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How To Prepare For Messmer, The Impaler
How To Defeat Messmer, The Impaler
How To Defeat Base Serpent Messmer
Perhaps one of the most hyped-up boss fights of the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring is Messmer, The Impaler, a demigod of serpent and fire that can be extremely difficult to beat. This opponent changes over two phases, making it hard to adapt to their different moves. Those who go into this fight unprepared will be swiftly eliminated by Messmer before they can progress forward.
Messmer, The Impaler is a mandatory boss you can face in the Shadow Keep Specimen Storehouse found on the new map from Shadow Of The Erdtree. The closest Site of Grace you can rest at is the Dark Chamber Entrance, which you should unlock early. The northwest section of the Shadow Keep hosts a throne room for Messmer that plays a cutscene to start the fight when you enter.
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How To Prepare For Messmer, The Impaler
Gather Supplies And Understand Boss Resistances
A great strategy to prepare for Messmer is to equip a Talisman that resists fire damage and any type of physical damage reduction item. Messmer hits hard with incredibly fast attacks embedded with a divine fire rivaling the Frenzied Flame. Without a good Talisman in Elden Ring in your character's equipment slots, you'll be taking much more damage, to the point where one or two hits can kill someone with low Vigor.
Consumables that reduce physical damage, like Scorpion Stew, can be quickly eaten before stepping through the golden fog to Messmer's boss fight or during the first phase to gain a temporary buff.
Don't forget to use a Spirit Ash for some extra help if you need it for the boss fight, as especially powerful summons like the 
Mimic Tear Ashes can make this battle more manageable. Specifically, try to summon spirits with higher health to combat Messmer's insane damage output in Elden Ring. It's best to summon Spirit Ash the moment you enter the boss arena to receive their help right away.
One of Messmer's single weaknesses is a slight vulnerability to frostbite damage, which makes sense considering the demigod's affinity to fire. Although you may not have built your character to specialize in a Frostbite build, several weapons and spells still exist to inflict that type of damage. Consider equipping items like the 
Dark Moon Greatsword or magic like 
Glintstone Icecrag to get Frostbite damage consistently.
How To Defeat Messmer, The Impaler
Dodge Often And Watch Out For Wide Fire Attacks
The deadliest strength of Messmer, The Impaler is the boss' godlike speed and the huge Area of Effect (AoE) attacks made with fire magic. Sometimes these two strengths combine into a single attack, leaving you very little room to retaliate during the fight. Messmer has every trait resembling the hardest boss fights in Elden Ring, even surpassing a few of them due to his sheer agility and overall damage.
Due to Messmer's use of a fiery spear, you should dodge to the side or toward the boss depending on the direction of their attacks. Spears are tricky to parry for melee characters but are more predictable to avoid than the wide slashes or giant shockwaves of other weapon types. Watch Messmer's attacks carefully and learn their patterns to figure out which moves are the most dangerous.
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Messmer, The Impaler Move List | ||
|---|---|---|
Attack | Description | How To Counter |
Leaping Fire Ball | Messmer will start the fight by jumping off their throne, charging a large ball of fire in their hand, then leaping to your location for a deadly first strike. The fireball explodes a short time after the boss lands. | Dodge the first landing of Messmer, then dodge again in any direction to get away from the fireball's explosion. |
Spear Flurry | Raising their spear above their head, Messmer will slash it once to the right before either slashing again to the left or attempting a thrust straight forward. | Dodge away from the initial strike, then watch the boss carefully. If the spear remains above Messmer's head, they will go for another horizontal swipe. If the spear drags against the ground, Messmer will go for a thrust. Dodge each attack appropriately. |
Double Spear Thrust | Messmer will make two quick thrusting attacks with their spear, sometimes following it up with a horizontal slash at close-range. | Either block the spear stabs or dodge out of the way. Be ready for the occasional follow-up attack, which you can also dodge. |
Leaping Fire Spear | Jumping up into the air, Messmer will throw a flaming spear at your character very quickly. | Watch to see Messmer's left arm as they jump into the air to find the right timing to dodge the spear at the last second. |
Demigod Of Fire | Messmer flies into the air before unleashing a wild barrage of wide, flaming spear swings around himself in a wide circle. Then, Messmer stops in front of you before releasing a series of fast fire spear strikes before slamming their weapon down and summoning an AoE of spears that erupts from the ground. | Stay under Messmer while they are flying, then dodge to the right twice when they land to avoid the spear flurry. Finally, dodge back enough times when Messmer jumps into the air again to slam down for the spear eruption. |
As you can see in the above video by YouTube creator THE GAMER EYES, there are other spear thrusts, fire attacks, and even grabs you have to watch out for during this fight. The Demigod of Fire move is one you need to recognize since the attack can happen randomly, similar to Malenia's Waterfowl Dance. Other moves, such as a pillar of flame similar to ones unleashed by the 
Blasphemous Blade , also add to Messmer's difficulty.
Try to deal heavy damage to stagger Messmer whenever you can, as this will give you a visceral attack to deal massive damage. Once Messmer reaches about half health, another cutscene will start playing where the demigod removes one of their eyes and crushes it. As painful as it is to say, you aren't quite done yet, as Messmer has a second phase even harder than the first.
How To Defeat Base Serpent Messmer
Recognize The Early Signs Of Serpent Transformations
Base Serpent Messmer has the same moves from the first phase, but with the added help of fiery serpents the boss can call upon or turn into. Similar to the Divine Beast Dancing Lion boss fight, this version of Messmer relies far more on elemental attacks than weapon strikes when at lower health. If it was even possible, Messmer is even faster in this phase as they use new attacks to incinerate your character.
Base Serpent Messmer Move List | ||
|---|---|---|
Attack | Description | How To Counter |
Serpent Fire Ball | At the start of this phase, Messmer will turn into a huge snake that charges a fireball in its mouth. The snake will launch its head toward you to strike, with the fireball exploding soon after the creature's jaw opens against the ground. | Dodge the initial strike, then move far backward from the boss to avoid the fireball's explosion. |
Summoned Snake | Messmer raises their hand before summoning a large snake to strike at you directly forward across a great distance. | Recognize Messmer raising their hand, then dodge to the left or right as you see the snake start to strike. |
Fiery Viper | After transforming into a large snake, Messmer strikes at your character several times before returning to their demigod form. | There is a moment before every strike Messmer makes in their serpent form, giving you a window to recognize an incoming attack and dodge at the last second. |
Hydra Of Flame | When pressured, Messmer summons a dark red shroud before conjuring multiple large snakes that strike around the arena and protect the demigod. | Back far away from Messmer, then dodge continuously to the left or right to stay ahead of the strikes of each snake. |
The best strategy for this phase is to identify when Messmer is going to transform or summon a snake, as those creatures deal life-ending damage with almost every strike. Messmer has a small aura of dark smoke whenever a snake is about to appear, giving you a way of recognizing the incoming threat. A quick adjustment to this attack pattern should help you adapt to this phase with your experience from the first.
Eventually, you can use this knowledge to take down Base Serpent Messmer and finally end the battle. Those who manage to beat Messmer The Impaler and his second form in Elden Ring's Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC will receive 400,000 Runes and Messmer's Remembrance, which can be turned into one of two legendary weapons by Finger Reader Enia.
Source: THE GAMER EYES/YouTube
Elden Ring
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