It wouldn't be a new FromSoftware game without a grandiose new dragon boss, and Elden Ring Nightreign certainly doesn't disappoint with Caligo, Miasma of Night — also known as the Fissure in the Fog. Out of all the Nightlords you'll face while trying to cleanse Limveld of the plague of Night, Caligo is perhaps the fight with the most impressive spectacle of all.
It's also undoubtedly one of Nightreign's harder bosses, with a Phase 2 that's particularly difficult due to the dragon getting very aggressive and making use of frequent frost attacks that deal high damage and build up Frostbite, too. The good news, though, is that Caligo has two major damage type weaknesses, as well as a relatively simple Phase 1.
The fight against the fearsome, frosty beast gets easier once you know the ins and outs of its moveset and how to exploit its weaknesses, both of which are things I go over extensively in the guide below. Give it a read, and you'll have slain Caligo in no time.
Caligo, Miasma of Night weakness and best classes
- Being an ice dragon, Caligo has a weakness to Fire damage, and is also susceptible to Bleed as well. In the run leading up to the fight, try and get your hands on a good Fire or Bleed weapon if you can and any buffs you can get for those damage types.
- Caligo will also take extra damage from any weapon coated in Dragonwound Grease, or if you managed to get the anti-dragon power from the Mountain Shifting Earth modifier. Keep an eye out for Dragonwound Grease on your Expedition, or alternatively make sure to defeat the ice dragon in the mountainous region during your run if it has the Mountain variant of Limveld.
- Every Nightfarer class other than Guardian is strong here, as all you really need is a good dodge roll. Due to the Frostbite buildup of many of Caligo's attacks across both phases, Guardians will still take lots of damage even if they use his reinforced block since statuses build through guards. Guardian also has a bad dodge with less invincibility frames.
- Caligo deals a mix of Physical and Magic damage, with the Magic damage of its frost attacks building up Frostbite. Try to build resistances to these damage types with the upgrades and items you find if you can, and also consider opting for buffs that reduce the danger of status ailments or Frostbite specifically as well.
Boss guide: How to beat Caligo, Miasma of Night
- Due to how large Caligo is, it's not recommended to go beneath it for long since it will make the telegraphs of its attacks harder to see. Instead, stay just in front of his head, or a bit farther back if you're using a ranged character.
- In Phase 1, Caligo will primarily attack by trying to slash and cut you with its claws. You can avoid these moves by dodge rolling backwards or to the side and then hitting his head in retaliation for good damage.
- Caligo may also pull its head back before breathing frost magic directly at you. This is best avoided by Surge Sprinting to the side, or past its head and under its neck if you're close. The latter gives you several seconds to hit the dragon's neck until this attack ends.
- A similar move sees Caligo squat and pull its wings back, making them glow blue before using them to blast a wide stream of frost at you. Due to the width of the area-of-effect, this isn't really a move you can punish, so just Surge Sprint to the side and wait for it to end before going back in.
- Both of the aforementioned moves and most frost magic used in the rest of the fight will leave behind clusters of ice crystals you should avoid touching. The crystals are effectively mines; they don't deal damage directly, but rapidly build up Frostbite and can make it much easier for Caligo to inflict it on you.
- Every once in a while, Caligo will shroud the entire arena in a thick haze and then one of two things will happen:
- If you see a black wind converging on a location: Run extremely far away from where the wind is being pulled to with Surge Sprint. After several seconds, Caligo will send out a colossal wave of ice in all directions from that spot, and the only way to avoid damage is to pretty much be on the other side of the arena. Dodge roll forward through the incoming frost just to be safe, too.
- If you hear the sound of crackling ice: Run towards the sound as fast as you can. Eventually, you'll reach where Caligo is preparing a spell to drop shards of ice from the sky onto every part of the arena other than the one it's in; reaching the dragon completely saves you from this attack, and depending on how fast you do, you can get multiple seconds of free damage, also.
Caligo, Miasma of Night Phase 2
At about 50% health, Caligo will roar and then take off into the air, signaling the start of Phase 2. This immediately leads to a follow-up attack I'll explain below, and also sees Caligo start to use new moves while becoming much more aggressive. Here's what you need to know:
- After flying high into the air, Caligo will dive bomb you twice — using its wings to send large ice crystals flying at you each time — before landing and sending one final volley of crystals at you. Roll forward multiple times through these each time they fly in, and try to keep yourself lined up with Caligo's head as best you can as you do; since the crystals spawn from its wings, many of them will miss if you do this.
- This attack can occur multiple times throughout Phase 2, so stay on your toes. If the dragon flies high and begins circling, it's a telltale sign that the move is being used again.
- Caligo may now also briefly fly up before breathing frost down at someone as it tries to crash down onto them. Roll forward a couple times to avoid both the magic and Caligo's slam, then retaliate with hits on its neck.
- The boss has also gained a faster breath attack in Phase 2, during which it breathes frost in front of it left-to-right. Surge Sprint past the head and under Caligo's neck from its right side if you're close, or away if you're at a distance. If you're not able to avoid the frost entirely by running, roll through it.
- Another new move sees Caligo imbue its tail with frost, holding it up for a few moments before slamming it in a vertical arc and sending a shockwave towards you. Roll to the side just as the slam happens to avoid damage.
- Phase 2's deadliest attack has Caligo stand up tall and breathe frost all around it, dealing heavy damage and creating glowing ice bombs that explode when the dragon slams its tail at you. Roll through the frost breath, then make sure you're not close to any of the ice bombs when you roll to the side to dodge the tail smash.
- If you're beneath it, Caligo may drop its knees down and start generating a cyclone of frost energy that builds up Frostbite rapidly; after several seconds, it will "detonate" and deal extreme damage. The moment you notice this starting to happen, dodge roll out from beneath Caligo multiple times, then sprint a good distance so you aren't caught in the lethal blizzard that's about to ensue.
Ultimately, Phase 2 is the real killer, as it's difficult to find good windows to attack yourself amid Caligo's aggressive frost attacks and frequent repositioning. Patience and biding your time until a good one opens is crucial here, so don't get too greedy or risky and focus on your survival over doing lots of damage quickly. Eventually, the dragon will fall.
Elden Ring Nightreign is a bold new experimental spinoff from FromSoftware that spices up the original game's Soulsborne combat with a roguelike, co-op driven twist. Though it has sizable issues like only having one map or underwhelming enemy variety, it's nevertheless going to be one of this year's best Xbox games and best PC games for Souls fans craving action. It's $39.99, but you can get it for $33.99 at Newegg with the promo code XVSAVE (Xbox) or EPES3Z23 (PC).
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