There are dozens of fearsome bosses to overcome in Elden Ring, but none measure up to the handful of Shardbearers you fight. This includes the imposing Starscourge Radahn, a boss that you might come across quite early in the region of Caelid, depending on how much you’ve explored. Technically Radahn is an optional boss, as beating him isn’t required to get into Leyndell, Royal Capital, which is where the main story brings you. Still, it’s one of the most exciting and challenging battles of the entire game, and if you’re looking to overcome Radahn we’ll help walk you through the difficult boss in Elden Ring.
Deciding your loadout for Starscourge Radahn
Radahn’s fight is drastically different from anything else in Elden Ring as it almost functions like a raid boss, letting you summon a variety of different NPCs for assistance. First off, it’s recommended you don’t try to defeat Radahn until after you’ve completed the capital. It’s an incredibly difficult battle, and all the levels/equipment you can get will help.
When you enter the courtyard of Castle Redmane you can talk to all of the collaborators that you can summon, but the key to success is using the two optional collaborators that can join you. The first is Iron Fist Alexander, a giant pot warrior who can be found in Northern Stormhill near Saintsbridge. Find Alexander and use a giant weapon to hit his back and free him; then you’ll need to find him again in Gael Tunnel, which is on the border of Caelid and Limgrave. After you’ve done both of those he’ll appear at Redmane Castle.
The second extra NPC is Blaidd the Wolfman, a major character in Ranni’s questline. To start said questline you’ll need to go to Caria Manor at the Northwest edge of Liurnia of the Lakes. Getting through the manor will lead you to Ranni’s Rise, where eventually she’ll ask you to help Blaidd. This will help you find Siofra River Well, and once you’ve beaten that area, Blaidd will ask you to help him in a tournament at Redmane Castle, causing him to appear there.
Now as for your actual setup, unless your character is entirely focused on magic you’ll want to choose equipment that gives you the highest defense and damage output. If you have any talismans that boost magic resistance, you should equip those, and it’s also a good idea to equip the Lance Talisman if you have it, which increases horseback damage.
Because Radahn is a human character, you can take advantage of blood loss, so if you have any blood Ashes of War put those on your weapon to turn it into a blood type. Switch all of your flasks to health restoration, unless you’re a magic-focused class. Once you’re ready, talk to the castle crier at Redmane Castle to head to the boss arena.
Starscourge Radahn phase one strategy
Radahn is a massive enemy that fights on horseback, and when you spawn in the arena you’ll see him far-off in the distance on top of a hill. The boss will fire massive magic arrows at you, and getting hit by even one can easily take off half your health. As mentioned earlier, the key to this battle lies in summoning NPCs, and as soon as the fight starts, run straight ahead to the first yellow summoning signs you see. Also note the piles of weapons littered around the arena, as you can hide behind these to block one arrow.
For the first part of this battle, you’ll want to focus on avoiding arrows while summoning all of the signs you see. Once your collaborators have gotten close to Redahn, he’ll shoot a rain of arrows that hone in on you, so keep moving once it gets close. After the collaborators start attacking, the boss will switch to melee, at which point you can move in. While you’re certainly free to fight Radahn on foot we’d recommend sticking on horseback as it gives you better mobility.
The key to beating Radahn is patience, and as the collaborators attack him, keep your distance and circle around to his back. You’ll want to watch for gaps in the boss’ attack pattern and ride in close to attack Radahn’s back during those. If you’re a ranged build, you can pepper him with shots from a distance.
The problem is that your collaborators are going to die fairly quickly, but the good news is that their summon signs will appear again after a few seconds. Alternate between attacking and respawning collaborators, to make sure you have help at all times. If you find yourself all by yourself, you’ll have a hell of a time. Also keep an eye out for when Radahn plunges his swords into the ground and it glows purple, as he’s about to use a gravity spell that can suck you in.
Once you’ve depleted half the boss’ health he’ll leap up into the air. At this point look up into the sky to see Radahn hurtling down like a comet. Ride in the opposite direction of where the boss is coming down as if he hits you it can be an instant kill. Once Radahn is on the ground again the second phase starts.
Starscourge Radahn phase two strategy
Radahn’s second phase is largely similar to the first, but he’ll start adding in some magic attacks. One of these attacks sees Radahn quickly hit the ground, then launching a series of purple orbs directly at you. It’s generally easy to dodge or ride out of the way, but the more difficult to dodge attacks involve the comets hovering around the boss. It’s possible the boss will launch the comets at an NPC, but make sure to keep a lock on Radahn at all times in case he launches them at you. The comets do massive damage, so if they come your way try and dodge or speed your mount up to get out of the way.
There are two other main attacks to watch out for with the rest of the fight. At some point, Radahn will enchant his weapons turning them purple, which means he’s going to do extra magical damage. It’s vital that you try and avoid any attacks at this point. While his weapons are purple, at some point, he’ll leap into the air and quickly come back down, sending out a giant purple shockwave. To avoid this attack, run all the way to the left or right of the boss to get out of the blast zone.
With all of this in mind, keep summoning collaborators, attacking the boss, and backing off to heal when needed. If Radahn targets you directly, it’s best to ride around and try to summon allies until someone else takes his attention, at which point you can circle back and attack his back.
Of course, it should also be said if you simply can’t beat Radahn don’t be afraid to leave and explore elsewhere to raise your stats. Be patient and take your time, and eventually, you’ll be able to overcome Starscourge Radahn, one of the hardest bosses in all of Elden Ring.
