Dragons are a regular occurrence inElden Ring, elevating the enemy archetype from previous games in the FromSoftware catalog. However, that progress clearly isn’t the end of where the developer can take dragons, asShadow of the Erdtree’s Jagged Peakintroduces Ancient Dragon Senessax to continue pushing the limits of the most fearsome of these boss types.
Among the various types of Dragons and Wyverns inElden Ring, the four-winged Ancient Dragons stand tall as some of the most difficult variants of the familiar fights. This is due to much higher defenses above the smaller versions of dragon and the addition of attacks that fill the arena with dangerous red lightning that can quickly send the player back to the previous grace. With the archetype already being deadly adversaries, Senessax in Jagged Peak continuing to elevate the boss design makes this Ancient Dragon even more menacing.
Ancient Dragon Senessax is a Credit to the New Archetype
Senessax as an Example of the Power of Ancient Dragons
Aside from the obvious visual distinction between the Flying Dragons andAncient Dragons inElden Ring, the minutia of the fights against each type of boss helps to separate the two classes. This is mostly caused by the ways that the lesser dragons tend to focus on fire attacks, including the flying rain of flames that can scorch an entire open field arena. However, while regular dragons can sometimes out-range their ancient counterparts, Ancient Dragons like Senessax have access to better utility and damage thanks to attacks that use their innate lightning.
These lightning attacks aren’t a mere elemental buff, but can also add extra pressure on claw swipes and bites that are able to roll-catch players as they attempt to react and dodge the initial strikes. This creates a situation where players are better rewarded for careful positioning rather than quick reflexes, as staying out of the claw and lightning hitboxes become more important than using i-frames to avoid damage. Then, for Senessax specifically, the arena that the boss is fought in uses a base-game mechanic to continue pushing the pressure onElden Ring’s ancient dragon lightning, while at the same time the boss adds new attacks to catch players off-guard.
Red Lightning in a Wide Puddle Empowers Senessax’s Damage
Using a mechanic pulled all the way from the earliest games in theSoulsseries, lightning damage applied to any bodies of water will spread out to reach even further than initially intended. This is also the case for the red lightning from Ancient Dragons, which Senessax summons into the massive puddle that the boss waits in. The result is a series of lightning empowered claw swipes and massive lightning strikes that spread out in every direction to chase players not only through the arena, but also to the usually safe locations to punish from under the dragon’s hind legs. It’s a perfect storm of design that uses pre-established rules fromElden Ring’s base lightning damage, and layers them to create an even tougher encounter.
On top of the arena that boosts Senessax’s range and damage, the boss also has an upgraded version of the Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike attack that bosses likeFortissax use inElden Ring’s base game. Appearing similar to the original attack, Senessax can summon two lightning spears that are then slammed down into the ground, but can also mix up the attack by dropping both hands down at the same time for a massive lightning explosion. It is a devastating attack that can one-shot players, even if they’re coming to face off against Senessax with a high Scadutree Blessing or a lightning resistant build.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
