How to beat the Furnace Golems in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

Shadow of the Erdtree’s Furnace Golems are among the hardest enemies to be added to Elden Ring, so here’s how to take them down easily.

The Furnace Golems were a stand-out enemy in the original Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree trailer. A Fire Giant boss variant that channels the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man, these monsters are the stuff of nightmares and are the living embodiment of “Messmer’s Flame“.

Once you set foot in the Shadow Lands, one of the first sights you’ll see is a lumbering Furnace Golem in the distance and the brave souls may be tempted to rush straight for it, but that’s not always a good idea. Here’s everything you need to know about the Furnace Golems in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, including how to defeat them.

How to defeat the Furnace Golems in Elden Ring

Standard attacks such as slashing or blasting their legs with magic does very little damage to the Furnace Golems, however, it does chip away at their poise. So, if you land enough powerful hits to their legs you can stagger them. This causes them to fall over and allows you the opportunity to make a critical attack on their faceplate, which is where they’re weak.

Employing this strategy is risky, as being underneath the Furnace Golem’s legs is dangerous, but it does get you away from their powerful ranged attacks. Be careful though, as they tend to flood the ground with fire in an attempt to flush you out.

Be warned, some Furnace Golems have spiked armor on their legs, meaning this strategy won’t work. Should this be the case, then use a great bow or spells like Night Comet to assault their weak spot from a distance. This will deal consistent damage, but it can be tricky to land hits while you’re riding around on Torrent and avoiding their fiery attacks.

The best way to kill Furnace Golems isn’t always an option, but if you can reach an elevated position so you’re at eye-level with them, you can throw a Hefty Fire/Furnace Pot directly into their basket which will explode doing massive damage. Again, it can be tough to land these hits, but if you do, it’ll deplete a significant amount of their health.

While Furnace Golems are tough to kill, taking them down rewards you with brand new Crystal Tears to add to your Wonderous Physik, and ironically, more Hefty Fire Pots.

What are the Furnace Golems?

The Furnace Golems aren’t a standard boss enemy in Shadow of the Erdtree, they’re actually a recurring field boss that patrols certain areas. Some are dormant until you get close, while others are alert and will see you coming from a mile away, meaning you’ll have to ride furiously to avoid their powerful long-range attacks.

They’re comparable to the Walking Mausoleums in the Lands Between, in that they’re optional enemies that can be incredibly hard to kill. They don’t have health meters like most bosses in Elden Ring and they can be avoided entirely throughout your playthrough. However, there is one segment where you’ll need to actively avoid or destroy one that blocks your path.

Should I attack the first Furnace Golem?

Those who rush to attack the first Furnace Golem in the opening minutes of Shadow of the Erdtree may be in for a shock. While not unkillable, at this stage of the adventure you’re going to really struggle to bring down a Furnace Golem and are probably best avoiding them until you’ve gathered some Shadow Blessings.

Every hit you land on this field boss will barely make a dent, and the hulking creature will be able to kill you and your Spirit Summons without much effort. Think of it a bit like when you first saw the Tree Sentinel at the start of Elden Ring — rushing to fight it isn’t always the best strategy.

Later in the game, you’ll be much more equipped to take down these menacing monsters, but until then, work on gathering your Shadow Blessings.

Jumping into Shadow of the Erdtree? Check out what we thought of the expansion after spending many hours exploring the Shadow Lands.