Borealis the Freezing Fog

Key takeaways

The encounter is optional, but preparation for frost and disciplined positioning make it substantially more manageable.

• Find Borealis at the Freezing Lake The boss appears in the Freezing Lake area of the Mountaintops of the Giants. Approach across the open lake and be ready for the encounter before committing to a close-range attack.
• Treat the mist as the main danger Borealis's cold breath can create a large hazardous zone and build Frostbite. Leave the affected area instead of trying to finish an attack string inside it.
• Use the open arena The lake provides room to circle Borealis and reposition. Mounted movement is useful for closing distance after a breath attack and for escaping a wide frost cloud.
• The fight is optional Borealis does not gate the main progression. Players who only want to advance the story can return later, while dragon communion characters have a stronger reason to defeat the boss.
• The reward is spell-focused The main unique reward is Borealis's Mist, a dragon communion incantation. The battle also awards a Dragon Heart for use within the dragon communion system.

Borealis the Freezing Fog overview

Borealis the Freezing Fog is an optional dragon encounter at the Freezing Lake in the Mountaintops of the Giants. The fight is defined by frost damage, a large arena and attacks that become difficult to read when Borealis fills the battlefield with mist.

Borealis the Freezing Fog is encountered at the Freezing Lake, an open area in the Mountaintops of the Giants. The boss is not required to complete the main path through Elden Ring, so players can leave the lake and return later if the encounter is overwhelming. Its placement makes it a dangerous field battle rather than a confined arena fight: there is room to ride around the lake, but the same open space leaves little cover when Borealis uses breath attacks.

The fight matters primarily because Borealis provides a Dragon Heart and unlocks Borealis's Mist, a dragon communion incantation associated with the boss. The reward makes the encounter especially relevant to characters investing in dragon communion spells, while a character who does not use incantations may treat the battle as optional exploration content. The reward is obtained by defeating Borealis rather than by completing a separate quest.

Frostbite is the central hazard. Borealis's breath attacks apply frost buildup, and the freezing mist can obscure the boss's body and make the safest direction of escape less obvious. The most reliable way to reduce risk is to avoid remaining in the mist, keep enough distance to identify the breath attack's path, and use the lake's space to circle rather than retreat in a straight line through the cloud.

Borealis is distinctive among Elden Ring's dragon encounters because the fight combines a mobile dragon moveset with a cold-weather setting and a strong frost theme. The battle is not a conventional dungeon boss with a sequence of doors and checkpoints; the player reaches the encounter while exploring the Freezing Lake. If the first attempt fails, the practical response is to recover the dropped runes, restock and re-enter the lake rather than searching for a hidden progression requirement.

Encounter progression

Requirements

There is no known quest prerequisite for starting the encounter. The important requirements are practical preparations for an exposed fight against frost-based attacks.

• RequiredAccess to the Mountaintops of the GiantsThe Freezing Lake is located in this late-game region, so the player must be able to reach the area before challenging Borealis.
• RecommendedFrostbite protection or mitigationUse equipment, consumables or other tools that reduce the impact of frost buildup if available. This is recommended because Borealis's breath attacks are the defining threat of the encounter.
• OptionalA reliable ranged optionSorceries, incantations, bows or other ranged tools can punish Borealis while it is recovering from breath attacks, although the most suitable option depends on the character build.
• RecommendedA mounted approachTorrent can help the player cross the open lake, circle the boss and escape large breath zones. Mounted combat is a tactical option rather than a stated entry requirement.

Encounter phasesSpoilers

1. 1

   Open-lake dragon battle

   Starts: The encounter begins when the player reaches Borealis at the Freezing Lake.

   No verified health figure supplied.

   Borealis combines standard dragon body attacks with frost breath that can cover a broad section of the lake. The player should read the direction of the breath, move out of the mist and attack during the recovery window rather than staying beneath the boss throughout the entire exchange.

