Elden Ring: How to Beat The Tree Sentinel

Image: FromSoftware via Koby Gibson Ross / HGG

Human Made

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Many players are quickly realizing just how difficult Elden Ring can be. The game features a huge number of different bosses to encounter, each with its own unique set of moves and strengths.

One of the earliest bosses you can face in the game is the dreaded Tree Sentinel, which exists to remind the players how small and insignificant they are in the Lands Between. If you are brave enough or foolish enough to face him, chances are you’ve run into some difficulties.

Not to worry — we’re here to help you bring him to his knees and earn his unique weapon, the Golden Halberd. If you missed him your first time passing through, we’ll be sure to remind you where he’s located, as well.

Let’s hop right into this article on how to beat the Tree Sentinel in Elden Ring!

Where Can I Find Him?

Elden Ring Map Screenshot — Image: FromSoftware via Koby Gibson Ross / HGG

The Tree Sentinel is one of the earliest bosses in the entire game and can be found practically right outside the tutorial area. He can be spotted patrolling the area shown on the map above, specifically on the skull icon shown the center of the map above.

This armored knight isn’t hidden in any dungeon or underground tomb, and is instead located right out in the open. He isn’t a difficult boss to miss. He is riding a horse with golden-colored armor, and he’s carrying a massive halberd in his hands. To trigger the fight, all you need to do is walk up to him and his health meter will appear.

How Do I Beat Him Easily?

How to Beat The Tree Sentinel — Image: FromSoftware via Koby Gibson Ross / HGG

Lightning damage works best against the Tree Sentinel. He’s resistant to other types of damage, so be sure to switch to a weapon that uses lightning if you have one.

During the first phase, the Tree Sentinel will often strike at you using charge attacks. When he’s farther away, he will often come running towards you to swing his weapon down at you. He’ll also often back away so he can start charging at you with the same attack. You can roll towards him or jump over each swing. I prefer to jump, as I can press the attack button to get an easy hit off.

If you’re standing right next to him, he’ll use his horse to quickly swipe at you — try to keep your distance when you aren’t actively attacking him. He also has a jump attack in which he’ll slam his shield down to deal damage in an AOE, but this doesn’t appear until the second half of the battle.

While standing on the groundworks for the first phase, in the second half you’ll want to get on your horse. By pressing Alt on PC (or B/Square on a controller) your steed will sprint forwards. You can use this to charge at him and strike once as you pass. His attacks are slow enough that you can run by without getting hit. Just fight him like you two are in a jousting tournament, and eventually, you’ll wear his health down to zero!

Join the High Ground

So concludes our article covering how to beat the Tree Sentinel in Elden Ring! Did you finally beat the Tree Sentinel? Be sure to let us know what you need help with down below, and don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter! We offer regular content on all the latest and greatest games, including more open-world action RPGs just like Elden Ring.

Happy gaming!