Starscourge Radahn | Elden Ring Wiki

Starscourge Radahn Boss Video Guide

[video coming soon]

Starscourge Radahn Fight Strategy

General Tips

• Torrent is available for this fight (unless other players are summoned in for co-op)
• The summon signs seen are NPC summons for the Festival Mechanic. They can be summoned with one button press and any number can be summoned at once. Upon death, their signs will reappear to summon again, though not necessarily in the same place as first summoned.
  • With the summons, it is possible (if slow) to complete the fight without attacking Radahn directly.
• Radahn will start shooting magic arrows immediately upon entering the arena
  • These can be blocked with a shield, but will do heavy magic damage. They will kill most players in one hit.
  • The arrows home so accurately that they are usually not possible to dodge without the use of i-frames, such as rolling or mounting/dismounting Torrent. As always, rolling toward the source of a projectile will make it easier to dodge.
  • Debris on the battlefield will block the arrows once, as the arrow will destroy the debris instead of hitting the player. The first two groups of summon signs are behind such debris.
• The arrow barrage Radahn fires in the air ("Radahn's Rain") will also home in on you. It is easier to dodge on Torrent, but is possible to outrun on foot if you run directly perpendicular to Radahn.
  • A reliable approach is to raise your shield when you enter the arena and approach the first group of summon signs. Summon all available NPCs, using the debris next to their signs for cover, and advance to the next group with your shield up. Keep an eye on Radahn: at some point he pulls back his bow without the magical energy charges, signaling you to get on your horse and begin strafing to avoid his spear-arrow attacks. Once you get close enough, Radahn will pull out his swords and begin his melee attacks, at which point you can begin the fight. At this point, if you're on horseback it should be safe to run away a bit and heal the chip damage from his arrow attacks.
  • If the player stays a far enough distance away, he will become unable to perform his arrow wall attack, making the opening sequence of the fight a lot easier. In terms of proximity, avoid going past the first 3 summon signs you see until one of them has had the opportunity to make Radahn switch to his Melee stance. After which you are fine to continue moving forward and collect the missing summon signs.
  • Otherwise, if you don't want to deal with Radahn's ranged attacks, there's also a way to prevent them altogether. As soon as you load into the arena, start running away in the opposite direction until Radahn's model is unloaded. When the model is no longer visible on screen, start heading back towards him; as he reappears, Radahn will automatically pull out the swords and will start approaching you in melee mode, giving you more than enough time to safely buff or summon the phantoms without the arrows bothering you.
• Almost all of Radahn's ranged attacks, including his magic arrow and both of his magic rock and sphere projectiles will likely kill in one hit. The magic arrows are best dodged with i-frames or blocked. The magic rocks and magic spheres can be dodged with i-frames or by sprinting perpendicularly to Radahn on Torrent.
• Radahn is extremely weak to Scarlet Rot. Inflicting it on him once will bring him down to half health in a short time. Inflicting it on him again near the start of the second phase will kill him in a short time. By far the easiest way to win the fight is to hit him with Rotten Breath, which will require two successful hits to inflict Scarlet Rot.
• Suggested weapon: Antspur Rapier (DEX/ARC)

Melee Users

Phase 1: 100% HP

In the first phase of the battle, Radahn moves around quickly on horseback, making it challenging to land consistent hits. Fast weapons with bleed effects, such as the Uchigatana, Bloodhound's Fang, or Hookclaws, are particularly effective. The summoned NPCs will often draw Radahn’s attention, allowing you to land several chain attacks. Bleed builds up quickly, dealing significant damage, but be cautious when Radahn's health drops to around 75%. At this point, he'll clang his two Greatswords together and slam them into the ground, creating a short window for one or two more attacks. Afterward, he pulls the swords out and slams them back down, triggering a gravity magic attack that pulls in and stuns everyone nearby before dealing heavy damage.

Phase 1.5: 75% HP

In Phase 1.5, Radahn gains a few new ranged attacks, but the fight remains similar to the first phase. Some NPCs may die, but they can be re-summoned after a short cooldown. Watch out for his rush attacks, and continue dealing damage in small bursts, retreating to heal on horseback when necessary.

