Godrick the Grafted is the first major Legacy Dungeon boss most Tarnished meet, waiting at the end of Stormveil Castle in Limgrave — and for a lot of new players (including the wave arriving on Nintendo Switch 2 with the Tarnished Edition), he is the first real wall in Elden Ring. He hits hard, has a brutal second phase, and drops one of the game's five Great Runes. This guide gives you his exact stats, his weaknesses, a phase-by-phase strategy, and the summons that make the fight far easier — all verified against the Elden Ring wiki and current to base-game patch 1.17 (live since 2026-08-28; his stats are unchanged from the launch build).
Quick Answer: How to Beat Godrick the Grafted
Godrick the Grafted has 6,080 HP (New Game), 105 defense, and is weaker to physical damage than to elemental. He is immune to Madness but takes every other status effect (Bleed, Scarlet Rot, Frostbite, Poison, Sleep all proc at ~318 buildup). Summon Nepheli Loux and a Spirit Ash such as the Mimic Tear or Rotten Stray, use the pillars in his arena to break line of sight, punish his long-recovery Axe Lunge and Fury Swings in phase 1, and stay at his side to dodge the fire breath in phase 2. Beating him rewards 20,000 Runes, Godrick's Great Rune, and the Remembrance of the Grafted.
Recommended level is roughly Level 25–35 with a +3 to +6 weapon and at least 20–25 Vigor — but note this is community consensus, not an official FromSoftware number. Skill and summons matter more than your level here. If those hits still feel one-shotty, our how much Vigor you need guide explains the HP soft caps.
Where to Find Godrick the Grafted
Godrick sits at the very end of Stormveil Castle, the first Legacy Dungeon in Limgrave. To reach him you clear the castle (entering either through the front gate or the side "Rampart Tower" route that Gostoc points you to) and rest at the Secluded Cell Site of Grace — the closest grace to his fog wall.
A few facts that trip up new players:
- Godrick is technically optional. You can skip Stormveil entirely by taking the path north from Stormhill Shack, dropping down west from the broken bridge, and walking around the outside of the castle into Liurnia of the Lakes. Most players still clear Stormveil first, right after beating the gate boss — see our Margit the Fell Omen guide for the fight that stands between you and the castle.
- But he is a shardbearer. You must defeat two of the five shardbearers before the game lets you enter Leyndell, Royal Capital — so most players kill Godrick eventually anyway, and he is the easiest of the five to reach first.
- Beating him also moves several NPCs (Nepheli Loux, Roderika, Sorcerer Rogier) to the Roundtable Hold and unlocks Finger Reader Enia, who turns Remembrances into weapons.
Location guides on our blog are always mapped, not guessed. Godrick's room is the northernmost point of the Stormveil interior — from the Secluded Cell grace, the fog wall is directly ahead.
Godrick the Grafted Stats (Verified)
All numbers below are from the Elden Ring wiki's Godrick page and apply to the base game on patch 1.17. Elemental-vs-physical is the single most important line in this table.
| Stat | Value (New Game) |
|---|---|
| HP | 6,080 |
| Defense | 105 |
| Runes dropped | 20,000 |
| NG+ HP | 13,049 |
| Closest Site of Grace | Secluded Cell |
| Damage weakness | Physical (weaker to physical than elemental) |
| Immunities | Madness (fully immune) |
| Status buildup to proc | ~318 (Bleed, Scarlet Rot, Frostbite, Poison, Sleep) |
Because every status except Madness works, a Bleed or Scarlet Rot build shreds him. The wiki specifically flags the Rotten Stray Spirit Ash: the Scarlet Rot that dog inflicts is boosted above other rot sources like Rotten Breath, so it stacks rot fast while you focus on staying alive.
Phase 1 Strategy: The Grafted Axe
Godrick opens the fight swinging a massive axe two-handed, with long, telegraphed combos. The whole phase rewards patience.
- Bait and punish. Stay just outside his weapon range and only commit when he uses a long-recovery move. Axe Lunge, Jumping Slam, and the fifth hit of his Fury Swings combo all leave big openings — get one or two hits, then reset.
- Use the arena. The throne room is full of trees, pillars, and rubble. Put them between you and Godrick to eat a combo, then return to the open center so he can't corner you.
- Jump attacks on "Lesser Command." When he raises his arm and stomps ("Lesser Command"), that windup is a free jump attack for heavy weapons building Stance damage toward a critical hit.
- Physical beats elemental. For caster builds, Rock Sling (Intelligence) and Bestial Sling (Faith) deal physical/gravity damage he is weaker to, rather than fire or magic he resists better. Not sure your build suits this fight? Our best starting class breakdown covers which openers handle early bosses like Godrick most comfortably.
Landing enough Stance damage staggers him for a riposte — the fastest way to chunk that 6,080 HP.
Watch for the "Storm Assault." Godrick spins up a wind cyclone (borrowed from the Stormcaller Ash of War) and then lunges through it. The safest counter is to close the gap while he's spinning, bait the lunge, then dash behind him and land two or three hits during his long recovery — this single loop trivialises much of phase 1 for heavy-weapon users. His Axe Lunge, Jumping Slam, and the fifth swing of his Fury Swings combo share that same long recovery window.
