How to beat Beastman of Farum Azula in Elden Ring
Strategy and tips for defeating the Groveside Cave boss.
Beastman of Farum Azula is an early boss in Elden Ring.
This optional encounter can be found in the Groveside Cave, at the very end of the dungeon area of FromSoftware's game.
The Beastman of Farum Azula boss in Elden Ring won't likely prove a massive challenge for fans of FromSoftware's tough games. Not only is the boss and the dungeon it's located in entirely optional, but it attacks in relatively slow patterns that are easy to predict and highly telegraphed.
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How to prepare for Beastman of Farum Azula
In short, there isn't much you actually need to do to prepare yourself for the Beastman of Farum Azula.
Yes, this is chiefly because the boss is reasonably straightforward as far as boss fights go, but it's also because there aren't any elemental effects or other debilitating status effects you need to prepare for with the Beastman.
The Beastman hits hard, and that's really all he does. However, because of the boss' sweeping attacks with a massive cleaver, you'll likely want to take a shield into this fight with you if you're intending on getting up close and delivering melee-based attacks against the it - this will allow you to weather a hit or two, before your Stamina meter is depleted.
Otherwise, you'll obviously want to take in the the maximum amount of Flasks of Crimson Tears that you can possibly carry on you.
Considering this boss is very early on in Elden Ring, it's highly unlikely that you'll have an extensive Health meter when you're facing the Beastman, so even though his attacks are relatively slow, your Health can get eaten up quickly if you're not careful.
Beastman of Farum Azula tips: How to beat Beastman of Farum Azula
The Beastman of Farum Azula's attacks are slow and telegraphed through his movements, but that doesn't mean he can't put up a solid fight. For starters, the attack you'll really need to be wary of is his chain combo: after letting out a roar, the Beastman will chain together six attacks in a row, which culminate in him jumping into the air, and crashing down to the ground below with a heavy attack.
We'd recommend backing away from the boss in this phase, and plan to run back in and land a solid hit or two after his final attacks immediately hits the ground.
Another attack to be on the lookout for is when the Beastman of Farum Azula grabs his cleaver with two hands, and brings it back over his head.
This is the boss preparing to dart forward and slam the weapon down on the ground, and just like his previous attack, this one has some surprising range to it, so make sure to either back off to a safe distance, or roll around to the side of the Beastman at the last possible second to dodge this attack.
One potentially deadly combo of attacks can really easily bait the player. The Beastman will swing the cleaver from side to side in two motions, before bringing it back over his head to thud onto the ground in front of him.
As tempting as it is, don't move in after this third attack, because the Beastman actually lets loose a fourth, sweeping attack after, which can catch you out if you're stood to close to him on any side. Wait for this sweeping attack to pass, then close the distance for a hit or two.
A solid method for beating the Beastman if you're using melee attacks is to actually combo a jump with a single attack. Performing a forward jump can actually get you over the Beastman when he's landed a final attack in a combo, and attacking the boss on your descent will likely hit him square on the head, delivering far more damage than if you were to chip away at him in any other place.
Don't get greedy with this method though - back off once you've landed an attack, because the Beastman will come lurching towards you with an attack of his own as soon as possible.
Beastman of Farum Azula reward
With the Beastman of Farum Azula defeated, you'll gain two rewards: 1,000 Runes, and a Flamedrake Talisman for your efforts.
While you can spend the Runes on whatever you please, whether it be to level up or something else, the Flamedrake Talisman specifically negates fire effects on your player character.
Considering it's not a spoiler to say Elden Ring features firebreathing dragons in certain areas of the game, this is likely going to be pretty invaluable in your journey ahead.
With that collected, you can warp back to the start of the dungeon.
Need more help? Jump back to our list of Elden Ring bosses or our Elden Ring walkthrough.