*v1.18*
*NG+0*
*Blessings 20 / 10*
*Relevant stats: VIG 15 / STR 99 / DEX 99 / FAITH 99*
This is RL 253 if you started as Wretch and use Godrick's Great Rune.
I am at RL 262 because I started as Astrologer (it starts with low STR and FAITH).
*Overview*
- Body: Bloodboil Aromatic (+30% physical damage for 60s)
- Aura: Uplifting Aromatic (+90% damage negation for 40s)
- Aura: Rallying Standard (+20% for 30s)
- Weapon: Royal Knight's Resolve (+80% for the next hit within 10s)
- Passive: Twinbird Kite Shield (+5% when HP is below 20%)
- Passive (madness): Aged One's Exultation (+20% for 30s), Black Dumpling (+10% for 60s), Madding Hand (+7.5% for 30s)
- Passive (poison): Kindred of Rot's Exultation (+20% for 20s), Mushroom Crown (+10% for 20s), Poisoned Hand (+7.5% for 20s)
- Passive (blood loss): Lord of Blood's Exultation (+20% for 20s), White Mask (+10% for 20s)
- Passive (sleep): St. Trina's Smile (+20% for 30s)
- Talismans: Axe Talisman (+10% to charged attacks), Two-Handed Sword Talisman (+15% to two-handed attacks), Spear Talisman (+15% to thrusting counters), Red-Feathered Branchsword (+20% when HP is below 20%)
- Tears: Bloodsucking Cracked Tear (+20% for 3m but HP is drained), Spiked Cracked Tear (+15% to charged attacks for 3m)
- Armor: Rakshasa Set (+2% per piece)
*Why Uplifting Aromatic?*
- Its +10% buff is replaced by Rallying Standard's +20% but the "bubble" (+90% damage negation) stays.
- The fights unfolds like this: we charge the attack, Radahn hits us, our HP go below 20%, we hit him. Without Uplifting Aromatic Radahn kills us.
- One could raise VIG (39+), but I wanted to keep the RL as low as possible.
*Why the Fire Knight's Greatsword (FKGS)?*
- Radahn has 20% damage negation to pierce, 0% to holy, and 40% to everything else.
- The FKGS is the best weapon for piercing charged counters IF STATS ARE MAXXED. The Zweihander comes second and it's better at lower RL (ua-cam.com/video/ExIoRwGM3ZQ/v-deo.html).
- Other weapons (like the Greatsword) deal pierce damage only with the rolling/ducked attack, but that's much weaker than a charged attack.
*Why Quality and not Sacred? Radahn is weak to holy!*
- Two-handing boosts only physical damage.
- Counterattack bonus (+30%, and +15% from Spear Talisman) applies only to piercing attacks.
- Bloodboil Aromatic boosts (+30%) only physical damage. We would have to replace it with Howl of Shabriri (+25%).
*Damage check*
- Bonuses are multiplicative, for example 30% + 20% + 80% is actually 1.3 x 1.2 x 1.8 = 2.8
- Buffs bonus: x24.522 (physical) and x16.403 (fire, Bloodboil Aromatic and Spear Talisman don't apply).
- Base damage (two-handed, charged, no buff/equip): 2,558
- Base damage (two-handed, charged, no buff/equip, counterattack): 3,288
- Considering Radahn damage negation (40% to fire, 20% to pierce) and counterattack pierce bonus (+30%), we find the base physical (P) and fire (F) damage with:
F x 0.6 + P x 0.8 = 2,558 and F x 0.6 + P x 0.8 x 1.3 = 3,288 ⟹ P = 3,041.666 and F = 207.779
- Expected damage: 3,041.666 x 0.8 x 1.3 x 24.522 + 207.779 x 0.6 x 16.403 = 79,616
- Actual damage: 79,320 (0.37% error, likely due to approximations)
*Is this really the highest damage one can deal to Radahn?*
- Yes. Here are some numbers to clarify why the Sacred FKGS +25 is worse despite Radhan 0% holy resistance.
- The Sacred FKGS +25 deals 2,884 (two-handed, charged, no buff/equip) which is higher than 2,558, BUT only 3,261 with a counterattack (vs 3,288 of the Quality).
- If we follow similar calculations, the Sacred FKGS +25 damage split is: 1,570.83 physical, 1,397.33 holy, 383.33 fire, and the final damage is 66,753.
- I use the best buffs. The only way to deal more damage WOULD be to debuff Radahn with Soul Stifler, but there is no time for that.
*Buff prep*
- Rune Arc
- Lulling Branch
- [Wait until sleep bar is over half full]
- Frenzyflame Stone
- [Wait 3-4 seconds]
- Flask of Wondrous Physick
- Warming Stone
- Uplifting Aromatic
- Bloodboil Aromatic
- Rallying Standard ⇔ Dagger (any with Seppuku)
- [Madness + Sleep]
- Madding Hand ⇔ Poisoned Hand
- Black Dumpling ⇔ Mushroom Crown
- Raw Meat Dumpling
- [Poison]
- Mushroom Crown ⇔ White Mask
- Seppuku
- [Blood loss]
- Poisoned Hand ⇔ Twinbird Kite Shield
- Dagger ⇔ Zweihander (two-hand)
- White Mask ⇔ Rakshasa Helm
- Equip Two-Handed Sword Talisman, Red-Feathered Branchsword, Axe Talisman, Spear Talisman
- Royal Knight's Resolve
- Enter the arena
*Fight*
- Charge the heavy attack 0.5-1 second after Radahn starts the animation for his dive attack
- DO NOT LOCK! Manually aim 45 degrees to your left and HIGH
- Radahn will hit you first, your HP will go below 20%, then you'll hit him
- Heal after the cutscene or you'll die because of HP drain
*Notes*
- Lulling Branch restores FP, so MIND 15 is enough to cast everything without needing the Flask of Cerulean Tears.
- We wait 3-4 seconds before using the Warming Stone: if we use it too early, we won't survive; if we use it too late, HP won't go below 20%.