Elden Ring

Elden Ring is FromSoftware's vast open-world action RPG, and the Lands Between is dense enough to lose yourself in for hundreds of hours. This guide is the front door to our Elden Ring wiki. It walks through the game in the order you will meet it: how to start, where to go and at what level, which bosses stand in your way, and how weapons, builds, magic, armor, talismans, summons and quests fit together. Every section links to the deeper pages where each entity is covered in full.

New here? Read top to bottom for a complete orientation. Coming back mid-playthrough? Jump to the section you need. The region table and the boss lists are the two most useful bookmarks, and the FAQ at the end answers the questions every new Tarnished asks.

Start here: what to know before you play

Elden Ring explains very little. It does not tell you that your starting class barely matters after the first ten hours, that the first boss you meet is meant to be skipped, or that spirit summons are the intended difficulty slider. These are the pages to read before you commit to anything.

• Best Classes: what each of the ten starting classes is actually good at, and which ones give you the smoothest opening.
• Best Keepsakes: the one starting gift worth taking, and the ones that are a trap.
• Best Early-Game Weapons and Best Early Armor Sets: gear you can pick up in Limgrave in your first two hours.
• How to Get Overpowered Early: the shortcuts experienced players take on a new character.
• Leveling and Rune Farming: how levels work, where the soft caps are and where to farm when you are stuck.
• Progression Route and Best Boss Order: the order that keeps the difficulty curve sane.
• Open the Map, Map Fragments and Torrent, your horse: the three things that make the open world navigable.

Starting classes at a glance

Your class sets your opening stats and gear, nothing more. Every class can become anything with enough levels, and you can respec after the second major boss. Pick for the first twenty hours, not the last twenty.

Full breakdowns, stat tables and recommended openings for each class are in Best Classes, and every class has a dedicated build page in the Builds section, from Vagabond and Samurai to Astrologer and Wretch.

Ten things Elden Ring does not tell you

1. Margit and the Tree Sentinel are gates, not tests. Explore Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula first and come back at level 20 to 25.
2. Spirit summons are the intended way to make bosses fair. Use them without guilt.
3. Blocking then attacking triggers a guard counter, the fastest way to break an enemy's poise.
4. Two-handing a weapon multiplies your Strength by one and a half, so a weapon you cannot wield may be usable in two hands.
5. Weapon upgrades matter more than levels. A +6 weapon at level 30 beats a +2 weapon at level 50. Read Upgrade Weapons.
6. Every merchant sells a Crafting Kit and a Whetstone Knife. Buy both on your first visit to the Church of Elleh.
7. Glowing skulls on the ground hold runes. Golden trees drop Golden Runes. Neither is worth fighting for, both are worth grabbing.
8. Illusory walls, magic doors and hidden paths are everywhere. Our Illusory Walls and Secret Areas pages list them all.
9. Quests can be failed silently by progressing the story. Read the questline guides before you burn the Erdtree or enter the capital.
10. You cannot pause. You can work around it, and save and quit is always safe.

Walkthrough by region

The Lands Between is open from the first minute, but it is tuned for a rough order. The table below gives the level range we recommend for each region, the boss that gates or crowns it, and the guide to read before you go. Underground regions are listed after the surface, since you reach them from wells and coffins scattered across the map.

The underground

Half of Elden Ring's best loot and several of its best bosses are beneath the surface. Each underground region has its own guide with entry points, sites of grace and pickups.

The Roundtable Hold is your hub throughout: the blacksmith, the spirit tuner, the Twin Maiden Husks and most questgivers pass through it. Every region page is collected under Regions, and the sites of grace that anchor them are listed in Sites of Grace. Landmarks, teleporters and imp statue seals are gathered under Locations.

Bosses

Bosses are the spine of Elden Ring. Only a handful are mandatory, but each demigod you fell is a step in your power curve and a Great Rune in your pocket. Every boss page covers location, weaknesses, drops, summon recommendations and a phase by phase strategy. Start with Best Boss Order if you want a route, or Hardest Bosses if you want to know what is coming.

