ELDEN RING: How to Beat The Duke’s Dear Freja
This guide will walk you through how to find Freja, her move set, and the best strategies and builds for surviving this terrifying encounter.
1. Finding The Duke’s Dear Freja
Freja resides deep within the Silken Hollow, a web-choked cavern located beneath the Shaded Plateau in northern Altus. You’ll gain access after defeating the Silken Sentinel, a mid-tier boss guarding the hollow’s entrance. Once inside, follow the network of web bridges and dangling corpses to reach the Chamber of the Duke’s Remnant, where you’ll trigger Freja’s arena cutscene.
Make sure to activate the Site of Grace just before the descent into her lair—this boss fight can take multiple attempts, and you’ll want an easy respawn point nearby.
2. Arena Overview
Freja’s arena is a wide, circular cavern covered in sticky web patches that slow player movement. Several glowing egg sacs dot the edges of the room—these can spawn Spider Hatchlings during the fight if destroyed or triggered by Freja’s AoE attacks.
Positioning is key here. Staying in the center of the arena reduces the chance of getting trapped between Freja’s legs or cornered by spider adds. Movement control and awareness of the terrain make a huge difference in surviving the later phases.
3. The Duke’s Dear Freja – Move Set Breakdown
Freja’s attacks are a mix of physical slams, poison webs, and soul-based magic. Her two primary weaknesses are Fire and Strike damage, which can be exploited with the right weapons or sorceries.
Phase 1: The Matriarch Awakens (100%–60% HP)
Bite Combo: Freja performs a two-hit snap using both her front mandibles. Rolling toward her body between bites is the safest dodge.
Web Shot: She spits sticky webs that form slowing zones on impact. Standing in these zones drastically reduces movement speed, making you vulnerable to her follow-ups.
Leg Stomp: A shockwave-producing stomp that hits a wide area. Time your roll at the moment her leg lifts.
Egg Spawn: At around 75% HP, Freja emits a screech that hatches nearby eggs, summoning up to four small spiders. These adds are fragile but aggressive—eliminate them quickly with sweeping attacks or AoE spells.
Tip: Staying near her front-left leg gives you a partial blind spot. Attack after each leg stomp, but be ready to reposition if she shifts her body.
Phase 2: The Eyes of the Duke (60%–25% HP)
When Freja roars and her eye clusters begin to glow, she starts using magic-based attacks inspired by her master’s sorceries.
Soul Beam: A high-damage beam that tracks horizontally for two seconds. Rolling diagonally toward her head is safer than away, as the beam sweeps in an arc.
Eye Barrage: Freja’s back eyes release a rain of smaller projectiles. Use your shield or dodge in short bursts—these track slowly but deal chip damage.
Poison Pulse: A green mist emanates from her abdomen, applying poison buildup. Back away or use a Neutralizing Bolus to cleanse the effect.
Heavy Slam: She rears up and slams her body, creating a ring-shaped AoE. Sprint out or time a late roll to avoid the shockwave.
In this phase, focus on attacking the head or glowing eyes whenever she finishes a move. Hitting her body deals less damage, but striking weak points during her stagger animation can trigger a critical hit opportunity.
Phase 3: Wrath of the Duke (25%–0% HP)
At low health, Freja becomes much more aggressive and mobile. She combines physical and magical attacks and summons a constant wave of hatchlings.
Dual Soul Beam: She fires two crossing beams that cover most of the arena. Roll between them or stay close to her legs to avoid the intersecting paths.
Ceiling Web Drop: Freja climbs to the roof briefly and drops several sticky webs that explode on impact. Sprint to the arena’s edge to avoid being caught.
Frenzied Charge: A fast forward rush that crushes players on contact. It’s telegraphed by her rearing up—roll sideways at the last moment.
During this phase, Freja’s head takes double damage when struck between attacks, making headshots with Fire spells or strike weapons incredibly effective.
4. Recommended Builds and Equipment
For Melee Builds:
Weapon Type: Hammers, Great Clubs, or Colossal Weapons with Fire infusions. Strike damage works best on her armored limbs.
Ash of War: Flame of the Redmanes or Flaming Strike can stagger Freja quickly.
Talisman Choices: Fire Scorpion Charm (increased Fire damage), Bull-Goat’s Talisman (poise resistance).
Strategy: Stay close to her front-left side and hit her legs between attacks. When she staggers, move to her head for a critical hit.
For Magic Builds:
Spells: Rock Sling, Comet Azur, and Flame Cleanse Me (to remove poison).
Talisman Choices: Graven-Mass Talisman and Magic Scorpion Charm.
Strategy: Target her glowing eyes with long-range sorceries. When she’s stationary after a Soul Beam, unleash charged spells for heavy damage.
For Faith Builds:
Incantations: Giantsflame Take Thee, Black Flame Ritual, and Flame, Grant Me Strength.
Weapon: Blasphemous Blade or Godslayer’s Greatsword for their Fire and Faith synergy.
Strategy: Keep mid-range and punish openings with explosive incantations. Use Flame Cleanse Me to neutralize poison.
5. Additional Tips for Victory
Summons: Spirit Ashes such as Banished Knight Oleg or Mimic Tear can tank her attention while you strike from a distance.
Avoid Web Zones: Never linger in sticky areas—your dodge speed drops drastically, often leading to fatal combos.
Fire Resistance Gear: Equip armor with high Fire and Magic resistance to mitigate her second-phase attacks.
Destroy Eggs Early: Clearing eggs around the edges before triggering her can limit the number of hatchlings during battle.
6. Rewards for Defeating Freja
Upon victory, you’ll receive:
Remembrance of the Duke’s Dear Freja – can be exchanged for the Soul Beam of the Duke or Freja’s Mandible Greatsword.
8,000 Runes (scaled by NG level)
Silken Hollow Key, granting access to the Duke’s Vault and lore-rich treasures inside.
Conclusion
The Duke’s Dear Freja is one of Elden Ring’s most visually disturbing yet mechanically rewarding bosses. Her fight demands control, precision, and cheap Elden Ring Runes adaptability—forcing players to balance aggression with timing. By learning her phases, exploiting her Fire weakness, and staying calm amid chaos, you’ll turn this nightmarish spider into another fallen memory in your journey through the Lands Between.