You just took down the biggest, meanest gravity-slinging general in Caelid. Starscourge Radahn is dead. The festival is over, the stars are moving again, and you're standing on a beach covered in massive arrows with a weird, glowing item in your inventory called the Remembrance of the Starscourge.
Now what?
Honestly, this is the moment where a lot of Elden Ring players freeze up. It’s a huge trophy. It represents one of the most cinematic boss fights in the history of FromSoftware. But in the Lands Between, sentimentality doesn't keep you alive; gear does. You have a choice to make: do you eat the soul for a quick injection of 40,000 Runes, or do you head back to the Roundtable Hold to see Enia the Finger Reader?
If you're new to the game, 40,000 Runes sounds like a fortune. It's several levels. It’s tempting. But trust me, you'll regret popping that Remembrance for pocket change. Runes are infinite; the unique power of a demigod is not.
The Twin Choices of the Starscourge
When you talk to Enia, she offers you two distinct items in exchange for the Remembrance of the Starscourge. You can't have both—at least not yet. You have to choose between the Starscourge Greatswords and the Lion Guardians' Greatbow.
Both are Strength-based powerhouses.
The Starscourge Greatswords are legendary. They are unique "paired" weapons. This means when you two-hand them, you don’t just hold one sword with two hands; you pull out a second identical massive slab of gravity-infused steel. It’s a dual-wield setup for the price of one weapon's weight. That is incredibly efficient for your equipment load.
Then there’s the bow. It’s huge. It shoots Greatarrows that look like spears. If you’ve spent the last twenty minutes getting sniped by Radahn from across the desert, you know exactly how much damage this thing can do. It’s the ultimate "revenge" weapon.
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Why the Greatswords are the Real Winner
Let’s talk about the Starscourge Greatswords. They scale primarily with Strength and Intelligence. Don't let the Intelligence requirement scare you off if you're a pure "bonk" build. You only need 15 Int. That’s a small investment for what you get in return.
The weapon skill, Starcaller Cry, is arguably one of the best crowd-control moves in the game. You clash the swords together, create a massive gravitational pull that yanks every enemy in a wide radius toward you, and then you follow up with a second input to slam the swords down for a massive explosion.
It’s satisfying. It’s loud. It clears entire rooms of annoying imps or soldiers in seconds.
However, there is a catch. These swords are heavy. Like, "ruin your roll" heavy. They weigh 20.0 units. If you haven't been leveling your Endurance, you're going to be fat-rolling the second you put these on. You have to commit to the bit. You aren't just a warrior; you're a walking mountain.
The Greatbow: Niche but Necessary?
The Lion Greatbow is a bit more specialized. Its skill, Radahn's Rain, is basically a localized airstrike. You fire an arrow into the sky, and a flurry of Greatarrows rains down on the target.
If you are fighting a massive boss—think Dragons or the Elden Beast—this skill is a nightmare for them. Their large hitboxes catch every single falling arrow. But for everyday exploration? It’s kind of a pain. It’s slow. It uses expensive ammo.
Most people I talk to pick the swords first. It’s just more practical for the 90% of the game where you aren't fighting a dragon.
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Can You Get Both?
You might be wondering if you can cheat the system. The answer is yes.
Walking Mausoleums are those giant, four-legged stone buildings with bells clanging underneath them. If you find one with a bell, you can "duplicate" the Remembrance of the Starscourge even if you've already spent it.
I’ve seen players waste their duplications on early-game bosses like Godrick. Don't do that. Radahn's items are top-tier. If you like the swords but think you might want that bow for a specific boss later, find a Mausoleum in the Weeping Peninsula or Liurnia and get your second copy.
It’s worth noting that even if you use the Remembrance for runes, you can still duplicate it later at a Mausoleum to get the items. The game remembers you earned it.
The Math: Is 40,000 Runes Ever the Right Choice?
Let's get analytical.
By the time you beat Radahn, you're likely level 50 to 70. At that stage, 40,000 Runes is maybe one or two levels.
Compare that to the Starscourge Greatswords. To get a weapon with that much "stance break" potential and an AoE (Area of Effect) that large, you’d usually have to wait until the very end of the game. The utility of the weapon far outweighs the temporary boost of a few levels.
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In the late game, you can farm 40,000 Runes in about 30 seconds at Mohgwyn Palace. You can't farm a Remembrance.
Common Misconceptions About Radahn's Gear
I hear this a lot: "The swords are bad because they split damage between Physical and Magic."
This is an old-school Dark Souls worry. In Elden Ring, split damage is much more viable. Yes, the enemy’s resistances are applied twice, but the raw numbers on the Starscourge Greatswords are so high that it rarely matters. Plus, gravity damage deals extra poise damage to flying enemies. Seeing a giant bat or a dragon-hawk get yanked out of the sky by your sword is a high you won't get from a standard claymore.
Another mistake? Thinking you need a high-level Mage build to use them. You don't. The magic damage scales with Intelligence, but the physical "chunk" of the hit scales beautifully with Strength. Most of your damage comes from the physical hit anyway. Think of the magic as a spicy bonus.
Strategic Next Steps for Your Build
If you’ve just picked up the Remembrance of the Starscourge, here is exactly what you should do to make the most of it:
- Check your stats immediately. If you don't have 38 Strength and 15 Intelligence, you can't use the swords effectively. If you're close, it's worth the grind. If you're a Dex build, just hold onto the Remembrance or trade it for the bow to use as a utility tool for knocking enemies off ledges.
- Visit the Roundtable Hold. Talk to Enia. Look at the items. Even if you don't buy them yet, seeing the stat requirements helps you plan your next five levels.
- Find a Bell Bearing for Smithing Stones. You’re going to need Somber Smithing Stones to upgrade these. Radahn's weapons use the Somber path, which is actually easier to max out early than the standard path. You can get these swords to +6 or +7 relatively quickly if you know where the Iji the Blacksmith is in Liurnia.
- Test the weight. Put on the swords and see if you’re still "Medium" rolling. If you’re "Heavy," take off some armor or put on the Great-Jar's Arsenal talisman. Fat-rolling with these swords is a death sentence because their swing speed is already slow. You need that mobility.
The Starscourge Remembrance isn't just loot. It’s a turning point for your character. Whether you choose to pull the stars from the sky with the swords or rain death from afar with the bow, you're now playing with the big boys. Use it wisely.