How to beat the Stormgate Troll in Elden Ring

The Lands Between of Elden Ring are filled to the brim with unique and challenging enemies. Bosses and basic foes alike get in every Tarnished’s way as they traverse the world seeking the Elden Throne.
Naturally, as many begin their journey, they start out weak and frail and will often fail to make a dent in some of the larger enemies that roam around the beginning area of Limgrave. This will eventually be mitigated as players continue to level up and reinforce their weapons, but at the very start, it can be frustrating.

In the beginning area of Limgrave, there are a few major bosses and enemies that challenge the strength of every Tarnished that passes by. Unsurprisingly, the Tree Sentinel may be the first that players conquer, or avoid, as they make their way from the First Steps Site of Grace. But many players are struggling to overcome what lies ahead at the Storm Gate.

The Stormgate Troll

The Stormgate Troll is a massive humanoid-like enemy that sits atop of a large ruin fragment just past the Stormgate leading to Stormveil Castle. Trolls are large enemies found all over the Lands Between and play various roles throughout the world. Many trolls act as warriors or knights and fight every Tarnished that gets too close. Others act as beasts of burden, and pull around the caravans found in many different areas.

For those progressing toward Stormveil Castle, the Stormgate Troll is likely the first of these gigantic enemies they’ve come across. As players creep forward through the gate, the troll may surprise them as it jumps down unsuspectingly from up high. These trolls are very dangerous since they hit incredibly hard and will often one or two-shot any new Tarnished passing through. Luckily, there is a Site of Grace just outside the gate. So if the Stormgate Troll beats up an innocent Tarnished, they won’t have to travel far to get a shot at redemption.

How to beat the Stormgate Troll

Many enemies in Elden Ring have weaknesses and are susceptible to different types of damage and status effects.

When it comes to damage output, one way to beat the Stormgate Troll is to use a bleed weapon. If players started out as the Samurai, they will automatically start with a great bleed weapon in the Uchigatana. As players hit and do damage with a bleed weapon, the enemy begins to build up their blood loss meter. Once it reaches its maximum, it will proc blood loss, which will deal a percentage of the target’s maximum health. This is an effective strategy for many different enemies and bosses due to the percentage-based damage that blood loss causes.

Another strategy to best the troll in combat is to use ranged-based attacks. At the beginning of the game, using a bow and arrow is not as viable due to the lack of crafting options available, so in this case it is better to use sorceries as a source of damage output. Classes like the Astrologer and Prisoner start with sorceries like the Glintstone Pebble, Glintstone Arc, and Magic Glintblade. These spells can be used from range and keep the troll at a safe distance.

Troll moveset and useful tips

The Stormgate Troll, and most trolls in general, have large area-of-effect moves that can be challenging to avoid. They often stomp on the ground to unleash a small earthquake in the close surrounding area. Additionally, they have a ranged-based roar or scream that will launch a projectile current toward the player. So while attacking the troll from a distance is good, it is not 100-percent safe.

Those that have gotten used to the early-health troll moveset should make note that the troll’s moveset changes when it reaches 50 percent health. When this threshold is reached, the troll will pull out a sword and begin to use that in combat. Like the stomps, when the sword is swung and slammed on the ground, it also has an area-of-effect earthquake in the close surrounding area that players should be aware of.

Alternatively, those that do not wish to fight or deal with the Stormgate Troll can simply run past it and fight it later on when they’re a higher level. This troll respawns on resting at a Site of Grace or traveling to a new area.