To beat Commander Gaius in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, come in at around Scadutree Blessing level 10–12, exploit his weakness to Holy damage, and learn one attack above all — the opening boar charge (Wild Boar Rush). Dodge it late and diagonally (through or across the boar, never straight back), stay glued to Gaius's left side to bait his readable spear pokes, and burst him during his gravity-magic recoveries in Phase 2. He has 33,871 HP on your first playthrough (NG), is not mandatory, and drops the Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider plus 230,000 Runes. This guide gives the exact stats, the dodge timing, and a step-by-step fight plan — verified against the Fextralife wiki and community-tested strategy.
Commander Gaius is one of the most notorious walls in the Realm of Shadow — not because he's the hardest boss in the DLC, but because a single attack, that opening charge, ends most first attempts before the fight even starts. Solve the charge and the rest of the fight is a rhythm you already know from Elden Ring's cavalry enemies. This applies to the base game on version 1.17 (the current title update as of 2026-08-28) with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion installed; the fight itself has been mechanically stable since the DLC launched.
Quick Answer: The 5 Things That Actually Matter
- Location: Scaduview, reached through Shadow Keep. Rest at the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace — it's the closest checkpoint to his arena.
- The one attack to master: the Wild Boar Rush charge. Gaius is damage-immune while charging, so don't try to trade — dodge it late and diagonally.
- Weakness: Holy damage (he takes extra; damage negation −20). He is strong against Slash (negation 40), so a pure slashing weapon is the worst pick here.
- He's optional. You do not need to kill Gaius to finish Shadow of the Erdtree. He gates a shortcut and his Remembrance, not story progress.
- Bring Scadutree Blessing ~10–12. In the DLC, your Scadutree level matters far more than your character level. (Community consensus, not an official figure.)
Where to Find Commander Gaius (Scaduview)
Gaius patrols the Scaduview region in the northwest of the Land of Shadow, and you reach his arena by pushing through the Shadow Keep legacy dungeon and out into the open Scaduview plateau beyond it. The Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace is the checkpoint you'll respawn at, so activate it before you commit to the fight.
A few things worth knowing before you walk into the fog:
- He's a Remembrance boss but not a required one. Killing Messmer the Impaler is what opens the deeper Shadow Keep; Gaius is an optional Remembrance boss tied to a shortcut route and his Remembrance reward.
- You can ride Torrent into the arena. Unlike most legacy-dungeon bosses, this is an open-field fight, so your spirit steed is available — useful for closing distance and for outrunning the charge if you prefer horseback (more on that below).
- Spirit Ashes are allowed. Summon a Mimic Tear or a tanky ash to split his aggro; there are no NPC summon signs in this particular arena, so your Ashes are your only help unless you're playing co-op.
Commander Gaius Stats (Verified)
These are the New Game (NG) values from the Fextralife wiki. They scale up in NG+ cycles.
| Stat | Value (NG) |
|---|---|
| HP | 33,871 |
| Defense | 123 |
| Stance (poise) | 100 |
| Runes dropped | 230,000 |
| Drop | Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider |
| Damage types dealt | Standard, Slash, Strike, Pierce, Magic |
| Weak to | Holy (negation −20) |
| Strong against | Slash (negation 40) |
Status effects — what works and what doesn't:
- Immune: Sleep and Madness. Don't bother with a St. Trina or Madness setup here.
- Hemorrhage (Bleed): 697 buildup to first proc — high, but a fast bleed weapon (Rivers of Blood, dual katanas) can still land one or two procs over the fight.
- Frostbite: 697 buildup — same story; slow but usable, and Frost also softens his defense.
- Poison: 426 buildup, and Scarlet Rot: 426 buildup — Rot is the strongest damage-over-time option against him and the one most players lean on.
Two takeaways from that table: bring Holy if you can (Golden Order incantations, a Sacred-affinity weapon, or the Ordovis/Golden Order sorceries), and avoid a pure Slash weapon — that 40 negation quietly halves a lot of katana and curved-sword damage.
The Boar Charge: The Attack That Kills Everyone
Nearly every "I can't beat Gaius" post comes down to the same move. As the fight opens — often the very first thing he does — Gaius kicks his boar into a full-speed Wild Boar Rush, closing the entire arena in a heartbeat with a huge, unfair-feeling hitbox.
Here's why it wrecks people and how to actually beat it:
- He is damage-immune during the charge. Hitting the boar mid-rush does nothing but get you trampled. Stop trying to trade into it.
- Dodge LATE. The instinct is to roll early because it looks like it'll connect from a mile away. That's the trap — roll early and the hitbox catches you on the tail end. Wait until the tusks are almost on you, then roll.
- Dodge diagonally, through or across — not straight back. Rolling directly backward loses the race against the boar's speed. Roll diagonally forward into the charge or hard to the side; both slip the hitbox when timed late. Community testing on the Steam forums confirms dodging into the charge works "you just have to dodge later than you expect."
