Getting beat down repeatedly in a game like Elden Ring can be extremely frustrating, especially when you want to have fun with each enemy you encounter. Although it can be very annoying, believe us when we say this is how the game is intended to work.
There are many ways to avoid getting one-shotted by bosses or even regular enemies. You can equip better Armor, a Shield, or Defense/Buff Talismans. You should also upgrade your Vigor, get better at dodging, and always watch what your enemy is doing so you have time to react.
Most one-shot attacks can be avoided if you are better at timing your dodges or knowing when they will happen. The only downside is that you have to get killed by them before you can avoid them.
1. Equip better armor
This is a no-brainer. If you don’t have good armor, you will take much more damage than you should. You have probably seen those people who don’t use any armor, and they make the game look easy, but in reality, they have probably spent hundreds of hours practicing even to get that good. You need to learn from your mistakes to learn everything the game offers.
It depends on your class, but some classes start with great armor sets. Suppose you start as a Wretch for your first playthrough, good luck. Make sure to choose a class that will be decently protected and that you are comfortable with. If you are far into your playthrough, you have probably found many armors sets to use.
Check which one is the best and apply the correct attributes to use it. Many armor sets need a ton of Endurance to use proficiently, so make sure you know what you are doing before putting on a very heavy armor set.
2. Equip a shield
Shields are one of those equipment pieces that veteran players don’t need to use. We don’t use shields because your weapon gets more damage if you two-hand it. You can also dual-wield in the game, which is fun. If you are having a lot of trouble dodging, having a shield is your best bet.
You might already have a shield equipped, so your next best option is to find a better one. There are a ton of shields in the game, and they all have some sort of bonus. We would recommend the Jellyfish shield to relatively new players because it also gives you an attack boost. It is also very easy to upgrade since it only takes Somber Smithing Stones.
You should also upgrade your shields because it increases your defense and Poise. This will help you take less damage from each attack, and it will also use up less stamina as well. Always keep an upgraded shield if you are having trouble with certain enemies.
3. Equip Defense and Buff Talismans
Talismans are the most useful items you can have equipped for these things. There are 2 types of Talismans you can equip to help you with these one-shot attacks. Defense Talismans are exactly what they sound like. You can equip physical defense Talismans, elemental defense Talismans, or even ones that negate large amounts of damage.
There are also Talismans that Buff, your player. Ones that increase maximum health or stamina, your poise, and even those that help boost dodging times. Every single one that you find and equip will help negate most of the damage from these one-shot attacks. Yes, there are a few attacks that you can’t avoid, but these will help a ton.
We aren’t going over every Talisman on this list, but we will tell you to check out the wiki and find out which Talismans are better for your build and how they will help defend you against these annoying attacks.
4. Upgrade your Vigor
This is an obvious way. Vigor is your health attribute; every level you put into it will give you extra health. Most people say you should stop when you hit 60 Vigor, but you play however you want. 60 Vigor seems like a lot, but most end-game bosses will 2-shot you once you start getting into Journey 2.
There are armor sets that decrease the amount of Vigor taken when they hit you, so take advantage of everything the game gives you. There are even Talismans that boost health. Also, upgrading your Flasks is key to staying alive longer in a fight.
Make sure you also upgrade your stamina as well. If you don’t have stamina upgraded, you will have a ton of trouble getting away from the enemy you are fighting. That is where the Vigor comes in. Make sure to keep Vigor and Endurance at the same level, so you don’t have any weaknesses. Although, if you are struggling with health, maybe put a few extra levels into that.
5. Get better at dodging
One of the main mechanics of the game is dodging. If you don’t know how to dodge, then you need to get better at it. If you can time every dodge perfectly, a few iframes will make you invincible, and you can avoid pretty much anything in the game. You can even roll right through the giant ball that rolls down the stairs at the Academy if you do it correctly.
Even those one-shot attacks can be avoided if you can dodge them correctly. The best way to know you have enough stamina to dodge and attack is to upgrade your endurance. It will give you the necessary stamina to do everything correctly. It also makes your equipment load lighter so you can equip heavier items.
If you aren’t familiar with dodging, practice against smaller enemies before fighting a major boss. You will need to know how and when to dodge if you want to be able to finish the game without rage-quitting.
6. Always watch what the enemy is doing
The main thing you want to do is to watch and learn from all the enemies in the game. You will have to spend some time defeating all the different enemy types, so you will need to learn a lot of moves. You would also be very surprised by the number of movesets you can memorize.
The more you play, the more it will become second nature. You have seen those speedrunners of the game get through it in less than 20 minutes now, which is insane, but to get to that point, they need to learn all the moves of most enemies. If they don’t have them down, they will have an extremely hard time doing what they do.
We aren’t saying you need to memorize everything; you just need to watch the enemy and see what they do first. If you don’t, you could get surrounded or even backstabbed, which isn’t fun when trying to get to the next area. Just be sure you know what you are doing.