Elden Ring Glintstone Dragon Smarag

Matt Bird writes all sorts of nonsense, but he dedicates a large chunk of his fourth dimension to writing game walkthroughs.

A massive dragon nestled off the shores of the Academy of Raya Lucaria, Glintstone Dragon Smarag is a compulsory come across but an optional boss. You must visit Smarag's picayune nest to accelerate the game, but fight it? Nope. Y'all can sneak in, grab what you demand to grab, and sneak out again without the dragon existence any the wiser. If you want to fight it, though...

This guide will assistance y'all defeat Glintstone Dragon Smarag. Exist prepared for a long-distance battle, as Smarag is a lilliputian on the shy side, and information technology doesn't like information technology when y'all get also shut.

All images copyright FromSoftware.

Elden Ring

How to Find Glintstone Dragon Smarag

Smarag is institute in the vast wetlands surrounding the Academy of Raya Lucaria, in the Liurnia of the Lakes region. Yous'll need to defeat Godrick the Grafted to access this region.

Once you've reached Liurnia on the Lakes, head northwest along the path until yous offset seeing sunken buildings. Pretty shortly you'll see the cliffs of the Academy on your left. Follow the shoreline to the northwest, through and past the Temple Quarter, and upwards to the rock formation simply off the declension of the Academy. This is Smarag's nest...

... and the dragon will be sitting hither in patently sight, napping. Your compulsory mission is to take hold of the Academy Glintstone Primal that's sitting behind Smarag. Sneak in, snatch it, and if that's all you desire, sneak back out and leave. But if you want to fight the dragon, well, take a good smack or two, considering Smarag will quickly have off. The fight is on.

(Make sure y'all detect the Crystalline Woods Site of Grace just northward of Smarag. You lot may die a couple times fighting this beast, and any other Site of Grace will crave a expedition dorsum past horse.)

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Smarag's Moveset

Smarag uses a lot of moves that you lot would expect of a massive, winged lizard with magical powers. There's a strong combination of long- and short-range attacks here, and you may run across a lot of one, a lot of the other, or an even split between both. You can expect the following attacks from Smarag:

If you're in front of or on Smarag'due south flanks, it volition try to bite you. Given Smarag's size, this can be difficult to run across coming, so if Smarag'south whole torso stops and tenses, be gear up to roll away from its caput. Occasionally this bite assail will be directed behind Smarag, causing its whole body to spin effectually towards y'all.
Smarag will endeavor to sideswipe you lot with its wings. Then long as you remain nether or behind the dragon, you won't see this set on very often.
If you're under Smarag, it volition endeavour to stomp y'all with its feet. Nothing y'all haven't seen before while fighting a giant monster, and Smarag seems a fiddling slower than most. Roll to avoid.
If you're backside Smarag, it will use its tail to knock you away. Yous'll tell this is virtually to happen when Smarag raises its tail and sways its hips a little. This attack has a massive range and really hurts if you're trying to kill Smarag on horseback. If you want to be in melee range, effort to stay under Smarag, non behind.
Occasionally, Smarag volition fly into the air, and if it hovers over you, it'southward nearly to slam downwardly onto the ground. Starting time rolling the second you lot meet Smarag movement from its position or y'all're going to become badly flattened.
Smarag will begin breathing long-range fire. It pans from right to left while doing this, and if you lot get caught in the flames, you're going to take damage. Roll out of the style and keep ahead of the flame until it stops.
If it wants to get abroad, Smarag will fly into the air and soar away from you, leaving long streams of burn in its wake. Unless they fall on you lot while you're running this attack is more disruptive than painful.
Smarag will accuse upwards and launch a massive, magical arrow at you. This is a quick spell, merely information technology's non that hard to avoid and so long as you watch Smarag's motions carefully.

how-to-beat-glintstone-dragon-smarag-in-elden-ring

How you fight Smarag depends on its conduct during the boxing. Its melee attacks, while imposing and vicious, are fairly easy to avert, and you can spend near of the fight under its abdomen and stabbing at its legs. If Smarag decides to take to the skies, even so, you'll demand to follow. Don't try for the head with a melee weapon unless you're right in front end of Smarag and you're confident information technology's non about to attack.

Ranged fighters can stay in front of Smarag, though doing so is dangerous thanks to its magic and breath attacks. If you lot can discover some encompass, withal, sniping Smarag from a distance is a feasible strategy. Brand sure yous aim at its head, as enough impairment to the ol' cranium volition stagger Smarag and bring it to basis for a few valuable moments.

Another viable option is fighting Smarag on horseback, especially for melee fighters. And so long equally Smarag is on the ground, you can use your horse to sweep past or through its legs or wings, deliver a hitting or 2, and continue going. Bike around before getting as well far out front and echo. Smarag'south tail volition generally catch you, and so try not to spend as well much time behind the dragon. Even if you don't spend the majority of the fight on your equus caballus it'southward a good thought to hop on and requite hunt if Smarag flies away.

Cadaverous Spirits are a good option for this fight, though you want something both durable and with a decent range to its attacks. Anything with arrows tin distract Smarag and give you lot the opportunity to run in and smack it effectually. Just stay abroad from your Spirits so y'all're not all getting hit by burn down breath at once.

Defeating Glintstone Dragon Smarag volition earn you xiii,000 Runes and a Dragon Heart.