ELDEN RING: How defeat Bayle the Dread; guides and tips (2024)

Bayle the Dread is optional boss in Jagged Peak.

Bayle is hard boss with lot of damage, moves which requiers your attention and incredable second phase.
Most dangerous his attack deals or fire or lightning damage, so corresponding Talismans and spells would make your run easier.

Firstly about defence, Bayle has very powerful attacks which can esily kill you if get bited. Also he have two types of Elemental damage, which means

Phase 2 transition, most dangerous moment is his landing to you after flying around. To dodge that you need roll ahead when his leg touch earth.

Dreadful Lightning Spear

When he Rise his right arm and charged his Lightning spear you need roll first time. After this, the ground cracks, and after a delay, lightning strikes the ground, resulting in an explosion. After earth crumbling you should roll after around 40 miliseconds after earth get cracked. You may not understand in fight exactly when you need to roll, but it feels like ‘ I know what I need roll now, but I do it a moment later’. Also you can get hit by his wing and be lying while lightning strike. Also you can jump to dodge Lightning explosion, timings pretty same.

Flying Strafe

To dodge his beam, you need to immediately start running diagonally forward-right and roll by the end of the first part, and during the charge of the second beam, run to the left. His beam have fire wawes, so if you dodge beam you can get damaged by fire vawe which goes to you, so best option is roll/jump forward at the ending of first attack.

How it looks like:

Bayle the Dread interesting because his attacks and abilities give many apportunities to kill him using different tactics and battle options, so let’s speak about few most usable in my opinion

Stance-Damaging

First build will be stance-damaging, Bayle weak to pierce damage, so we will use Zweihander, cuz of damage type and long-lenght charged attack range, which veru useful here. As optional weapons Dagger or Misericorde cuz their crit damage(130% and 140%) so you can crit by these knifes, and after repost use Zweihander(or other heavy weapon).

So, Bayle have two weak points, Head and his left leg(cutted one) here he getting +50% damage, so mostly we are targeting these two weak points. While some Bayle’s attacks you can’t hit his head, so best way would be off target and hitting his leg. We hit him with charged and default attakc in weak points to stance-break him, crit with optimal weapon and make this till Bayle Die.

Status Effects

Bayle +- equally resistant to all status effect(exept madness and sleep) so you can use any grease, incantations, or weapons with specific status effect. Here hard underline some really new advices, because here you already new all that you need, more effect points = earlier status will be applied on your foe, if you don’t hit enemy, status points will decrease, so you there is basic, I can just tell you about best options to proc some status effect and their difference.

Hemmorige one of classic status effect, which have a lot buffs, weapons and enhanced and spells, so here I can’t say something new, but on Bayle I would say that bloodlose worst status effect on may opinion, not because of weakness of bleed, or hight resistance, here all right, just Bayle’s fight not looks like fight were bleed is good option, I more prefer Frostbite, poison and Scarled Rot, they much more intresting in Bayle’s fight, give you some buffs(Here I mean decrease magic resistance and slowing) or apportunities during fight(You can basicaly dodge his combos knowing that you still damage him by poison/scarlet rot).

If you play by status effect you need be always somewhere near Bayle, to give more and more status points, and after stack you can still stack status effect(bleed) or change your tactic or weapon(Frostbite/poison/scarlet rot). Most interesting and useful on Bayle for me is Poison and Scarlet Rot, they give you periodic damage, which is very useful at phase 2, using Poison Armament you most likely stack Poison near 50% of Bayle’s health bar(but if you use fast weapons and both will have poison, you can stack much earlier), so he will recieve damage during his phase 2 moves, which is very useful cuz here you need be much carefully and dodge much more dangerous moves, so some times you can dodge or run away to heal/buff yoursefl and don’t think about loosing your damage.

Important note, Poison not such a good damage deal status effect, Deadly Poison and Scarlet Rot will be better in total damage, but Poison have many cheap sources to infict an enemy, so if don’t play by poisom much you can easily use it, it wouldn’t be bad decision, you juts need understand what you use, why you use posion and what you can get from poison.

Better use Deadly poison, because you can stack it more times because of duration, but default poison still a good option.

Scarlet Rot seems best status effect on Bayle(if you not a mage), cuzz of damage and usage. We have not quite nomber of Scarlet Rot sources, so our options already known, if you played with Scarlet Rot once, and in game tactic here no much differences between poison and Scarlet Rot.

Zweihander

For +25 version

King of Collosal swords, amazing charged attack with Thrusting damage type(which we need against Bayle), powerfull Ash of War which gives a lot stance damage, and can reach its weak points above. I can’t say more about Zweihander, cuz it’s a case of the name speaking for itself, and any explanations would be superfluous.

