests in a large pool of water west of the Greatbridge, North Site of Grace. The second is near the Moorth Ruins, accessible after progressing through Scadu Altus and Castle Ensis. The third Ghostflame Dragon is located along the Cerulean Coast, south of the river mouth, reachable by following the stream and jumping across ledges near waterfalls. Each location offers a unique terrain but the dragons behave similarly, making these spots essential for players aiming to challenge all Ghostflame Dragons in the DLC.

There are not one, not two, but three Ghostflame Dragons in the Elden Ring DLC. To help you find them all, here’s an overview of every Ghostflame Dragon location in the Shadow Realm:

In the shallow lake, northern part of the Gravesite Plain.
Northern part of the Cerulean Coast.
Just north of the Fort of Reprimand.

Although every Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring uses the same attacks, the one in the Gravesite Plains is much easier to defeat. If you’re looking for a dragon hunt, it’s best to start with that one.

How to prepare for the Ghostflame Dragon boss fight

To prepare for the Ghostflame Dragon boss fight in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, aim to be around level 150 with a +10 enhanced melee weapon and at least 50 points in Vigor to withstand its powerful attacks. Equip items like the Stalwart Horn Charm +2 or Invigorating Cured Meat to prevent Frostbite, and the Spelldrake Talisman +2 to reduce magic damage. Coating your weapon with Frostbite can provide an advantage, but focus mainly on physical damage. Summoning Spirit Ashes such as Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche helps distract the dragon, especially when it summons skeleton minions. Use Torrent to stay mobile, attacking the dragon’s legs and head while avoiding its sweeping and breath attacks by rolling toward them or mounting up to escape its large AOE fire attack. Staying close under the dragon’s belly minimizes risk and allows you to stagger it for critical hits on its glowing eye.

A Ghostflame Dragon isn’t easy to defeat – at least not if you fight them unprepared. Luckily, you can protect yourself against their Frostbite damage, exploit their weakness to Holy damage, and equip yourself with a truly overpowered dragon-slaying weapon.

This preparation checklist will help you defeat the Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring:

Take measures against Frostbite buildup. The Ghostflame Dragon has an array of light-green “ghostflame” attacks that build up to deal frostbite damage. As a status effect, you can reduce frostbite buildup by consuming Invigorating Cured Meat (recipe found in the Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook [2]). You can also cure frostbite by consuming Thawfrost Boluses (recipe found in the Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook [16]) or casting the Bestial Constitution incantation (found in Dragonbarrow).
Use Holy damage. The Ghostflame Dragon is weak to Holy damage, so if this damage type suits your build, be sure to use it. There are many options: you can use a melee or ranged weapon with innate Holy damage, (such as Ordovis’s Greatsword), use an Ashes of War to imbue a weapon with Holy damage (such as the Sacred Blade), or rely on magical spells and incantations to deal Holy damage. Of course, you may also use Holy Grease to apply Holy damage to your weapon (commonly found in Leyndell) or throw Holy Water Pots (the crafting recipe is in the Missionary’s Cookbook [1]).
Upgrade and equip some Spirit Ashes. You don’t need a specific type of Spirit Ash against the Ghostflame Dragon as long as it’s distracting enough. Spirit Ashes are particularly important if you’re going for ranged damage and need some charging time. Greatshield Soldiers are the best Spirit Ashes for this purpose but the good old Lone Wolf Ashes can also keep the dragon plenty busy (provided you’ve upgraded them). You’ll find the Greatshield Soldiers in the Nokron Eternal City, in a graveyard east of the Siofra River Well Depths, while the Lone Wolf Ashes are more easily found at the Church of Elleh in the middle of Limgrave, where they’re given to you by Renna after you’ve unlocked Torrent.
Obtain the Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana. The Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana isn’t just one of the best weapons in the Elden Ring DLC; it also deals amazing damage against dragons. It’s dropped by the Ancient Dragon-Man mini-boss, who’s located inside the Dragon’s Pit dungeon (Gravesite Plain, below the cliff with the Suppressing Pillar).
Get a high-range weapon. If melee weapons aren’t your thing, Loretta’s Mastery can help you beat the Ghostflame Dragon with ease; thanks to its amazing range, it’s possible to stay far away from the dragon while firing your magical arrows. Loretta’s Mastery is dropped by Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree in the Haligtree area of Elden Ring. If that’s too difficult to obtain, you can go with Loretta’s Greatbow instead; it’s dropped by the Caria Manor boss. Just beware that you’ll probably need every mana flask recharge you have to defeat the Ghostflame Dragon this way.

How to beat the Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring DLC

To beat the Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, stay close to its legs to avoid most of its sweeping attacks and focus on attacking its legs to chip away at its health. Use Torrent to quickly get underneath the dragon, then dismount to maneuver better. Summon Spirit Ashes to distract the boss while you deal damage, and consider coating your weapon with Frostbite to counter its frostbite-inducing ghostflame breath. Roll toward its attacks to avoid damage, especially the foot stomp and wing sweeps. When the dragon staggers and stands on two legs, retreat briefly to avoid its body slam, then target the glowing eye on its head for heavy damage. Maintaining patience and staying close under the dragon is key to victory.

To beat the Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring, it’s important to anticipate its attacks. Here’s what to expect:

Ghostflame fire-breathing attack: Instead of ordinary fire, the Ghostflame Dragon breathes greenish flames that deal frostbite damage. He’ll usually aim this towards the front before slowly moving it towards the left or right. It’s possible to dodge through the flames and hit the dragon’s legs, but this requires expert timing – it’s far easier to simply outrun the flames with Torrent.