Main story bosses

You need two Great Runes to enter Leyndell, then every boss from Morgott onward is required. This is the critical path in order.

1. Margit, the Fell Omen: the gate to Stormveil Castle and the first real wall.
2. Godrick the Grafted: the first shardbearer, and your first Great Rune. His Remembrance offers a choice, weighed up in Grafted Dragon vs Axe of Godrick.
3. Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon: a puzzle boss whose defeat unlocks respeccing.
4. Starscourge Radahn: optional for the ending but required for Ranni's quest and access to Nokron.
5. Morgott, the Omen King: Margit's true form, guarding the Erdtree.
6. Fire Giant: the last obstacle before the Forge of the Giants.
7. Godskin Duo: two bosses sharing a health pool in Crumbling Farum Azula.
8. Maliketh, the Black Blade: the Beast Clergyman unmasked, and the fight that ends Gurranq's questline.
9. Sir Gideon Ofnir: the All-Knowing, fought in the ashen capital.
10. Godfrey, First Elden Lord: Hoarah Loux in his second phase, one of the best fights in the game.
11. Radagon of the Golden Order and the Elden Beast: the final two-part encounter.

Optional demigods and legends

• Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy: fought with the Serpent-Hunter spear the arena hands you.
• Mohg, Lord of Blood: gatekeeper of Mohgwyn Palace and, later, Shadow of the Erdtree.
• Malenia, Blade of Miquella: the hardest boss in the game, at the bottom of the Haligtree.
• Dragonlord Placidusax: hidden beneath Farum Azula, reached by lying down at a specific ledge.
• Astel, Naturalborn of the Void: the end of Ranni's quest, at the bottom of the Lake of Rot.
• Lichdragon Fortissax: fought inside Fia's dream in Deeproot Depths.
• Regal Ancestor Spirit: the ritual boss of Nokron.
• Mohg, the Omen, Godefroy the Grafted and the Fell Twins: the demigod variants tucked into evergaols and side areas.

Field bosses, dragons and dungeon bosses

The open world is patrolled by field bosses that respawn nowhere and drop some of the best gear in the game. Dragons are the standouts: each one drops a Dragon Heart you trade for Dragon Communion incantations.

• Early field bosses: Tree Sentinel, Flying Dragon Agheel, Mad Pumpkin Head, Bell Bearing Hunter, Tibia Mariner.
• Recurring threats: Crucible Knight, Ulcerated Tree Spirit, Death Rite Bird, Deathbird, Fallingstar Beast, Putrid Avatar.
• Dragons: Smarag, Adula, Decaying Ekzykes, Flying Dragon Greyll, Lansseax, Borealis, Great Wyrm Theodorix, Magma Wyrm Makar.
• Dungeon and legacy bosses: Royal Knight Loretta, Draconic Tree Sentinel, Valiant Gargoyle, Black Blade Kindred, Crystalian, Ancient Hero of Zamor, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree.
• Invaders and NPC bosses: Alecto, Anastasia, Tarnished Eater, Recusant Henricus, Mad Tongue Alberich, and the full list in NPC Invader Locations.

All 73 boss pages live under Bosses. For the fights that reward the detour most, see Best Optional Bosses.

Dungeons, catacombs and hidden places

Beyond the legacy dungeons, the map is dotted with more than a hundred smaller sites: catacombs with imp statue puzzles, mining tunnels full of smithing stones, caves, evergaols that hold a single boss, hero's graves with chariot gauntlets, and the sorcerers' rises with their riddles. Each one is short, most hold a talisman, an ash of war or a spirit ash, and all of them are mapped in our Dungeons section.

