Commander Gaius, Radahn’s old companion, charges at you on a giant boar behind Shadow Keep. The fight is fast and chaotic, but Gaius is very weak to Holy damage and gives strong rewards.
Quick facts
| Location | Back of Shadow Keep, Church District entrance |
| Nearest Site of Grace | Shadow Keep, Back Gate |
| Required? | No, optional |
| HP (NG) | 33,871 |
| Runes (NG) | 230,000 |
| Drops | Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider |
| Weak to | Holy (takes double damage), Slash, Hemorrhage, Frostbite |
| Immune to | Sleep, Madness |
| Phases | 2 (about 50% HP, purple lightning) |
| Summons | Spirit Ashes and co-op allowed |
| Difficulty | ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱ 7/10 (Tarnished Wiki rating) |
Overview
Gaius rides a huge boar that covers the arena in seconds. In phase 2 he adds gravity magic, pulling and slamming you with purple lightning.
Torrent is available, but the boar is faster than your horse, so fighting on foot is usually better.
Key attacks and how to avoid them
- Wild Boar Rush: His opening charge; dodge to the side.
- Gravity Plunge: He jumps, spins and plunges; time a roll forward or backward at the last moment.
- Gravity Thrust: An upward thrust with an area burst; roll forward through it.
- Wild Swing: Two or three swings ending in a stab; dodge the stab, then counterattack.
- Wild Kick: A back kick if you stay behind him too long; keep to the flanks.
How to beat Commander Gaius
- Use Holy damage: he takes double damage from it.
- Summon Black Knife Tiche to keep the boar busy.
- Stay at his sides and back in phase 1.
- Heavy and jump attacks break his stance quickly.
- A greatshield with guard counters works well against his combos.
Best builds for this fight
- Faith builds with Holy incantations or a Sacred affinity weapon.
- Bleed Arcane: he is weak to Hemorrhage.
- Colossal Strength for stance breaks.
FAQ
Is Gaius required?
No, he is optional.
Should I fight him on Torrent?
Usually not: the boar is faster than Torrent.
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 Gaius? MyGamerCv turns your Steam achievements into a boss card you can share.
Stats checked against Fextralife (NG values).
Further reading: Commander Gaius on the Fextralife Elden Ring wiki.