How To Beat the Gaping Dragon in Elden Ring Nightreign

The Gaping Dragon, a truly horrifying spectacle first encountered in Dark Souls, makes a fitting and visually disturbing appearance as a Night Boss in Elden Ring Nightreign. This six-legged abomination can surprisingly appear as early as Night 1 if your expedition ventures into the Augur or Gaping Jaw areas. Despite its intimidating appearance, this boss is often far easier to defeat than it looks. This article will delve into its attack patterns and primary weaknesses, ensuring every encounter with the Gaping Dragon becomes significantly more manageable.

Elden Ring Nightreign: How To Beat the Gaping Dragon

The Gaping Dragon is an exceptionally large boss, characterized by its elongated, monstrous body. This massive form ironically presents an easy target for both melee and ranged Nightfarers alike, making it accessible to any class combination without significant trouble or specific level requirements. The boss is generally considered easier due to its loudly telegraphed attacks and the existence of discernible safe zones on its flanks, particularly near its rear legs. Most of the Gaping Dragon's offensive maneuvers are forward-facing, with its only significant rear attack being a tail swipe that targets players in a wide arc behind it.

Weaknesses of the Gaping Dragon

The Gaping Dragon's primary vulnerabilities stem from its slow movement speed and the distinct blind spots located on either of its flanks.

• Elemental and Status Weaknesses: The dragon is highly susceptible to bleed, frost, and lightning attacks, making weapons or spells imbued with these properties incredibly effective.
• Melee Positioning: For melee characters, maintaining a position near the rear legs of the dragon will effectively negate the majority of its dangerous frontal assaults. This offers a relatively safe vantage point from which to unleashsustained damage.
• Tail Severing: A unique and rewarding weakness: continuously attack the dragon’s tail to cut it off. Successfully severing the tail will reward you with additional loot, making it a worthwhile endeavor if the opportunity arises.
• Head Vulnerability (Stagger): When the Gaping Dragon is staggered (after taking sufficient stance damage), its grotesque tiny head will lower to the ground. This is your critical window to inflict high damage to the boss, as the head is a significant weak point. Focus all available attacks on its head during this vulnerable state.

Tips To Easily Defeat the Gaping Dragon

Mastering the Gaping Dragon involves recognizing its key attack tells and exploiting its movement limitations.

Beware the Grab Attack: This is the most dangerous move to watch out for.

• Telegraph: The dragon will rear its maw (mouth), pull back one side of its body, and then lash out aggressively with its middle arm.
• Consequence: If caught, the player will be subjected to a brutal chewing animation, which is highly likely to result in an instant kill.
• Avoidance: The easiest way to avoid this devastating attack is to sprint away from its sides the moment the dragon begins to rear its head, moving quickly towards its tail to get out of the attack's frontal arc.

Large AoE Acid Attack: The Gaping Dragon possesses a wide-area acid attack that can quickly cover the ground.

• Telegraph: It clearly telegraphs this attack by starting to belch violently, with acid visibly appearing around its jaws. It then proceeds to pour the acid into a large pool directly in front of it.
• Avoidance: As soon as you see this telegraph, sprint away from the front of the dragon to escape the expanding acid pool.

Leaping Ground Attack: The boss can perform a crushing leap.

• Telegraph: The boss will leap into the air and then land with a heavy ground impact.
• Avoidance: Dodge away from its projected landing area as soon as it jumps.

Tail Swipe Attack: For players positioned behind the boss, this is its only significant attack.

• Telegraph: The attack is telegraphed by the dragon moving its tail to the side and visibly charging up the attack.
• Avoidance: There is a crucial half-second delay before the tail swipe is launched. Use this brief window to dodge through or away from the tail's trajectory.

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