As a veteran Elden Ring astrologer with over 200 hours played, I live for unleashing powerful sorceries like the legendary Stars of Ruin. This cosmic spell evokes a riveting barrage of dark shooting stars that relentlessly track enemies across the lands between. It‘s a thrill to cast and divisively powerful when mastered.
But the journey to obtain Stars of Ruin is long. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share everything you need to know from my personal experience and research to master this gravity sorcery.
Where to Get Stars of Ruin & Quest Walkthrough
Stars of Ruin is a reward for completing the Sorceress Sellen questline. Sellen herself is a formidable sorceress that kickstarted the academy in Raya Lucaria. She has long studied the ancient primal glintstone sorceries, perfecting her art over many years.
To begin the quest for Stars of Ruin:
Travel to Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave, along the southern coastal cliffs
Defeat the Mad Pumpkin Head boss lurking there then speak to Sorceress Sellen
"I heard the call of the profound, primordial current that flows underneath this land…"
Sellen muses about ancient sorceries she seeks to uncover.
Journey through Stormveil Castle into Liurnia of the Lakes until you reach Hermit Village located at the base of Mt. Gelmir volcano
From the Site of Grace, traverse carefully east past Stone Club Misbegotten then look toward the magma river
Here you will discover the green spectral remains of Primeval Sorcerer Azur. Interact and obtain the Comet Azur sorcery
"I see it now, the star. My mentor gazed at the same sky I see spread before me…"
Return to Sorceress Sellen at Waypoint Ruins and give her Comet Azur. She will gift you an item called Sellian Sealbreaker in return
"Ahh, to peer briefly at their primeval current! Now I know, there is yet more I have to unravel…"
Sorceress Sellen directs you to use the sealbreaker in Sellia Hideaway found in the underground of Caelid
Descend through the dungeon, defeating enemies and navigating the platforms until you reach the deepest chamber
Here stands a magical barrier you can dispel with the Sellian Sealbreaker
Passed the barrier you will discover Primeval Sorcerer Lusat – the creator of Stars of Ruin
"My master glimpsed into the primeval current, and was forever warped by what he saw there. It was the defiled stars, ruined when touched by unworthy hands…"
Exhaust Lusat‘s dialogue then obtain Stars of Ruin! The legendary sorcery is now yours!
It‘s quite a journey, but unlocking Stars of Ruin is a right of passage for any dedicated sorcery build. This powerful spell enables you to harness the cosmos!
Stats & Cost
Before unleashing Stars of Ruin however, ensure your character meets the demanding intelligence requirement and cost:
| Intelligence Requirement | 43 |
| FP (Focus Points) Cost | 38 |
| Stamina Requirement | 33 |
My astrologer build has 60 intelligence and 30 mind currently. With intelligence boosting equipment like the Stargazer Heirloom talisman, I can skew my dark star damage even higher.
The 38 FP drain means I get approximately 4-5 casts before needing to chug my Cerulean Flask of mixed physics. But 4 barrages of shooting stars usually decimates most foes!
Playstyle & Combat Tips
Now with Stars of Ruin equipped, let‘s discuss tips and strategy to use it effectively:
- The dark stars track enemy targets when locked-on so be sure to focus your barrage
- Utilize range to your advantage – dodge from afar while the spell connects
- Time casts to interrupt enemy attack animations and break their poise
- Against agile foes, try free aiming rather than lock-on for a wide blanket effect
- Combining with other status effect sorceries like Frostbite work well too
- Have a backup weapon like the Carian Regal Scepter if your FP depletes to finish off weakened enemies
When I first tested Stars of Ruin, I was dubious about the slow casting time, long recovery, and high FP drain. But then I saw 12 massive dark stars crash with streaking star dust into enemies with relentless tracking across the battlefield.
It was glorious mayhem! Most standard enemies simply collapsed under the powerful blow. The visual spectacle and excitement of astral sorcery left me in awe…
But even after extensive testing on various foes, I noticed agile opponents can still evade the stars:
| Test Subject | Damage Dealt | Evasion |
|---|---|---|
| Godrick Soldier | 812 | Low |
| Troll | 924 | Low |
| Crucible Knight | 743 | Moderate |
| Glintstone Dragon Adula | 1182 | High |
The damage output remains extremely high. But vs enemies that evade often, connecting the dark shooting stars became troublesome.
My strategy adapted – utilizing terrain and gravity to my advantage. Firing from cliffs and angles meant Adula could not fly away. I baited aggressive Crucible Knights into narrow ruins to trap them against walls.
Soon Stars of Ruin even crushed formidable foes like Fallingstar Beasts and Erdtree Avatars by tactically outmaneuvering them. Only mighty dragons and demigods could withstand my astral onslaught for long!
So in summary, to master Stars of Ruin:
✅ Use lock-on focusing to direct your volley
✅ Retreat and keep distance forcing enemies to chase stars
✅ Time casts to interrupt attacks for poise breaks
❌ Avoid firing directly at agile fast evaders
❌ Be creative – use terrain and gravity to your advantage
❌ Have backup weapons if FP depletes since casting time is slow
Some other lessons learned – the Cerulean Hidden Tear temporarily halves FP drain allowing up to 10 casts if timed well. And combining with sorceries like Night Comet that stagger first enables easier aim on follow up.
Overall through extensive playtesting, I can confidently say unlocking Stars of Ruin offers a huge power spike for astrologers. If you wish to truly master the arcane arts and gravity magic – this celestial sorcery is a must!
Sorcery Scaling & Equipment
Let‘s crunch some numbers and examine how certain equipment influences Stars of Ruin‘s mighty damage output at 60 intelligence:
Carian Regal Scepter (S) – doubtlessly empowers Stars of Ruin thanks to boosting full moon sorceries by a whopping +30%! My tests showed damage topping 1300+ per star. But high fp drain means carrying cerulean flasks is advised.
Academy Glintstone Staff (B) – slightly less powerful than Regal Scepter but the default choice. Balanced staff improves gravity sorceries well. I leaned on this staff a lot when exploring to conserve FP.
Lusat‘s Glintstone Staff (S) – very disappointing. The Staff of the creator of Stars of Ruin himself faltered badly. Magic damage gets a major 60% increase but at double FP cost it drains entire reserves too quickly. Hard to recommend over Regal Scepter. Perhaps only useful on bosses you can melt rapidly.
For Talismans:
Graven-School and Graven-Mass are core to boosting my sorcery damage safely from afar.
While Godfrey Icon proves useful since Stars‘ dark star rain counts as a charged spell it further elevates to deadly thresholds exceeding 1400dmg per star!
But my favorite remains Cerulean Hidden Tear – being able to rapid fire off 10 casts melts through even rune bears and cemetery shade bosses with ridiculous ease. I do advise having spare crystal tears handy though.
So in summary equip your astrologer with:
- Carian Regal Scepter
- Graven School & Graven Mass Talismans
- Cerulean Hidden Tear Crystal
- Magic or Intelligence boosting helm
And the Stars of Ruin will carve an unstoppable path of destruction across the Lands Between!
Conclusion
I hope this extensive Stars of Ruin guide gives you insights into mastering this formidable sorcery. From the complete Sellen questline walkthrough to unlocking it, recommended stats and strategy – soon you‘ll be conquering enemies with endless dark star barrages.
The joy of astrology and gravity magic is ever so appealing. Now get out there Tarnished, let the black stars align, trace the primordial glintstone trail, and unleash pure unadulterated cosmic chaos!
Do you have any other questions on mastering Stars of Ruin in Elden Ring? Let me know in the comments.
