What is Radagon of the Golden Order Weak To? A Comprehensive Guide

Radagon of the Golden Order, the final boss of Elden Ring (alongside the Elden Beast), presents a significant challenge to players. Understanding what is Radagon of the Golden Order weak to is crucial for victory. This guide provides a detailed breakdown of Radagon’s vulnerabilities, resistances, and effective strategies to help you overcome this formidable foe. We’ll explore the best weapon types, damage types, and status effects to exploit, ensuring you’re well-prepared for this climactic battle.

Understanding Radagon’s Resistances and Weaknesses

Before diving into specific strategies, it’s essential to understand Radagon’s inherent resistances and weaknesses. Radagon is highly resistant to Holy damage. Therefore, any builds relying heavily on Holy attacks will find this fight particularly challenging. Conversely, Radagon exhibits a significant weakness to Fire damage. Incorporating fire-based weaponry and spells into your arsenal is a highly effective strategy. Furthermore, understanding his physical damage resistances will also help you optimize your build.

Damage Type Resistances

• Holy: Extremely resistant. Avoid using Holy damage.
• Fire: Weak. Fire damage is highly effective.
• Lightning: Moderate resistance. Not ideal, but not entirely ineffective.
• Magic: Moderate resistance. Similar to Lightning, not the best choice.
• Physical (Standard, Striking, Slashing, Piercing): Moderate resistance. Some physical damage is effective, but consider exploiting his elemental weaknesses first.

Status Effect Vulnerabilities

While Radagon’s resistances to certain damage types are significant, his vulnerability to specific status effects offers alternative strategies. He is susceptible to:

• Frostbite: Radagon can be inflicted with Frostbite, which deals a burst of damage and reduces his damage absorption.
• Scarlet Rot: While resistant, Radagon *can* be afflicted with Scarlet Rot. This is a slow but devastating damage-over-time effect.
• Poison/Toxin: Less effective than Frostbite or Scarlet Rot, but can still contribute to damage over time.

Effective Weapons and Spells Against Radagon

Knowing what is Radagon of the Golden Order weak to is only half the battle. You also need to equip yourself with the right tools. Here are some recommended weapons and spells:

Weapon Recommendations

• Blasphemous Blade: This greatsword deals fire damage and heals you on hit, providing excellent sustain and damage output. Its weapon skill, Taker’s Flames, is particularly effective.
• Rivers of Blood: While not fire-based, the bleed buildup can inflict significant damage, especially if you can consistently trigger Blood Loss.
• Black Flame Tornado (Godskin Peeler or Godskin Stitcher): This weapon art deals % based health damage which will deal a significant amount of damage to him due to his large health pool.
• Any weapon with Fire Grease or Fire Affinity: Applying fire grease to your weapon or infusing it with fire affinity will increase your damage output against Radagon. Consider weapons with fast attack speeds to maximize the number of hits and apply the fire damage more frequently.

Spell Recommendations

• Black Flame: Deals fire damage and a percentage of the target’s health.
• Giantsflame Take Thee: A powerful fire spell with high damage potential.
• Flame, Fall Upon Them: A versatile fire spell that can be cast quickly and repeatedly.
• Rotten Breath/Ekzyke’s Decay: For inflicting Scarlet Rot, although it may take multiple casts.

Strategies for Defeating Radagon

Now that you understand what is Radagon of the Golden Order weak to and have selected your equipment, let’s discuss effective strategies for the fight. Radagon is an aggressive boss with a variety of attacks, so careful positioning and timing are crucial.

Phase 1: Radagon’s Attack Patterns

Radagon utilizes a mix of physical and Holy-infused attacks. His hammer swings are powerful and can stagger you easily. He also teleports frequently, making it difficult to predict his next move. Pay close attention to his animations to anticipate his attacks.

• Hammer Smash: A standard melee attack. Dodge roll to the side to avoid it.
• Teleport Slam: Radagon teleports and slams his hammer down. Watch for the teleport animation and dodge roll away.
• Holy Spears: Radagon summons Holy spears and throws them at you. These can be dodged with precise timing.
• Ground Slam (with AoE): Radagon slams his hammer into the ground, creating a wide AoE explosion of Holy energy. Jump to avoid the AoE damage.

Tactical Approaches

• Stay Mobile: Don’t stay in one place for too long. Radagon’s teleportation and ranged attacks can quickly punish stationary targets.
• Exploit Openings: Radagon has brief recovery periods after his attacks. Use these moments to land a few hits or cast a spell.
• Use Summons: Spirit Ashes can be invaluable in this fight. They can draw Radagon’s aggro, giving you opportunities to attack from behind or heal. Consider using summons that can inflict status effects, such as the Black Knife Tiche or Lhutel the Headless.
• Fire Damage Focus: Prioritize using fire-based attacks whenever possible to exploit his weakness.

Optimizing Your Build

Beyond choosing the right weapons and spells, optimizing your character build is essential for success. Consider these attributes and talismans:

• Vigor: High Vigor is crucial for surviving Radagon’s powerful attacks. Aim for at least 40-60 Vigor.
• Endurance: Endurance allows you to wear heavier armor and perform more actions without running out of stamina.
• Faith/Intelligence: Depending on your chosen spells, invest in either Faith or Intelligence to increase your spellcasting power.
• Talismans:
  • Fire Scorpion Charm: Increases fire damage.
  • Shard of Alexander: Boosts the attack power of skills.
  • Green Turtle Talisman: Increases stamina recovery speed.
  • Erdtree’s Favor: Increases HP, stamina, and equip load.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many players struggle against Radagon due to common mistakes. Avoiding these pitfalls can significantly improve your chances of victory.

• Using Holy Damage: As mentioned earlier, Radagon is highly resistant to Holy damage. Avoid using weapons or spells that deal Holy damage.
• Greedily Attacking: Don’t get greedy with your attacks. Radagon can punish you for overextending. Focus on landing a few hits during his recovery periods and then backing off.
• Ignoring Summons: Spirit Ashes can be a game-changer in this fight. Don’t neglect to use them.
• Poor Stamina Management: Stamina management is crucial. Avoid depleting your stamina completely, as you’ll need it to dodge and block attacks.

The Transition to the Elden Beast

Keep in mind that defeating Radagon is only half the battle. Immediately after defeating Radagon, you’ll face the Elden Beast. This means you need to conserve your resources and be prepared for a prolonged fight. While what is Radagon of the Golden Order weak to is important, the Elden Beast has different weaknesses. [See also: Elden Beast Weaknesses Guide].

Consider using items like Cerulean Tears to replenish your FP if you rely heavily on spells. Ensure you have enough healing flasks to survive both encounters. It’s also important to mentally prepare for the shift in combat style, as the Elden Beast fight is significantly different.

Conclusion

Understanding what is Radagon of the Golden Order weak to is paramount to success in Elden Ring. By exploiting his vulnerability to Fire damage and status effects, utilizing effective weapons and spells, and implementing smart strategies, you can overcome this challenging boss. Remember to stay mobile, manage your stamina, and use summons to your advantage. Good luck, Tarnished!