   • Frost breathTell Borealis raises its head and begins exhaling a cold mist across the ground.Answer Immediately move laterally or ride away from the affected area; do not remain in the cloud to complete a slow attack.
   • Aerial frost breathTell Borealis takes to the air before projecting freezing breath over the ground.Answer Use the open lake to ride away from the projected path, then turn back after the breath ends and the boss returns to the ground.
   • Dragon biteTell Borealis lowers its head toward the player after closing distance.Answer Roll or ride to the side rather than backing directly away, then punish the head or nearby body only after the bite finishes.
   • Wing and body swipesTell The boss shifts its body or wing toward a player standing near its sides.Answer Stay alert while attacking the legs and move away when the body turns; do not assume that being beneath the dragon is always safe.
   • RoarTell Borealis produces a close-range roar during the melee exchange.Answer Create distance when the boss begins the animation and avoid greedily extending a combo at the head.
   • The fight does not require a fixed phase transition to be useful for planning: the same core priorities remain relevant throughout the encounter.
   • The safest openings are generally after Borealis finishes a breath attack or commits to a long movement, because those actions give the player time to reposition before attacking.
   • The exact health threshold, attack scaling and whether a particular animation is unblockable can vary by context and are not verified here.

Boss encounter strategySpoilers

• Location
  Freezing Lake, Mountaintops of the Giants
• Health
  Exact health not verified.

Begin by keeping enough distance to identify whether Borealis is preparing a ground-level or aerial frost attack. When the mist appears, leave the affected area immediately; once the breath ends, approach from the side or rear and strike during the recovery animation. Mounted movement is valuable for circling the boss and escaping the widest attacks, while ranged builds can use the same openings without standing beneath the dragon. Melee players should avoid lingering at the head after a single punish, because bites, roars and body swipes can follow quickly. If the arena becomes covered by frost, prioritize survival and reset your position before attacking again.

Strategy

1. 01

   Enter the encounter with a plan for frost buildup and a way to punish openings.

   Prepare before entering the lake

   Check your equipment before crossing into the encounter area and bring whatever frost mitigation, healing and ranged tools your build can support. Borealis's attacks are easier to survive when the player can disengage instead of spending the entire fight in close range.

   Location: Approach to the Freezing Lake

   TipKeep a fast defensive option available; slow attacks are hardest to use safely when the mist is already spreading.

   Watch outDo not treat the lake as a safe staging area once Borealis is engaged, because the open ground offers no dependable shelter from breath attacks.

2. 02

   Trigger and control the field encounter.

   Locate Borealis the Freezing Fog

   Move into the Freezing Lake and identify Borealis before committing to an attack. Use the open space to establish a circling route rather than running straight toward the boss, so the first breath animation does not catch you at point-blank range.

   Location: Freezing Lake

   TipMounted movement can shorten the time spent crossing the lake and gives you a faster escape route when Borealis takes flight.

   Watch outThe encounter is optional, so leaving the lake is a valid choice if your current equipment cannot handle the frost pressure.

3. 03

   Avoid Frostbite buildup and create the first safe opening.

   Read the first breath attack

   Watch Borealis's head and body instead of attacking continuously. When the boss exhales cold mist across the ground, move laterally or ride away from the cloud; after the breath finishes, turn back toward the boss and close the distance only when the danger zone has cleared.

   Location: Freezing Lake

   TipThe end of a breath attack is more valuable than a small opening during the attack because it lets you punish without trading health for damage.

   Watch outDo not roll repeatedly inside the mist and hope to outlast it; the area effect can continue while you are trying to finish an attack.

4. 04

   Deal damage without remaining under Borealis indefinitely.

   Punish recovery animations

   Attack after Borealis completes a breath, bite or committed movement. Melee characters should favor brief strikes around the head or body and then prepare to move, while ranged characters should fire during the same recovery window before repositioning for the next attack.

   Location: Freezing Lake

   TipOne completed punish is safer than an extended combo, especially if the boss begins turning its body toward you.

   Watch outIf Borealis starts to rotate, raise its head or produce a roar, stop attacking and create space rather than assuming the previous opening is still active.

5. 05

   Survive the widest area attack.