• Legacy dungeons and castles: Academy of Raya Lucaria, Castle Morne, Castle Sol, Fortified Manor, Forge of the Giants.
• Catacombs and graves: every catacomb, plus Fringefolk Hero's Grave, Auriza Hero's Grave and Gelmir Hero's Grave.
• Mines and tunnels: Limgrave Tunnels, Gael Tunnel, Altus Tunnel. These are where you farm upgrade materials.
• Evergaols, towers and rises: All Evergaols, the Divine Towers where Great Runes are restored, and puzzle rises such as Chelona's Rise and the Albinauric Rise.
• Secrets: Secret Areas, Illusory Walls, Magic Doors, Paintings and Teleporters and Traps and Flame Pillars.

Weapons

Weapon choice matters more than raw level. Each armament has a weight class, a moveset, a weapon skill and stat scaling that decides how it grows. There are more than 300 of them, and our Weapons section has a page for the ones worth hunting, with location, requirements, scaling and the builds they anchor. Start with Best Weapons for the overall ranking.

Best weapons by type

Best weapons by build

• Best Strength Weapons and Top 5 Strength Weapons, Best Dexterity Weapons, Best Intelligence Weapons, Best Faith Weapons, Best Arcane Weapons, and the summary in Best Weapons Per Attribute.
• By status: Bleed, Frostbite, Poison, Sleep.
• By damage type: Fire, Lightning, Holy, Gravity, Pierce, Highest Critical Damage.
• The collector lists: Legendary Armaments, Rarest Weapons, and, for balance, Worst Weapons.

Upgrading and customising weapons

Regular weapons go to +25 with Smithing Stones. Unique and boss weapons go to +10 with Somber Smithing Stones. Both guides list every stone by tier, the Bell Bearings that let you buy them, and the Shadow of the Erdtree pickups. Once you have the stones, Upgrade Weapons explains the blacksmith, and Unlimited Smithing Stones shows how to never run out.

• Ashes of War swap a weapon's skill and, with the right Whetblade, its affinity. Standouts include Hoarfrost Stomp, Seppuku, Sacred Blade and Golden Vow.
• Attribute Scaling, How Weapon Scaling Works and Damage Types explain the letters on the stat screen and why an S in Strength is not always better than a B.
• Housekeeping: duplicate an Ash of War, remove one, duplicate a weapon for dual wielding, and upgrade staves.

Builds

A build is where stats, weapon, talismans and spells come together. The Builds section has 67 of them, from class starters to endgame specialists, each with a stat spread, gear list and how to play it. If you only read one, read the Best Builds Tier List.

When a build stops scaling, check Best End Game Builds, then respec with a Larval Tear at Rennala. You get enough tears for a handful of resets per playthrough, so plan them.

Magic: sorceries and incantations

Sorceries scale with Intelligence and are cast from a staff. Incantations scale with Faith (some with Arcane) and are cast from a sacred seal. Both draw on Memory Stones for slots and on Mind for FP. Our Spells section covers where to find each one and how much it costs, with rankings in Best Spells, Best Sorceries, Sorceries Locations and Incantations Locations.

• Sorceries that carry a mage: Glintstone Pebble and Great Glintstone Shard early, Rock Sling for stagger, Carian Slicer up close, Comet Azur for deleting bosses, Loretta's Greatbow at range, Stars of Ruin and Founding Rain of Stars late.
• Incantations everyone should carry: Golden Vow and Flame, Grant Me Strength as buffs, Flame, Cleanse Me for poison and rot, Lightning Strike and Rotten Breath for damage, Erdtree Heal and Lord's Heal for recovery.
• Schools worth a whole build: Dragon Communion, Godslayer black flame, the Frenzied Flame (Frenzied Burst, Howl of Shabriri) and the Golden Order (Law of Regression, Law of Causality).
• The casting tools: Best Staffs, Best Staves, Sacred Seals, the Intelligence boosting items that stretch a mage's damage, and the prayerbooks and scrolls you hand to Corhyn, Miriel or Sellen to expand their shops, all listed under Items.