Phase 2: 50% HP

During Phase 2, Radahn leaps into the air and seemingly vanishes, giving you a brief moment to heal and re-summon fallen allies. However, keep an eye on the sky, as he will come crashing back down like a fiery meteor. This can be dodged on horseback, but getting hit will likely result in instant death. Upon landing, Radahn summons four boulders that surround him and shoot toward you at high speed, potentially insta-killing you if you're not using a Greatshield. These boulders fire just before he uses his drill attack.

For the rest of the fight, focus on re-summoning NPCs, as it’s too risky to engage Radahn directly. Many of his attacks deal heavy damage, so only strike when you see a clear opportunity. Radahn has three different AoE attacks to watch for: Gravitas Pull, which has a massive range and can pull you toward him (though it can be dodged); Gravitas Wave, where he jumps into the air and slams down, releasing a massive energy wave in a cone (which can be rolled through or jumped over on horseback); and Drill Blades, where he spins toward you at high speed, dealing heavy damage (which can be rolled through with good timing).

Magic and Ranged Users

Rock Sling with the Meteorite Staff is a viable strategy, 3-4 shots can bring Radahn to his knees. Beware of his impressive range, Radahn can close any distance between him and you in seconds. Keeping him at the very edge of your range is a crucial part of fighting him. As long as there are NPC to distract him, the fight is not too hard.

Loretta's Greatbow can also be very effective while on horseback, although it does take much longer to cast. Magic Glintblade is a safer, faster alternative, but be wary that overzealous casting can trap you in your casting animation, leaving you easy prey for Radahn.

It is recommended to avoid using Thops' Barrier. It will reduce the damage of certain magical attacks, but will still force the player prone after the attack, leading to Radahn almost definitely killing the player anyways. Thops' Barrier will not work what-so-ever on the arrows, and his multi-Gravitas will deal less damage but leave the player prone. It is currently unknown if Thops' Barrier has any effect on Radahn's quad-Rock Sling attack.

Alternative Strategies

Rotten Breath: Two fully charged casts of Rotten Breath will drain 100% of Radahn's HP, he is extremely vulnerable to this incantation. Use Torrent since it can be cast on horseback. The tricky part is timing it properly so that the cloud makes full contact and doesn't miss. The best opening is when he pauses, either during an animation or after finishing his combo, and is about to be hit by a summon. Time your cast to make contact just after he gets hit by a summon, this causes him to focus the summon and not you. Once the full cast hits, you'll know he's rotted by the HP bar ticking down and seeing the brown cloud. The rot persists through his phase change, so wait for it to run out entirely before casting again. Using Godrick's Great Rune and Two Fingers Heirloom gives all classes the proper stats. One fully charged cast of Rotten Breath costs 104 FP so be sure to have the necessary FP.

Horseback cheese: Radahn is a unique shardbearer boss for two reasons. One, allies from the festival can be summoned an unlimited number of times. Two, Torrent can be used in the arena. These mechanics can be cheesed to make this fight relatively easy. Radahn has a high number of melee and AoE strikes, but not many ranged attacks. By using summons to keep him busy, you can ride around hitting him with projectiles causing poison, bleed, or other ailments to chunk down his HP. If you keep a safe distance and watch your recovery time, it's possible to avoid all his attacks by sprinting. As your allies get killed off, find their signs to resummon them. Their signs will typically appear on the peaks of the sand dunes. So long as you keep summoning and remain at a distance, you shouldn't have much trouble with this fight. Rinse and repeat the process until he eventually dies.