Frozen Needle

For +10 version

Infict 60 frostbite.
That Thrusting sword doesn’t have a lot damage by itself, but frostbite, Bayle’s weakness to Thrust damage and good option to powerstancing makes this Thrusting Sword good to use on Bayle’s fight. Also Charged attack have frost projectile which no use any FP, and sword be itself doesn’t scales by Intelligent or faith, so you van surely use it in no-int builds.

Antspur Rapier

Infict 55 Scarlet Rot.
Great sword, Thrusting damage, Scarlet Rot and option add second infusion(blood loss, Frostbite, Poison) so you can give Thrusting damage with lot status effect’s damage. Perfect works with previous weapon, so you can powerstancing them and maximize you status effects build ups.

Zamor Curved Sword

For +10 version

Inficts 65 frostbite.
Incredable curved great sword, which attack cost less stamina, weapon Ash of War Zamor Ice Strojm which deals collosal infict and great 39 stance damage, that’s significant bonus to use this weapon. There we play both Stance Damage and Frostbite appling, so depending how you play you can or Frostbite or Stance-Break him first, but here it doesn’t metter. Good

Dark Moon Greatsword

Causes Frost buildup 55. The projectile does 22 stance damage, or 35 when charged also the projectiles deal 22 stance damage, or 35 when charged
Great magic damage, powerfull weapon skill gives increasing frostbite build ups and magic damage, good option for mages to Stance-break Bayle, which doesn’t requieres extra leveling or something, so it always good option if you well play with greatswords.

Miséricorde

For +25 version

Highest crit damage(140%) in game
Mostly needed to hit crit attack after stance-break, by itself not such a good option, so needs only to maximize your crit damage. You can infuse on damage type or status effect, to get best performance from your build.

Chilling Mist

Cheap option to give Frostbite if don’t have intellegent to cast spells or use intelegent requires weapons.

Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana

For +10 version

Inficts 55 bleed
New weapon class, Great Katanas, quite good moveset, bleed, poise damage(for ‘greatsword’), but main reason why this sword here is default buff in 30% of addition damage to Dragons and 15% against Ancient Dragons, and very suitable weapon unique ash of war, which perfectly works in Bayle’s bossfight.

In previous list I put weapons which I think optimal to use(exept bleed one, cuz I can’t say here anything new), and yeas I use straight swords in one hand, two-handed and powerstancing, and they’re very good, they’re fast enough to proc Rotten Winged Sword Insignia’s buff and attack under it. I love play with paired straight swords, curved swords, but don’t finde them comfortable for most people.

Spears and rapiers, these types of weapons not such popular as Swords or Greatsowrds and they’re
quite specific, and if you like them, you probably already have optimal gear for yourself. What I mentioned as weapons is for those who don’t typically play with rapiers, so it may be less relevant for you. Same about plaing with shields, if play like that you already choose best stuff for you, already know all that you need and have that you need, I don’t like play with shields, but game have a lot thing to use that playstyle, it’s valid but I can’t recommend that just cuz I don’t like play like that.

If you want play with default and charget attacks with optimal (Thrusting) damage type you can choose nearly any spear, rapire, lance, a lot good options so you can look at moveset and Ashes of War, and choose that you like.

I tried lot weapons sorceries and incantations, and choose most optimal to most people. That’s doesn’t mean what only these methods valid, that’s methods I find best to most people.

Dragonmaw

Good lenght range, pretty small requirements and FP cost, 45 stance damage and 7.5% damage resistance during full animation, that’s quite enough to use without doubt. But important that that incantation has two hitboxes, maw and neck, first one gives more damage, roughly 50% more, and only one hitbox can damage your foe, so you should use it in right position to maximize your damage.

Rotten Breath

Incantations which needs to stack Scarlet Rot, by itself have good damage and range, better use with Furled Finger or Igon. Mostly you need use Incantation twice to stack Scarlet Rot, if you hit all damage ticks.

Poison Armament

Enchants armament held in the right hand with poison (70).

Glintstone Icecrag

Very important range spell to frostbite/mage. Mid range, good damage, good speed and status buildup. Mostly that spell being between damage dealing and Frostbite appling.

Zamor Ice Storm

Low FP cost and good range, Bayle is huge opponent with two weak points, Zamor Ice Storm can stack Frostbite pretty fast, better use on his leg.

Shard Spiral

Very powerfull Damage option, and for mage I think it’s best spell to use. Suitable to use while Bayle charge his phase 2 transition(and when he use that blow up in phase 2), when he roar, and etc. and after dealing Frostbite you see damage increasing, so firstly you need stack Frostbite and secondly go to his weak points and cast in there as much Shard Spirals as you can.

