How to Beat Erdtree Burial Watchdog in the Impaler's Catacombs

Beat the Erdtree Burial Watchdog in elden ring's Impaler's Catacombs. Learn its attacks like Pounce and Pyro Spin and how to counter them.

Location: The Erdtree Burial Watchdog is found at the end of the Impaler’s Catacombs in the Weeping Peninsula. To reach the catacombs, start at the Castle Morn Rampart Site of Grace and head uphill to the northeast. Continue north to a crone statue on rocks overlooking a cliff, which guides you down. Head southeast past ruins to a slope leading down. You'll know you're close when you see large tombstones and ethereal jellyfish. The entrance is along the cliff to the southwest.

To enter the Impaler's Catacombs, you must navigate through it, step on a trap floor, dodge as it rises, and drop beneath it into watery chambers. Dodge Zombies, climb a ladder, and pull a lever to open the boss doors.

Attacks:

The Erdtree Burial Watchdog is similar to the one in Stormfoot Catacombs but has higher HP and damage. Its mechanical nature can make animations tricky to judge.

• Pounce: The Watchdog leaps and slams its sword down, repeating 2-4 times. This is a good opportunity to attack after it lands.
• Pyro Spin: It tilts its head and breathes fire in a circle. Stand to its right, attack, and sprint away in a circle as the fire approaches, landing a couple of hits.
• Thrust: A single forward thrust. You can block, roll, counter, or jump to avoid it and get free hits.
• Sword Spin: It drops its sword hand to its side and spins 180°. This attack is quick. Jump over or block if in melee range; roll backward if further away.
• Standing Chop: It stands on hind legs, walks to you, and slashes down. Block, move to the side, or run away. This is a good time to heal.
• Swipe: A simple horizontal swipe. Roll towards the boss or block to avoid.
• Sword Slam: Grabs its weapon with two hands, dealing significant stamina or health damage. Avoid by getting out of melee range, especially if you spend too much time directly in front of it.
• Tail Slam: Occurs when attacking from behind. It's difficult to avoid if initiated. Avoid attacking from behind for more than one hit. Can be blocked with quick reflexes.
• Vertical Slash Combo: A three-hit combo (two vertical slams, one thrust), often seen at low HP. It's slow enough to appear as separate attacks. Roll away as they can track you.

Strategy:

The Erdtree Burial Watchdog's jerky movements can make its attacks hard to read. Pounce, Pyro Spin, and Thrust are common. Most attacks can be blocked or rolled away from. For Pounce, run or roll away. The best times to attack are during its Pounce or Pyro Spin animations. Stay close enough to the boss after it lands from a Pounce to get a single hit in. During Pyro Spin, circle to its right while attacking, and sprint away when the fire gets close.