Elden Ring: How to beat Tree Sentinel

Looking to finally beat that Tree Sentinel wandering Limgrave in Elden Ring? Once you set foot outside of the opening tutorial dungeon and into the wide world of Limgrave, the Tree Sentinel is likely to be the first boss you clap eyes on. Despite encountering him so early on, he's a formidable foe, and his powerful steed makes him very difficult to pin down.

Below we'll walk you through some tips and tricks to help you maximise your chances of victory against the Tree Sentinel in Elden Ring. You can take a look at some footage of the boss being killed, and have a read through our preferred tactics for turning the tables on this nimble enemy.

Elden Ring Tree Sentinel boss fight walkthrough

Elden Ring likes to plonk down bosses in front of you early on which you're tempted to try your hand at defeating, before realising that you might not be ready for that just yet. The Ulcerated Tree Spirit is the most obvious such boss down in Fringefolk Hero's Grave, but coming in second is the Tree Sentinel - a prominent and powerful soldier on horseback seen riding up and down the path as you enter into Limgrave for the first time.

The Tree Sentinel is a powerful enemy with a very dangerous weapon, capable of slicing huge chunks off your health bar with every swing. You'll need to muster your allies to help you in this fight. In the below video you can take a look at how I ended up defeating the Tree Sentinel. Keep scrolling for some in-depth tips and tricks to help make this fight far easier.

Note: apologies for the lag prominent during this fight. I captured the footage on a less stable build of the game.

Tree Sentinel boss fight video walkthrough:

How to beat Tree Sentinel: top tips for success

Here are our top tips for succeeding in your fight against the Tree Sentinel of Limgrave:

1. Summon the right Spirit Ashes to assist you
2. Fight on horseback for an easier time
3. Use Rowa Raisins to replenish Torrent's health
4. Watch out for the Sentinel's side-on shield bash

1. Summon the right Spirit Ashes to assist you

You'll find the fight against the Tree Sentinel to be a much easier one if you can give your adversary some other things to target instead of just you. Spirit Ashes come in all shapes and sizes, but at this stage you're unlikely to be able to summon anything that can tank more than a single hit from this mighty warrior.

That's why I'd recommend getting your hands on the Skeletal Militiamen Ashes. These lowly skeleton warriors will likely not survive long enough to deal any decent damage to the Tree Sentinel, but that's not the point. The point is to distract it. And these Militiamen will come back to life after dying unless the Tree Sentinel attacks their corpse, which it likely won't do. Endless distractions, all for the low low price of 44 FP.

To get the Skeletal Militiamen Ashes in preparation for this boss fight, head across Limgrave's northern bridge and into the watery Summonwater Village beyond (pictured above). There you'll face another, less intimidating, boss: the Tibia Mariner. Defeat it, and you'll earn the Skeletal Militiamen Ashes forevermore.

2. Fight on horseback for an easier time

Torrent is your best friend for this fight. Some say that fighting on horseback is challenging in Elden Ring, but after a little bit of practice it really gives you an advantage in situations such as this. Rather than constantly having to dodge out of the way of the Tree Sentinel's merciless jab attacks, try instead using hit-and-run tactics against the boss with Torrent. Wind up heavy attacks with your longest-reach weapon, and let loose while it is distracted.

3. Use Rowa Raisins to replenish Torrent's health

Torrent has its own health bar which is separate from yours, and an unfortunate reality of fighting on horseback - particularly against mighty warriors like the Tree Sentinel - is that Torrent is likely to tank one or two hits for you. This is fine, until suddenly Torrent tanks one hit too many and disappears - leaving you on the floor, stunned, and very much in danger.

To keep this from happening, you can feed Torrent some Rowa Raisins in order to replenish its health when it has sustained damage. You can craft Rowa Raisins from 1 Rowa Fruit, which is probably the most common crafting ingredient in all of Elden Ring.

4. Watch out for the Sentinel's side-on shield bash

The Tree Sentinel's attacks are all fairly straightforward - just lots of cantering, jabbing, and swinging of his massive Goldern Halberd (which, incidentally, is a powerful weapon you gain as a reward for winning this fight). But one attack in particular may trip you up: the Tree Sentinel's sideways shield bash attack.

This attack is tricky because you may not see it coming, because the horse and rider are looking away from you at the time. The key is to watch for when the Tree Sentinel raises his massive shield into the air; that means a shield bash is coming, and you should steer clear.

With the above tips in mind, you should find yourself having an easier time defeating the ever-present Tree Sentinel of Limgrave. It's certainly a tough enemy - but far from the toughest boss in this area of the map. That accolode belongs to the Ulcerated Tree Spirit just nearby. If you want to prepare for this and other painful upcoming fights, check out our guide to the best armour in Elden Ring, or consult our primer to better understand the different Elden Ring equip loads and roll types.