Hannan Mundia 
Once players find Commander Gaius’ location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree they’re treated to one of the toughest fights of the DLC, but some cheese strategies can make his fight easier.
One of the big criticisms of the base version of Elden Ring was its repetitive boss fights, but that’s not a problem in the Realm of Shadows. Mandatory bosses like Messmer the Impaler and optional ones like the Putrescent Knight are all unlike anything seen in the game so far. Commander Gaius is a new entry in the game’s list of bosses players don’t necessarily have to defeat.
However, those wanting to max out their Scadutree Fragment Blessing level will eventually want to face off against this remembrance boss. Like other FromSoftware bosses, the Tarnished must locate Gaius before figuring out and exploiting his weaknesses. While many Elden Ring players struggle to complete this battle, an exploit can make defeating Commander Gaius easier.
Commander Gaius location in Elden Ring DLC
Players can find Commander Gaius in the backside of the Shadow Keep legacy dungeon, but reaching him requires a roundabout path and cheese strategies force players to locate extra weapons.
Those who haven’t already reached the back of the Shadow Keep dungeon to find the Finger Ruins of Dheo must make the long journey there. The first step is to go to the northeast part of Moorth Ruins, which is located in the Scadu Altus region and reachable by following the Moorth Highway south path. Locate a big leaning tower before dropping down the hole below it, ensuring the player character lands on the various platforms to not die from fall damage.
Fight through the enemies and climb up a ladder at the end of the path to reach Bonny Village. Follow the path east from the Bonny Village site of grace and cross a broken bridge leading to the other island.
Continue on the path until it splits into two directions shortly after passing the Church District Highroad site of grace. Follow the northeast path to reach the Shadow Keep Church District. Conversely, the other path leads to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr, where the player can meet Count Ymir.
The church district will initially be flooded, forcing players to jump across various buildings in a generally linear platforming segment. This leads the player to a mechanism that drains the water from the city.
Drop down from the hole in the tallest building’s roof and take the second path left leading to an elevator taking the player to the Storehouse, Back Section site of grace. From here, follow the path up to the Storehouse, Loft area, before eventually finding a lift taking the player to the Shadow Keep Back Gate site of grace. This site of grace has a fog barrier that directly leads players to Commander Gaius’ location.
How to cheese Commander Gaius in the Elden Ring DLC
Players can cheese Commander Gaius by hiding behind pillars and using weapons or incantations with spread damage.
Like many other Elden Ring bosses, Commander Gaius has two phases. He hits the player using physical attacks in the first phase and then starts using gravity moves in the second. His second phase activates once his health depletes to 50%.
Right after walking into the boss room, players should get on Torrent and run northeast, dodging the opening attack in the process. Once Commander Gaius starts tailing the player character, circle toward the Wall of Mist. Run past the Wall of Mist and hide behind the pillar in the corner of the wall.
If done correctly, Commander Gaius will get stuck on the other side of the wall. Now, it’s time to use weapons and incantations that can deal damage through walls and other objects. Commander Gaius’ weaknesses include Frostbite, Scarlet Rot, and Bleed.
Considering Gaius’ weaknesses, incantations like Rotten Breath or Dragonice, and armament Ashes of War like Bloodboon Ritual from Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear are all viable options. Surprisingly, the Rivers of Blood Ash of War also works for those who don’t want to respec their character for this fight.
The boss might escape the glitch at the start of the second phase, but players can just redo the process to trap him behind the pillar again to get out of it. Continue kiting him around the same pillar until he eventually dies. Once players defeat him, they can explore the area ahead and find multiple Scadutree Fragments near the Scadutree Chalice.
