How to Beat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void in Elden Ring
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Elden Ring
How to Beat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void in Elden Ring
Tips for the Astel Fight
Astel looks terrifying but is actually one of the more forgiving large boss fights once you discover the under-the-body safe zone. Most players struggle on their first attempt because they try to fight him at range — which exposes them to every beam and AoE attack in his kit. The moment you commit to staying directly beneath him the fight transforms from overwhelming to manageable. His reward — advancing Ranni’s questline toward the Dark Moon Greatsword and the Age of Stars ending — makes him a mandatory and memorable fight for anyone doing a complete playthrough.
FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Beat Astel
Stay under Astel’s body at all times — the vast majority of his attacks miss completely when you are directly beneath his torso. Punish his head with charged R2 attacks whenever he lowers it. His teleport grab is the only attack that consistently hits from underneath — dodge away the moment he disappears.
1
Understand his attack patterns. Astel is a massive insectoid creature with a huge arena. His most dangerous attacks are his teleport grab (he disappears and reappears to grab you — one-shot at low health), gravitational AoE (black hole that pulls you in and explodes), and tail slam. Most of his sweeping attacks miss entirely if you stay under his abdomen.
2
Position under his body at all times. Run directly under Astel and stay there. From this position his claw swipes, beam attacks, and most tail attacks cannot reach you. Focus all your attention on watching for the teleport animation — the only real threat from underneath. Attack his legs and underbelly freely when he is not moving.
3
Attack his head for maximum damage. Astel’s head is his weakest point and takes significantly more damage than his body. When he lowers his head to the ground — usually before a bite attack or after certain animations — land 2–3 charged R2 hits directly on it. This is also where you can trigger stance breaks for critical hit opportunities.
4
Handle the teleport grab immediately. When Astel teleports, stop attacking and start sprinting in a random direction immediately. He reappears above you and slams down with both claws — the grab has a small hitbox but deals massive damage. Sprint away rather than rolling — the grab’s tracking is tight enough that rolls often fail to dodge it. Create distance and wait for him to land before repositioning underneath.
5
Dodge the gravitational explosion sideways. Astel raises his head and creates a black vortex — sprint sideways away from the pull while the vortex charges, then roll away from the explosion when it detonates. Using Torrent is allowed in this fight and makes the teleport and gravitational attacks much easier to escape.
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Torrent is allowed: you can summon Torrent in the Astel arena. Riding Torrent dramatically speeds up repositioning after his teleport and makes the gravitational AoE easy to outrun. Highly recommended for players finding the teleport hard to react to on foot.
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Astel is weak to Scarlet Rot: apply Scarlet Rot via Rot Pots or the Rotten Breath incantation. A single Rot application deals 10% of Astel’s total health over time — two applications can shave off 20% of his health passively while you focus on avoiding his attacks. The Arcane build excels here.
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Spirit summons are very effective: Astel spreads his attacks across a large area — any spirit summon draws his attention and gives you frequent free damage windows. The Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche work particularly well here due to the large arena giving them room to operate safely.
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Recommended level 70–80: Astel is encountered partway through Ranni’s questline in the Lake of Rot area. Arriving at Soul Level 70+ with a +16 or higher weapon makes the fight very manageable. His health pool is moderate — aggressive play ends the fight quickly.
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There are two Astels: the first Astel is in the Lake of Rot / Grand Cloister area (part of Ranni’s questline). A second, harder variant called Astel, Stars of Darkness appears in the Yelough Anix Tunnel in the Consecrated Snowfield. The strategies are identical but the second has higher health and damage.
Where is Astel in Elden Ring?
The first Astel — Naturalborn of the Void — is found at the end of the Grand Cloister, which is accessed through the Lake of Rot. The Lake of Rot is part of Ranni’s questline, reached via the underground rivers below Nokstella, Eternal City. A second Astel variant appears in the Yelough Anix Tunnel in the Consecrated Snowfield.
Is Astel required to beat Elden Ring?
Astel, Naturalborn of the Void is required only if you are pursuing Ranni’s questline and the Age of Stars ending. He is not required for the standard game endings. The second Astel in the Consecrated Snowfield is entirely optional.
What is Astel weak to in Elden Ring?
Astel is notably weak to Scarlet Rot — applying it twice deals around 20% of his total health as passive damage. He also takes increased damage from attacks to his head. He has no significant weaknesses to specific damage types like lightning or fire, so physical builds perform well.
How do I avoid Astel’s teleport grab?
When Astel vanishes, sprint immediately in any direction away from your current position rather than rolling. He reappears above where you were standing and slams down — creating distance by sprinting is more reliable than dodging since his grab has tight tracking on roll frames. Once he lands, run back underneath him.