Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Patch Makes a Boss Easier

Bandai Namco and FromSoftware announced a new Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree patch, and the most notable balance adjustments in the patch notes seem to make the final boss of the DLC easier. There are also general PvP and campaign balance changes as well. The update is available on every system as of September 11, 2024.

When it comes to the Shadow of the Erdtree Elden Ring boss, the patch notes didn’t offer to many details about exact changes to avoid spoilers. However, you will now take less standard and stamina damage during the fight if you are hit. It will also be easier to gauge certain attacks, as it will be easier to see effects and get out of their range. However, it might take a moment for you to get used to the changes, as FromSoftware noted the initial attack pattern will be slightly different.

As for Elden Ring PvP, a number of specific weapons and attacks ended up being adjusted, with the patch notes being more specific about those changes. The Backhand Blades, Pata, and dual-wielded Spears will all do less damage. Likewise, the Scattershot Throw and Discus Hurl will deal less damage too. 

Here are the full 1.14 Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree patch notes, taken from Bandai Namco’s support site.

inal Boss balance adjustments

The following adjustments have been made to the final boss of “SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE”

• Changed the action pattern when the battle starts.
• Adjusted some attack moves.
• Decreased the damage of some attacks.
• Decreased stamina damage of some attacks.
• Decreased the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks.
• Improved the visibility of some attack effects.

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments

Equipment

• Decreased the damage of Backhand Blades against other players. (The Smithscript Cirque’s throwing attacks are not affected by this change)
• Decreased the damage of Spears’ dual wield attacks against other players.
• Decreased the damage of the Pata weapon against other players.
• The “Spread Crossbow” weapon will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player.

Skill

Scattershot Throw

• Decreased damage against other players.
• This skill will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player.

Discus Hurl

• Decreased the damage animation value generated by this skill when hitting another player.

Weed Cutter

• Decreased the poise value of follow-up attacks when using this skill against other players.

General balance adjustments

Equipment

• Increased the attack speed of the uncharged version of the first heavy attack for the following weapon types:
  

Dagger / Throwing Blade / Straight Sword / Great Sword / Colossal Sword / Heavy Thrusting Sword / Curved Sword / Twinblade Sword / Katana / Great Katana / Axe / Flail / Great Spear(Except Serpent-Hunter) / Halberd / Reaper / Whip (Except Urumi) / Hand-to-Hand Arts / Beast Claw.

• After performing left handed attacks with weapons of the Great Katana category, cancelling into subsequent attacks using the right handed weapon will now take longer.
• Hand-to-Hand Arts weapon type
  • Increased damage.
  • Shortened the recovery time between some normal attacks and follow-up attacks.
• Colossal Sword weapon type
  • Increased the move distance when attacking.
  • Increased the speed of the first normal attack.
• Backhand Blade weapon type
  • Decreased the attack speed of normal attacks from a crouching position.
• Small Shield and Medium Shield weapon types
  • Increased the damage negation of some shields when blocking physical attacks.
  • Increased the guard strength of some shields.
• It will now take longer to be able to cancel into most actions after performing one-handed normal attacks with the Swift Spear.
  
• Extended the Smithscript Dagger’s throwing attacks range.
• Increased the attribute scaling of Rellana’s Twinblade for lower Intelligence and Faith attributes.
• Rellana’s Cameo Talisman
  • Reduced the delay before the damage enhancement activates.
  • Increased damage enhancement.

Weapon Arts

Light

• Increased attack speed

Darkness

• Increased attack speed

Dynastic Sickleplay

• Reduced stamina consumption
• Increased poise damage of follow-up heavy attacks.
• Increased the movement distance of the first follow-up heavy attack.
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when the second follow-up heavy attack hits another player.

Shield Strike

• Cancelling other actions to perform this weapon art will now take longer.
  

Moon-and-Fire Stance

• Increased the light wave range, poise damage, and attack speed of the stance’s normal attack.
• Increased the poise damage from the stance’s heavy attack.
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a stance’s heavy attack hits another player.

