01 — Before the Fight — The Summon Signs

The Radahn battlefield is unique in Elden Ring — it has dedicated NPC summon signs for Alexander, Blaidd, Patches, Jerren, Millicent, Okina, and others. These are not optional. The fight was designed around the Festival of Radahn, where warriors come from across the Lands Between to battle him. Use them all.

Walk the battlefield before engaging Radahn directly and activate every glowing golden sign. Each NPC you summon draws aggro and deals damage. Even after they die mid-fight, the signs refresh — ride Torrent back to them and re-summon during Phase 1 if needed. Patches in particular is a reliable tank who survives long into the fight.

02 — Phase 1 Attack Guide

03 — Phase 2 — Meteor Entry and Comet Attacks

Radahn Phase 2 begins when his health reaches approximately 50%. He launches himself into the air and disappears. This is the most dangerous transition in the fight because many players stand still watching where he went.

Do not watch where he went. Run immediately. After a brief pause, a blue comet trail appears in the sky showing his return trajectory. He crashes into the earth and creates a massive explosion. If you are still near his departure point, you will be hit. Sprint on Torrent in any direction for at least 20 blocks.

In Phase 2 his sword attacks gain scarlet rot infusion — the same Scarlet Rot that appears in his lore. Hits from his blades can build Scarlet Rot status. Bring Preserving Boluses if you find yourself getting tagged by his melee attacks frequently.

04 — Best Builds and Weapons

Bleed builds are the most efficient. Rivers of Blood or any bleed weapon with high attack rating can proc bleed twice in Phase 1 which takes off large chunks of health. Radahn has moderate bleed resistance — still effective, just not quite as dominant as against Malenia.

Strength builds work well because his large health pool rewards high per-hit damage. Greatswords and colossal weapons stagger him into critical hits more reliably than fast weapons with low poise damage per swing.

Sorcery and incantation users should maintain medium distance — far enough to cast safely, close enough that his ranged attacks are not the main threat. Stars of Ruin is particularly effective as it tracks even through his movement.

01 — How to Reach Maliketh

Maliketh is a mandatory boss in Crumbling Farum Azula. You cannot progress to Leyndell, Ashen Capital and finish the game without defeating him. You will reach this area after beating the Godskin Duo.

From the Beside the Great Bridge Site of Grace, head west and then south up the stairs, past the ramp, and through the door on the right. The road is guarded by a Draconic Tree Sentinel — you can skip it by running past, but clearing it removes it from your respawn run. At the boss level, that matters.

02 — Weaknesses and Best Damage Types

Best weapons overall: Rivers of Blood (bleed procs despite Phase 1 resistance and shreds Phase 2), Blasphemous Blade (Taker's Flame ASH works exceptionally well), Comet Azur for sorcerers if your summon maintains aggro. If you have none of these, any well-upgraded weapon with physical damage works — the fight is more about reading attacks than about weapon choice.

03 — Phase 1: Beast Clergyman — Full Breakdown

As soon as you enter the boss room the Beast Clergyman charges. Run immediately to the centre of the arena — the entrance is a narrow bridge with pitfalls on both sides. Fighting there kills you and your summon through falls, not through damage.

The key rule of Phase 1 is simple: stay close. Distance triggers his most dangerous moves — rapid rock throws that track, and a fast ground-skid lunge that is nearly impossible to react to at range. Everything he does up close is slower and more readable.

Breaking his stance is your priority. Heavy attacks from Strength weapons and Glintblade Phalanx both build stance damage quickly. A stance break staggers him into a critical hit animation — get this in Phase 1 ideally close to the 50% threshold so the stance break carries momentum into the Phase 2 transition.

04 — Phase 2 Transition — The Most Important Moment

When the Beast Clergyman's health reaches approximately 50%, a cutscene plays. He transforms into Maliketh the Black Blade. This cutscene is your best window in the entire fight.

Open your inventory or menu immediately as the cutscene begins and summon Black Knife Tiche. The summon triggers during the cutscene, meaning Tiche will be active, positioned in the arena, and pulling aggro the exact moment you regain control. You enter Phase 2 with the summon already working.

05 — Phase 2: Maliketh — Full Attack Guide

Phase 2 Maliketh is one of the most aggressive bosses in the game. The single most important rule: do not back away. Distance triggers his leaping slash — an aerial move that covers the entire arena and is nearly unreactable at range. Your safe position is directly under him, matching his movements.

He also applies Destined Death through his blade attacks — a debuff that gradually reduces your maximum HP. This is not like scarlet rot or bleed; it is a direct HP drain that will kill you even after you stop taking hits if the stack gets high enough. This is why Preserving Boluses are mandatory — they clear the debuff.

06 — Recommended Setup and Items

Spirit Ash: Black Knife Tiche (+10 if possible). Fast, survives Phase 2, dodges his AOE attacks. No other summon performs comparably in this fight.

Weapon: Rivers of Blood — bleed procs despite Phase 1 resistance and destroys Phase 2. Blasphemous Blade with Taker's Flame is almost as effective. Any well-upgraded +25 physical weapon is viable if you know the attack patterns.

Items to bring:

Preserving Boluses — mandatory. Craft them (Dewkissed Herba x2, Crystal Cave Moss, Sacramental Bud) or buy from the Nomadic Merchant in Caelid. Bring at least 3. The Black Flame HP drain will kill you from residual damage if you do not clear it.

Crimson Flask allocation: Favour Crimson (HP) over Cerulean (FP) for this fight. Phase 2 damage is so high that FP conservation matters less than having enough heals to survive burst damage windows.

01 — How to Reach Malenia

Malenia is an entirely optional boss — you can finish Elden Ring without fighting her. She sits at the end of Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, which requires both halves of the Haligtree Medallion to access via the Grand Lift of Rold.

The left half is given by Latenna the Albinauric after completing her quest near the Village of the Albinaurics in Liurnia. The right half is found in Ordina, Liturgical Town in the Consecrated Snowfield, which itself requires both medallion halves to reach. If you are struggling to get there, follow the Haligtree Medallion quest line — it is the longest access route to any optional boss in the game.

02 — Waterfowl Dance — Stroke by Stroke

Waterfowl Dance is the reason most players die to Malenia dozens of times. The dodge is counterintuitive — you run toward her, not away. Running away keeps you inside the hitbox and guarantees you eat most of the first flurry.

03 — Full Attack Guide — Both Phases

04 — Phase 2 — Goddess of Rot

Phase 2 triggers when Malenia's health reaches zero in Phase 1. She does not die. Instead she recovers, blooms Scarlet Aeonia, and enters her second phase with new attacks, scarlet rot mechanics, and significantly higher aggression.

The Phase 2 transition is the most dangerous moment in the fight. The Scarlet Aeonia bloom immediately after the cutscene catches players who roll rather than sprint. Sprint away, wait for the flower to fully bloom and the AOE to clear, then re-engage.

Throughout Phase 2, Malenia's blade attacks can build up Scarlet Rot status. Watch the orange buildup bar under your health. Use a Preserving Bolus the moment it fills — do not wait for it to proc. Full Scarlet Rot ticks for enough damage per second to kill you even after you stop taking hits from her.

05 — Why Black Knife Tiche and Nothing Else

The Spirit Ash question for Malenia has a definitive answer backed by thousands of community attempts. Black Knife Tiche at +10 is the only Spirit Ash that reliably survives this fight and maintains useful aggro throughout both phases.

Tiche is found by defeating the Ringleader's Evergaol boss in the Mountaintops of the Giants. If you have not unlocked her yet, run through the Mountaintops before attempting Malenia — the improvement in survivability is dramatic enough to justify the detour.