Elden Ring: How To Beat Rennala, Queen Of The Full Moon

TL;DR

  • Rennala features two distinct phases: a puzzle-like barrier break followed by intense magical combat
  • Magic defense gear is crucial while Rock Sling proves exceptionally effective against her
  • Phase one requires targeting three golden-aura students while avoiding transformed projectile threats
  • Phase two demands dodging moon attacks while managing her rotating spirit ash summons
  • Victory unlocks character respec capability and provides 40,000 runes plus key progression items

While Rennala may not reach the difficulty ceiling of Elden Ring’s most demanding encounters like Margit the Fell Omen or Godrick the Grafted, this magical adversary demands specific preparation to overcome efficiently. Her combat style combines puzzle mechanics with devastating spellcasting, creating unique challenges that require tailored approaches.

The Queen of the Full Moon presents a distinctive challenge compared to other early-game bosses, blending cerebral puzzle elements with high-damage magical assaults. Understanding her mechanics beforehand significantly reduces the learning curve and prevents unnecessary deaths.

Following your confrontation with the Red Wolf of Radagon, you’ll approach Rennala’s arena. Fortunately, she lacks the relentless aggression and mobility of previous foes, allowing for more calculated engagement. Beyond standard rune expenditure and healing item stocking, prioritize equipping armor with superior magic resistance to mitigate her elemental damage. Magic-focused builds should maintain a reliable melee option for the initial phase while ensuring Rock Sling is prepared in your memorization slots for rapid phase two elimination.

Advanced Preparation Tips: Consider incorporating magic-resistant talismans like the Spelldrake Talisman for additional protection. Melee specialists should upgrade weapons to at least +6 for adequate damage output. Stamina management becomes critical during extended engagements, so avoid over-encumbrance that compromises your dodging capability.

If you typically deploy Spirit Ashes immediately upon entering combat, exercise restraint during this initial stage. Rennala’s first phase occurs in a chamber filled with her disciples, most of whom serve as environmental elements rather than direct threats. Your primary objective involves locating and eliminating the specific apprentices generating her protective golden shield.

To identify these crucial targets, scan the room for three scholars emitting distinctive golden illumination. Execute this reconnaissance swiftly since prolonged searching triggers Rennala’s defensive mechanism where she transforms multiple students into high-velocity projectiles. While these objects can be evaded with proper timing, they create unnecessary complications that skilled players can avoid through rapid target acquisition. If visual identification proves challenging, track the trajectory of incoming book projectiles as they originate from the shield-generating students.

After disrupting the students’ focus through basic physical strikes, Rennala collapses to the floor, temporarily disabling her barrier. You’ll receive ample opportunity to inflict significant damage during this vulnerable state. However, exercise caution against over-committing to attacks—when luminous energy begins radiating from her form, retreat immediately to evade her area-denial explosion. Once she resumes her floating position, simply repeat this identification-and-strike cycle until her health meter empties.

Common Phase One Mistakes: New players often waste time attacking non-essential disciples or become distracted by environmental details. The optimal strategy involves ignoring everything except the golden-aura students and maintaining constant movement to avoid transformed projectiles.

Don’t allow the spectacular transition cinematic to lower your guard—the subsequent confrontation introduces substantially more complex mechanics. If utilizing Spirit Ashes (Lone Wolf Ashes provide excellent distraction value), deploy them immediately while evading Rennala’s initial energy discharge. Following her beam attack, she conjures a spell creating a miniature lunar orb that she conceals within before directing it toward your position. Monitor the expanding disturbance pattern in the aquatic surface as the moon approaches to gauge its detonation perimeter accurately.

Beyond these signature assaults, Rennala employs two supplementary incantations: one generating four tracking energy spheres and a reduced-scale iteration of her energy beam. Evade these while advancing for strikes as melee combatants, or employ Rock Sling projectiles for magical practitioners seeking rapid resolution. While this engagement follows predictable patterns, remain vigilant for Rennala’s own Spirit Ash summons which dramatically alter the battle dynamics.

Indeed, you don’t maintain exclusive rights to summoning assistance during this encounter. Throughout the confrontation, Rennala sequentially calls forth wolf packs, trolls, draconic entities, and bloodhound knights. This is where your pre-deployed Spirit Ashes deliver crucial value by occupying her summoned creatures. While Rennala’s attention predominantly remains fixed on you, your spectral allies effectively neutralize her summons’ threat potential. Fundamentally, Rennala embodies the glass cannon archetype, featuring limited vitality but substantial damage potential. Expediting the encounter’s conclusion remains paramount, so concentrate on evasion and capitalizing on damage opportunities when available.

Summon Management Strategy: Position your Spirit Ashes strategically to intercept her summons while you maintain pressure on Rennala directly. Her low health pool means consistent aggression yields faster results than cautious approaches.

Defeating the Queen of the Full Moon grants a substantial 40,000 rune reward alongside two critical progression items: the Great Rune of the Unborn and Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen. More significantly, following your triumph over Rennala, you gain dialogue access to her. Once she transitions to friendly status, you can consult her to redistribute attribute points and fundamentally alter your character construction—an invaluable feature for players reconsidering their build approach after initial dungeon experiences.

Reward Utilization Guide: The Great Rune of the Unborn enables larval tear respec functionality at Rennala, while the Remembrance can be exchanged for powerful spells or weapons at the Roundtable Hold. This respec capability allows complete build reconfiguration, making it possible to transition between strength, dexterity, intelligence, faith, and arcane builds without restarting your playthrough.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the game’s inaugural and sole expansion, is currently available, featuring numerous guidance resources for what many consider the title’s most demanding content segment. Consult our comprehensive Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree guides hub to locate comprehensive world cartography, premium Shadow of the Erdtree armaments, comprehensive boss defeat methodologies, and additional valuable content.

Action Checklist

  • Equip magic-resistant armor and talismans before entering the arena
  • Identify and eliminate three golden-aura students rapidly in phase one
  • Deploy Spirit Ashes immediately at phase two start while dodging energy beam
  • Use Rock Sling for magic builds or aggressive melee for physical builds
  • Manage Rennala’s spirit summons with your own while maintaining pressure
  • Return to Rennala post-victory to access character respec functionality

No reproduction without permission:SeeYouSoon Game Club » Elden Ring: How To Beat Rennala, Queen Of The Full Moon Master Rennala's two-phase battle with expert strategies for melee and magic builds to unlock character respec