Armor, shields and talismans

Armor in Elden Ring is about poise and weight, not raw defence. Stay under 70 percent equip load for a medium roll, and pick the heaviest set that lets you. Best Armor Sets, Best Light Armor and Best Poise Armor rank the options, and every set has a page under Armor. You can alter garments at Boc and hide your helm, but you cannot upgrade armor.

Shields split into small parry shields, medium shields with 100 percent physical block, and greatshields that turn you into a wall. Best Shields and Best Greatshields cover the tiers, and every shield page sits under Shields, along with a guide to getting the Carian Knight's Shield. The Brass Shield is the early-game answer, the Fingerprint Stone Shield is the endgame one, and the Jellyfish Shield is a damage buff in disguise. Learn to parry and every shield gets better.

Talismans worth a slot

You start with one talisman slot and earn three more from Talisman Pouches. These are the ones most builds end up wearing. Every talisman we cover is under Talismans, and two have dedicated pickup guides: the Pearldrake Talisman and the Stargazer Heirloom.

Spirit ashes and multiplayer

The Spirit Calling Bell from Renna lets you summon spirit ashes wherever a rebirth monument glows. They are upgraded with Glovewort through Spirit Tuning at Roderika, and the difference between +0 and +10 is the difference between a distraction and a second player. See Spirit Ashes Tier List, Best Spirit Summons and How to Upgrade Summons.

• Mimic Tear: a copy of you, and the best summon in the game for almost any build.
• Black Knife Tiche: the best single spirit for dodging and damage, from Ringleader's Evergaol.
• Lhutel the Headless and Banished Knight Oleg: tanks that hold a boss's attention.
• Redmane Knight Ogha, Omenkiller Rollo, Bloodhound Knight Floh: the strong mid-game options.
• Early picks: Kaiden Sellsword, Spirit Jellyfish, and the wolves you start with. All eleven pages are under Spirit Ashes.

For human help, Summon Friends and Summoning explain Furlcalling Finger Remedy, passwords and level ranges. If you would rather be left alone, read Stop Invasions. If you want the opposite, the Taunter's Tongue and Best PvP Duel Locations are for you.

Items, flasks and key upgrades

A few items change the shape of a playthrough. These are the ones to track down deliberately rather than stumble into. Everything else, from cookbooks to arrows, is under Items.

• Sacred Tears upgrade your flasks and Golden Seeds add charges. Both sit at churches and minor Erdtrees.
• The Flask of Wondrous Physick is a custom potion built from Crystal Tears. Best Physick Mixes has the combinations that matter, and the Cerulean Hidden Tear is the one every caster wants.
• Great Runes drop from shardbearers, are restored at Divine Towers, and are activated with Rune Arcs.
• Stonesword Keys open imp statue seals. You will always want more than you have, so the location list is worth keeping open.
• Larval Tears for respeccing, Memory Stones for spell slots, Talisman Pouches for talisman slots, and Deathroot for Gurranq's incantations.
• Remembrances from major bosses trade at Enia for boss weapons and spells. Duplicate them at Walking Mausoleums if you want both rewards.
• Crafting, Cookbook Locations and Best Items You Can Craft. Pots, greases and boluses are more useful than they look, and Best Arrows and Bolts covers the ammo.
• Merchant Locations: the nomadic merchants and what each one sells, plus the Bell Bearings that move their stock to the Twin Maiden Husks when they die.

Quests and NPCs

Elden Ring's questlines have no journal, no markers and several points of no return. Most of the game's best gear, spells and endings are locked behind them. Every one is written up step by step under Quests and NPCs, with the moments where progress can fail called out.

