SOLDIER OF GODRICK

Phase Strategy

The Soldier of Godrick is the game's handshake — a deliberate, unhurried introduction to the fundamentals of combat. He is designed to be lost to on the first attempt. That death is not a failure; it is the tutorial completing its function. You respawn, you carry what you learned, and you come back. That loop is Elden Ring in miniature.

Do not be embarrassed if he kills you once. FromSoftware built him to do exactly that.

Phase I — Learning the Language

The Soldier fights with a straight sword and a small shield. His moveset is intentionally limited: a slow overhead chop, a two-hit horizontal combo, and an occasional shield bash if you crowd him too aggressively. Every attack he throws exists to teach you one of the three core inputs — roll, block, or punish.

The correct approach is simple:

• Circle him slowly to bait an attack.
• Roll to his left side (your right) as the swing begins — not before, not after.
• Land one or two R1s during his recovery window, then reset your spacing.

That rhythm — bait, roll, punish, reset — is the same rhythm you will use against every boss in the game, including the final one. The Soldier exists to make you feel it for the first time in a low-stakes environment.

Critical: If the Soldier kills you during the scripted first encounter at the start of the tutorial, you are immediately given the option to "Try Again." Take it. The second attempt begins with you better oriented, and he will go down quickly.

His 351 HP evaporates in three or four clean hits with your starting weapon. There is no trick to this fight. Patience and timing are the only tools you need, and both are well within reach from the very first attempt.

Attacks & Counters

| Attack | Counter | |--------|---------| | Overhead chop | Roll forward through him. The recovery window is generous — punish with 1-2 R1s. | | Two-hit horizontal combo | Roll on the first swing, stay close. He will not chain a third hit. Punish after the second. | | Shield bash | He only uses this if you stand still directly in front of him. Simply roll away and re-engage. | | Slow step-in thrust | Roll to either side. The thrust tracks slightly, so commit to your roll direction early. |

Recommended Loadout

Whatever your class started with is sufficient. There is no optimization required or available at this point in the game — you have not yet reached the Roundtable Hold, you have no upgrade materials, and your Spirit Ash pouch is empty.

A few notes for absolute newcomers:

• Use your Crimson Flask. You begin with two charges. The Soldier hits hard enough on early attempts that popping one mid-fight is reasonable. Practice using it during a safe moment — after a successful roll, when he is recovering — rather than in a panic.
• Two-handing your starting weapon (hold Y / Triangle, then press your weapon button) increases your damage output noticeably at this stage. It is not necessary, but it shortens the fight.
• Do not sprint into him. New players often run forward and swing, getting caught mid-animation. Walk in, bait the swing, roll, punish. Walking is faster than dying.

There are no talismans, no spirit ashes, and no buffs in play here. You are learning to walk before the game hands you anything to run with.

A Note on What This Fight Is Actually Teaching

The Soldier of Godrick is not a boss you strategize around. He is a calibration tool — the game is reading you as much as you are reading him. How you approach these 351 HP will tell you something honest about your instincts: Do you roll too early? Do you panic-roll backwards into a corner? Do you swing one too many times and eat a counter-hit?

Most players discover one bad habit here. The Soldier is forgiving enough that the habit doesn't end the run, but paying attention to it now will save you hours of frustration later.

Every Tarnished loses to him once. Only the ones who pay attention on the second attempt carry anything useful forward.

When he drops and you claim your 400 runes, step through the fog and breathe in Limgrave for the first time. The game opens completely from here. What just felt like a stumbling block was actually a foundation.

Related Bosses

The next boss you will face is Margit, the Fell Omen at the gates of Stormveil Castle — a fight that shares the same fundamental rhythm as this one but demands far greater precision and patience. The lessons the Soldier teaches are not trivial; they are exactly what Margit will test.

Before Margit, consider exploring Limgrave to gather runes, upgrade your weapon at Smithing Table outside the Church of Elleh, and acquire the Lone Wolf Ashes from Renna for your first spirit summon. The world is open — use it.