In the depths of the DLC dungeons for Elden Ring titled Shadow of the Erdtree you will encounter one of its most formidable opponents: Romina, Saint of the Bud. She possesses a unique set of moves and attacks, based on the appearance of a boss who is a hybrid of a centipede, scorpion, butterfly, and humanoid. In this guide, we will explore strategies and tips to defeat this boss.

 Romina, Saint of the Bud Location

Your journey to Romina starts at the Site of Grace called Viaduct Minor Tower, accessible from the Shadow Keep (main gate). From there, head west to the location known as the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, a place filled with shadowy enemies. Navigate through these ruins until you find large golden doors. Open them, descend to the lower level filled with scorpions, and continue moving forward until you reach another set of gigantic doors.

Pass through these doors, descend to the spiritual wind stream below, and continue through the corridor leading back outside. If you see insect-like enemies, you are on the right path. Head east until you see Miquella’s Cross in the distance. Reach it, collect the Scadutree fragment, and activate the Rauh Ancient Ruins Site of Grace.

Near the Site of Grace, a long bridge extends to another platform. Cross it using Torrent, but be cautious of the Furnace Golem's fire attacks on the other side. Once you evade the golem, continue towards the waterfalls behind it, then turn left to find the western Rauh Ancient Ruins Site of Grace.

Near the Site of Grace, climb the stairs, dodging the jumping projectiles, and grab the Scadutree fragment on the second floor. Exit through the door behind the fragment, and you will find yourself outside again. Look for gazebo-like structures and another ruin on the left, filled with crimson rot and other types of decay. In the back left corner, a lift will take you to the upper floor. Ascend the stairs straight ahead, then turn left to find the Church of the Bud.

Preparation for the Battle with Romina, saint of the bud

Romina is one of the late bosses in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, and thus requires good preparation and proper equipment. Ensure that your blessings, enhanced by Scadutree fragments, are upgraded for good attack power and defense. Although you cannot summon any NPCs for this battle, you can replace them with a strong Mimic Tear spirit, which will be very useful. This unique summon mirrors all your abilities and attacks, making the battle much easier.

Romina, Saint of the Bud attacks often cause the Scarlet Rot status effect, which quickly drains your health. To counter this, wear armor that provides resistance to rot, take Preserving Boluses, or use the Fire, Cleanse Me incantation. Romina is vulnerable to bleed, frostbite, and sacred attacks, so cold or bloody weapons like Milady or Backhand Blade will be ideal choices. Avoid blunt weapons, as they deal less damage and increase your risk of being hit.

For sorcerers, it is worth having Glintstone Icecrag, Adula’s Greatblade, or Zamor Ice Storm ready. Faith-based players should equip the Frozen Lightning Spear incantation. The Ash of War Divine Beast’s Frost Stomp is also effective, covering a wide area and taking advantage of Romina’s large hitbox.

It is advisable to use Mimic Tear due to its ability to withstand enemy attacks and exploit Romina's weaknesses. Dung Eater Puppet or, even better, Jolan and Anna Puppet, are excellent for inflicting bleed damage. Greatshield Soldier is quite useful due to its ranged attacks, imbued with an icy effect and high defense. Additionally, you can summon Dryleaf Dane to distract Romina during the fight. However, keep in mind that the overall health pool of the boss will increase slightly.

Also, stock up on enough Scadutree fragments to reach level 10 Scadutree or higher, and 7+ level Revered Spirit Ash Blessing. If you have a low immunity stat, equip Horn Charm Talismans to slow down the accumulation of the Scarlet Rot effect, and keep Neutralizing Bolus items on hand to dispel any buildup of debuffs that occur.

First Phase of the Battle with Romina

Romina’s initial attacks are quite powerful and gradually increase the rot effect. She is slower and more deliberate compared to other bosses, allowing for strategic hits and retreats. Mages can attack from a distance while their summoned helper distracts Romina.

Romina’s large hitbox, due to her insect parts, eliminates the need to be close to her human form for your hits to count. Mainly focus on her tail while she and the centipede attack your spirit.

At the start of the fight, Romina usually rushes at you and swings her giant blade twice. Since her hits are quite damaging, it is advisable to avoid her swings to avoid unnecessary health loss. Watch her movements carefully to dodge in time, as she often delays her blade for an extra second before striking.

