There’s going to be a lot to see in Shadow of the Erdtree, and with new locations come new threats. The trailers have shown we will face several original enemies in the Land of Shadow, and many of them will have some surprising attacks for us to contend with.
The DLC also promises to answer some pertinent questions players have about the base game. While there are big mysteries surrounding Miquella and Marika, we may also finally understand how certain containers in the Lands Between can move and fight!
Shadow of the Erdtree Could Have Shown Us the Insides of the Living Jars
The Living Jars are a bit of an anomaly within Elden Ring. While some are aggressive, others are gentle and have even formed a village in the Lands Between, collecting herbs and even welcoming some outsiders.
The most notable of these beings is Iron Fist Alexander, a Living Jar on a quest to become a great warrior. The Tarnished encounters this NPC in various locations and can be summoned as a helper in two major boss fights. Towards the end of the game, we must engage him in a duel to honor his wish of fighting a true warrior. Upon beating him, we are granted the Shard of Alexander talisman and Alexander’s Innards.
The Innards are of particular interest, as the Red Bulls Levels exclusive gameplay event may have shown how they look when inside a Living Jar. The players were exploring a frozen jail with many jars hanging from the ceiling. This cave was populated by a new enemy type, which could be another Bloodborne reference from Hidetaka Miyazaki, that resembles Bloodlickers.
These could be the innards of the Living Jars, moving around without their ceramic housing. Whether these are failed attempts at Living Jars or had their casings smashed to expose their fleshy insides is unclear, but one evident thing is that they are not friendly. They attack the player using clouds of blood and using their flesh as a tentacle for melee hits.
New Enemies and New Weapons Are Coming to Elden Ring
The Land of Shadows may bring a host of new threats, but it also brings a variety of new weapons to help the player manage these dangers. Not only are mages getting new spells, but melee builds will benefit from ranged attacks with the new throwable weapon feature. Some hammers, spears, and axes can be thrown with a charged heavy attack without consuming FP or losing the weapon.
Cracked Pots are also coming back in a big way in the DLC. Hefty Cracked Pots, similar to the one we see a Tarnished lift above their heads in the trailer, will allow for every build to inflict magic and bleed damage, but will probably require a fair bit of resource farming to craft.
The Scadutree Blessing will also help players improve their attack power and defensive capabilities. The Tarnished will need to explore the Land of Shadow to discover Scadutree Fragments to receive this Blessing exclusive to DLC areas.
What enemy are you most looking to fight in Shadow of the Erdtree? Let us know in the comments below!
