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Elden Ringis themost accessibleFromSoftwaretitlein quite some time, but even so, it can still be a serious challenge to veterans and new players alike, featuring some of the most challenging bosses designed in a FromSoftware game to date. Because of this, it’s important toseek out any edgeyou can find for the tough battles ahead.
Elden Ring: 10 Best Tips & Tricks For Beginners
Elden Ring can be intimidating during those early hours in the game, but the more you know, the better prepared you’ll be.
While you always have the option to go grinding in lower-level areas, that’ll take ages, and you don’t have unlimited time. In this guide, you’ll findthree methods for Rune acquisition: minor Rune farming, a large single Rune boost, and major Rune farming–all accessible fairly early in the game.
Updated March 7th, 2024 by Emma Ward:This guide has been updating to include an additional farming route in Mohgwyn Palace as well as a video to show the exact rune farming routine.
Get The Gold Scarab Talisman
For anyone interested in leveling up fast, the first thing you should do is prioritize getting theGold ScarabTalisman. This Talisman will grant a20% bonusto all Rune acquisitions. You’ll find the Gold Scarab in a pretty hidden minor dungeon in Caelid. The entrance to theAbandoned Caveminor dungeon is found high above the trench running north out of the Swamp of Aeonia.
Approaching from the west, you’ll find a mess of roots and branches running across the trench. If you successfully navigate to the other side (and avoid theGiant Dogsalong the way), you’ll reach the Abandoned Cave entrance safely. If approaching from the east side, you can drop down onto the ledge, but it’s a little more difficult to recognize where to go.
In the Abandoned Cave minor dungeon, you’ll earn the Gold Scarab Talisman after defeating a pair ofCleanrot Knightbosses. This fight can be pretty tough—especially if you’re trying to collect the Gold Scarab early—so you might consider somejolly cooperation. Make sure to go in prepared to deal withScarlet Rot. It’s everywhere. You can buy threePreserving Bolusesfrom a nearby merchant found by the Astray from Caelid Highway North site of grace, located near the western shore of the Swamp of Aeonia.
Elden Ring: Where To Find All Evergaols & Best Evergaol Order
Elden Ring’s Evergaols will challenge players and provide powerful loot, but finding them can be difficult. This guide can help.
Vulgar Militiamen In Dragonbarrow
If you’re interested in a decent Rune farming location, but you aren’t interested in becoming too over-leveled, hunting theVulgar Militiamenaround the Bestial Sanctum in Caelid’s Dragonbarrow is a great option. The Vulgar Militiamen drop about1,000-1,300 Runes each, and they’re scattered around far enough that you can usually take them on one at a time.
You’ll want to ride along the road and surrounding countryside between the Farum Greatbridge site of grace and the Bestial Sanctum, picking off any solo Vulgar Militiamen. These enemies hit pretty hard—especially if you’re farming Runes at a lower level—but they alsostagger easilyand are easy to kill if you sneak up for a critical attack. This Rune farming location is great for when you’re close to leveling up and you just want to add a few thousand more.
Be careful navigating this area;Black Blade Kindredguards the entrance to Bestial Sanctum, and he can be quite the challenge even at higher levels. His aggro range is fairly small, however, so if you can keep your activities between the Bestial Sanctum entrance and the Farum Greatbridge site of grace, you’ll have free reign to hunt Vulgar Militiamen.
Elden Ring: How To Find & Use Margit’s Shackle
Margit’s Shackle is a useful tool to find early in Elden Ring, but it’s incredibly easy to miss. Here’s how to find it and when to use it.
Elder Dragon Greyoll In Caelid
Deep into the wilds of Dragonbarrow in Caelid, just outside ofFort Faroth, you’ll come across a massive creature: Elder Dragon Greyoll, the mother of all dragons. While this is considered a boss, it’s very different than any other boss in the game. She has become so poisoned and tainted byScarlet Rotthat she can no longer move. Instead of a pitched battle, you will find5 smaller dragonspatrolling the area in front of her, protecting her from unwanted visitors (you). Defeating Elder Dragon Greyoll will grant asingle large boost of Runes. If you’re just hoping for a massive one-time Rune boost, but don’t want to get too over-leveled, this is an excellent option.
How To Reach Elden Dragon Greyoll
Elder Dragon Greyoll has anenormous health pool, but if you position yourself behind her, near the Fort Faroth site of grace, you’re able to attack Greyoll’s tail with impunity. Even though Elder Dragon Greyoll will roar, calling for the smaller dragons to help, her body is so large that thesmaller dragons cannot reach youso long as you remain behind her. Defeating Elder Dragon Greyoll will reward you 50,000 Runes, plus an additional 3,470 Runes for each of the 5 dragons, granting a total of 67,350 Runes. With theGold Scarabequipped, you should gain about80,820 Runes.
Note: Elder Dragon Greyoll has a massive health bar, so it’ll take an agonizingly long time to actually kill her through normal methods. A weapon withBlood loss buildupcan dramatically shorten how long this process takes.Reduvia Daggercan be acquired very early in Limgrave, and you can use it even if you don’t meet the requirements.
Elden Ring: Every Deathroot Location And Reward
Deathroot’s a bit of a special item in Elden Ring — you can trade it with Gurranq in Caelid for exclusive rewards. Here’s where to find it.
Mohgwyn Palace Rune Farming
Mohgwyn Palace is a hidden late-game area of the game, and you normally wouldn’t come across it until very late in the game—but there is a way to access this end-game location pretty early. It’s part of a somewhat involved quest withWhite-Faced Varre. It takes some work up-front to complete his questline, but it’s well worth pursuing if you’re interested inleveling fast. You can easily earn2 million Runes in an hourif you’re determined and efficient at this method. If you’re wanting to achieve an end-game build early on in Elden Ring, this is thefastest way to do it.
White-Faced Varre’s Questline
Repeat this process, leveling up as many times as you wish, until you feel suitably prepared to take on the world.
If you’d like to see how to pull off this rune farming loop, as well as the second Mogwyn Palace route below, check out the following video:
Mohgwyn Palace Rune Farming (Option 2)
Although repeatedly farming the runes gained from the Giant Crow is most likely the easiest way to quickly level in this area, if you so happen to get bored of the process, you’re able to always choose the second farming route, which is thankfully right next to the first one.
From the Palace Approach Ledge-Road site of grace, simply head down the slope and you’ll see 15 enemies. With the exception of the red versions, all the enemy mobs here are initially immobile, making it easy to sneak up and get a critical attack off without taking any damage. Just be sure to keep your eye on the red mobs so they don’t take you out while your back is turned.
If you are running through this spot, killing each enemy one at a time, you’ll be able to net about 40,000 runes every two minutes. And if you so happen to have an overpowered area spell or wide-sweeping ash of war handy, you can drastically cut this time down by killing half or more of them all at once. Furthermore, since the Giant Crow is so close, you can easily add it to your routine, meaning you’ll bring in around50,000 runes in about 2 minutes.
Elden Ring: Every Golden Seed Location
Golden Seeds allow you to upgrade your Sacred Flask charges in Elden Ring — here’s where to find all of them.
