Bayle the Dread is an ancient dragon waiting at the summit of Jagged Peak, and one of the most spectacular fights in Shadow of the Erdtree. The NPC Igon joins you, and the fight rewards aggressive players who attack his weak points.
Quick facts
| Location | Summit of Jagged Peak |
| Nearest Site of Grace | Jagged Peak Summit |
| Required? | No, optional |
| HP (NG) | 41,612 |
| Runes (NG) | 490,000 |
| Drops | Heart of Bayle |
| Weak to | Pierce; head, leg stump and wing stump take extra damage |
| Resists | Magic, Fire, Lightning, Holy |
| Immune to | Sleep, Madness |
| Summons | Spirit Ashes allowed; Igon via Igon’s Furled Finger in the arena |
| Difficulty | ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱ 8/10 (Tarnished Wiki rating) |
Overview
Bayle is a huge dragon with a missing leg and a broken wing. He mixes bites, stomps, fire and red lightning, and in phase 2 he channels Bayle’s Tyranny to power up his lightning.
Always summon Igon: he deals strong damage to dragons and pulls Bayle’s attention away from you.
Key attacks and how to avoid them
- Maul: A lunging bite combo that ends in a grab; roll sideways, not backwards.
- Fatal Crush: He leaps and explodes in fire and lightning on landing; run out of the area.
- Sweeping Lightning Breath: A wide sweep across the arena; roll into the breath towards his head.
- Downward Lightning Breath: An AoE under his body; get out from underneath.
- Burning Skies: He flies up and sweeps fire across the arena twice; keep moving sideways.
How to beat Bayle the Dread
- Summon Igon with the Furled Finger in the arena.
- Attack the head and leg stump: weak points take 50% extra damage.
- Use Dragon Communion Grease if you have it, and Pierce weapons.
- Light equip load helps: you need to reposition often.
- Godfrey Icon, Blue Dancer Charm or Ritual Sword Talisman are good talisman picks.
Best builds for this fight
- Colossal Strength: stance breaks lead to critical hits on his head.
- Dexterity Katana: fast combos on the leg stump.
- Avoid pure Magic, Fire, Lightning or Holy builds: he resists all four.
FAQ
Is Bayle required?
No, he is optional, but the Heart of Bayle unlocks powerful dragon incantations.
More Shadow of the Erdtree guides: Messmer the Impaler and the full DLC boss list. Mix the right Crystal Tears before you go in.
Beat Bayle? MyGamerCv turns your Steam achievements into a boss card you can share.
Stats checked against Fextralife (NG values).
Further reading: Bayle the Dread on the Fextralife Elden Ring wiki.