You’ve come this far! After defeating Godfrey, it’s finally time to venture through the Earth Tree doors. Appropriately for a game that punishes as consistently as Elden Ring, the “final boss” is actually two bosses in a row. The first you will encounter in the smoldering chest is Radagon of the Golden Order, the other half is Queen Marika, and the second is Elden Lord.
Like all the toughest fights in From Software games, defeating Radagon will require patience, focus, and – most likely – a few dies. Learning the attack patterns and getting used to it is more important here than in any other fight in the game, as you’ll be thrown straight into the next boss arena with no chance to rest after defeating him. Here’s everything you need to get out of Elden Lord on the other side.
What you should know before you go inside
In order to reach Radagon you will have to defeat many of the toughest bosses in the game, so of course you should be at a high level when you reach him. To make the experience as painless as possible, aim to be around level 150 and invest at least 40 points in Vigor to avoid a one-shot.
Going into battle with a leveled up necromancy can make a big difference. You want something strong enough to pull aggro and survive a few hits from Radagon while you regroup and refill HP. As usual, Mimic Tear Ash is a reliable pick, even after the nerf. (Note: if your Necromancer dies here, she won’t be around to help with the follow-up boss. If you feel safe, you can take on Radagon on your own and hold your summon back).
Many of Radagon’s attacks deal Holy damage, so consider stocking up on Holy Fortified Dried Livers or equipping Divine Fortress Incantations before heading inside. In addition, as a god boss, he is clearly vulnerable to godskin magic. Black Flame Summons can be of great help if you have the confidence to use them.
How to defeat Radagon
Luckily, most of Radagon’s attacks are fairly well telegraphed, even if they deal massive damage on landing. Some of his attacks can be effectively blocked with the right shield, but for the most part you’re better off rolling your way through combat. He’s easier to stagger than you might think, so always be ready to land a critical hit.
It takes a moment for him to notice you when you first enter the arena. Take advantage of his Vulnerable state to unleash a free attack or two. Here are all the moves to watch out for in phase one:
First phase
- A strong backswing followed by an AOE explosion. When he turns his hammer back and he starts glowing golden, get ready to roll after him. After he swings, the ground in front of him will glow golden and explode a few seconds later. Stay behind him and land a few hits while he recovers.
- A two-handed punch. His hammer will glow golden and he will raise it above his head before bringing it down, creating an AOE blast around him. Just roll through to avoid damage.
- A grab attack. Once his arm starts to glow golden, get ready to dodge the grabber a few seconds later. Deal some damage while he recovers.
- A Lightning Spear Summon. Dodge the bolt as it hurls it at you, then quickly back off some distance as it will get stuck in the ground and explode a moment later.
- Sometimes he will fire five smaller bolts at you at once. Dodge through these.
- If you stray too far, he will often close the distance by flying at you with a sweeping attack. Be prepared to dodge this if your strategy involves ranged weapons or spells.
The rest of his attacks in phase one should be easy to avoid with a little practice. Block or dodge his hammer swings and roll sideways out of the way of his forward stompers.
Once you’ve removed about a third of his health bar, he’ll add some new devastating attacks to his repertoire. In particular, pay attention to the following:
second phase
- A stomp followed by a leap attack. He will start phase two with this turn every time. Jump over the blast as he stomps down. He then leaps into the air, hovers in place for a few seconds, and finally comes down for an AOE blast. The timing can be a bit tricky here, but just roll through when he hits the ground to avoid taking damage.
- He’ll start teleporting and disappear for about half a second before reappearing in a flash (usually right in front of your face). When he reappears, roll back to the right to avoid damage.
- A massive shockwave AOE. He will knock down his hammer three times and send huge shockwaves at you. You can roll through them fairly easily, but keep your distance; You’re guaranteed to take damage if you get too close. His recovery time is considerable after that, so be ready for some quick hits.
It will take some practice to get the timing of these moves down. Don’t get greedy, stay reactive and you’ll have his health bar down to zero in no time. Hope you managed to salvage some vials because you’re only halfway through the final battle of the game! It’s now time to take on the Elden Beast.
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