After battling the Demigods and other monstrous enemies throughout The Lands Between, you have finally made it to the very end. Now you find yourself up against Radagon of the Golden Order, who proves himself worthy of his spot as final boss by having a moveset that will punish players who have not perfected Elden Ring’s mechanics.
This boss also contains 2 phases, both having large health pools, high resistances, immunity to certain damage types, and status effects that will make some players’ builds completely unviable. This guide will show you the most effective way to take this boss down.
Radagon/Elden Beast Overview
Your journey through The Lands Between has been guiding you to this climactic final battle. Throughout the game, you have been provided with weapons, spells, and incantations that will help make this fight a lot easier for you.
As mentioned in the previous section, this boss consists of 2 phases, but unlike other 2-phase bosses, such as Malenia, Radagon and the Elden Beast’s movesets are practically night and day. So you should ready yourself to memorize both movesets to arise victorious from this battle.
Radagon/Elden Beast Location
After defeating Maliketh, you will be treated to a cutscene of the Erdtree burning. After the cutscene ends, you will find yourself back at Leyndell, but the entire city is filled with ash. Head directly southwest from the Site of Grace until you find stairs that lead to an elevator. Sir Gideon Ofnir will be waiting for you at the top of that elevator. Make quick work of him and progress forward.
To fight Radagon, you will have to defeat Godfrey, who guards the entrance to the Erdtree.
Once Godfrey is defeated, prepare yourself for the final battle.
A key factor in this fight is having patience. Throughout this fight, various moves tend to send players into a dodge spamming frenzy, but you have to keep your cool and wait for the perfect time to dodge. There are times when you might feel that certain moves are unfair, but we will show you that with enough practice and strategy any move can be completely avoided.
Pre-fight Strategy
It would be foolish not to come prepared for this legendary fight. The following tips must be implemented to ensure a somewhat fair fight.
Upgrading your Crimson and Cerulean Tear flasks
First things first; try to have as many flasks as possible and make sure that they are upgraded. You can do this by acquiring Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears.
Golden Seeds allow players to increase the charges in their Crimson and Cerulean flasks. These seeds can be found under small golden trees, spread all across The Lands Between. They can also be obtained by defeating Ulcerated Tree Spirits.
Create a powerful buff
Found at the Third Church of Marika, The Flask of Wondrous Physick is completely customizable. To be able to customize the effects of your flask, you will have to find all kinds of different tears that each grant different effects. The location of these tears can vary, but the majority of these tears can be found at the minor Erdtrees.
Make sure the tears that you equip to your flask help improve your build or help you out of a tough situation. For example, combining the Magic-Shrouding Crystal Tear and the Cerulean Hidden Tear will provide intelligence builds with an insanely powerful buff that gives them unlimited focus points as well as greatly boosting the damage of their sorceries.
For players looking to improve their chances of survival in this fight, there are other choices such as the Opaline Bubbletear that heavily negates damage for one hit.
Bleed and holy damage disadvantage
Players that are using bleed or faith builds watch out! Both Radagon and The Elden Beast are entirely immune to blood loss build-up and holy damage. This may seem incredibly discouraging, but fear not, this guide will provide you with multiple solutions to this.
Making the case for Rivers of Blood
Rivers of Blood is the viable option for this fight if you have some points invested in dexterity and arcane. What makes Rivers of Blood a great weapon against Radagon is the fact that it deals fire damage, which is one of Radagon’s few weaknesses, You can obtain this weapon after defeating Bloody Finger Okina at The Mountaintop of The Giants.
Using the Blasphemous Blade
Blasphemous Blade is an amazing weapon for those rocking a Faith build. You’ll obtain the weapon after defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy at Volcano Manor. The Blasphemous Blade, like Rivers of Blood, also deals fire damage and its Ash of War is a fast-traveling line of fire that deals explosive damage. With the right build, this weapon will shred Radagon and the Elden Beast to pieces.