Adula’s Moonblade

Incredably good melee option for Mage, gives you good damage and large range with following projectile, suitable and comfort in use, you nearly never be in situation when you start attack him, but he turn his head and you miss, mostly you hit head. Important that damage by projectile scales stronger that blade(by staff). but frostbite infict more on blade attack(90, while projectile inficts 35).

Two-Handed Sword Talisman

Increases damage of normal/heavy attacks, charged heavy attacks, jumping normal/heavy attacks, and guard counters performed when two-handing a single weapon by 15%.
These Talisman is base of our build, even if you us none of the following talismands but those on Health increasing, or defence increasing or other ‘comfortable talismans’ cuz streanght of the Two-Handed Sword Talisman buff.

Axe Talisman

Increases charged attack damage by 10%.
Classic talisman for stance-breack builds, Zwaihander’s charge attack has long-lenght range, so boots this would be wery good option. Also this talisman can be gotten wery early in the base game, so probably you don’t even need to find this.

Blade of Mercy

Raises attack power by 20% for 20 seconds after each critical hit.
This is new SotE Talisman which extremely useful in stance-breaking builds, with previous ones this buff makes your damage much higher.

Dagger Talisman

Increases Critical Damage by 17%. Optional, but very strong talisman,
mostly needs to miximize your crit damage, if you often stance-break Bayle that’s damage buff together with Blade of Mercy’s makes huge damage increasing.

Shard of Alexander

Greatly boosts the attack power of Skills by 15% Traditionally powerful talisman, вurther explanations will be redundant.

Old Lord’s Talisman

Extends the duration of Spells by 30%.
Bayle’s boss figth can be very long, particularly after the second phase, so increasing duration of your buffs would be great bonus. His phase 2 transition long enough to cast some buffs, and considering the complications of the battle with Bael, any buffs will be helpful, and extending their duration will significantly improve your attemp.

Pearldrake Talisman

Reduces Elemental Damage taken by 5/7/9/11%.
Bayle’s fire hits lightning and fire damage type at same time, thas is a rare case where defence against multiple elemental types of damage will be very relevant in PVE.

Ritual Shield Talisman

Reduces damage taken by 30% when HP is at maximum.
Dreadful Lightning Spear, Bayle’s Tyranny, Flying Strafe, all these attack can cause giant amount of damage to you, so having extra damage negation in phase 2 makes a deal. Crimson Seed Talisman(+1) increase your HP restoration From Crimson Flasks by 20-30%, that’s make Ritual Shield/Sword Talisman much more comfortable in use, also HP restoring spells makes situations where you’ve taken a weak hit but don’t use health Flasks because more regeneration would be excessive and not as crucial. You’ll gradually regenerate those health points without needing to drink a potion when your health is still high but not full.

Golden Vow

Increases attack and defense for self and allies damage +15% and all damage Negation +10% by 80 second.
Long duration and pretty good buff with Aura’s type of buff makes that spell one of the best here.

Protection of the Erdtree

Increases elemental damage negation by +30% for the user and nearby friendly entities(excludet physical damage) during 70 seconds.
Bayle has mixed fire/lightning damage type in most his attacks, so that buff save you equally from all damage types( exept physical).

Greyoll’s Roar

Greyoll’s Roar spell conjures a thundering shriek of Greyoll that debuffs enemies, temporarily decreasing their defenses and attack power( decreases the enemy’s attack by 15% and defense by 10% for 60 seconds).

Stonebarb Cracked Tear

Make attacks more likely to break enemy stances in a mixed physick

• Duration: 30 seconds
• Stance damage +30%
• Stamina damage to blocking enemies +30%

Spiked Cracked Tear

• Duration : 3 minutes
• Charged attacks +15%
• Does NOT affect Sorceries or Incantations
• Has been observed to stack with the Roar Medallion when using Charged Heavy Attacks after executing a War Cry.
• Stacks with the Axe Talisman (charged attacks +10%).
• About +26% when paired with Axe Talisman.

Opaline Hardtear

• Increases all damage negation types by 15% for 3 minutes.
• The bonus is reduced to 10% in PvP.
• Can stack with other sources of protections (talismans, consumables)
• When paired with Boiled Crab and either Dragoncrest Shield Talisman or Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman can grant – with proper armor – even 60% damage negation towards physical-type damage.

Dragon Communion Grease

Increases damage to all Dragons, you can apply grease to most weapons, which isn’t unique or infused yet. Also you can use Dragonwound Grease which you can get in base game, it’s weaker but still good.

Pickled Turtle Neck

Stamina Recovery Speed +10/s (22.2%) during 60 seconds.
Quite good consumable, I prefer use Neck to prove stamina recovery and save talisman slot for protection talismans.

I hope this guide help you defeat Bayle the Dread, Dragon Tyran of the Jagged Peak! I also hope that you find guide helpful and enjoible enough to like, add to favorites or even reward it!

Other Guides

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3211379231
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