- Ash-of-War escape hatches. If the timing keeps beating you, Bloodhound's Step, Raptor of the Mists, or Vow of the Indomitable all evade it cleanly, and sorcery users can use Miriam's Vanishing the same way as Bloodhound's Step.
- Or just use Torrent. On horseback you can simply out-turn the charge and punish the recovery, which is why a lot of players fight this one mounted.
Land the dodge two or three times in a row and the panic evaporates — the rest of Gaius's kit is slow and readable by comparison.
Step-by-Step Fight Plan
Phase 1 (100%–~50% HP):
- Open by surviving the charge, not by attacking. Assume the Wild Boar Rush is coming immediately and dodge it late/diagonally.
- Live on his left flank. Circle to Gaius's left (your right). From there his spear pokes and the boar's headbutts telegraph clearly, and you can punish the recovery with one or two hits before repositioning.
- Punish the right windows. Gaius is not parryable, but he can be stance-broken — his Stance is only 100, so heavy attacks and jump attacks build toward a critical. Bait a big swing, dodge through it, and answer with a charged R2 or a jump attack rather than greedy chip.
- Don't over-commit. Two hits and reset is the safe rhythm. Three-plus hits and you'll eat the follow-up.
Phase 2 (~50% HP →): Gaius clutches his body and purple lightning courses through his armor — that's the tell. Now he layers in gravity magic: pull-and-slam attacks and area bursts on top of the boar melee.
- Respect the gravity attacks — but they're your damage windows. The casts have long recoveries. Dodge the pull/slam, then burst.
- Keep exploiting Holy and Rot. Phase 2 is where a Scarlet Rot proc or a Holy incantation combo closes the fight fast.
- Use your Ash/Mimic to hold aggro while you reposition after the charge — Gaius fixating on your summon buys you free hits on his flank.
Recommended setup (community consensus, not official): Scadutree Blessing ~level 10–12, around 40 Vigor, a Holy-infused or Holy-scaling weapon (or a strong Rot/bleed weapon if you don't have Holy), and Bloodhound's Step on a side weapon as your charge insurance. Your raw character level matters far less than your Scadutree level in the DLC.
Rewards: Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider
Beating Gaius drops 230,000 Runes and the Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider. Take the Remembrance to Enia (Finger Reader) at the Roundtable Hold to trade it for one of two weapons:
- Sword Lance — a reach-heavy thrusting armament that fits a cavalry/charge playstyle.
- Blades of Stone — a gravity-themed weapon echoing Gaius's own moveset.
You can only pick one per Remembrance (to get both weapons you'd need a second copy, duplicated at a Walking Mausoleum), or consume the Remembrance for 30,000 Runes if you don't want either weapon.
FAQ
Is Commander Gaius mandatory in Shadow of the Erdtree? No. Gaius is an optional Remembrance boss in Scaduview. You do not need to defeat him to finish the DLC — he guards a shortcut route and his Remembrance, not story progression. Messmer the Impaler is the mandatory Shadow Keep boss, not Gaius.
What is Commander Gaius weak to? Holy damage (damage negation −20, meaning he takes extra). He is strong against Slash (negation 40), so avoid pure slashing weapons. For status, Scarlet Rot (426 buildup) is the most reliable damage-over-time; he is immune to Sleep and Madness.
How do you dodge the boar charge? Dodge the Wild Boar Rush late — wait until the tusks are almost touching you — and roll diagonally forward through it or hard to the side, never straight backward. Gaius is damage-immune during the charge, so don't try to trade hits. Bloodhound's Step, Raptor of the Mists, or fighting on Torrent all make the charge far easier to avoid.
What Scadutree Blessing level should I have for Gaius? Community-tested guidance puts him at a comfortable fight around Scadutree Blessing level 10–12; your Scadutree level matters more than your character level inside Shadow of the Erdtree. This is player consensus, not an official FromSoftware recommendation.
Can you summon for Commander Gaius? Yes — Spirit Ashes (Mimic Tear is a strong pick) are allowed, and you can play in co-op. There are no NPC summon signs in his arena, and you can ride Torrent since it's an open-field fight.
What does the Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider give you? Trade it with Enia at the Roundtable Hold for either the Sword Lance or Blades of Stone weapon — one, not both. Consuming it instead grants 30,000 Runes.
More Elden Ring Guides
Working through the Realm of Shadow? These sibling guides cover the bosses and setup you'll hit around the same time:
- How to Beat Messmer the Impaler in Elden Ring — the mandatory Shadow Keep boss you clear before Gaius becomes relevant.
- How to Access Shadow of the Erdtree in Elden Ring — the exact Radahn + Mohg unlock requirements to reach the Land of Shadow.
- How Much Vigor Do You Need in Elden Ring — the HP breakpoints that decide whether the boar charge one-shots you.
Stats verified against the Elden Ring Fextralife wiki (Commander Gaius and Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider pages); dodge and strategy details cross-checked against community-tested guidance. Applies to Elden Ring version 1.17 with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