Ghostflame area-of-effect attack: Once the Ghostflame Dragon boss drops to roughly 60% HP, it will initiate a deadly area-of-effect attack, spreading the green flames all around its position. Luckily, it’s easy to see it coming as the dragon will raise its head, let out a loud roar, and accumulate flames in its chest before unleashing the attack. Sprint away in time, and there’s nothing to worry about.
Stomping attack: When you’re close enough, the Ghostflame Dragon will try to stomp on you with its wings. There are usually two or three stomps in a row.
Ghostflame stomping attack: When the Ghostflame Dragon uses its hind leg to stomp on you, beware that the initial impact is followed by a wave of ghostflames. The area-of-effect is not too large, making it possible to out-sprint the damage with Torrent.

Ground slam: The Ghostflame Dragon flies up before slamming onto the ground, dealing damage in the area of impact. Beware that the dragon can change the direction of this attack while airborne, so be sure to dodge or sprint away right before impact (it takes roughly one second of flying time before the dragon initiates the ground slam). Afterward, the Ghostflame Dragon’s head will remain close to the ground for a few seconds, providing melee fighters with an excellent opportunity to land some hits.
Wing slash attack: The Ghostflame Dragon swipes its left wing in front of him, followed by the right. The wings are pretty big so this has a lot of range. If you dodge towards the dragon’s hind legs, it can’t hurt you.
Tail swipe: The Ghostflame Dragon swipes its tail across the battlefield as it turns around. Whenever you find yourself behind the dragon, be ready for this attack.
Bite attack: The Ghostflame Dragon dashes towards you while trying to bite. Note that he will move backwards and shriek before unleashing this bite attack, so be ready to dodge when you notice that.

One strategy is to get a medium-weight build and use melee attacks, but beware that this requires expert timing as you’ll constantly need to dodge its attacks. If you want to try this, it’s best to dodge towards the dragon’s legs and keep hitting them until you see an opportunity to aim for the head (usually after a ghostflame-breathing or biting attack). Try to break the dragon’s stance and land a critical hit on its head while it remains unconscious – this will deplete a massive chunk of its HP.

If dodging proves too hard, an easier way to defeat the Ghostflame Dragon as a melee fighter is to ride Torrent and circle the boss while hitting it with a melee weapon. You’ll need to sprint away whenever the Ghostflame Dragon breathes fire or initiates a ground slam, so learn how to recognize the incoming attacks. The downside to this strategy is that it usually takes a long time to finish the dragon (unlike the blows to its head, slashing the legs doesn’t deal a great amount of damage) and one mistake can easily prove fatal – if Torrent gets killed and you get knocked down, the battle will likely tilt in the Ghostflame Dragon’s favor.

Finally, if you’re rocking a ranged build, you can defeat the Ghostflame Dragon by using Torrent and keeping your distance. It’s best to summon Spirit Ashes as a distraction and assign the great majority of your flask charges to mana. Try to make use of the terrain as well; if you can find higher cliffs within your range, use them as a buffer against the Elden Ring Ghostflame Dragon.

Defeating a Ghostflame Dragon rewards you with at least 100,000 Runes, a Dragon Heart, and a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.

Want to learn the secret strategy to outmaneuver Ghostflame Dragons in Elden Ring

To outmaneuver the Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the secret lies in mastering its attack patterns and exploiting its weaknesses. Ride Torrent to circle the dragon, targeting its legs while dodging its ghostflame breath and wing slashes-dodging toward its hind legs keeps you safe from many attacks. Use weapons or spells imbued with Holy damage to maximize your damage output, and summon Spirit Ashes to distract the beast, buying you time to strike. Timing your dodges through its greenish frostbite flames and capitalizing on moments when its head is low can help you land critical hits that break its stance, turning the tide of battle in your favor.

What hidden attack patterns can I exploit to defeat Ghostflame Dragons faster

The Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has several hidden attack patterns you can exploit to defeat it faster:

Wing Slash Attack: The dragon sweeps its left wing followed by the right, covering a wide range. Dodging toward its hind legs during this attack makes you immune to damage since the wings can’t reach there.
Tail Swipe: When behind the dragon, it often performs a tail swipe. Stay alert and dodge sideways to avoid this powerful attack.
Bite Attack: The dragon retreats and shrieks before lunging forward to bite. This gives you a clear visual cue to dodge at the right moment.
Ghostflame Breath: The dragon lowers its head before unleashing two short-range streams of ghostflame. Keeping your distance or baiting this attack to get underneath the dragon’s legs allows you to avoid damage and counterattack.
Area-of-Effect (AoE) Ghostflame Slam: At about 50-60% health, the dragon stands up with its chest glowing and releases a wide AoE ghostflame attack. The key is to run away immediately when you see this animation to avoid massive damage.
Stomp with Ghostflame Burst: Sometimes the dragon stomps and releases a burst of ghostflame. Mounting Torrent and sprinting away is the safest counter.
Head Low Vulnerability: After certain attacks like ghostflame breath or bite, the dragon’s head stays close to the ground for a few seconds, providing a prime opportunity for melee attacks or jump strikes to break its stance and deal critical damage.
Weakness to Holy and Strike Damage: Using weapons or spells with Holy or strike damage amplifies your damage output, helping to shorten the fight.

By combining careful observation of these attack tells with dodging toward the dragon’s legs and targeting its head during vulnerable moments, you can efficiently break its stance and land critical hits to defeat the Ghostflame Dragon faster.