While you have many Rot weapons proficient in the Scarlet Rot status effect, you can also find a Rot Dragon in Elden Ring called the Decaying Ekzykes. Although this dragon may be decaying and infected with Scarlet Rot, it still shouldn’t be taken lightly, as it can rip you apart within seconds if you’re not careful enough.
Many things come into play when deciding a strategy to defeat the rot dragon, like its weaknesses and attack patterns. But first, we must learn where to find the Decaying Ekzykes rot dragon in Elden Ring.
Decaying Ekzykes location in Elden Ring
Decaying Ekzykes can be found while traveling south along the Caelid, guarding the highway just north of Dragon Communion Cathedral. It’s hard to miss if you are just following the main road.
You will find this boss right next to the Caelid Highway South Site of Grace. As we said it is an optional boss, so you don’t necessarily need to defeat this boss to advance in Elden Ring.
Decaying Ekzykes weaknesses and recommended level
Defeating Decaying Ekzykes is not that difficult. However, we still recommend you be level 70 or above.
The dragons in Elden Ring are generally weak to physical attacks, and the Decaying Ekzykes are particularly weak to Fire. So it is recommended to have weapons that do the most physical damage. Also, you will need fire spells and incantations such as Black Flame, etc.
Decaying Ekzykes attacks and counters
Decaying Ekzykes can be tricky to defeat if you go blind. However, if you learn and pay attention to the attack patterns, they are not hard to identify, and once you do, the rest comes easy.
The attacks from Decaying Ekzykes cannot be parried. So you have to be more careful when dealing with him.
First understand the attack types to correctly formulate a strategy to defeat this dragon.
- Stomp: Decaying Ekzykes likes to stomp on the ground, crushing anything beneath its feet, so it’s best to stay clear of that area. You will get ample time to make your move.
- Tail Swipe: One of Decaying Ekzykes’ attacks includes tail swipes that inflict heavy damage if you are hit. To counter this attack, keep following his legs as he turns. Moving away might cause you to be attacked by his tail.
- Charge: The huge dragon occasionally charges into its enemies and rams them head-on. Just simply avoid getting hit with it, and you will have enough time to react.
- Flying Fire: Of course, Decaying Ekzykes is a dragon. Like most dragons, it can fly and spew fire with a twist. Instead of Fire, it spews out Scarlet Rot, which, if you get caught, can kill you within moments.
- Ground Fire: Apart from flying fire, Decaying Ekzykes can spew circular clouds of scarlet rot while staying on the ground. When you see the dragon aiming a ground attack, stay as far from it as possible.
- Rot Wind: Decaying Ekzykes can stomp on the ground, creating a cloud of Scarlet Rot. You will have enough time to go as far as possible.
How to defeat Decaying Ekzykes in Elden Ring
Several strategies can be used to defeat this optional boss, but the following works well for low-level players. For this strategy, you will need a two-handed weapon with at least a +5 upgrade.
When its energy is running low, run under its head to its hind legs, attack twice or thrice, and then withdraw. Beware of attacks by scarlet rot or fire. To win, repeat. You can also use ranged spells, but it can be quite tricky to aim while running, and using spells to take down the boss can be time-consuming and tiring.
The Rot dragon’s main weakness is its head. Although it may be difficult to land strikes on its head, you can deal 50% extra damage, which is a lot. Moreover, you may use a critical attack on it after breaking its stance to deal a huge load of extra damage.
Decaying Ekzykes drops
You will receive the following rewards for defeating the Decaying Ekzykes
- Dragon Heart
- Ekzykes’s Decay
- 38,000 Runes
You can take Dragon Hearts to the Church of Dragon Communion to gain dragon-based incantations.
How to cheese Decaying Ekzykes in Elden Ring
Decaying Cheese Ekzykes by employing spells of fire in Elden Ring. After striking him once, securely move behind a boulder to avoid breath attacks and carry on with fire spells. When he charges, step back and carry on with the onslaught of fire. Continue till you succeed. A simple and efficient method to defeat this formidable opponent.
To defeat Decaying Ekzykes and unleash a torrent of foul breath, use one-third of his health. Get on your horse as fast as you can, and ride away until the storm passes. Return to your original location and begin casting spells once more. Repeat until Decaying Ekzykes’s health is down to two thirds and he is defeated.