   Escape the aerial frost attack

   When Borealis lifts off and projects freezing breath over the lake, ride or run away from the projected path instead of trying to pass beneath the dragon. Wait until the breath ends and Borealis returns to the ground before turning back for another attack window.

   Location: Freezing Lake

   TipMove across the lake rather than directly toward the boss; lateral distance gives you more room if the breath tracks your original position.

   Watch outReturning too early can put you inside the edge of the lingering frost zone even after the main breath has passed.

6. 06

   Reduce Borealis's health while preserving enough healing and frost resistance to finish the fight.

   Repeat the circle-and-punish pattern

   Continue circling the arena, leaving every frost cloud and attacking only after Borealis commits to a long animation. If the fight becomes disorganized, stop attacking, heal or reset your distance, and wait for the next breath recovery instead of forcing a trade.

   Location: Freezing Lake

   TipThe encounter has no quest objective that requires speed, so a patient battle is preferable to a high-risk damage race.

   Watch outDying does not permanently fail a quest because this is an optional field boss, but any dropped runes must be recovered before another death if you want to keep them.

7. 07

   Secure the encounter rewards.

   Collect the rewards

   After Borealis is defeated, collect the Dragon Heart and confirm the reward associated with Borealis's Mist. The spell reward is most valuable to characters using dragon communion incantations, while other builds may simply retain the Dragon Heart for later use.

   Location: Freezing Lake

   TipIf you are not ready to use the spell, record the reward before leaving so the optional fight is not mistaken for a progression requirement.

   Watch outThere is no separate quest hand-in described for these rewards; defeating the boss is the relevant completion condition.

   Checkpoint

Pre-fight checklist

• Bring a plan for frost buildupBorealis's cold breath is the encounter's defining hazard; use available mitigation rather than relying only on healing.
• Equip a reliable damage optionChoose attacks you can complete quickly after breath or movement recovery animations.
• Carry healing and recovery suppliesThe open arena gives room to disengage, but healing still needs to be timed between attacks.
• Consider using TorrentMounted movement helps with crossing the lake, circling Borealis and escaping aerial frost breath.Optional
• Prepare a ranged punishA bow, sorcery, incantation or other ranged tool can exploit recovery windows without standing beneath the dragon.Optional
• Decide whether the reward fits your buildBorealis's Mist is particularly relevant to dragon communion characters; the encounter is optional for other builds.Optional

Weaknesses and damage

Failure conditionsSpoilers

• Player deathThe encounter ends when the player dies. Because Borealis is an optional field boss rather than a quest escort, death does not permanently remove an ally or lock a quest branch.
• Frost buildup from remaining in the mistStanding in Borealis's breath can inflict frost-related damage and status pressure. Escape the cloud first; continuing an attack inside it is the most avoidable failure pattern.
• Returning under the dragon too earlyAfter an aerial or ground breath attack, the area can remain unsafe while the animation is ending. Wait for the mist to clear before attempting a punish.
• Losing dropped runesA death can leave runes at the death location. Recover them before another death if retaining that resource matters, since the lake remains dangerous during the recovery attempt.

Rewards and drops

• Dragon Heart
  A dragon-related reward used within Elden Ring's dragon communion system. It is useful even if the player does not immediately redeem it for an incantation.
• Borealis's Mist
  A dragon communion incantation associated specifically with Borealis. Its main value is to characters whose build and attributes support dragon communion spells.

Lore

Borealis's title, the Freezing Fog, ties the boss directly to the cold conditions of the Mountaintops of the Giants and to the frost that dominates the encounter. The name presents Borealis not simply as another dragon in the landscape, but as a creature defined by the freezing mist surrounding its attacks.

The reward, Borealis's Mist, extends that identity beyond the boss fight. By placing a boss-specific dragon communion incantation behind the encounter, Elden Ring connects the environmental danger of the Freezing Lake with the wider system of gaining power from dragon hearts. The connection is mechanical as well as thematic: the player defeats the dragon, receives its heart and gains access to an incantation bearing its name.

Encounter entities

• Borealis the Freezing FogThe optional dragon boss covered by this page.

Relationships