The Ancestor Spirit is the hidden Elden Boss boss of the Siofra River, the subterranean region beneath Mistwood. To confront this boss, Tarnished will first need to light eight Pillars of Flame placed throughout the underground ruins. While activating each brazier, the player must be wary of the ghostly minotaur-like beings guarded almost every pillar. These beasts of Elden Ring's Siofra River region have exceptional aim and can quickly two, or even one-shot low-HP builds.
Once all eight braziers have been lit, Tarnished can enter the Ancestor Spirit's lair in Elden Ring by interacting with the carcass at the end of the Hallowhorn Grounds. The Ancestor is considered by many to be one of the easier bosses. However, the Ancestor Spirit boss fight can still be a challenge for some, especially those who aren't well-versed in the "Soulslike" mechanics of Elden Ring. Nevertheless, adventurers who come out of the battle victorious will be well-rewarded for their efforts with 13,000 Runes and the Ancestral Follower Ashes.
To defeat Ancestor Spirit in Elden Ring, Tarnished must first understand its general abilities and moveset. One of the first attacks the ghostly reindeer will execute is a leaping dive attack, where the Elden Ring boss will triple jump into the air above the player and crash its antlers down below. Before its slamming strike, players will have a split second to dodge out of the way. Afterward, players shouldn't stand too close to the deer since it might stomp its hoofs down directly in front of its body.
Elden Ring: Ancestor Spirit Boss Fight Guide
Another aerial attack the Ancestor Spirit will perform is a ghostly flame-spewing trot, during which it will gallop to the side of the player and spit sticky blue fire onto the ground below. Players can avoid this attack by following the direction of the beast movement or dodging backward. The Ancestor Spirit will also execute several swiping and charging attacks where it will ram its antlers from side to side several times or charge at the player followed by a slam. Those with low-Stamina builds in Elden Ring might have the most trouble with this attack since they might know when to dodge but are not able to due to Stamina depletion.
Those having trouble with the Ancestor Spirit boss fight in Elden Ring should try sticking to the deer's hind legs where it is unable to attack with its flames or antlers. However, they'll need to be careful not to wander too far behind its rear as it will perform an uppercutting back-kick if the player is within range. Finally, Tarnished must understand that the Ancestor Spirit's moves are reasonably methodical and carried out with a slight delay between abilities. Accordingly, the pausing moment between these scripted attacks is the best time to land an attack on the Elden Ring boss.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.