• Ranni's Questline: the longest and most rewarding, leading to Nokron, Nokstella, the Lake of Rot, Astel, the Dark Moon Greatsword and an ending. Side reading: Miniature Ranni and whether Renna and Ranni are the same.
• Fia (and how to remove her hug debuff), Dung Eater and Brother Corhyn and Goldmask: the three questlines that unlock alternative Mending Runes and endings.
• Millicent with Gowry: rot, the Unalloyed Gold Needle and the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia.
• Sellen with Witch-Hunter Jerren and Master Lusat: the sorcerer's questline with two endings.
• Nepheli Loux with Kenneth Haight and Gatekeeper Gostoc: who rules Limgrave, and an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.
• White Mask Varre: the fast route to Mohgwyn Palace and the best rune farm in the game.
• Alexander, Patches, Blaidd, Iji, Boc and Roderika: the companions you meet across the whole game.
• Hyetta and the Three Fingers: the Frenzied Flame ending, and the one choice that locks out the others.
• Latenna, Yura, Bernahl, Rya and Tanith, D, Irina and Edgar, Rogier, Renna, Seluvis, Melina and Miriel, Pastor of Vows: the rest of the cast.

Mechanics and systems

The Mechanics section is the manual FromSoftware never shipped. The pages most players end up needing are grouped below.

• Combat: Guard Counter, Parry, Backstab, Critical Hit, Poise, Stagger and Break Poise, Two-Hand Weapons, Roll Faster, Sprint.
• Status effects: Stop Blood Loss, Cure Poison, Scarlet Rot, Madness, Health.
• Exploration: Horse, Open the Map, Invisible Enemies, Family Heads, Hallowhorn Grounds Puzzle, Seek Three Wise Beasts, South Raya Lucaria Gate.
• Character: Leveling, Respec, Memory Slots, Pouch Items, Gestures, Alter Garments.
• Farming: Rune Farming, Bird Farm, Gold Fireflies Farm, Early Max Level Weapon.
• After the credits: New Game Plus, what carries over and what does not.
• Technical: Best Settings, Bugs and Fixes, Screen Tearing Fix, Inappropriate Activity Fix, Save File Location, Best Mods, Cheats.

Endings

Elden Ring has six endings. Four are chosen at the final site of grace by which Mending Rune you carry, one belongs to Ranni, and one is decided long before the end by accepting the Frenzied Flame. Our Endings guide covers each requirement and how to keep every option open until the last moment.

Shadow of the Erdtree

The expansion opens after you defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood and Starscourge Radahn, by touching the withered arm in Mohg's arena. The Land of Shadow uses Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes as its own progression system on top of your level, so a level 150 character still starts weak there. Our DLC coverage is being built out. For now, the Land of Shadow sections of Smithing Stones and Somber Smithing Stones cover the upgrade materials, including the new Ancient Dragon stones.

Frequently asked questions

How long is Elden Ring?

Around 50 to 60 hours for the critical path, 100 or more for a thorough playthrough, and well past 150 with every dungeon, quest and the expansion. New Game Plus is shorter each cycle since your gear carries over.

What should I do first?

Talk to Varre, ride to the Church of Elleh, buy the Crafting Kit, then explore Limgrave in daylight and rest at every site of grace. Get Torrent, get the Spirit Calling Bell from Renna at night, clear Gatefront Ruins, and only then think about Stormveil. Progression Route lays it out.

Which class is best?

Vagabond for melee, Astrologer for magic, Samurai for a bit of both. It stops mattering after the first respec. Best Classes has the full comparison.

Can I play co-op through the whole game?

Co-op is session based: a summoned friend leaves when the area boss dies or you cross into a new region, and Torrent is unavailable while anyone is summoned. Summon Friends explains passwords and level scaling.

Can I pause, respec or change my appearance?

There is no pause button, but there is a workaround. You can respec at Rennala with a Larval Tear, and you can change your appearance for free at any time from the Roundtable Hold mirror.

What platforms is it on?

PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X and S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 edition. Cross-play is not supported, but saves carry forward within a console family. Best Settings covers the PC options that matter.