Despite the large size and intimidating design, Astel isn’t exactly in the category of hardest bosses in the game — that is, if you approach the fight with a decent plan in mind. So, if you’re having a bit of trouble, we have some helpful tips right here. Here’s how to beat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void in Elden Ring.
How to Beat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void in Elden Ring
Astel is terrifying and hideous to look at, but a bit of preparation will make this go smoothly. First off, you’ll want to obtain the Mimic Tear Ashes summon from the Night’s Sacred Ground section of Nokron. The mimic makes a full copy of your character with all armor, weapons, equipment, and items.
The Mimic Tear will serve as a great distraction as well as a source of extra damage and healing if you equip a Warming Stone or other FP-consuming throwables since it has infinite FP. Weapons or items with blood loss buildup and rot-causing effects also work well here.
Int or Faith-based builds should also equip a staff or seal before summoning the mimic to give it some range with Sorceries or Incantations instead of having Astel target you both in the same spot.
Astel, Naturalborn of the Void Phase 1
Like Starscourge Radahn, Astel will immediately shoot a laser at you as soon as you go through the fog door, so be ready to dodge left or right immediately. Then, summon the Mimic Tear while having everything equipped that you want it to use.
Melee builds should try to get as close to the side of his head as possible, avoiding his pincers in the front. Ranged builds can attack from behind or the side since they should have Sorceries, Incantations, or arrows that can hit Astel’s more elevated body parts. Though, attacking the head does far more damage and can stagger the boss faster.
As you move closer, Astel will use tail slams, arm swipes, or more lasers. The arm swipes leave purple trails of magic that explode after a short delay, so stay away from those arms if possible. Once you’re in close, there are shockwaves to avoid. The waves are repeated about four times and will start after Astel starts holding purple, glowing orbs.
These are the simpler moves to watch out for, but the fight doesn’t stay simple for long. Things start to get tricky when Astel adds in some teleportation. There are two teleports to watch out for: when he warps above you and when he warps to a spot next to you.
When Astel is above, he’ll slam down to deal physical damage, and when he’s next to you, he’ll do a pincer grab that’ll likely kill in one hit. This is where the Mimic Tear comes in handy — in my case (as you can see above), Astel grabbed the mimic instead of me, and it still didn’t die.
Continue to aim for the head or other body parts while making sure to steer clear of the attacks mentioned above.
Astel, Naturalborn of the Void Phase 2
Once the boss’s health drops to 50%, he’ll shoot giant rocks at you — much like some of the large dragonfly-like enemies do throughout the game. These absolutely need to be avoided by dodging into them, unless you want to be staggered or dead.
To finish this off as soon as possible, remember that aiming for the head can stagger him consistently, opening up multiple critical strike opportunities.
Other than that meteor move, though, Astel remains the same until the end. Stay as close to him as possible in this phase so that you aren’t caught out in the open dodging huge rocks with no way of retaliating to finish the fight.
Also, if you’re lucky, the Mimic Tear will still be taking the brunt of the boss’s attacks in this phase as well.
That’s everything you need to know about how to beat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void in Elden Ring. Be sure to check out our guide wiki for more tips, tricks, and boss guides as you explore the Lands Between.
