Summary
SomeElden Ringplayers have recently realized thatShadow of the Erdtreebosses get surprisingly easier if they are fat-rolling. They subsequently shared their findings on social media in an effort to help others overcome some of the most difficultShadow of the Erdtreechallenges.
Much like theDark Soulsseries,Elden Ringhas an Equip Load statthat governs how much gear the player character can use simultaneously. Being below the 30% Equip Load threshold will allow the protagonist to perform light rolls, while staying in the 30-70% range will result in medium rolls, which cover a shorter distance. Anything from that point until 99.9% Equip Load will have the character fat-roll when attempting to dodge. Fat rolls have 12 invincibility frames, one fewer than their two faster counterparts, and require 16 recovery frames at 30fps, with their animations thus being twice as slow. They also incur a 20% stamina regeneration rate penalty.
Fat-Rolling Is Surprisingly Effective Against Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Bosses
While that substantial list of drawbacks is the reason whyElden Ringplayers are generally advised to avoid fat-rollingat all costs, it turns out that this rule may not be as unbreakable as once thought. As recently noted by Reddit user Marchtmdsmiling, fat-rolling is a surprisingly effective strategy against many of the bosses introduced inShadow of the Erdtree, not least because the timings for evading a wide variety of their attacks happen to perfectly match the recovery frames of rolls with a heavy Equip Load. As a result, players can often just spam the roll button until they spot an opening to attack.
“It is amazing how long you can keep fat rolling without getting hit,” the player said, urging their peers to give this unconventional strategy a go. Their findings were validated by multiple other fans, who also attested to having a lot of success with fat rolls. One such experience was shared by Reddit user sasasasuke, who claimed that their best attempt at beating thefinalShadow of the Erdtreebosswas the one when they accidentally went through the fight with a heavy Equipment Load.
This perceived effectiveness of fat-rolling through the DLC may not stem from a conscious design decision on FromSoftware’s part. That’s largely because the approach essentially encourages spamming the roll button, which is something that both the base game and the expansion’s bosses are specifically designed to punish. Regardless, anyonestruggling with overcomingElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreefightsmay want to give this convention-breaking strategy a go.
