What is Elden Ring?
Elden Ring (2022) is an open-world action RPG developed by FromSoftware and co-written by George R.R. Martin. You play as a Tarnished warrior returning to the Lands Between to restore the Elden Ring, shattered when the demigod children of Queen Marika each claimed a piece. It's challenging, rewarding, and enormous — plan for 60–120+ hours for a full playthrough.
Game at a Glance
Main Objectives
- Defeat the major demigod bosses in their Legacy Dungeons
- Collect the Great Runes and activate them at Divine Towers
- Reach the Erdtree and confront the final bosses
- Choose your ending and become Elden Lord (or something else)
Classes & Statistics
Your class sets starting stats and gear — it doesn't lock you out of any playstyle permanently.
The 8 Stats Explained
Beginner tip: Always level Vigor first. Aim for at least 40 Vigor before pumping damage stats. Dying in one hit from low HP is the #1 frustration for new players.
Stat Soft Caps (Diminishing Returns)
Core Mechanics
Master these systems and the game opens up dramatically.
Runes
The currency of the Lands Between. Used for leveling and buying items. Drop on death — you get one chance to recover them from your bloodstain. Die again before recovering them and they're lost forever.
Always spend runes before entering a boss fog gate if you can't afford to lose them.
Flask of Crimson Tears
Your primary healing item. Charges are shared with Flask of Cerulean Tears (FP restore). Refill at Sites of Grace. Upgrade potency using Sacred Tears found at churches.
- Golden Seeds increase total charges
- Sacred Tears increase HP healed per charge
- Flask of Wondrous Physick gives combat buffs
Stamina & Roll Types
Stamina governs attacks, sprinting, blocking, and dodging. Guard against running out mid-combo.
Status Effects
Smithing & Weapon Upgrades
Upgrade weapons at smiths using Smithing Stones (regular weapons, up to +25) or Somber Smithing Stones (special/boss weapons, up to +10). Higher upgrade = massive damage increase. Get the Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearings to buy stones from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold.
Ashes of War & Skills
Every weapon has a skill (Ash of War) costing FP. You can replace skills by finding Ashes of War. You can also change a weapon's scaling affinity when applying an Ash of War — for example, converting a sword from Strength to Intelligence scaling.
Spirit Ashes (Summons)
Spirit ashes summon ghostly allies during boss fights. Activate only near summoning pools (purple icon near dungeon entrances). Upgrade with Glovewort via Roderika at Roundtable Hold.
Best ashes: Lone Wolf Ashes (very early, free), Mimic Tear (copies you — incredible), Black Knife Tiche (endgame powerhouse that dodges everything).
Crafting
Buy the Crafting Kit from Merchant Kalé at the Church of Elleh. Cookbook items expand your recipes. Essential consumables: Preserving Boluses (cure Scarlet Rot — vital for Caelid), Neutralizing Boluses (cure Poison), Fire Grease (early damage boost).
Regions & Recommended Order
The Lands Between is open, but this order minimizes frustration and keeps the challenge reasonable.
This is a suggested order, not a hard rule. Explore freely — but expect some areas to punish underleveled characters severely.
Story & Lore Overview
Elden Ring's lore is deliberately cryptic. Here's the essential foundation — light on endgame spoilers.
The World Before You Arrive
The Elden Ring — a supreme law governing all things — was shattered in an event called the Shattering. Queen Marika, the god-queen who served as its vessel, shattered it herself for reasons that form the game's deepest mystery. Her demigod children then warred over the Great Rune shards. The Erdtree (the massive golden tree visible everywhere) has lost its grace and seals the dead within themselves as the undead. You are a Tarnished: an outcast stripped of Marika's grace long ago, but now called back by a mysterious secret grace to claim lordship.
The Major Demigods (Shardbearers)
- Godrick the Grafted — Weakest demigod at Stormveil. Grafts others' limbs to himself in a desperate bid for power.
- Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon — Leader of Raya Lucaria. Holds a replica rune (an amber egg) rather than a true Great Rune.
- Starscourge Radahn — Massively powerful demigod who used gravity magic to hold the stars in place. Hosts the Radahn Festival for warriors.
- Morgott the Omen King — True ruler of Leyndell, cursed as an Omen at birth yet devoted his life to defending the Erdtree. Twin of Mohg.
- Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy — Merged with a Serpent God to gain power beyond death. Rules over Volcano Manor's blasphemers.
- Malenia, Blade of Miquella — The strongest demigod. Afflicted with Scarlet Rot since birth, yet never succumbed to it. Devoted entirely to her twin brother Miquella.
- Mohg, Lord of Blood — Imprisoned underground, commands aberrant blood magic. Stole Miquella's cocoon to raise him as a consort god.
- Miquella the Unalloyed — Perhaps the most gifted demigod. Trapped eternally young inside his cocoon. Central figure in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
Key Figures
Queen Marika the Eternal
The god-queen who shattered the Elden Ring and is now imprisoned within the Erdtree. Her true motivations unravel slowly through item lore and NPC dialogue.
Radagon of the Golden Order
Marika's second husband — and by a remarkable metaphysical truth, the same being as Marika herself. He tried to restore the Elden Ring. He is the penultimate boss of the game.
Godfrey, First Elden Lord
Marika's first husband and a legendary warrior. His grace was stripped by Marika herself, making him the very first Tarnished. His golden shade guards Leyndell; his true form awaits beyond.
Key NPCs & Where to Find Them
NPCs have complex questlines spanning the whole game. Talk to them repeatedly after every major boss kill.
Many NPC questlines are missable or permanently broken by story progress. Ranni's quest especially should be done before reaching Farum Azula.
Melina
Your maiden and guide. Appears at the third Site of Grace you rest at. Offers to exchange your runes for levels. Her questline ties directly to a major endgame choice about the Erdtree.
Ranni the Witch
A blue witch with four arms who severed her own fate from the Greater Will. Has the game's longest and most rewarding questline, spanning multiple underground zones. Leads to the Age of Stars ending.
Blaidd the Half-Wolf
Loyal wolf-knight sworn to Ranni. A tragic and epic questline. Gives great sword and important lore on the Shattering. Howling in Mistwood triggers his introduction.
Fia, Deathbed Companion
Mysterious woman at Roundtable Hold who offers embraces (accept — you get a deathblight talisman). Her questline involves the Rune of Death and leads to a hidden ending. Extremely missable questline.
Patches
A recurring FromSoftware trickster who will betray you at least once. Sells decent items and has a questline touching multiple areas. Don't kill him when he begs for mercy — it locks his shop.
Alexander, Iron Fist
A cheerful jar warrior who loves combat and festivals. One of the game's warmest questlines, spanning Limgrave to Farum Azula. A genuinely heartwarming companion across the journey.
White Mask Varre
The first NPC you meet after the tutorial — snarky and mysterious. His questline gives very early access to Mohgwyn Palace, the best rune farming spot in the game. Worth following even if you dislike him.
Roderika
A timid noble who discovers her calling as a Spirit Tuner. Moving to Roundtable Hold unlocks Spirit Ash upgrading — an essential service. Find her at Stormhill Shack first and give her the Chrysalid's Memento.
Major Bosses & Strategies
Each boss demands pattern recognition. Study their moves, stay calm, and you will prevail.
Universal rule: Learn Phase 1 before worrying about Phase 2. Stay at medium roll weight. Summon Spirit Ashes on early attempts — they draw aggro and give you breathing room.
Top Builds for Every Playstyle
These are proven, powerful builds for first or subsequent playthroughs.
1. Bleed Build — Most Popular & Beginner Friendly
Best Weapons: Rivers of Blood katana, Uchigatana with Seppuku Ash of War, Eleonora's Poleblade | Key Stats: Vigor 40-60, Dex 20, Arcane 60-80 | Best Starting Class: Samurai or Bandit
Bleed (Hemorrhage) deals approximately 20% of an enemy's max HP instantly upon trigger — and it works on almost every boss in the game. Rivers of Blood is found in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Stack Arcane high for both bleed buildup and weapon damage scaling. The White Mask helmet boosts attack power by 10% whenever blood loss occurs nearby.
Best Talisman Setup: Lord of Blood's Exultation + Rotten Winged Sword Insignia + Millicent's Prosthesis + White Mask helmet. Stack all four and watch your damage numbers explode.