If you prefer to fight up close, note that the tighter you hug him, the fewer distinct attacks he uses — but you'll need to learn the exact dodge timing on the ones that remain. Up-close is the better range for status weapons, because it lets you land more frequent quick hits to build Bleed or Rot.
Phase 2 Strategy: The Grafted Dragon
At the phase transition Godrick grafts a dragon's head onto his left arm and roars his signature line:
"I command thee, kneel! I am the lord of all that is golden!" — Godrick the Grafted, in-game boss dialogue (Elden Ring Wiki)
From here his left-arm swings gain huge reach and fire damage, and his signature attacks become fire-breathing.
- Stay at his side. All of his fire-breath attacks are punishable if you get to his flank before the flames come out. Dodging through toward his side (not backward) is the key habit for the whole phase.
- "I Command Thee, Kneel!" — his big AoE knockdown — has a long enough windup to answer with a jump attack, exactly like Lesser Command in phase 1.
- Storm Assault is now on fire. His Stormcaller cyclone follow-up carries flame in phase 2; treat the wind-up as your cue to reposition behind him.
- Keep chip status going. If you started a Bleed or Rot proc in phase 1, keep feeding it — a single Hemorrhage proc removes a large slice of his health bar.
Best Summons and Spirit Ashes for Godrick
Godrick allows both NPC summons and Spirit Ashes, and using them is not "cheating" — it is how the fight is designed.
- Nepheli Loux (NPC summon). Exhaust her dialogue in her room between the Liftside Chamber and Secluded Cell graces; her golden summon sign then appears just outside the fog wall. She is aggressive and pulls a lot of aggro.
- Mimic Tear. The all-purpose answer — it copies your loadout and roughly doubles your damage output while splitting Godrick's attention.
- Rotten Stray. The budget MVP: cheap to summon and its boosted Scarlet Rot ticks him down passively while you play safe.
With Nepheli plus a strong Spirit Ash, Godrick often spends the fight facing the wrong direction, giving you long free windows on his back.
Rewards for Beating Godrick the Grafted
Defeating Godrick gives you:
- 20,000 Runes (New Game).
- Godrick's Great Rune — activate it at a Divine Tower (the Divine Tower of Limgrave, reached from Stormveil) to gain a large boost to all attributes while it's equipped and you hold a Rune Arc.
- Remembrance of the Grafted — take this to Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold to exchange it for either the Axe of Godrick (a colossal axe with the Icecrag Coliseum-style wind slash) or the Grafted Dragon (a fist weapon that breathes fire). Alternatively, the Remembrance can be consumed for another 20,000 Runes if you don't want either weapon.
That Great Rune is the real prize — it's why Godrick is the most popular "first shardbearer" and a big early power spike.
FAQ
What level should I be to beat Godrick the Grafted? Community consensus puts a comfortable Godrick fight at around Level 25–35 with a weapon upgraded to +3 through +6 and 20–25 Vigor. This is player guidance, not an official FromSoftware recommendation — Elden Ring is open-world and scales to how you play. If you're struggling, a couple of Smithing Stone upgrades to your weapon and one or two extra Vigor levels usually matter more than raw character level.
Is Godrick the Grafted optional? Yes and no. You can physically bypass Stormveil Castle and reach Liurnia without fighting him. But Godrick is one of five shardbearers, and you must defeat two shardbearers before the game lets you enter Leyndell, Royal Capital — so nearly every player kills him. He's also the easiest shardbearer to reach early.
What is Godrick weak to? He is weaker to physical damage than to elemental damage, so plain physical weapons, gravity spells like Rock Sling, and Stance-breaking heavy attacks all perform well. He is immune to Madness but vulnerable to every other status — Bleed and Scarlet Rot builds are extremely effective, with the Rotten Stray Spirit Ash boosting rot buildup.
Can I summon help for the Godrick fight? Yes. You can summon Nepheli Loux (after exhausting her dialogue near the Secluded Cell grace) as an NPC, and any Spirit Ash such as the Mimic Tear or Rotten Stray. Summoning is intended and makes the fight significantly easier.
What do you get for beating Godrick the Grafted? 20,000 Runes, Godrick's Great Rune (a large all-stats buff once activated at a Divine Tower), and the Remembrance of the Grafted, which Finger Reader Enia converts into the Axe of Godrick or the Grafted Dragon.
Does Godrick have a second phase? Yes. At roughly the halfway point he grafts a dragon's head onto his arm, adding fire damage and much longer reach. Dodge toward his side to punish the new fire-breath attacks safely.
More Elden Ring Guides
Working through the early game? These sibling guides pair directly with Godrick:
- How to Beat Margit the Fell Omen — the gatekeeper boss you fight just before Stormveil Castle.
- Best Starting Class in Elden Ring — pick the class that makes Godrick's fight easier.
- How Much Vigor Do You Need in Elden Ring — the stat that decides how many of Godrick's hits you can survive.
- Best Rune Farming Spots in Elden Ring — level up safely before the fight.
