Bastard's Stars
Bastard’s Stars is a unique Intelligence flail exchanged from Astel’s remembrance. It combines physical and magic damage with innate bleed and the sweeping Nebula skill, favoring Dexterity/Intelligence characters who can fight at close range around a delayed cosmic explosion.
Key Takeaways
Unique flail with cosmic damage
Bastard's Stars is a unique flail that deals physical and magic damage, making it an Intelligence-oriented alternative to more conventional flails.
Nebula is its defining feature
Its fixed weapon skill, Nebula, creates a delayed gravity-themed explosion in front of the wielder; the skill is the weapon's main distinction rather than a customizable Ash of War.
Remembrance reward
You obtain Bastard's Stars by exchanging the Remembrance of the Naturalborn with Enia at the Roundtable Hold, tying its availability to defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
Build commitment
The weapon requires Dexterity and Intelligence investment, so it is a more natural fit for hybrid Dexterity–Intelligence characters than for a purely Strength-focused build.
Fixed progression path
As a unique weapon, Bastard's Stars uses Somber Smithing Stones and cannot be given a different Ash of War; its upgrade path therefore improves a fixed moveset rather than enabling affinity experimentation.
Powerful but specialized choice
Compared with more flexible flails, Bastard's Stars offers magic damage and Nebula utility at the cost of a fixed skill and narrower attribute profile.
Overview
Bastard's Stars is a unique flail in Elden Ring that combines close-range flail attacks with the gravity-themed Nebula weapon skill, giving it a distinct area-of-effect option rather than the purely physical pressure associated with ordinary flails.
Bastard's Stars is a remembrance weapon associated with Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. It belongs to Elden Ring's flail class, but its identity is defined less by the class's standard attacks than by its unique skill, Nebula. The weapon is a base-game armament rather than a Shadow of the Erdtree addition, and it follows the special weapon progression used by unique remembrance rewards. Its role is therefore that of a specialised magical melee weapon: it remains usable at close range, while its skill creates a separate threat zone in front of the wielder.
Nebula is the weapon's defining behaviour. The wielder sweeps the flail through space and leaves behind a cloud of star-like particles that detonates shortly afterward. This delayed explosion makes Bastard's Stars more than a simple single-target striking weapon. The skill can pressure enemies that remain near the impact area, punish committed attacks, and add area coverage to a moveset whose normal attacks are still governed by flail timing and spacing. The delayed nature of the effect also means that the skill rewards positioning and anticipation rather than treating every activation as immediate damage.
Compared with ordinary flails, Bastard's Stars is notable for its fixed identity and skill rather than for broad customisation. It is not an interchangeable infusible weapon intended to accept a wide range of Ashes of War; its special skill is the reason to choose it. Compared with other remembrance weapons, its appeal is similarly specific: it offers a melee option built around a distinctive magical area effect, not merely a stronger version of a conventional flail sequence. Readers choosing it should therefore evaluate whether Nebula's timing and coverage fit their play style, rather than treating the weapon as a universal replacement for every flail or magic-focused armament.
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Statistics
Elden Ring publishes no 0–100 stat bars, so this page lists the verified requirements, scaling and handling figures instead. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- CategoryColossal Swords
- Damage TypeStandard/Magic
- Primary ScalingStr D / Arc C
- Weight22
- SkillAncient Death Rancor
- Str Req17
- Dex Req12
- Arc Req25
- How to ObtainAstel/Night's Cavalry drop
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar colossal swords
| Weapon | Str Req | Dex Req | Weight | Primary Scaling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastard's Stars | 17 | 12 | 22 | Str D / Arc C |
| Fallingstar Beast Jaw | 60 | 8 | 22 | Str D |
| Ruins Greatsword | 60 | 10 | 23 | Str D |
| Watchdog's Greatsword | 44 | 8 | 20 | Str D |
| Golem's Halberd | 50 | 10 | 25 | Str D |
Requirements, scaling grades and weight are the game’s own published figures. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Access to the Lake of Rot and the Grand Cloister through Ainsel River.
- Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
- Access to Enia and the remembrance-trading service at the Roundtable Hold.
- Base-game content; no DLC or New Game Plus requirement. The weapon is obtainable once per playthrough unless the remembrance is duplicated.
- 01Travel through Ainsel River Main to the Lake of Rot and continue to the Grand Cloister. Cross the area and enter the arena at its far end to challenge Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
- 02Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, to receive the Remembrance of the Naturalborn. The boss reward is guaranteed; Bastard's Stars is not a random enemy drop.
- 03Take the Remembrance of the Naturalborn to Enia at the Roundtable Hold and choose Bastard's Stars in the remembrance trade menu. The remembrance can instead be exchanged for the Waves of Darkness skill, so select the weapon deliberately.
- 04If the remembrance has already been spent on the other reward, a Walking Mausoleum can be used to duplicate it where that mausoleum permits remembrance duplication. This provides an alternate recovery route, but duplication opportunities are limited.
Mechanics and Handling
Bastard's Stars uses the flail moveset, with chained swings that make its spacing less conventional than that of a straight sword or mace. Its attacks deal strike damage, and the weapon's distinctive offensive property is its unique Nebula skill rather than a passive status effect. The chain can help the weapon connect around some parts of a target's body, but its attack commitment still makes close-range positioning important.