Starscourge Radahn Notes & Trivia

• Upon release, Radahn's boss fight was substantially critized by fans, who took issue with his huge hitboxes, high damage, and the speed of his moveset; many deemed Radahn as an unfair boss. As a result Radahn was nerfed in Patch 1.03, with his hitboxes corrected but also lowering his damage. The nerf was partially reversed in Patch 1.03.03, with the damage restored but his hitboxes remaining corrected.
• His military rank is "General". According to the game files, his horse's name is Leonard. He learned gravity magic in order not to impair his steed, now that he had grown too large to properly ride it. While preparing his Meteor Crash attack, Leonard is pushed underground.
• Starscourge Radahn's poise is the highest raw value of that type in Elden Ring (excluding Spirit Ashes).
  • However, is effective poise is at the same level, as there is no poise-damage reduction multiplier. In terms of "effective poise", value attributed to Radahn is not the highest.
• According to Fromsoft, Starscourge Radahn is placed 5th place in most fought boss gaining 139 million attempts - Elden Ring Stats Reveal How Many Times Players Attempted Malenia

Starscourge Radahn Attacks & Counters

Attack	Description	Counter
Gravity Arrow	While at a long range, Radahn will charge his arrows with gravity magic, before firing it. The arrow itself home onto you, and can deal enough damage to knock you off of Torrent. He will usually target the player with this attack.	Dodge accordingly. You can use the terrain or obstacles to block the arrows if needed.
Radahn's Rain	While at a long range, Radahn will draw back his bow and fire into the air, causing arrows to rain down from the sky, which track the player down.	Get onto Torrent and run perpendicular to him.
Scattering Shot	Radahn will draw his bow and fire a large spread of arrows. This attack is quite inaccurate, but can hit multiple targets.	Dodge as needed. You can use the terrain or obstacles to block the arrows if needed.
Savage Slams and Sweeps	Radahn will sometimes attack with semi random sweeps and slams. Most of the time these will be isolated, but he can chain them together up to (typically) a chain of 4.	These attacks are slow and predictable. Dodge them in isolation. If he chains 2 slams together, it means he will chain 2 more after. If you notice this, dodge towards him. You are safe under him until he finishes the chain. Get a few free hits in and dodge away when his chain is done.
Double Slam	Radahn will jump with both blades above his head and slam them down together.	His attack down is faster than expected. It is better to dodge early rather than later. This heavy attack can do heavy damage since you will be hit by both blades. You can either dodge away freely or can dodge towards him for extra damage. It will take Radahn some time to recover from this attack.
Dive Attack	Radahn roars with his blades at his side. He then dives forward, swinging twice slowly, then 3 times in quick succession and ending with a ground sweep.	Dodge the first slam early and the second slam late. Dodge his next 3 attacks in a similar manner. The sweep can be avoided by rolling or by being too close to Radahn. Alternatively, you can dodge or run towards him and stand under his feet. From here you cannot be hit and can get free greed damage. Try to stay on his right side, as his final sweep can damage you. The wind of his final sweep can damage you as well, so dodge it and get out from under him. After phase 1.5, on the final sweep make sure to either be far enough behind him that the gravity wave will miss you or be far enough away to give yourself time to dodge it.
Gravity Step	While close to Radahn, his foot will surge with gravity energy. 0.25 seconds later he will quickly step back and sweep everything that was close to where he was standing.	This attack is dangerous when you are close. Watch for when gravity surges through his leg and immediately dodge. When he makes his wide swing, either dodge towards him to get extra greed damage, or dodge away for safety.
Quick Swings	Radahn will build up with both blades on his right side. His left arm will be across his body, with the blade horizontal with his shoulder. His right arm will be vertical above his right shoulder with his right blade vertical above his head. After a 3 second build up, he will sweep with his left blade followed by a slam with his right. He will immediately sweep back with his left blade from the other side with no delay. He will pause for 0.5 seconds with both his blades on his right side. He will spin with a wide swing of both blades on opposite sides of himself, traveling a large distance. Finally after 0.5 seconds, he will spin with both blades close together on his right.	It is possible to stand below Radahn to avoid these attacks, but it is very dangerous, especially after phase 1.5. It is more consistent to avoid his attacks. Be patient during his build up. Dodge left through his first sweep. He should miss you with the immediate slam. Instantly dodge back to the right into his second sweep. Wait 0.5 seconds for his double sweep. Dodge through it to the left. Wait 0.5 seconds again for his final sweep. If you dodge to your front right, you will end close to him and you can get a few free hits in. If you dodge back left of his final attack, you will have a moment to heal if needed.
