After conquering all the Nightlords in Elden Ring Nightreign, you might be wondering what challenge awaits you next. Thankfully, FromSoftware has promptly addressed this by introducing the Everdark Sovereign mode, which features enhanced versions of the Nightlords for players to tackle during Expeditions.
It’s worth noting that in Everdark Sovereign mode, only one Nightlord is available each week, but they will eventually rotate back, allowing for multiple encounters. In this guide, we’ll focus on strategies to defeat the Everdark Sovereign Gaping Jaws.
Strategies for Defeating Everdark Sovereign Gaping Jaws
Confronting the Everdark Sovereign version of Gaping Jaws is no small feat, but with adequate preparation, you and your team can prevail. Here are some key points to consider before embarking on this challenging Expedition:
- Start the Encounter at Phase Two: The battle kicks off with Gaping Jaws already in his second phase. When he drops to 50% health, he will evolve into an even more powerful third phase.
- Utilize His Weakness to Poison: Poison remains the primary vulnerability for Gaping Jaws. Consider equipping Relics that can give you a Poison armament right from the start.
- Enhance Your Damage Negation: Equip traits that boost your Maximum HP, Physical Damage Negation, and Lightning Damage Negation. Given Gaping Jaws’ strength, having these effects will significantly benefit you, especially against his lightning attacks.
- The Night of the Fathom Relic is Essential: This Relic from Augur increases your Maximum HP, provides healing to allies with flasks, and enhances item effects for nearby teammates. Given the close quarters required in his third phase, this Relic will be particularly advantageous.
- Aim for a Minimum Level of 13: While it is possible to tackle this challenge at Level 8, aiming for at least Level 13 will enhance your survivability and effectiveness during the fight.
- Upgrade Your Gear: Entering this encounter with just blue-rarity weapons is feasible but not ideal. Upgrading your arsenal to at least purple-rarity or legendary weapons will give you the edge needed to compete against Gaping Jaws’ boosted stats.
The battle begins with Gaping Jaws in his second phase, so you should be familiar with his attack patterns at this stage. However, brace yourself for a significant escalation in difficulty when he reaches the 50% health mark. Expect ongoing assaults that include attempts to capture players in his massive jaws and rapid lunging attacks. Maintain your distance from his front to mitigate damage.
Key Mechanic: Tornadoes – An critical move in Gaping Jaws’ third phase involves the summoning of tornadoes. During this phase, he will dart across the battlefield at high speed, eventually launching into the air to generate a large tornado surrounding him. Staying in the center of this tornado is crucial for survival, as players who stray beyond its perimeter will take continuous damage, similar to the effects experienced during the Night’s Tide. Thankfully, Spiritsprings located outside the tornado allow players to safely re-enter.
As the fight continues, you’ll notice that the tornadoes shrink over time, and Gaping Jaws will also begin conjuring relentless lightning strikes throughout the arena. While he’s always had AoE lightning attacks, this time the arena will be filled with persistent lightning fissures, akin to those seen in the Night Aspect fight. Maintain vigilance when he begins glowing purple, and avoid standing in dangerous fissures by dodging to the side.
By preparing adequately and understanding Gaping Jaws’ mechanics, you can significantly increase your chances of victory in this challenging encounter. Good luck, and may your Expeditions be fruitful!
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