Due to Radagon’s weakness to fire damage, the Blasphemous Blade’s Ash of War “Takers Flames” will carve chunks out of his health bar as well as heal you for a percentage of your health bar on successful hits (10% of your max hp + 150 flat hp). This weapon serves perfectly offensively and defensively combined with the fact that it is a greatsword it does not need to rely on its ash of war to consistently put out good damage.
To further improve your damage output with a Blasphemous Blade Build, players can equip several talismans that will turn this greatsword into a god-slaying armament. This guide will provide you with a list of talismans that compliment the Blasphemous Blade’s ash of war and also boosts the damage of your incantations.
- Fire Scorpion Charm: The Fire Scorpion Charm increases a player’s fire damage by 12%, but also increases the physical damage they take by 10%. Fortunately for you, Radagon and the Elden Beast do mostly holy damage, so you will not be feeling the drawback from this talisman too greatly. The Fire Scorpion Charm can be found at the top of Fort Laiedd within Mt. Gelmir.
- Shard Of Alexander: The Shard Of Alexander increases the power of skills (ashes of war) by 15%, and combining the Shard Of Alexander with the Fire Scorpion Charm allows Taker’s Flames to get damage boost of 27%! To receive the Shard Of Alexander you do have to complete Alexander’s questline which is a bit lengthy but the reward is well worth it. Alexander’s questline can be done even after beating the game so do not worry about accidentally skipping it.
- Flock’s Canvas: Flocks’s Canvas greatly raises the potency of incantations by 8%, using fire incantations will be a great way to implement this talisman into your build. Unfortunately, this is another talisman that is tied to a questline, this time being Millicent’s, but to get this talisman you do not have to do the questline in its entirety. You can start Millicent’s questline at the Church of Rot in Caelid, after Millicent has moved to the Windmill Heights site of grace in the Altus Plateau players can now kill her in order to obtain Flock’s Canvas. After Millicent is slain, go pay a visit to Sage Gowry located in Gowry’s Shack within Caelid, kill Gowry and the talisman is all yours.
- Claw Talisman: The Claw Talisman increases jump attack damage by 15%. With the Blasphemous Blade being a greatsword it means that apart from your Ash of War your only other reliable way to strike Radagon and the Elden Beast with your weapon is with a jump attack. Although you can easily make it past Radagon by simply using Taker’s Flames, Elden Beast’s moveset makes it hard to land those Taker’s Flames, and that is where your jump attacks will come in handy. Elden Beast is weak to physical damage, so the Blasphemous Blade’s jump attacks will be crucial in the second phase. The Claw Talisman can be found at Stormveil Castle by jumping onto the rooftop directly ahead of the Rampart Tower Site of Grace.
Rebirth at Raya Lucaria
If neither of the above two weapons fit your style of play and you still find yourself struggling to take this boss down, there is always the ability to rebirth your character. Rebirthing allows players to redistribute their attribute points so they can change up their build whenever they feel the need to.
As mentioned in the previous section, faith builds are extremely powerful for this fight. However, if Incantations are not your style, a strength build will also do for this fight. To unlock the ability to rebirth, you must first have defeated Renalla at the academy of Raya Lucaria.
Infuse your weapons and equip Fire Grease
If you find yourself with no fire damage weapons or spells in your inventory, there are still two other ways you can apply fire damage to your weapons. Elden Ring, like many other Soulsborne titles, allows its players to infuse their weapons with all kinds of different attributes. These attributes determine what kind of damage your weapon does, ranging from heavy damage all the way to something like occult damage.
These weapon infusions can be performed by finding whetblades around the map. Red-Hot Whetblade, the one we will be focusing on in this guide, allows players to infuse their weapons with fire damage. The Red-Hot Whetblade can be found inside Redmane Castle, guarded by an Iron Maiden. Please remember that weapons that require Somber Smithing Stones to upgrade cannot be infused.
If you wish to maximize your fire damage, you can also apply fire grease to your weapon to give it a temporary fire damage buff. Fire grease can be found in many locations throughout, but it is most prominently found in Mt. Gelmir and the Volcano Manor.