Forward Slam	While close to Radahn, he will sometimes lay both of his blades on top of each other in front of his face and slam forward.	Radahn will use this to punish greedy attacks. While right next to him, if you see him lean back with his blades in front of his face, immediately dodge. He will take a moment to recover from this attack. Either dodge forward to get some greedy damage, or dodge away to recompose.
Chasing Slash	Radahn will begin to chase and circle around you while he is close. Depending on which way he is circling you, his one blade will be trailing him. After a long build up, he will make a wide swing.	It is very easy to panic roll during this attack. When you notice him chasing you with one of his blades trailing, count 3 seconds and dodge.
Quick Spin	Radahn will make 2 spins with quick sweeps all around him. While spinning, he will move quickly and typically move away from you.	Stay away from this attack, as it can stunlock and lead you to an early death.
Cragblade(Phase 1.5)	Radahn will move to stand in front of you and clash his blades together. After he will slam straight down and burry his blades in the ground. Gravity will start to surge through his body and blades. When he pulls his blades out of the ground, they will be covered with rocks, causing them to deal extra damage. He will then gain a few new moves after this.	Use this opportunity to hit him a few times or heal. He will usually do Starcaller Cry immediately after this transition.
Starcaller Cry	Radahn will cross his swords and release a mighty roar, causing everything around him to be pulled in, similar to Gravitas. He may also do a follow-up, where he slams his swords down in front of him, causing an explosion.	Riding on Torrent will either knock you down, or simply deal damage. If you do get pulled in, make sure to immediately get behind him to avoid the follow-up attack.
Cross Dive	Only after phase 1.5, Radahn will run away roaring on his horse. He will turn to face you and charge with both his blades crossed in front of him. When he gets close he will jump up and dive down quickly. A gravity wave will erupt from him. After phase 2, if he has his meteors up, he will send those to attack	Do not try to dodge through the dive. During his charge and jump, run away. After the dive, dodge through the gravity wave when it reaches you. If meteors are up, dodge side to side as he charges.
Gravity Waves	Only after phase 1.5, Radahn will charge his attacks with gravity magic. At the end of attack chains when he does this, he will send out a wave of gravity magic. He will do this on 3 different attacks. As the last part of his cross dive, as the final sweep of his dive attack, and as a stand alone attack where he digs into the earth before sending the wave	After phase 1.5, you need to be less greedy and watch for this. It can be deadly if too close but easy to dodge when far enough away. If possible, get onto Torrent and double jump over the wave. Otherwise, it is easier to jump over instead of dodging through it.
Collapsing Stars	Only after phase 1.5, Radahn will slam his swords on the ground, sending out a pulse of gravity magic around himself in a dome. Multiple gravity orbs will then appear. After a short delay, they will start flying towards you. If they hit, they will drag you closer to Radahn.	Dodge as needed or run perpendicular to him on Torrent. Getting hit by even one can cause you to get hit by the rest, which will also bring you closer to Radahn, giving him an opportunity to hit you with melee. If you are on foot, just dodge to the sides.
Meteor Crash (Phase 2)	Radahn slams his swords on the ground, before leaping into the air. After a delay, Radahn will fly back into the arena, crashing back to the ground in a glorious explosion. Radahn will use this move when transitioning into phase 2, and every three minutes after that.	Heal up as needed. You have a long time here. When you hear the roaring of his flames, look for him. He tends to be in the direction you were facing when he jumped. Ride Torrent perpendicular as soon as the sky goes red and you see Radahn entering the arena. This will likely kill any NPCs remaining, so make sure to go out of your way to re-summon them.
Meteor Summon	Only after phase 2. Radahn will slam both blades into the ground. After some build up, he will pull his blades out of the ground and 4 meteors will be flying around him. He may release these to fly at his target at any time.	Be prepared to dodge once the meteors are released. They will curved in an arc to catch you. Getting off of Torrent and dodging them can help.
Spiralling Death	Only after phase 2, Radahn will quickly move back and hover in the air. He will then begin spinning like a drill while charging at his targets twice in a row.	Dodge to the sides or use Torrent and run away.