So you have reached the top of the tower in Belurath. Give yourself a pat on the back, this is not an easy task in itself. Those fools with the giant maces don’t mess around. Unfortunately, there’s one last challenge to take on before you leave the place, and if you’re having trouble getting through the Divine Beast’s deadly dance, we’ve got you covered.
The abilities of the dancing lion of the divine beast
If there’s a running pattern with all the bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, it’s that they have absolutely no cooldown. For most of them, this is metaphorical as they start trying to catch you off guard with a move that can kill you in one shot if you’re not careful. In the case of Dancing Lion it’s ironic since the first thing he does when he sees you is let out a chilling breath that can drain the life right out of you and if you’re just standing there when you first enter his room , that’s the end of you in about two or three strikes. He will usually try this move if you get too far away from him later.
If you survive that initial blast, the lion will come in to jump, spin, spin, and bite, and fast. And because the design on this thing is so wild, it can be hard to tell what’s an incoming combo and what’s just the lion taking a step back. The easiest attack to actually anticipate is when he stands up on his hind legs before performing a spinning combo that ends with a headbutt in the air. However, this can be confused with his bite attack, where he rears back and slaps his lips a few times before making you his chew toy, thus destroying most of your health. This is just the first phase.
For the second phase, he will use his remaining elemental attacks. He will first switch to lightning and try a bunch of area of effect attacks that make very very beautiful and very dangerous patterns on the ground. He’ll also throw a spear at you, which he then turns into a massive lightning rod. His ice attacks function the same way, except instead of the very pretty models, they’re mostly pools of ice that eventually explode and give you Frostbite. Finally, there are his wind attacks, which simply involve either spitting a tornado at you or becoming one himself. If you’ve ever wondered what Geostorm would look like on all fours, well, here it is.
Strategy: Defeat the Dancing Lion of the Divine Beast
Fortunately, while this fight can turn into a chaotic and messy disaster with all the elemental attacks, it’s also a fight where you’ll have some extra help. Not only can you summon Spirit Ashes, but right outside the door is a summon sign for Redmane Freyja. There’s still the matter of actually summoning said Spirit Ash, which can be dangerous though, as the chilling breath comes the second you walk through the door. This is doable; just be ready to immediately scroll left or right after the summoning animation ends. If you’re carrying the Mimic Tear, maybe dash out of your flask when you’re ready to replenish your HP.
Once the lion jumps at you, the fight basically turns into one of those cartoon dust clouds full of fists and profanity, but with Freyja and your Spirit Ashes in play, you get the privilege of creating some distance while they go to work. Magic users will have an easier time as they can stay midrange and cast spells on him all day long; just be careful when the Lion is headed your way and don’t be in mid-animation when he flies towards you looking for a snack.
For melee users, pick the moment to jump into the fray, especially after the Lion tries a spin combo, but spin for a breath after two or three hits, especially if you’re near a wall. The lock-on camera tends to go a little haywire during this fight. If you tank him, your Greatshield should be able to eat a hit or two from the combo and leave some for a few hits. As for weapons, run with speed greater than strength here. The lion is too fast to deal with anything with a slow roll, but if you jump in at the right moment when Freyja and your Spirit Ash engage the thing, you can break it into a stance with some regularity.
However, you’ll need to be a little more strategic about when to enter phase two. As for the lightning, you’ll be able to see the patterns on the floor for where it will strike and weave between them to get close to the Lion, but if you get too zealous trying to land strikes, chances are good that you get thunder when you least expect it. Again, distance is good, but here the Lion will also throw spears at you, which you want to be far, far away from before they explode. The same goes for ice. The explosions don’t do as much damage as lightning, but if you’re wandering around in a pile of ice when they explode, the frost effect can compound, leaving your defense stat at the bottom, which usually means you’ll be last the next time the Lion hits . Either wait a minute or get a Freezing Bolus to pop when you’re out of harm’s way for a second. The lion’s tornado attacks can do decent damage, but luckily, they’re also the easiest attacks to dodge.
Leo will switch between the three at regular intervals, but when his health starts to decrease, he will basically switch between them whenever he wants, which can become unpredictable, but the same principles apply. Pick your moments to jump in, pounce on him when your summoned friends do, and don’t get so caught up in the fight that you miss the next big attacks.
When the lion finally sleeps that night, you’ll get a ton of runes and a keepsake item that you can exchange for either a talisman that improves storm abilities or an ice elemental attack. That’s all well and good, but the S-tier reward is the Divine Beast Head, which is a near-universal piece of gear that boosts balance, attack and defense for melee users, as well as magic attack and defense. The only real downside is that it provides zero focus (which means you’re vulnerable to any insanity-inducing attacks), and the head is so obnoxiously huge that it’s sometimes hard to see around.
Oh, also, if you’re a spell user, hopefully you’ve been able to get into the Storehouse downstairs near the Small Altar of Grace. Hurry back there, carry the Beast Head and talk to the little old lady inside for some lore and the Vigilant Spirit spell.
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