Some of Elden Ring’s earliest bosses are likely to be harder than you expected. This isn’t an accident, though, as the game is working on teaching you how to study attack patterns during its first few hours as you prepare for even harder showdowns later in the game. If you can’t beat the immensely challenging Margit or Godrick the Grafted, rest easy knowing that you’re not alone.

Elden Ring’s inaugural boss fights are exceptionally difficult even for a From Software title. And as tempting as it may seem, the solution isn’t to merely dump more Runes to level up–though it never hurts. Both fights can be made much easier, instead, if you’re simply willing to take a bit of time and invest in some new ideas for taking them down. Here’s what to do if you’re struggling against…