2. Strength Build — Colossal Weapons
Best Weapons: Greatsword ("Guts Sword"), Giant-Crusher, Starscourge Greatsword | Key Stats: Vigor 60, Str 60-80 | Best Starting Class: Hero or Vagabond
Two-handing a weapon multiplies your Strength by 1.5 — so 50 Str acts as 75 effective Str. Colossal weapons stagger enemies and even bosses with repeated hits, interrupting their attacks. Slow but deeply satisfying. The Greatsword can be grabbed very early from a caravan chest in Caelid if you're careful.
Key Ashes of War: Royal Knight's Resolve for burst damage on a single massive hit, or Lion's Claw for repeated stance-break stagger power against bosses.
3. Sorcery Build — Intelligence
Best Staves: Lusat's Glintstone Staff (raw power), Carian Regal Scepter (versatile) | Key Stats: Int 60-80, Vigor 40-50 | Best Starting Class: Astrologer
High damage from range with enormous variety. Comet Azur (found in Mt. Gelmir) fires a sustained beam — combine with Terra Magica ground buff and Starlight Shards for a near-instant kill on some bosses. Rock Sling is physical sorcery — it bypasses magic-resistant enemies. Rennala's respec lets you fine-tune stats at any point.
Essential Spells: Rock Sling (early workhorse), Comet Azur (boss killer), Carian Slicer (fast melee sorcery), Stars of Ruin (homing barrage), Ranni's Dark Moon (massive AOE + frostbite).
4. Faith Build — Incantations
Best Seals: Dragon Communion Seal (scales Arcane for dragon spells), Erdtree Seal (pure Faith, highest scaling at 80) | Key Stats: Fai 60-80, Vigor 40 | Best Starting Class: Prophet or Confessor
Incantations are the most versatile magic type — lightning, fire, holy, buffs, heals, and dragon breath all in one stat. The best damage buff stack in the game is Faith-based: Golden Vow + Flame Grant Me Strength + Exalted Flesh = enormous multiplier. Dragon Hearts from killing dragons unlock devastatingly powerful dragon incantations.
Best Incantations: Golden Vow (must-have attack/defense buff), Black Flame (great vs Elden Beast), Lightning Spear, Swarm of Flies (ranged bleed), Flame Grant Me Strength, Scarlet Aeonia (rot + burst).
5. Dexterity Build — Fast & Fluid
Best Weapons: Bloodhound's Fang, Moonveil katana, dual Uchigatanas, Rivers of Blood | Key Stats: Dex 50-60, Vigor 40-50 | Best Starting Class: Samurai or Warrior
Fast, mobile, high-DPS combat. Bloodhound's Fang from an early Limgrave optional boss (Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, Forlorn Hound Evergaol) can literally carry you to endgame with minimal upgrades. Moonveil katana scales Int/Dex and has an incredible skill that fires a wave of energy. Dual-wielding twinblades or katanas feels incredibly fluid and powerful.
Weapons & Magic
There are 300+ weapons in Elden Ring. Here are the standouts at each stage of the game.
Best Early-Game Weapons (Before Level 50)
Best Mid-to-Late Game Weapons
Top Sorceries
- Comet Azur — Massive sustained beam, near-instant boss kills with setup
- Rock Sling — Physical sorcery, fast, no magic resistances
- Carian Slicer — Fast melee-range cast, great for close encounters
- Stars of Ruin — Homing multi-star barrage, hard to dodge
- Ranni's Dark Moon — Massive AOE sphere + frostbite
- Loretta's Greatbow — High-damage ranged snipe
Top Incantations
- Golden Vow — Major buff to attack and defense for you and summons
- Black Flame — DoT that burns a % of max HP — ideal vs Elden Beast
- Lightning Spear / Ancient Dragons' Lightning — Huge lightning strike
- Swarm of Flies — Applies bleed from range
- Flame, Grant Me Strength — Big physical & fire damage buff
- Dragonclaw / Dragonmaw — Devastating dragon breath attacks
Leveling Guide
Where to put your runes, when to put them there, and how to know when your build is complete.
Optimal Level Priority Order
- Vigor to 40 — Absolute first priority. You need survivability to learn patterns. Nothing else matters if you die in one hit.
- Endurance to 20–25 — Enough stamina and equip load to stay at medium roll with decent armor.
- Primary damage stat to 40–50 — Str, Dex, Int, Fai, or Arc depending on build. Enough to meaningfully scale your main weapon.
- Vigor to 60 — The endgame health pool. Essential for surviving Malenia and the final boss sequence.
