Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, is one of the legendary bosses of the Elden Ring that you must defeat if you want to reach the ‘Age of Stars’ ending of the Luner Princess Ranni, the Witch’s questline. Astel is one of the toughest bosses, probably older than the Erdtree, and is massively large and has many legs.
You will find Astel at Lake Rot after the Tarnished travelers have defeated the Royal Knight Loretta and progressed through Ranni’s tale. Astel is weak against Magic, Incantations, Holy, and Rot attacks. So, make sure you use these attacks during the fight against Astel in Elden Ring.
This Elden Ring guide details where you will find Astel, his weaknesses & attacks, and strategies to defeat him.
Elden Ring Astel Location
Once you are at Scarlet Rot near the Site of Grace, drop down to Grand Cloister, this is where you will encounter Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. Stick to the left side, and it will lead to a coffin, which will take you right to the arena.
How to Defeat Astel in Elden Ring
Astel has many brutal attacks, and the fighting strategy is different whether you are a melee player or ranged.
If you’re a melee attacker, use Holy Scythe or Holy Damage Ash of War while getting close to him. Once you are close enough, pound on his head, and he will teleport. Make sure he moves away from you and not above you.
A quicker way to defeat him would be to upgrade the Mimic Tear Ashes and Halo Scythe and combine them to attack Astel.
Remember that Astel has devastating mid- to long-range attacks that will drain your HP. So, magic wielders are recommended to stay close until they are very good at rolling and dodging.
You may also maintain a sweet spot and attack him with your magic and incantations until it teleports away. The players will find this helpful until the meteor phase comes in and are in mid to short-range, baiting his tail attacks.
Spirit Ashes can be a great source of distraction here. They will draw Astel’s attention, and you can easily cast your spells here to deal surplus damage. But if you are not into Spirit Ashes, use Holy or Rot-focused incantations, as they are most effective against Astel and are a kind of its weakness.
Reward for Defeating Astel
After defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, you’ll receive 80,000 Runes and Remembrance of the Naturalborn which can be traded with Enia at Roundtable Hold for Ash of War: Waves of Darkness or Bastard’s Stars flail.
How to Cheese Astel
Using this strategy will let your summon suffer the damage while you focus on the boss. Since Astel’s weakest point is its head, use hard-hitting vertical strikes such as leaping heavy attacks. This is most effective with heavier Strike weapons. These can assist in breaking Astel’s stance, allowing you to cause some critical damage.
Furthermore, if you see anything like pink dust, you should run or duck away immediately. If caught off guard, the pink material will ultimately burst and kill you. These normally appear when he does a claw swipe or teleports.
Astel Attacks and Counters
Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, will use a lot of attacks during the fight. Below, we have explained all the attacks with their counters.
| Attacks | Counters |
|---|---|
| Cosmic Laser | This attack includes a charged laser and can be counted by either blocking or dodging it. |
| Waves of Darkness | This attack creates shockwaves repeatedly, blocking it would reduce impact of the damage but it’s better to dodge it. |
| Large Wave of Darkness | This is an upgraded version of a shockwave attack, and the same strategy can be used to counter it. |
| Tail attack | This is a mid-range attack from the tail; you can dodge by rolling away. |
| Hand Swipe | This attack can be predicted with a purple fog, the best counter is to dodge it. |
| Teleport | This is one of the dangerous attacks in which Astel teleports and grabs you suddenly. The best counter is to run away from the point of teleportation. |
| Meteorite of Astel | This is used when Astel’s HP drops below half. He cast a meteor shower to escape from you. Dodging the meteor is the best counter. |
Defeat Astel with Simple Tips in Elden Ring
Here are some helpful tips you ought to remember during your encounter with this boss:
- As Astel is a Voidborn, so his attacks involve galaxy-styled explosions.
- When Astel slams his hands, it will likely strike you with an explosion, so stay on guard to dodge.
- When he lifts his body and slams his tail on the ground, a sign will appear on the ground move away from that area to avoid incoming damage.
- The laser attack initiates when he moves his face towards the ground, so roll away to dodge the attack.
- After the second half of fight, he will use Waves of Darkness attack. Roll through to avoid the damage.
- Summon a spirit of ash to help you in the fight.
- Astel is weak against frost damage, so you use your weapons and spells that deal with such damage.
- Don’t stand in one place for too long, as the boss’s attacks cover a large area.
- Keep your healing items and spells stocked for this fight.
