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2 years later, Elden Ring players dig out their 'I beat Radahn before the nerf' stickers as early runs show FromSoftware really took a bat to Shadow of the Erdtree's final boss
Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC final boss, Consort Radahn, has been nerfed in Update 1.14, making him easier to dodge, block, and defeat, but some players lament the loss of challenge.
There's a bit of deja vu in the air, folks, because Elden Ring has nerfed Radahn. Not the OG Radahn, who was one of the first bosses to receive balance adjustments in 2022 when this mammoth open-world action RPG first launched, but Promised Consort Radahn, the final boss of Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
Update 1.14 made some serious nerfs to Consort Radahn, whose punishing fight reignited discourse over what's actually fun and fair in games like this, so diehard players are once again putting on their "I beat Radahn before the nerf" stickers, badges, hats, and collectible shirts. It's me, I'm players.
FromSoftware gave a fairly vague description of the Consort nerfs. Here's the full blurb, for a refresher:
There's a lot to dig into here, and as more players post before and after runs of pre- and post-nerf Consort, the gravity of these changes is coming into focus. This really is a tremendous nerf, and as someone who's beaten the Consort three times and on NG+++, I think some of the changes are unarguably good.
It was kind of annoying that this boss often attacked the very second you entered the arena, but it was also characterful and Messmer basically does the same thing, so I'm neutral on the first point. However, it was extremely annoying that Consort's excessive phase-two particle effects cluttered the screen and, especially for some PC users, tanked the game's frame rate. This patch has brought massive improvements to the fight's visual clarity, which is an unquestionable win.
For the adjustments made to "some attack moves," it's helpful to see the revised fight in action. Here's a good showcase from YouTube user YellowZ:
I also like this fresh level 1 kill from checks notes hotdogwater32:
A few changes stand out. The biggest may be a noticeable nerf to Consort's infamous cross-slash attack, which was extraordinarily hard to dodge before this patch, to the point that no-hit and level 1 challenge runners grew to resent it. Even with the fastest roll weight, it was a nightmare to avoid. The three hits of this attack now come out much more slowly, making it easier to react to. Combined with the visibility buff, this move shouldn't be much of a problem anymore.
In general, Consort now has more forgiving damage openings, which was another common complaint. Pre-patch, he could chain attacks together so rapidly that it was hard – not impossible, but much harder than virtually all other boss fights – to get a counterattack in. Our good friend hotdogwater highlights a few key examples: Consort's ground smash and bloodflame attacks have noticeably more end lag now, giving you precious time to get in some extra hits. This is true of multiple other attacks, collectively slowing down the pacing of the fight and allowing for more back-and-forth as opposed to a one-sided beatdown. To boil it down, phase two feels a little more like phase one now.
Consort is not only easier to dodge, he's also easier to block, which is a big deal because an anti-holy greatshield was already one of the most reliable ways to beat him. (I still recommend parrying, because once you're comfortable with it this boss becomes a fun rhythm game.) With the "stamina attack damage" of some attacks reduced and those attacks coming less frequently, turtling up and out-tanking this boss should be even more effective. Consort is still a bugbear of a fight, but he's definitely less overwhelming now. I know some Elden Ring fans will understandably mourn the lost challenge, but I'm sure plenty of others are happy to have better odds.