Boss battles in Elden Ring are some of the most exhilarating and challenging parts of the game. Whether you're taking on massive creatures or nimble, quick-fighting enemies, survival often comes down to how well you’re prepared. While your combat skills and strategy will play a big role, certain items can make all the difference when it comes to staying alive.

Here are 16 essential items that can improve your chances of survival in boss battles, offering everything from healing to buffs and defensive boosts.

1. Golden Flask (Sacred Flask)

The Golden Flask is one of the most useful items in your inventory. It boosts your overall damage output, making each strike against a boss much more effective. If you're looking for a boost to both offensive and defensive play, this item is a must-have.

2. Flame, Grant Me Strength

A powerful incantation that increases your strength and overall attack power. Perfect for tough bosses, especially when combined with high-damage weapons, it helps you cut through enemy defenses quickly.

3. Rune Arc

Rune Arcs activate your Great Rune, granting various buffs depending on which Great Rune you have equipped. This item offers a significant advantage during boss fights, as it can give you increased stats or resistance, crucial for staying alive in tough battles.

4. Boluses

Poison and scarlet rot are common afflictions during certain boss fights. Boluses cure these status effects, allowing you to continue fighting without worrying about the debuffs.

5. Starlight Shard

In dark or dimly lit areas, some bosses can be even more intimidating. The Starlight Shard provides a small but useful light, helping you to see better during these grim battles and avoid getting ambushed.

6. Smithing Stones

A strong weapon is crucial to surviving any boss fight, so don’t overlook your Smithing Stones. Keep a steady stock of these upgrade materials to ensure your weapon remains sharp and powerful against increasingly difficult bosses.

7. Blood Rose

Many bosses in Elden Ring inflict heavy blood loss damage, making Blood Roses essential. These items help reduce the effect of bleed, protecting you from one of the most devastating status effects in the game.

8. Frenzied Flame Potion

This item increases your Frenzy resistance, which can be invaluable when facing enemies that use mind-affecting status effects. It’s particularly useful for high-stakes boss battles where mental debuffs can quickly turn the tide.

9. Golden Pickled Fowl Foot

This consumable boosts Rune acquisition for a limited time, allowing you to farm Runes during the battle or recover quickly after a tough encounter. While it's not directly related to survival, it can help you recover lost Runes when you’re grinding or retrying a boss fight.

10. Flame, Cleanse Me

For bosses that cause scarlet rot or poison damage, Flame, Cleanse Me can be a lifesaver. It removes poison and rot and provides a solid defense against these harmful effects, giving you breathing room during difficult fights.

11. Sacred Tear

By using Sacred Tears to upgrade your flask, you can increase the amount of health or FP recovered, helping to keep you topped off during prolonged battles with tough bosses. This is one of the most vital items for staying in the fight longer.

12. Tears of Denial

This incantation is a must-have for those tough battles that seem almost impossible. When cast, it prevents your death once, meaning if you were about to be hit by a fatal blow, you’ll be granted a second chance. Perfect for challenging late-game bosses.

13. Flame, Fall Upon Them

This incantation allows you to deal massive AoE fire damage in a wide radius. It’s useful against bosses with multiple smaller enemies or in situations where you need to deal quick damage to high-health enemies.

14. Purifying Crystal Tear

Found in certain Sacred Tears, the Purifying Crystal Tear is a great addition to your flask. It helps to reduce the damage from poison and bleed, two common effects found in many of Elden Ring’s more difficult boss encounters.

15. Rimed Crystal Tear

Another highly useful flask ingredient, the Rimed Crystal Tear grants frost resistance. If you’re facing off against enemies that deal frostbite, it’s important to have this tear in your flask to counteract their chilling damage.

16. Talisman: Radagon’s Scarseal

When equipped, Radagon’s Scarseal increases your Strength, Endurance, Vigor, and Dexterity stats, making it great for physical-focused bosses. While it also increases the amount of damage you take, it’s often worth the trade-off, as these boosts can make all the difference in surviving brutal fights.

These 16 items are essential for improving your boss battle survival in Elden Ring. Each one serves a specific purpose, whether it's enhancing your damage, providing healing, or preventing debilitating effects. Remember, preparation is key when it comes to challenging bosses in the Lands Between.

If you're looking to streamline your preparation process, consider picking up some cheap Elden Ring Items that can help make your journey smoother. And if you find yourself running low on Elden Ring runes after some intense battles, you can always buy Elden Ring runes to help you upgrade your gear and stay on top of the competition. Whatever your approach, survival in boss battles is about the right balance of strategy, preparation, and resourcefulness.