Elden Ringhas a bit of an obsession with fingers. Whether it’s the fingers within theRoundtable Hold, the grotesque hand enemies or the Finger Ruins of Rhia and Dheo, during your time inElden Ringyou’ll see plenty of them. I also have an obsession with Cadbury’s chocolate fingers, but that’s a story for another day. The point is fingers are a hot topic inElden Ring, and this continues into the DLC, where you’ll meet the mother of fingers herself.
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There are many religious beliefs in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, but the Fingers is one of the more obscure ones.
Metyr, Mother of Fingers is a boss that will see players go on a bit of a pilgrimage if they want to fight them, but this is worth the time and effort, as this boss battle is an epic one with some great rewards if you come out the other side the victor, and to ensure you do just that, we intend to give you helpful hints and tips to palm off this giant hand monster.
Where is Metyr, Mother of Fingers in Shadow of the Erdtree?
Believe it or not, when you visit the Cathedral of Manus Metyr and talk to Count Ymir for the first time, you’ll actually be standing right above where you’ll encounter Metyr. However, to access the secret passage down to the lower level of this cathedral, you’ll need to complete Ymir’s Quest.
If you want a detailed explanation of how to do this, you should check out our dedicated guide on the topic, but to boil it down, you’ll need to ring the bells in both of the Finger Ruins in the Shadow Realm and then return to Ymir, who will then leave his throne, allowing you to interact with it and reveal the secret path.
How to Prepare For Metyr, Mother of Fingers
Metyr, Mother of Fingers, is a boss that relies rather heavily on magic damage to send you back to the nearest Site of Grace. They have some physical attacks, but these are nothing compared to their arcane attacks. So we urge you to equip theSpelldrake Talisman +2when taking Metyr on. Plus, you’re able to equip theDragoncrest Shield Talisman +2for some physical protection as well.
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Then, as for your build, the main things to avoid are Sleep and Madness, as the boss in question is completely immune, and the things to lean into are Frost and Bleed. Bleed is the more efficient of the two in this fight, so it may be good to go for an infused bleed weapon, or something that has Hemorrhage damage already, like theRakshasa’s Great Katana, theBloodhound Claws,Reduvia, orUchigatana. But failing that, you can also useBlood Greasein a pinch.
Then, as for your Spirit Ash, just go with whatever you usually use. TheMimic Tear Ashesis very useful here, as they often are. But you can also useFanged Imp AshesorOmenkiller Rollo Ashesif you really want to lean into the bleed strategy.
How to Beat Metyr, Mother of Fingers
At the beginning of this fight you will have plenty of time to summon your Spirit Ash and prepare your Wondrous Physik, so take your time, compose yourself and enter the fray when you are good and ready.
When you do, Metyr will likely begin with a melee attack, which usually presents itself as a smash attack with their leading finger/head. This is easily dodged with a dodge roll to either side of the impact. Then, they may follow this up with a few jumping slam attacks, and if this is the case, it’s best to roll back and away from the beast.
They may also employ other melee attacks, such as a belly slam, where they will stand on their hind legs/fingers and then slam down. Or, if you hang around their sides for too long, they will extend their fingers and flick you away. Neither attack is all that hard to avoid, but it’s a warning not to rely on hugging their sides as they can still get you there.
Metyr also has a few ranged attacks to call upon in their first phase, such as a laser attack that will shoot at your position from their head. This happens in the blink of an eye, so watch for the flash of light building up and dodge when they shoot at you.
After you get them down to about 50% health, they will then move into their much more dangerous second phase. This will begin by Metyr rising into the air and conjuring a gravity ball which will cause a wide AOE around the fingered beast. When this begins, it’s best to run to the outer region of the boss arena to avoid the blast.
They will now have access to some new and powerful magic attacks. Such as an attack that conjures AOE pillars on the ground that leave orbs in their wake, and after a short period these orbs will explode, causing quite a lot of damage, not to mention leaving you open for further attacks. So it’s best to get out of this minefield they create as soon as possible before they detonate.
This attack is usually followed by an AOE attack where they will bury their head in the ground and cast a wave of lasers that will cover a semi-circle of the boss arena directly in front of them. So if they bury their head, immediately run left or right to avoid the blast.
Their worst attack of all, however, is the one they will perform as a last stand with about 10% health remaining. They will rise into the air and create a gravity ball with a rotating beam that spins around the arena. This move requires precise dodging, and as the beam rotates to your position, you should dodge in the opposite direction to avoid damage. Or alternatively, move in tandem with the beam, running around the room anti-clockwise.
This is the bag of tricks that Metyr will pull from, and your best bet to take them down without too much issue is to focus on dealing damage and heavy attacks when they are not using their stronger magic attacks. When these are happening, it’s best to play defensive and focus on self-preservation. Then, when they land back on the ground, get up close and get some good shots in.
You should also be able to break stance rather easily during the opening phase, which means that you only really have to be concerned about the magical assortment of attacks that come into play later on. Also, when possible, you should try to focus your attacks on the red fingers on Metyr’s stomach, as this deals additional damage and will make this fight go a lot faster.
Rewards For Defeating Metyr, Mother of Fingers
If you manage to take down Metyr, Mother of Fingers, you’ll earn the following rewards for your efforts:
Rarely will you ever get more Runes for beating a single boss, so this is a nice boon for players looking to level up. However, the star of the show here where rewards are concerned are the remembrance items.
You’ll have the choice of either theStaff of the Great Beyond, or theGazing Finger, and your choice will mainly come down to whether you are a melee or an arcane user. But the good news is that both items are great options.
The Staff of the Great Beyond is a good option for those who want to cast both sorceries and Incantations freely, and the Gazing Finger is a colossal weapon that deals great physical and magical damage. Of the two, our pick would be the Gazing Finger, because while the novelty of casting Incantations and Sorceries freely is nice, the Gazing Finger is a much more viable weapon that deals a lot of damage.
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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
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.