If you wish to save yourself the lengthy trips though, finding the Armorer’s Cookbook in Limgrave will allow players to craft fire grease. Fire grease, much like infusions, cannot be used on weapons that require Somber Smithing Stones.
Using powerful Spirit Ashes
There are two Spirit Ash summons that will help you turn the tide of battle if you find yourself struggling to take this boss down by yourself. You will have to reach either the midway point or the end of Ranni’s questline, depending on which Ash you want to use.
This guide will break down both of these Spirit Ashes, so you can decide on which best fits your build/playstyle.
- Mimic Tear: The Mimic Tear is a reliable summon, considering that you summon a replica of yourself. But the Mimic Tear is inconsistent with their dodges, so you need to cover for them consistently. If you’re not, they will die before the second phase. Despite all their flaws, the Mimic Tear can put out good damage while tanking hits that would otherwise destroy players. Mimic Tear can be found in Nokro, Eternal City after using a Stonesword Key on the Imp Statue.
- Black Knife Tiche: Black Knife Tiche is capable of stacking copious amounts of damage on a single target. Tiche’s devastating projectiles work pretty similar to Maliketh’s slash projectiles, reducing the target’s maximum HP for a period of time while also reducing their current HP. Tiche also excels at dodging attacks; she has fast reactions as well as dodges that travel long distances. Combine that with the fact that she is immune to grabs and you have a summon who can truly hold her own. Black Knife Tiche can be found after defeating Black Knife Alecto in the Ringleader’s Evergaol, which can be found at the very end of Ranni’s questline.
Fight Strategy
Radagon – First Phase
When you finally enter the Erdtree through the glowing wall, a cutscene will play. When the cutscene ends, Radagon will be standing in the middle of the arena, not attacking for about two seconds. Take advantage of that timeframe to summon your Spirit Ash, apply buffs to yourself, or get some quick damage by casting a spell. Of course, you can’t do all of these in that small timeframe. So, pick your favorite.
Look for openings after Radagon’s attacks
After Radagon starts moving, stay on your toes as he will usually start the battle with a fast hammer strike. If successfully dodged, you can get a light attack in before Radagon’s next move. Radagon’s moveset, much like many other bosses in this game, varies from hugely delayed attacks to quick attacks that combo into each other.
Be very careful whenever you see Radagon’s hammer glow during an attack as this means that the attack will have an after-effect. With precise timing, you can dodge into the attack as he leaves himself open for you.
Be ready to dodge his projectile attacks
Radagon also has two ranged attacks that, like his other moves, vary from fast to delayed, but unlike his other moves, these ones are much better telegraphed. For his delayed attack, Radagon will jump up in the air, creating a bolt of light in his hand, and then fling it at the player.
The faster version of this attack is a bit harder to get a read on as he briefly brings his hand up to around his face, then sends forth three small bolts towards the player.
Know when to fire off your spells
Players who are using faith or intelligence builds should make the best use of their Spirit Ash summon because landing your spell damage can be very difficult if someone is not there to distract Radagon. Radagon also has a unique move that lets him parry sorceries and incantations and then retaliates with either a ranged attack or a grab, depending on how far the player is from him.
Radagon – Second Phase
After losing around half of his health bar, Radagon will enter a second phase. While there is no cutscene, he gains new attacks to add to his moveset. Aside from a couple of new moves, he is still the same Radagon that keeps his delayed and fast attacks.
Bait out his teleport attack
When Radagon enters this second phase, he will always start it off by teleporting either away or towards the player. His teleport is not telegraphed at all, so players should be careful approaching as the teleport does do damage and can hit twice if you are not careful.
The best approach to Radagon’s teleportation is to wait for him to be distracted trying to hit your Spirit Ash summon, but also remember to always be expecting his teleport.
Steer clear of Radagon’s lingering attacks
Radagon’s other move is not that big of a threat, but players should be wary of it nonetheless. This move consists of Radagon summoning a bolt, which he uses for a melee attack. This move is quite easy to avoid by simply rolling away and being aware of the bolt’s location.
