You have vanquished Radahn, completed the journey through the underground labyrinth of Nokron, and made it through the Lake of Rot alive. You find yourself standing in front of a massive fog door after descending a waterfall of scarlet rot while riding in a coffin. The waterfall was scarlet rot. Astel, Naturalborn of the Void is one of the most distinct bosses throughout the entirety of Elden Ring and can be found hiding behind it.
Defeating this cosmic horror is the final major step necessary to finish Ranni the Witch’s questline, but staying alive during the battle will be a difficult task. Because they have such a large number of unpredictable attacks — many of which are capable of killing you with a single hit from across the arena — the only way to emerge victorious is to memorize their entire moveset and, above all else, perfect their timing. The information that follows contains everything that you require to prevail against Astel.
Because Astel has a relatively high resistance to non-physical damage, you should enter the instance armed with whatever Elden Ring Weapons or spell in your arsenal is capable of dealing the highest possible amount of damage to enemies using physical means.
It is resistant to the majority of status effects, but it can still be hurt by bleeding, poison, and scarlet rot, the latter of which is a particularly useful tactic.
At various points throughout the battle, you will want to maintain a safe distance from the enemy due to the characteristics of its attacks. You should think about equipping yourself with a weapon or spell that has good range so that you can continue to deal damage from a distance. You can also rely on a Spirit Summon with a focus on range to do the work for you (for example, Latenna the Albinauric), but it is likely that you will be better off using the Mimic Tear.
Astel does deal Magic damage, so if you want to be as prepared as possible for the fight, you can either take a Spellproof Dried Liver with you or mix an Opaline Hardtear into your Flask of Wondrous Physick. However, the damage it deals to your body is quite significant on its own, so you shouldn’t be too concerned about that. You should be fine if you just put on the most protective set of armor you have available to you.
Strategies for Defeating the Naturalborn of the Void, Astel
Astel is a gigantic boss who resides in a vast arena. Always be prepared to close the gap when it retreats to the other side of the room, and don’t be afraid to unlock your camera when the situation calls for it. Just like in other fights of a comparable scale, this one requires that you always be prepared.
A strong shield protects the crystal bubbles that make up Astel’s torso and tail; therefore, you should focus your attacks on the creature’s legs and head instead. If you are successful in breaking the creature’s poise, the head is the location from which you can launch a Critical Attack. Locking onto its head and dealing damage with projectiles from a distance of about halfway between you and it is one of the most effective strategies you can use in this fight. The Rock Sling is the best option for sorcerers in this situation, while Faith builds should try their luck with the Stone of Gurranq. There is also the option of using a bow and arrow that has been significantly leveled up. It is possible for melee players to position themselves behind the boss and fire headshots at them from close range when the coast is clear, but this is a dangerous strategy.
As was previously stated, Astel is vulnerable to the Scarlet Rot. You can get as close as possible to cheating in the fight by charging up close to the enemy, casting Rotten Breath, and then running away. You can save all of your strength for dodging the Scarlet Rot’s attacks from a safe distance because it will eventually handle all of the work on its own.
The moveset of Astel is lethal whether you’re across the arena or face to face with your opponent. During the first phase, the following are the most crucial maneuvers to keep an eye out for:
The initial stage
Beam of laser lightThis is the move that Astel will start the fight with almost every time. It will charge its beam, which will cause its face to glow purple, and then it will fire at you a few seconds later. This assault can cover the entirety of the playing area, and it is very challenging to avoid it. The best way to avoid taking damage is to roll to the left or right after perfecting your timing.
Tail slam. After it has fired its initial laser beam, it will frequently follow up with this type of attack. It will then slam its tail down twice, after first lifting it up in the air behind its back. Because of the deceptively long range of this attack, you should always be prepared to sidestep to the left or right in order to avoid being hit by either of the slams, regardless of how far away you are.
Nebula. Its hand will glow purple before winding back and then swiping forward, leaving behind a trail of purple mist in its path, which will explode a few seconds later. It will occasionally start off this attack by flying up into the air, and then it will proceed to strike you from below with a swipe. In either scenario, you should sidestep the swipe and exit the mist in order to avoid taking damage from the area-of-effect attack.
Teleport. Before it teleports away in a large area of effect explosion, a small glowing orb in the color purple will appear above its head. Get away from the explosion as quickly as possible. It will either reappear across the arena or directly above you. Both possibilities are possible. If the latter occurs, it will proceed to fly down at you and attempt a grab attack, which will almost certainly one-shot you if it lands. If it does land, however, it will continue to fly down at you. Focus on it and get out of the way when it flies down.
The oncoming Wave of DarknessIt will bring about a series of circular shock waves all around it by slamming its hands into the ground in rapid succession. If you want to avoid taking damage from the effect, you should get some distance away when you see it winding its arms back.
Gravity attack. The ground all around it will be struck by purple lightning, and then it will lift you and anyone else in the immediate area into the air before hurling you back down onto the ground below. Get out of the area of effect of the AOE by fleeing.
If you get too close to Astel from the front, it will try to grab you with its pincers or poke you in the face with its tail if you get too close. Both attacks can be easily avoided due to clear warning signs that precede them.(You can also get rid of them completely by engaging in combat at a safe distance.)
During phase two of the battle, there is only one new attack added, and it is called the Phase Two Meteorite of Astel.
The sky all around and above Astel will be filled with a purple mist, and then a barrage of meteorites will come at you from all different directions. The damage is difficult to avoid in this area, and it is almost certain that you will perish if you are struck by more than one meteorite. The most effective tactic that we’ve come across is to lock on and repeatedly dodge to the left until the effect of the spell wears off.
Stay focused on dealing damage to the dome, and you’ll be able to bring the dome down before the fight is over. The most challenging aspect of the battle is mastering the timing of Astel’s most difficult attacks to avoid. When you accomplish this, you will be rewarded with 80,000 Elden Ring runes as well as the Remembrance of Astel, which will allow you to obtain a potent Flail and Ash of War.
After leaving the cave, continue forward past the Glintstone Dragon until you reach the Cathedral of Manus Celes, where you will find Ranni the Witch. There, she will give you the Dark Moon Greatsword as a reward. This is a weapon with a high Intelligence rating that has been appearing in various forms in From Software games ever since Kings Field in 2006.
Read More: Elden Ring Guide: Main Areas And Bosses You Will Encounter