Devonia’s Vortex

• Increased attack power.
• Extended the attack range of the Great Hammer’s spin.
• Increased poise value and poise generation speed.
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a charged attack hits another player.

Spell

Rellana’s Twin Moons

• Increased attack range for the first and second attacks.
• Reduced the knockback distance of the second attack.

Incantation

Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns

• Increased attack power.
• Increased attack power, stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
• The close-range hitbox now follows the movement of the player

Aspects of the Crucible: Bloom

• Increased attack speed, increased size of the hitbox.
• Shortened recovery time between using this incantation and follow-up actions.

Divine Bird Feathers

• Decreased the minimum delay between consecutive hits.
• Increased range.

Furious Blade of Ansbach

• Cancelling this incantation into rolls will now take less time.
• Increased poise damage.
• Increased enemy knockback distance.

Midra’s Flame of Frenzy

• Increased attack speed.
• Increased Frenzy status buildup range against enemies.
• Decreased Frenzy status buildup when using this skill.

Bayle’s Flame Lightning

• Increased attack power.

Bug Fixes

• Black Pyreflies items will now correctly reappear when resting at a site of grace.
• Fixed a bug where performing a Light Greatsword heavy attack while jumping did not consume stamina.
• Fixed a bug where unintended Weapon Skills could be used when equipping the Ballista in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug that caused critical hit damage dealt to Taylew the Golem Smith when using certain weapons the be lower than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from acquiring runes when an enemy was killed while holding a shield.
• Fixed a bug where casting the Inescapable Frenzy Incantation using the Staff of the Great Beyond would cause its hitbox to be generated incorrectly.
• Fixed a bug where whiffed backstabs with the Pata weapon had a smaller fist hitbox that intended.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Lizard Greatsword weren’t registered as strike attacks.
• Fixed a bug where Euporia could increase the attack power of other weapons when its luster is restored.
• Fixed a bug where the restored luster effect of Euporia was sometimes displayed on different weapons.
• Fixed a bug where the power of some Weapon Skills of a right-handed Falx changed depending on the level of the weapon equipped in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug where the enchantment effects of certain skills were being applied to some attacks that did not use weapons.
• Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect player motions to be performed when using lock-on for the following Skills.
• Wild Strikes / Spinning Strikes / Unending Dance
• Fixed a bug that caused the Rolling Sparks Skill to go through some terrain.
• Fixed a bug where the Blades of Stone Spell did not hit targets at a different height level correctly.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation did not hit multiple enemies.
• Fixed a bug that caused the attack of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation to go through certain terrain.
• Fixed a bug where Godfrey’s Icon Talisman did not apply to some Skills, Spells, and Incantations.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from becoming translucent when the Crepus’ Vial Talisman is equipped and the Unseen Form Spell is used.
• Fixed a bug where the hitboxes of some attacks of Rellana, Twin Moon Knight were different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the “Leave” option could not be selected in the inventory menu for some equipment.
• Fixed a bug that made some Site of Graces difficult to touch under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug in some areas where the invasion spawn-in position was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the displayed name of certain areas was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug in which, under certain circumstances, the combat state was not released after defeating an invading NPC.
• Fixed a bug that prevented some effects from being displayed correctly.
• Fixed a bug where the Watchful Spirit Incantation’s attacks were sometimes invisible to other players in multiplayer.
• Fixed a bug where the effects of some tools and incantations were not correctly applied when trying to deflect or cancel.
• Several performance improvements and other bug fixes
• Corrected a descriptive error in the game’s credit that was incorrectly added in patch  1.12

We tend to see Elden Ring patch updates like this on monthly basis, and they often adjust the balance of the main game, PvP, and boss fights. For example, one of them came up in July 2024. And another made similar changes and stopped the Deadly Poison Spray from inflicting death on victims in August 2024.

Elden Ring and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and its new patch, are available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.