The centipede part of Romina has unique attacks, including a forward thrust and a snake-like side movement. You can avoid these attacks by moving sideways or backward. Romina also spins her scorpion tail and centipede, forcing you to dodge backward to avoid her swings. Romina can curl into a wheel and rush at you, then unfold and attack with the centipede and a quick blade strike. In this case, an effective maneuver is to roll forward, as there is a small safe space directly in front of Romina where her attack doesn’t reach.

If you get too close, Romina will attack you with her stinging tail. If the centipede performs a single thrust forward, Romina will trap you, dealing damage with her sting and building up the rot effect. One of her strongest attacks involves jumping back, then a whirling motion forward with her sting, blade, and centipede. Dodging forward can completely avoid this dangerous three-hit combo.

Second Phase of the Battle with Romina

When Romina’s health drops to half, she becomes more agile and gains new attacks that cause significant Scarlet Rot buildup. However, her attacks remain deliberate, giving you brief windows for hits while she recovers. Romina also continues to focus on one attacker at a time, changing targets only after completing her combos or if you repeatedly attack her, provoking her.

The second phase begins with Romina summoning rot energy around herself, lifting into the air, and creating several butterflies in rings around the arena. They explode after a few seconds, dealing damage and increasing the rot buildup. Stay as far away from the impact zone as possible to avoid significant resource loss.

Romina, Saint of the Bud repeats this attack at certain intervals, and she only summons the butterflies from a specific location, allowing you to preemptively strategize if you prepare in time. Romina then crosses the battlefield to return to this spot, giving you opportunities to attack while she is not actively attacking.

In this phase, Romina more frequently uses her strikes and introduces a new combo. She rises into the air, leaps forward with a spinning strike, spins around to repeat the motion, and finishes the attack by slamming her tail into the ground. This attack has a certain rhythm, and you have about a second between each move to dodge.

Romina’s combo creates more butterflies, which explode after she falls to the ground. She remains still for a moment after the final attack, giving you a chance to land a few hits of your own. Occasionally, Romina, Saint of the Bud uses two strikes when you are too close, dealing regular damage instead of magical or rot damage. She can also fly into the air and sharply descend after a brief hover.

Tips and Tricks to Defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud

Facing Romina can be quite challenging, but with the right preparation, you can defeat her. Here are some tips to help in the battle:

• Improve your blessings and spirits. Ensure your Scadutree fragments and Revered Spirit Ash Blessing are upgraded to high levels. This will increase your damage output and resilience to Romina’s attacks.

• Summon Dryleaf Dane. Outside the fog wall at the entrance to the church, summon Dryleaf Dane. Although his damage is not outstanding, he distracts Romina, making the fight more manageable.

• Prepare for Scarlet Rot. Romina, Saint of the Bud applies the Scarlet Rot effect with various attacks. Stock up on Preserving Boluses to quickly neutralize the rot buildup, and consider equipping the Immunizing Horn Charm Talisman.

• Use Romina’s vulnerabilities and weakness. Utilize weapons with cold and bleed effects, or weapons or magic that inflict frostbite, which is Romina saint of the bud weakness. A Mimic Tear equipped with frost-inducing weapons will be extremely effective in this battle.

• Avoid key attacks. Watch out for Romina’s leaping attacks, which, though predictable, deal massive damage and build up the Scarlet Rot effect. Her spinning and blade strikes can be either blocked or dodged, but prioritize dodging to minimize rot buildup.

• Avoid her grabs and throws. Romina, Saint of the Bud grabs, deal significant damage and can knock you down. If Romina catches you with her spiral attack, you are likely to die if you have less than full health, as she deals devastating damage with her sting.

• Respond to new moves. After losing about 35% health, Romina may use a new move with purple butterflies that cause severe Scarlet Rot buildup. Avoid them at all costs to prevent instant rot status.

Rewards for Defeating Romina

Defeating Romina, Saint of the Bud, will reward you with 380,000 runes and the Remembrance of the Saint of the Bud. This item can be used for additional runes or exchanged with Finger Reader Enia at Roundtable Hold for one of Romina’s weapons: Poleblade of the Bud with rot effect or the Rotten Butterflies spell.

Conclusion

Defeating Romina, Saint of the Bud, in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is a challenging but achievable feat for fans of the game who want to test their skills. With thorough preparation, strategic use of summons, and proper equipment, you can overcome this powerful boss and claim victory.