In Elden Ring, players can customize the appearance of their armor, granting them a bit more control over their character’s look. This customization, called “altering” changes aesthetics and slightly impacts your character’s stats. However, this ability isn’t available from the start. You’ll need to find specific items to unlock armor alteration: the Tailoring Tools and the Sewing Needle. Acquiring these will be the first step on your journey to a stylishly optimized character.
While altering armor offers a way to personalize your appearance, it’s important to note that it doesn’t drastically affect gameplay. The stat changes are minor. However, the ability to look exactly how you want while exploring the Lands Between can be a big draw for fashion-conscious players. This guide will help you find necessary items, alter your armor, and even unlock the ability to do so for free.
Where to find the Tailoring Tools and Sewing Needle?
You need to get the tailoring tool and sewing needle to the Coastal Cave. This location is accessible from Limgrave if you travel west from the Church of Elleh Site of Grace. The image below shows the route to take.
Keep a lantern or torch with you, as the cave will be pitch-black. On the eastern side of the cave, you will find a Site of Grace; move in the opposite direction from there, and from the second parting way, you need to continue moving in the west direction for two consecutive turns. You need to head south for the final turn, which will take you Dem-Human Chief boss fights.
You will get the Tailoring Tool and Sewing Needle when you defeat both bosses.
How to Defeat Demi-Human Chiefs?
There are two bosses here called the Demi-Human Chiefs. You can make this into one big fight or split them apart and fight them separately. We will guide you on overcoming them individually since it’s the best approach with these bosses. When you come to the central area of the arena, move toward the fire to spawn your first boss with his minions. When your first boss appears, stay on the sides and don’t move to the center to avoid triggering the second boss.
These bosses lack health but deal heavy physical damage, causing bleed. So, you have to dodge and block their hits depending on your build. Both bosses have the same attack pattern, and have low poise. So, your attacks are likely to interrupt theirs.
Start with one of the bosses, stick on the sides, and first take out the minions with ranged attacks or magic. Once the distractions are taken out, you can now focus on the bosses. Both bosses are weak to slash and sweep damage. So, any sword or bladed weapon can work here.
Once you have dealt with the first boss, move to the small cave area in front to trigger the second boss fight and repeat the same attacks to counter him.
How to customize armor?
After acquiring the Tailoring Tools and Sewing Needle, head to any Site of Grace, open the menu screen, and scroll down to a new option, Alter Garments, to customize your armor.
Remember that altering each armor piece will cost you 500 Runes.
How to alter armor for free?
If you don’t want to spend any runes, there is a simple yet longer way to customize your armor for free. To do so, you must head to the Agheel Lake North Site of Grace and travel southeast toward the stone bridge.
Before you get to the stone bridge, take a left and rescue a demi-human asking for help. This will require you to complete Boc the Seamster’s Questline. Head back to the Coastal Cave after freeing Boc, and tell him you have already retrieved the Sewing Needle, but he won’t be able to help you immediately.
Now, for the final party, you need to get to the Stormveil Castle Site of Grace and make your way to the bridge led by a bushy area backed by a cliffside.
Cross the bridge to get to Liurnia of the Lakes Site of Grace, and you will find Boc for the second time here waiting for you. He will now give you free alterations of your armor. All you need to do is talk to him with any armor you want to change and have it altered without spending runes.
How to alter Demigod armor?
If you want to Demigod armor altered, continue with Boc’s questline and get the Golden Needle.
To get this, you must go to the Church of Vows Site of Grace on the eastern side of Liurnia of the Lakes. You’ll find an altar here, and as you search the area, you’ll find a chest containing a Golden Needle and Golden Tailoring Tools. If you want to alter demigod armor in Elden Ring, these items are essential.
Next, you must obtain some Demigod Armor that is customizable to Alter it. Head to the Roundtable Hold to do so, where you can purchase it from Finger Reader Enia.
Finally, head toward Leyndell, Royal Capital, to find Boc again. As you interact with him, you’ll give him the Golden Needle you have just obtained. With these items in his procession, Boc can alter your Demigod Armor pieces for you.
The demigod armor you can customize in Elden Ring is Maliketh’s Armor, Malenia’s Armor, Radahn’s Lion Armor, and Lord of Blood’s Robe.