Flail attacks and defensive interaction
The regular moveset alternates sweeping flail swings instead of producing a compact blade-like combo. Light attacks are useful for sustained pressure at close range, while the heavier attacks commit the character to broader motions and are better used when an enemy's recovery gives room to act. As with other Elden Ring flails, its ordinary attacks cannot be parried by the standard parry interaction, although that does not prevent enemies from avoiding, blocking, or otherwise defending against them.
The weapon's chain gives its attacks a distinct visual path, but it should not be treated as a long-reach weapon. Bastard's Stars remains most reliable when the wielder controls the distance and attacks during a clear opening. Its flail category also makes the weapon a poor substitute for a shield when the player needs to hold ground: its identity is offensive pressure, not a special guard or parry function.
Nebula
Nebula is Bastard's Stars' fixed weapon skill. The wielder sweeps the weapon around them to form a dark cloud of star-like energy; after a short delay, the cloud explodes. The skill therefore has two timing points: the initial weapon motion and the delayed detonation. Enemies that remain in the area can be struck by the later explosion, while mobile targets may leave before it resolves.
The delayed blast makes Nebula more than a simple replacement for a normal flail swing. It can punish an enemy that is committed to an attack, occupy space briefly, or add pressure after the initial motion. It is less dependable when used without regard to distance, since the setup and delay give agile opponents an opportunity to move away. The skill is fixed to Bastard's Stars rather than being an Ash of War that can be freely exchanged.
Handling considerations
Bastard's Stars is a Somber-reinforced unique weapon, so its combat identity is established by its flail moveset and Nebula rather than by switching between Ashes of War. The weapon does not use ammunition, a magazine, or a reload cycle. No separate durability management defines its handling in Elden Ring's standard weapon system; the practical resource consideration for its special attack is the FP required to cast Nebula.
Upgrades and Variants
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Nebula creates a gravity-like star cloud that detonates after a short delay, giving Bastard's Stars area burst and a way to punish enemies that remain committed to an attack or recovery animation.
- Its physical-and-magic damage profile suits Dexterity/Intelligence characters that want a melee weapon with an Intelligence-scaling skill rather than a purely physical flail.
- As a flail, it can maintain pressure through chained attacks while avoiding some of the directional limitations of conventional straight-blade swings.
Weaknesses
- Nebula's delayed explosion is less reliable against highly mobile targets that can leave the affected area before detonation.
- Split physical and magic damage gives enemies both damage types to mitigate, so its displayed attack does not translate equally well against every defence profile.
- Its unique Somber reinforcement path and fixed Nebula skill prevent the affinity and Ash of War customization available to many ordinary weapons.
- The flail moveset demands close spacing and committed swings, making missed attacks more costly against fast enemies or bosses with short punish windows.
Best uses
- Dexterity/Intelligence melee builds that want close-range attacks backed by a repeatable area burst.
- PvE encounters with large, stationary, or animation-committed targets that are likely to remain inside Nebula until it detonates.
- Pressure against clustered enemies when the delayed explosion can cover a predictable approach or recovery point.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Class and role | Distinctive mechanic | Upgrade and skill flexibility | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastard's Stars | Nebula places a delayed gravity burst that detonates after the stars disperse | Somber unique weapon with a fixed skill | Players wanting a flail with a sorcery-friendly stat profile and area burst | — |
| Nightrider Flail | Innate bleed supports repeated-hit status pressure | Regular weapon; compatible with Ashes of War and affinities | Dexterity builds that prefer customizable skills or bleed setups | — |
| Chainlink Flail | Bleed is built into its normal attacks rather than supplied by a unique skill | Regular weapon; compatible with Ashes of War and affinities | Strength-leaning or adaptable builds seeking a conventional flail | — |
| Family Heads | Family Heads launches spectral heads through its weapon skill | Somber unique weapon with a fixed skill | Intelligence builds comparing Bastard's Stars with a more projectile-focused flail skill | — |
Used In
- Astel, Naturalborn of the VoidDefeating this boss awards the Remembrance of the Naturalborn, which can be exchanged for Bastard's Stars.
- Remembrance of the NaturalbornThis remembrance is the exchange item required to obtain Bastard's Stars.
- EniaThe Finger Reader at Roundtable Hold exchanges the Remembrance of the Naturalborn for Bastard's Stars.
Lore and Design
Bastard’s Stars has a direct connection to Astel, Naturalborn of the Void: its item lore identifies the weapon as being fashioned from the many-eyed creature itself. This makes it more than a weapon thematically associated with cosmic imagery; within the game’s text, it is a tangible remnant of an individual voidborn entity. Its availability through the Remembrance of the Naturalborn also places it among the material traces left by Astel’s defeat.
The weapon’s design carries that origin into its silhouette and visual effects, presenting a flail whose head evokes a compact, unstable star cluster. That visual reading is supported by its documented connection to Astel and its star-related skill, but the game does not establish a broader real-world inspiration or a separate creator statement about the design. Its lore significance is therefore concentrated on Astel, the void, and the remembrance system rather than on a larger named faction or character relationship.
Trivia
- Bastard’s Stars shares the Nebula weapon skill with Wing of Astel, making the two weapons an unusual cross-class pairing: one is a flail and the other is a curved sword, but both channel the same starry attack.
- Its name reflects the Nox’s association with the stars. The weapon’s description presents it as equipment used by Nox who served as priests to the stars, connecting it to the underground civilization’s celestial imagery without establishing a broader relationship beyond that text.