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Although the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree expansion was met with critical acclaim at launch, fan reception has surprisingly been mixed. Most people have cited the DLC’s difficulty as their biggest issue, which was surprising considering it should be expected at this point for a From Software-developed game. Upon closer inspection, however, it seems numerous players are finding it difficult mainly due to one reason: under-leveled Scadutree Blessings.
Much like using runes to increase your attributes in the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree utilizes Scadutree Blessings to improve players’ abilities to dish out and reduce damage. With this in mind, you can see how crucial they are to beating some of the more difficult bosses in the game (though if you need help learning how to beat Promised Consort Radahn, we’ve got you covered there too). Unfortunately, some players don’t seem to understand their importance, much to the chagrin of those constantly joining co-op sessions in Elden Ring.
Over on Reddit, u/Hueddel complained that “90% of all [co-op] hosts are too weak for the [Elden Ring] DLC bosses.” “I’ve done roughly 30 co-op summons for the boss in Castle Ensis, and 90% of the time, the hosts are at Scadutree Blessing level 3 or even lower,” they continued. And because Scadutree Blessing levels are scaled down based on the host’s rank, it becomes even more difficult when hosted by an under-leveled Tarnished.
However, low Scadutree Blessing levels only scratch the surface of players’ difficulty in co-op Elden Ring sessions. Some hosts also frequently get ‘one-hit’ because of low Vigor or Endurance, two of the most important attributes in the game. Typically, with a high enough Vigor stat, bosses, no matter how powerful, should never be able to kill you with a single attack. However, u/SilviteRamirez saw firsthand what it was like after being summoned by a host who got killed by a hit that dealt “572 damage.”
The moral of the story here is, instead of review-bombing a From Software game for being difficult (which they are already known for), why not try exploring and grinding some levels out? Every nook and cranny of Elden Ring’s sprawling map was meant to be seen, especially since it’s also the only way to find every Shadow of the Erdtree Scadutree Blessing locations. After all, if you’re resorting to summoning other players and still have trouble beating bosses, it might be a skill issue at that point.
