How to Beat Messmer The Impaler in Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

“Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death. In the embrace of Messmer’s flame.”

The lore of Elden Ring’s DLC, Shadow of The Erdtree, has led us to one titular antagonist: Messmer The Impaler, prominently featured in the expansion’s box art.

This long-awaited confrontation promises both excitement and fear. Brave Tarnished, to advance the story, you must conquer this formidable foe.

Brace yourself—the battle won’t be easy.

Guide to Beat Messmer The Impaler

Messmer the Impaler, Son of Queen Marika, is a Demigod Boss in Elden Ring. Alongside two menacing snakes, he wields fire-based spells and a formidable spear.

This Boss fight has two phases. To beat Messmer, you need to be strategic. Messmer’s fighting style combines unpredictable movements with speed and efficiency.

To succeed, adopt a cautious strategy that balances evasion and offense. Pay attention to his moves to avoid getting overwhelmed by his speed and precision.

1. Where to Find The Boss

In the Specimen Storage area, ascend through various levels and platforms. Keep climbing until you reach the very peak of the structure. You’ll need to use the stairs and the hanging stone statues across the 7 floors.

There, in the Dark Chamber, Messmer awaits. This room is perched above the highest point of the Specimen Storeroom. Just before the arena where you’ll face Messmer, you’ll find a site of grace called the Dark Chamber Entrance. Take a breath here—it’s the calm before the storm.

2. Preparing for Battle

Before facing Messmer, take some time to explore the Shadow Realm and gather Scadutree Fragments. These fragments can be used at a Site of Grace to boost your attack and defense capabilities, making you stronger for the battle ahead.

You can access many areas of the map without defeating Messmer first, so feel free to explore and prepare before taking on the challenge. To survive this encounter, aim for at least level 150 and ensure your Scadutree Blessings are at least level 10. 

Best Equipment for this fight:

• Use the Flamedrake Talisman +3 for fire resistance.
• Opt for Frost-dealing weapons (instead of fire).
• Equip Armor that offers fire resistance and agility.
• Equip a fully upgraded Mimic Tear.
• Use Ash of War for cold damage (Divine Beast Frost Stomp or Ghostflame Call are good choices).
• A staff with S-rank sorcery scaling.
• Optional: A second main-hand weapon to deal heavier physical damage.

Best Strategies for this fight:

• Heavy attacks for poise-breaking.
• Stonebarb Cracked Tear in Mixed Physik for easier stance-breaking.
• Use Freezing Grease or the Chilling Mist Ash of War to infuse your weapon with cold damage.
• Sorceries: Glintstone Icecrag, Adula’s Moonblade, Ranni’s Dark Moon, Zamor Ice Storm.
• Incantations: Frozen Lightning Spear, Aspect of the Crucible: Thorns

Best Boosts for this fight:

• Use a Rune Arc before entering the arena.
• Consume a Fireproof Pickled Liver for fire damage resistance.
• Use Radagon’s Icon talisman for shorter casting time (for spellcasters).
• Use the Two-Headed Turtle talisman for stamina management (for all builds).

3. Summons

Inside the boss arena, you’ll find a summon sign to the right of the entrance. Use it to call Hornsent if you haven’t already defeated him earlier. He’ll aid you in battle, distracting the boss and dealing extra damage. Hornsent appears at the end of the battle to continue his story.

Alternatively, if you’ve already defeated Hornsent, head to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr for Ymir’s Questline. Completing Ymir’s initial task will make his bodyguard, Jolan, your ally. You can summon Jolan to the left of the entrance for this fight. 

In addition to Mimic Tear, consider summoning Dung Eater Puppet to inflict Bleed or Ancient Dragon Florissax (if you’ve defeated Bayle and completed the related quests).

Florissax is surprisingly agile and her attacks cover a wide area, either hitting Messmer or forcing him to dodge, creating an opportunity for you to strike before he launches his next combo.

4. Combat Tactics

Phase 1

The initial phase of the battle requires careful attention to Messmer’s attacks, as he unleashes swift and precise combos with limited windows for counterattacks. To succeed, focus on learning his attack patterns and timing your dodges and strikes accordingly.

Opening Attacks:

Messmer often starts with two jump attacks.