- Primary stat to 60–80 — The major damage breakpoints. Diminishing returns kick in hard past 80.
- Fill secondary stats — Mind for FP-heavy builds, Endurance for stamina, meet requirements for secondary weapons or spells.
Recommended Level by Area
PvP Meta Levels
Invasion matching scales with level. These are the sweet spots for finding opponents:
Respeccing: After defeating Rennala, she lets you respec your stats using Larval Tears. You get one respec per tear. Farm Larval Tears from Silver Tear enemies in Nokron and Liurnia to have multiple chances to experiment and fine-tune your build mid-game.
Rune Farming Spots
When you need runes fast, these are the most efficient locations in the entire game.
★ Best Spot in the Game — Mohgwyn Palace
The sleeping Albinauric enemies near the Palace Approach Ledge-Road grace point are slow, barely fight back, and drop large rune amounts. More importantly, there is a large bird near a cliff edge — fire any ranged attack at it to send it off the cliff, earning over 11,000 runes in one shot. Repeat endlessly. With Golden Scarab talisman and a Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot active, you can earn 500,000–2,000,000 runes per hour at high levels.
Early Game Spots
Late Game Spots
Boost your rune gain by 30%: Golden Scarab talisman (found in Abandoned Cave, Caelid — requires Torrent to access) + Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot consumable. Stack both before every farming session.
All 6 Endings
There are six distinct endings. Most require completing specific questlines during your playthrough.
Significant story spoilers below. Most questlines must be completed before Maliketh dies or before defeating the final boss.
1. Age of Fracture — Elden Lord (Standard)
Default ending. After defeating Radagon and the Elden Beast, touch the fractured Marika and mend the Elden Ring. Godfrey's legacy continues through you as the new Elden Lord. The most straightforward conclusion with no extra requirements.
2. Age of Stars — Ranni's Ending (Most Beloved)
Complete Ranni's full questline: find the Fingerslayer Blade in Nokron, defeat Astel Naturalborn of the Void in the Lake of Rot, reach the Moonlight Altar, find the Dark Moon Ring in Ainsel River Main. After the final boss, use Ranni's summon sign instead of touching Marika. The Erdtree is replaced by stars — a bittersweet ending of freedom from the Greater Will's order.
3. Age of Duskborn — Fia's Ending
Complete Fia's questline: obtain the Cursemark of Death, reach Deeproot Depths, defeat Lichdragon Fortissax inside Fia's dream state, receive the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince. Use this rune when mending the Elden Ring. Death is restored to the cycle — the dead can now truly die.
4. Blessing of Despair — Dung Eater's Ending
Find the Dung Eater in his room at Roundtable Hold. Free his body from the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds beneath Leyndell. Feed him 5 Seedbed Curses found throughout the world to receive the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse. Use it when mending. The darkest and most disturbing ending in the game — all living things are now cursed as Omens.
5. Age of Order — Goldmask's Ending
Find the silent Goldmask standing near the Colosseum in Altus Plateau. Follow his and Brother Corhyn's questline across Altus and the Mountaintops. Use Goldmask's riddle solution to receive the Mending Rune of Perfect Order. Use it when mending. The Golden Order is restored perfectly — but with Marika's flaws removed.
6. Lord of Frenzied Flame — Burn It All
Seek out the Three Fingers below the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds under Leyndell — you must remove ALL equipment (every piece) to fit through the final narrow passage. The Three Fingers will brand you with the Frenzied Flame. After the final boss, a cutscene plays of you incinerating the Erdtree and the entire world. Warning: accepting this LOCKS you out of every other ending unless you use Miquella's Needle in Farum Azula (requires completing Millicent's questline) to cleanse the brand afterward.
Beginner Tips
The most important things to know in your first hours — and your first dozen hours.
Explore Before You Engage
You don't have to fight everything. Run past enemies, find Sites of Grace (checkpoints), grab items, and scout the map. Elden Ring rewards curiosity more than any game in the series. The map opens up dramatically the more you explore.
Death is the Tutorial
Dying is not failure — it's information. Each death shows you an attack you didn't expect. You recover runes from your bloodstain. Just don't die again before you reach it. The game expects hundreds of deaths on a first playthrough.
Use Your Horse Everywhere
Torrent is essential for traversal AND combat in open areas. His double-jump reaches secrets and shortcuts. Many large outdoor boss fights are designed around mounted combat. Always summon Torrent in open-world sections.