Time your rolls perfectly to avoid Radagon’s final move
The last move he gains in this phase is by far his deadliest. Radagon will hold his hammer in the air for a good while before striking down three times. Like his glowing attacks, you will need precise timing to dodge both the initial and after-effect attacks. After his first swing Radagon follows up rather quickly with a second one then he goes back to delaying his third strike. The best method to completely avoid this move is to remain calm and memorize the timing of each strike.
Remember to use all types of fire damage that you have at your disposal as they will help you defeat Radagon quickly helping you save flasks for the Elden Beast.
The Elden Beast
After defeating Radagon, players will be taken to a cutscene introducing the second boss they will have to fight in succession to Radagon, who is already a tough boss in his own right. Not to mention that the Elden Beast has a vast moveset and it also moves throughout the fight.
Once you memorize the Elden Beast’s moves, it will be easier to avoid the majority of them.
Get behind the Elden Beast
Once the cutscene ends, the Elden Beast will be standing in front of you. After a couple of seconds, it will spew yellow flames directly in front of itself. You can use those couple of seconds, in the beginning, to run behind the Elden Beast and avoid the flames. Get some hit in while you’re at it.
After it finishes spewing out flames, the Elden Beast will dive underwater and get as far away from you as it can. Use this moment to summon your Spirit Ash and re-apply any buffs you used for Radagon.
Close the distance while dodging ranged attacks
From this point on, be ready to chase the Elden Beast across the boss arena while dodging its ranged attacks, followed up by his delayed sword swings.
When you see the Elden Beast’s sword start glowing while it is far away, it means you are about to have long-range slashes flying at you. To avoid these magical slashes, be ready for two fast swings followed by two delayed swings. Try to close the distance by dodging into the swings so you won’t be zoned out by the Elden Beast.
Another one of the Elden Beast’s very powerful ranged attacks consists of the Elden Beast pointing its wings upwards then launching a barrage of golden arrows through the air, then raining down on the player. These arrows also follow players for a short amount of time.
The best way to avoid these arrows is rather simple; simply run in circles. The arrows slow down when you run around in circles.
At about 60% health, the Elden Beast tends to go up in the air and create a ring around the player’s location that closes in on them and eventually explodes. This is another move that can be easily avoided.
If you are lucky, you will be in a good position for a counter after the explosion. Simply jump over the ring and try to follow the Elden Beast to its landing location. You should be able to land a few strikes with ease.
How to dodge Elden Stars?
This is the Elden Beast’s ultimate move, and it is considered so unfair by a majority of the player base that we had to provide a solution.
You will know the Elden Beast has started using Elden Stars when it runs its hand across its blade, gathering up a golden ball in its hand. Once the Elden Beast throws out this ball to pursue you, get as far away from it as you can before it inevitably catches up to you.
When it catches up to you, roll straight through it and keep running in the direction that you rolled in. The stars will not be able to keep chasing you directly as they have to do a complete turn to keep chasing you. Get a good amount of distance between you and the Elden Stars and prepare yourself for when they catch up again.
Elden Stars chase you for quite a long while, making the fight insanely difficult as you try to get out of harm’s way while also looking out for the Beast’s other attacks. Well, Elden Ring is unfair, just like life.
Equip Bloodhound’s Step
If you find yourself struggling to roll through Elden Stars, there is an Ash of war that will be your saving grace for this fight. The Bloodhound’s Step provides players with a much faster dodge. The Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War is dropped by the Night’s Calvary found in Lenne’s Rise, Caelid.
Rewards
Defeating Radagon and the Elden Beast rewards you with the following:-
- 500,000 Runes
- Sacred Relic Sword: One of the best faith build swords in the game. You should expect nothing less for slaying a God.
We hope that this guide will help you power through Radagon and the Elden Beast. Did we miss out on anything? Please let us know in the comments section.