• For the first, watch for the shine when he conjures an orb of flame. Dodge-roll into the attack just as he comes down. Summon your Spirit Ash before the orb lands.
• After the explosion, run to the side of the arena to activate the Hornsent’s summon sign if you want him to join in.
• The second jump attack is easier: dodge roll through the spear he throws. Attack him while he retrieves the spear.

Spinning Attacks:

Messmer’s spinning attacks have two variations.

• First, flames spew everywhere, followed by a jump and slam. Dodge and attack afterward.
• Second, he creates rings of flames and dashes toward you with quick jabs. Run toward him as he floats, roll to avoid the dash, and repeat to stay out of jab range.
• When he slams his spear down, dodge toward him twice to avoid the spears.

Stabbing Combos:

• Messmer has long-range stabbing combos that end with flames. Dodge toward the attacks rather than sideways to avoid getting hit.
• Watch for the horizontal sweep and final stab when he holds the spear with two hands. He may follow the spear combo with an upward slash. Dodge promptly.
• Messmer mixes flame-free attacks with fire skills. Watch out for flaming thrusts and slashes.

Distance Attacks:

• At a distance, Messmer may cast a delayed fireball (similar to Messmer Knights). He can dash at you with a spear jab, followed by the flame toss combo.
• During his aerial combo, you should dodge forward to avoid the flurry of spear strikes. Messmer ends the combo by slamming his spear into the ground. Flames erupt around the spear, creating smaller spears.
• There’s rarely enough space to escape the full area of effect, so time your dodges similarly for avoiding the initial orb explosion.

Grab Attack:

• Messmer’s grab attack deals heavy damage. Avoid this attack at all costs. Run away when you see his hand go up.

After heavy combos, Messmer is briefly open to attack, but be cautious not to get greedy and take too many attacks.

Phase 2

Facing Messmer in his Base Serpent phase (when his health bar reaches half heath) is a daunting challenge, but with the right strategies, you can prevail.

In his snake form, Messmer becomes more agile and vulnerable to attacks, offering new opportunities to strike. To succeed, remain patient and practiced, mastering the subtle variations in his combos.

Opening Attack:

• At the start of phase two, Messmer transforms into a giant snake and slams a fiery orb into the ground.
• Dodge away from the slam, then dodge toward the explosion to avoid damage.
• The snake form takes the same damage as the humanoid Messmer, so capitalize on this opportunity.

Dash Attacks:

• Messmer’s new dash attack involves a flip, crouching, and a forward spin with stabbing. It’s challenging to punish due to the distance, but if you anticipate it, dodge toward his path for counterattacks.

Snake Form Attacks:

• Messmer frequently transforms into a snake and lunges at you with biting attacks. These are telegraphed and avoidable, and he remains vulnerable afterward.
• His three main snake attacks involve single lunges, three consecutive lunges, or bursting from a dark pit.

Other Snake Attacks:

• When Messmer floats upward, a massive blast erupts from the snake pit beneath him. Dodge swiftly to avoid the blast, then prepare for the next phase.
• After the blast, Messmer launches a volley of snake attacks from the sides and above. Precise dodging is crucial to survive this onslaught.

Avoid panic rolling and utilize fully charged attacks whenever possible. With persistence, you can achieve multiple staggers, significantly boosting your damage output in this extended battle.

While Messmer the Impaler has an impressive boss design and a challenging fight in the FromSoft Universe, like all bosses, he is not undefeatable. 

May fortune favor you, Valiant Tarnished!

Rewards for Defeating Messmer The Impaler

Defeating Messmer rewards you with – Remembrance of the Impaler, Messmer’s Kindling, and 400,000 runes.

• Remembrance of the Impaler: Hand it to Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold. You’ll get to choose either the Spear of the Impaler (a weapon) or Messmer’s Orb (an incantation) as your reward.
• Messmer’s Kindling: Essential for the DLC’s main story. Use it to burn the brambles blocking the path atop the Belurat, Divine Tower.

Remember, using Messmer’s Kindling has consequences—it triggers the point of no return for many DLC NPC quests. Complete Miquella’s followers’ quests before taking this step.

About Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a major title released by FromSoftware in 2022, the developers of Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, and the Dark Souls franchise. Set in the ‘Lands Between’,  players are on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.

Shadow of the Erdtree is a full-fledged expansion for Elden Ring added in June 2024. It is a whole new map with new Weapons, Sorceries, Ashes, and Craftables. It is a challenging DLC and as players continue to explore the map, they find surprises and easter eggs left by the developers every day.