Resting Respawns Enemies Intentionally
Resting at Sites of Grace resets all regular enemies. This is the intended farming loop, not a punishment. If an area is too hard, rest and go farm runes in an easier area first, then return stronger.
Upgrade Weapons Before Stats
A +6 weapon deals dramatically more damage than a +0 weapon. Upgrade your main weapon to at least +6 before worrying about leveling attack stats further. Smithing Stones are everywhere — use them constantly.
Talk to Everyone, Then Talk Again
Most NPCs require multiple conversations to unlock quests or shop inventories. Always exhaust all dialogue until they repeat. Many NPC questlines begin only after you've killed a specific boss — revisit NPCs after every major kill.
Read Item Descriptions
Elden Ring tells its story almost entirely through item descriptions. Weapon lore, talisman descriptions, and consumable text reveal character motivations, world history, and sometimes exactly where to go next. Don't skip them.
Leave and Come Back
If a boss is annihilating you, it is always valid to leave, explore another area, gain levels, find better gear, and return later. There is no shame in this — it is the intended design of an open-world Soulsborne game.
Golden Seeds & Sacred Tears
Golden Seeds (golden sapling sprouts found near grace) increase your total flask charges. Sacred Tears (at church altars) increase the HP healed per charge. Prioritize finding both throughout the game — they are transformative upgrades.
Summon Signs Are Not Cheating
Summoning NPC phantoms or other players for boss fights is a feature, not a cheat. The game puts gold-colored summon signs near fog gates specifically for this. Use them without guilt — bosses are designed for it.
Most important tip of all: Resist looking things up unless you're genuinely stuck. The discovery — finding a secret underground city, stumbling onto a hidden boss, completing an NPC quest you didn't know existed — is the greatest joy Elden Ring offers. Protect that experience for yourself.
Secrets & Missables
Entire zones, questlines, and items that are genuinely easy to miss on a first playthrough.
Significant location and questline spoilers below. These are things you'd only find by chance or with a guide.
Missable Secret Areas
- Siofra River — Enter via Siofra River Well in Mistwood, Limgrave. A stunning underground area with ghostly horses. Easy to overlook if you rush north. Contains excellent early loot and NPC dialogue.
- Nokron, Eternal City — Only accessible after defeating Radahn. A meteorite opens a crater in south Limgrave near Fort Haight. Contains the Mimic Tear Spirit Ash — the most powerful summon in the game.
- Ainsel River Main & Uhl Palace Ruins — Reached by a sending coffin west of Raya Lucaria. Required for Ranni's questline. Contains valuable ashes and NPCs.
- Deeproot Depths — Accessed through hidden coffins in Nokron's Ancestral Woods or through the Leyndell sewers. Required for Fia's questline and one of the game's endings.
- Lake of Rot — Deep underground below Ainsel River. Extremely dangerous Scarlet Rot lake. Required for Ranni's quest. Bring many Preserving Boluses.
- Miquella's Haligtree — The most hidden area in the game. Two halves of the secret Haligtree Medallion are needed: first half from Albus in Village of the Albinaurics (Liurnia, disguised as a pot — roll into him), second half from Commander Niall at Castle Sol (Mountaintops). Use both at the Grand Lift of Rold with the secret hoist action.
- Mohgwyn Palace — Beautiful blood-red underground zone with Mohg as the boss. Accessed via Varre's quest (very early) or a hidden waygate in the Consecrated Snowfield. Contains the best rune farming spot in the game.
- Subterranean Shunning-Grounds — Hidden sewers beneath Leyndell, Royal Capital. Accessed via a well in the Avenue Balcony area. Contains the Dung Eater's body and the path to the Three Fingers (Frenzied Flame ending).
Easy-to-Miss Critical Items
Permanent Story Checkpoints — Do These First!
Before killing Maliketh: Complete all Leyndell content — Dung Eater quest, Fia's quest progress, sewer exploration, Bolt of Gransax, all Leyndell NPCs. The city permanently becomes ash after Maliketh falls.
Before the final boss: Complete all ending-specific questlines. You cannot undo endings once selected — choose carefully.
Entering Farum Azula at the Forge of the Giants is the last checkpoint warning before the Leyndell transformation. You can still fast-travel back and finish everything before lighting the flame.