Elden Ring Guide: Navigating the Grand Lift of Dectus

Elden Ring presents an expansive and treacherous world, filled with hidden treasures, daunting foes, and powerful artifacts. One of the game's more challenging locations to navigate is the Grand Lift of Dectus, located at the end of the Bellum Highway in the far northeast. Reaching the lift is a feat in itself, as you'll encounter waves of enemies, fortified defenses, and powerful adversaries. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to reach the Grand Lift of Dectus.

 

Reaching the Grand Lift of Dectus: A Daunting Task

 

The journey to the Grand Lift of Dectus starts with an encounter that requires both tactical planning and sharp skills. At the lift's entrance, you'll find a stronghold of Raya Lucaria Soldiers defending their territory with three catapults and numerous barricades. Charging head-on into the camp is a risky strategy due to the sheer number of enemies and defenses.

 

Instead, try taking the high path along the right side of the area. By staying on this elevated path, you'll avoid some initial confrontations and position yourself to take out two of the catapults from above. Once you're within striking range, prepare to summon a spirit to assist you. This can be invaluable when dealing with a particularly challenging opponent—a Raya Lucarian Knight on horseback, who guards the catapult operators.

 

Dealing with the Raya Lucaria Soldiers and Catapults

 

Once you're in position, focus on eliminating the two catapult operators on the right. Clearing these threats first gives you some breathing room and reduces the risk of long-range attacks from the catapults as you move through the rest of the camp. After dealing with the catapults, head east to find tents protected by Raya Lucarian Foot Soldiers and a small group of Raya Lucaria Soldiers.

 

Amidst the tents, you'll find two valuable Elden Ring Items: a Great Mace inside a chest and a Cerulean Teardrop Scarab hidden behind one of the tents. The Great Mace is a formidable weapon, especially for characters focusing on strength-based builds, offering solid damage output and the potential for crowd control. The Cerulean Teardrop Scarab, meanwhile, restores FP (Focus Points) when consumed, which is particularly useful if your character relies on magic or spirit summons.

 

While navigating these enemy defenses, keep an eye on your resources, including Elden Ring Runes. Runes are crucial for leveling up and buying essential items, so clearing out the Foot Soldiers and Raya Lucaria Soldiers in this area can provide a useful rune boost. As always, remember to bank your runes at a Site of Grace when you have enough to level up, reducing the risk of losing them in battle.

 

Central Road Blockade: The Flame Chariot Encounter

 

As you proceed to the main road toward the Grand Lift of Dectus, you'll face a more significant obstacle: a Flame Chariot accompanied by another Raya Lucarian Knight. This chariot is a heavily armored, fire-spewing vehicle that can be deadly if approached carelessly. Fortunately, there are strategies to handle this threat more effectively:

 

    Summon Assistance: Use your Spirit Summon to distract the Flame Chariot, allowing you to attack from a safer angle. Your summoned spirit can serve as a decoy, drawing the knight's attention and absorbing some damage.

 

    Attack from Behind: The Flame Chariot's fire attacks are primarily directed forward. Using your mount, Torrent, move quickly around the chariot, positioning yourself at its back to avoid its frontal fire blasts.

 

    Focus on the Operator: The Flame Chariot is operated by a single enemy located inside its protective metal casing. Target the operator to disable the vehicle, effectively neutralizing one of the toughest enemies in the area.

 

Defeating the Flame Chariot and its accompanying knight not only clears your path but can also yield substantial Elden Ring Runes, which can help with leveling up or purchasing supplies from merchants nearby.

 

Entering the Grand Lift of Dectus

 

Once you've successfully cleared out the Raya Lucaria forces and the Flame Chariot, you're ready to approach the Grand Lift of Dectus itself. However, to activate the lift, you'll need two halves of the Dectus Medallion—the right and left halves of which are hidden in other locations in Elden Ring.

 

Finding the Dectus Medallion Halves

 

    Right Medallion Half: Found at Fort Faroth in the Caelid region. Caelid is known for its challenging enemies, so ensure your character is adequately leveled and well-equipped before venturing into this area.

 

    Left Medallion Half: Found at Fort Haight in Limgrave. While less dangerous than Fort Faroth, Fort Haight still poses a challenge. Be cautious and take advantage of stealth or ranged attacks if you're under-leveled for this encounter.

 

With both medallion halves in your possession, you'll be able to activate the Grand Lift of Dectus, giving you access to the Atlus Plateau—a high-level area filled with powerful enemies, challenging quests, and valuable Elden Ring Items that will be essential for further progression.

 

Conclusion

 

The journey to the Grand Lift of Dectus is a significant milestone in Elden Ring, testing your skills, tactics, and resourcefulness. By following this guide and making strategic use of Elden Ring Runes and Elden Ring Items, you'll be prepared to overcome the Raya Lucaria defenses, defeat the Flame Chariot, and activate the lift to reach the Atlus Plateau. With patience, planning, and smart use of the items you collect, you'll conquer these challenges and continue your adventure through the lands of Elden Ring.