Look, let’s be real for a second. Most people walk into the Redmane Castle festival thinking they’re ready for a fight, only to get sniped by a purple gravity arrow from across the dunes before they even see a health bar. It's frustrating. It feels unfair. If you're trying to figure out how to beat Radahn, you aren't just fighting a boss; you’re fighting a literal force of nature that can turn into a meteor and flatten you in a single frame. This guy isn't Margit. He isn't Godrick. He’s a massive, gravity-manipulating general riding a horse named Leonard that—somehow—is still alive despite everything.
Getting Through the Gates
The hardest part of this fight isn't actually the swordplay. It's the approach. You start miles away. Radahn begins the encounter by firing Greatarrows infused with gravity magic. You have two real choices here: time your rolls perfectly or use the debris scattered around the battlefield as cover. Honestly, the debris is a trap. Those wooden barricades shatter after one hit, and if you’re caught behind one when the second shot comes, you're toast. I usually just watch the purple flash. When it flashes, you dodge. It’s a rhythm game at this point.
While you’re dodging for your life, you need to be spamming the summon signs on the ground. This is the "Festival" for a reason. You can bring in Blaidd, Alexander the Iron Fist, and even patches (though Patches, being Patches, will literally leave the fight immediately). These NPCs are your meat shields. Without them, Radahn focuses entirely on you, and that is a recipe for a very quick trip back to the Site of Grace.
The Best Way to Beat Radahn Right Now
If you want the "honest" win, you're going to be staying close to his horse's backside. Radahn’s moveset is designed to punish people who stay at medium range. His dual Greatswords have a reach that defies logic. However, if you can get under him, he has a much harder time hitting you with those sweeping horizontal slashes. This is where the fight becomes a chaotic mess of fur, steel, and sand.
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Scarlet Rot is Your Best Friend
There’s a bit of lore-accurate irony here. Radahn is already dying from Scarlet Rot because of Malenia. If you want to end this fight fast, use it against him. Many players swear by the Rotten Stray Ashes (if you're playing offline/solo) or, more effectively, the Rot Breath incantation. You can pick up Rot Breath at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in southern Caelid for a single Dragon Heart.
Basically, you ride in on Torrent, wait for the summons to take his aggro, and blast him with the rot breath until the status effect procs. Once his health starts ticking down, you just back off. Run away. Let the rot do the heavy lifting while you focus on staying alive. It feels a bit cheesy, sure, but in a game where the boss can summon four massive purple gravity orbs that track you through space and time, I say play dirty.
Handling the Second Phase Meteor
When Radahn hits roughly 50% health, he disappears. Do not stand still. Do not look for him in the sand. Look at the sky. He’s going to come screaming back down as a flaming meteor. If he hits you, you die. Period. There is no surviving that hit unless you’ve pumped 60 points into Vigor and you’re wearing the heaviest armor in the game, and even then, why risk it?
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The best strategy is to hop on Torrent and ride perpendicular to his flight path. As soon as he lands, the second phase truly begins. This is when he starts using his more aggressive gravity pulls. If he pulls you in, don't panic. Roll backward immediately. If you stay in front of him during the second phase, he’ll do a slam attack that sends out a wave of gravity energy. It’s fast. It’s mean.
Weapons and Gear That Actually Work
You don’t need a specific build to win, but some things definitely make it easier.
- Bleed Builds: Using something like the Uchigatana or the Bloodhound’s Fang is great because Radahn has a massive health pool. Percentage-based damage from Hemorrhage makes the fight go by significantly faster.
- Heavy Shields: If you aren't great at dodging, a Greatshield with high physical defense can save you, but watch your stamina. His hits are heavy. If he breaks your guard, the follow-up will kill you.
- Magic Users: Use Rock Sling. It deals physical damage and has great range. Just keep your distance and keep re-summoning the NPCs.
The NPC summons can be brought back! This is a detail a lot of people miss. After they die, their summon signs will reappear elsewhere on the battlefield. You can spend the entire fight just riding around on Torrent, playing a "commander" role, and re-summoning Blaidd and Alexander every time they fall. It takes longer, but it’s the safest way to beat Radahn if you’re struggling with the timing of his swings.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Stop trying to stay on your horse for the whole fight. Torrent is great for closing the distance and dodging the meteor, but he’s a liability when you’re up close. One hit from Radahn will knock you off the horse, leaving you in a "downed" state where you take extra damage. Most of the time, you’ll get hit again before you can even stand up. Fight on foot when you're under him, and use Torrent only when you need to reposition or dodge his long-range magic.
Also, watch out for the four floating meteors he summons in phase two. They hang out over his shoulders for a long time. They don't fire immediately. They usually launch when he’s at low health or when he performs a specific roar. When they move, you move. If you get hit by all four, it's game over.
Summary of Actionable Steps
- Prep for Rot: Get the Rot Breath incantation or craft some Rot Pots. It makes the health bar melt while you focus on dodging.
- Summon Everyone: Don't be a hero. Use every gold sign you see. They are there for a reason and can be re-summoned throughout the fight.
- Dodge the Initial Sniping: Count the timing of the purple arrows. Roll into them, not away.
- Phase Transition: Mount Torrent as soon as he vanishes at 50% HP. Run toward the water or far away from the center of the arena.
- Stay Behind Him: Whether you are on foot or on horseback, Radahn's "blind spot" is his rear.
- Vitality Check: If you're getting one-shot by basic attacks, go back to Limgrave or Liurnia and level your Vigor to at least 30-35. Caelid is a mid-to-late game area and it doesn't pull punches.
Beating Radahn is a rite of passage in Elden Ring. Once he's down, you unlock access to Nokron, the Eternal City, and the stars literally fall back into place, opening up some of the best questlines in the game. Just keep your cool, keep your rot active, and let the NPCs do the grunt work.