Elden Ring Lion Guardian boss - How to beat and location

When wandering through Stormveil castle, a tarnished might encounter the beast known as the Lion Guardian. An optional boss that you don't need to defeat to progress the game; however, it yields items and runes that can be useful if you slay it. 

It is an aggressive boss that requires some planning to take on and running at it headfirst will guarantee a swift death if you're not prepared. So today, let's look at how to beat the Guardian Lion and where to find it once you reach Stormveil castle. 

Where to find the Guardian Lion

The Lion Guardian will mostly be found by players when exploring Stormveil castle but it also appears in two other locations in the Lands Between. You can find the Lion Guardian in the following locations: 

• In Stormveil Castle, guarding the eastern bridge entrance.
• Roaming as a regular enemy in the southern part of Caelid, Southeast from the Nomadic Merchant Caelid South. 
• Two Lion Guardians can also be found at the Gates of Redmane Castle. 

Now that you know where to find the beast. The next section will outline what approach you should take to slay it safely and efficiently. 

How to defeat the Guardian Lion

This boss can be fought in different locations and there are variables to the build, resources, environment, and path you might have available. Here are the general tips and tricks for beating this boss regardless of where or when you encounter it.

• Whether you are a melee or ranged player the key to this fight is to bait out the Guardian Lions attacks and wait for an opening. Some of the combos it uses can break your guard, so knowing when to back up and give yourself space is vital to making it through this fight safely. 
• Wait for the Lion to perform its leaping attack and after that, it plunges into the ground and follows up with one more attack. This is your window to counter and deal some damage safely. When it does leap, remember to give yourself enough space to move around it and attack from behind or roll towards it to end up behind the boss and ready your counterattack. 
• Use the environment to your advantage. Structures like pillars or passageways can offer respite while you heal or fire off long-range attacks like magic or arrows. An Area of Effect (AoE) attack that can go through the cover you are using and hit the Guardian Lion can also be helpful as he will rush towards you when taking cover. 
• Before the fight begins, try sneaking up on the boss. If you get it right, you'll want to try to land one solid heavy attack or Weapon skill. Then perform one or two light attacks and getting this right deals roughly a quarter of his health worth in damage, giving you an extra advantage. 
• Spirit Summons will be a waste in this fight as the boss is just going to tear them apart. So saving the Focus Points (FP) you have on hand to buff weapons or perform skills is a far better plan. 

The Ballista strategy

With the Stormveil encounter of the Guardian Lion, you can use the ballistae firing at you as you lead up to the boss fight against it. You have to aggro the boss and lead him back down the ramp and through the gate.

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Once he follows, line up with the ballistae and make sure it is in between you and the ballista firing at you. It will only take three or four bolts to put down this angry cat.  

You can look at the ballista strategy in action in this video as uploaded by Gamers Cathedral on YouTube: 

That's everything you need to know to beat the Guardian Lion in Elden Ring and its location in the game. If you're interested in learning more, you can head to our dedicated Elden Ring section for more guides, news, and features. 

Featured image courtesy of FromSoftware.