The Furnace Golem is one of the first enemies you encounter Elden Ring‘S Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and proves – just like Tree Sentinel from the main game – that it does not shy away from difficult enemies from the start.
The first towering, flaming monstrosity you find in the Gravesite Plain isn’t technically a boss – although it is stronger than many of them – and it’s not the only one in the DLC either.
Taking down a Furnace Golem requires some forethought, so attacking it in the usual way is not recommended unless you want to be burned to a crisp.
Us Elden Ring guide explains how to defeat Furnace Golemsand the rewards for it.
How to prepare for Furnace Golems
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon
While most Furnace Golems can be taken down using additional items, obtaining Hefty Fire Pots or, preferably, Hefty Furnace Pots, will help you the most in defeating them.
We have a separate guide on how to get Hefty Fire Pots and Hefty Furnace Pots, and this can be crafted once you have the necessary materials. It’s worth buying a Hefty Furnace Pot. In most cases, you must first defeat a Furnace Golem to get the necessary crafting materials. Do you see the problem?
When you Doing However, if you throw one into the huge basket – essentially the main body of the Furnace Golem – it will deal significant damage, while the Hefty Fire Pots will take a fifth of its health.
Again, these are optional for most Furnace Golems, so let’s go over the strategy whether you’re equipped with them or not. Either way, it’s highly recommended to pick up a few Scadutree fragments first to increase your chances of survival, especially if you’re just starting out.
How to defeat Furnace Golems in Elden Ring
When battling the Furnace Golem, there are a number of attacks you’ll need to defend against. They will spot you from a mile away, then shoot fireballs from their hands and feet, along with flaming jets. As you get closer, they also jump into the air and crash, causing a huge wave of explosions.
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon
This can be avoided by jumping as soon as the feet touch the ground, and the same goes for the slightly smaller version of this where they only stomp with one foot. Be aware that if you fight a Furnace Golem from above, it may swing at you with either hand, so don’t assume you’re safe.
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon
On the ground, it’s best to stay behind the Furnace Golem as much as possible and make sure to summon a Spirit Ash – my recommendation is the Mimic Tear – to help absorb some of the aggro during the early stages of the fight. . If you stand in front of the Golem, they will often try to pick you up with a sweeping hand, resulting in you being thrown into their basket and killed.
If you have a Hefty Pot, how do you get it into the basket? Well, you either have to be in a higher position compared to where the Furnace Golem is, or you have to bring the Golem down to your level. Some Furnace Golems (the ones that don’t have armor on their legs) can be attacked from the ground, breaking their stance and sending them crashing down once you’ve done enough damage. both legs, not just one.
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon
From here you can deliver a critical punch to his face, or throw a big fire/furnace pot into the basket. Rinse and repeat this a few times and he will die, giving you valuable rewards. If the Furnace Golem has leg armor, you should try to get above it, using the terrain around you. If you have ranged abilities, you can also target the face from the ground with arrows and spells. This will do more damage, but the quickest route to eliminating them is still through the Hefty Pots.
Furnace Golem Rewards
Defeating Furnace Golems will reward you with DLC Crystal Tears for your Miraculous Physick Bottle, so it’s worth tackling them if you have the means to do so.
Furnace Golems are also one of the main sources of Furnace Visage, which is used to create Hefty Furnace Pots, which allow you to take out even more Furnace Golems (and are especially useful for those who are armored).
Looking for more encounters after taking down your first Furnace Golem? Our DLC boss locations can help you track down other challenges.