Elden Ring is the latest RPG from developer FromSoftware, and since its release has been the talk of the gaming world. It comes after masterpieces like the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and of course Demon’s Souls, combining elements from every previous game (and adding plenty of its own) to create a truly massive, mysterious, and engaging open world with so much to discover it makes one’s head spin.
Like all FromSoftware titles, Elden Ring is difficult, especially for players new to the Souls RPG format. New mechanics and systems make it much more approachable than previous games, but that doesn’t mean its easy. Below, players can find a variety of guides separated into sections that cover all aspects of the game from new mechanics to bosses, from powerful weapons to NPC questlines, and everything in between to help veterans and beginners alike in their Elden Ring journey. Check back on this Complete Guide to Elden Ring regularly for continuous updates.
New And Returning Mechanics In Elden Ring
Elden Ring introduces a number of new mechanics to the traditional Souls formula. These new mechanics generally make the game more approachable for new players and veterans alike by taking away the needless inconveniences of FromSoftware titles past. Mastering these new mechanics is essential to being able to succeed in this game, partially because encounters are designed with systems like Guard Counters and Jump Attacks in mind. Returning mechanics work much the same way veterans are used to, though some have been updated or changed slightly.
New Mechanics – Mounts, Crafting, Stealth, And More
Explanation of Stats
Basics Of Mounted Combat, Explained
How To Summon Torrent
How to Summon and Upgrade Spirits
How To Craft And Where To Find Crafting Recipes
How To Find Map Fragments
Stealth System Explained
How Fall Damage Works
How Stance Break Works
How to Equip Items to Pouch
Everything You Can Do At A Site Of Lost Grace
How To Guard Counter
Returning Mechanics – Power Stance, Parrying, Online Co-op, And More
How To Power Stance Weapons
Equipment Load And Rolling, Explained
Every Starting Keepsake And What They Do
How to Use Weapon Skills
How to Gesture
How To Kick
How To Play With Friends
How To Parry
How To Two-Hand Weapons
How To Backstab
How To Respec And When You Should
Weapon Scaling Explained
What You Need To Know About New Game Plus
Elden Ring Bosses
Bosses are the main challenging obstacles of Elden Ring, often halting one’s progress through the Lands Between until their defeat. Some are considered Main Bosses, tied to the overarching story of Elden Ring and required obstacles for players to overcome. Others are Optional Bosses, like most Overworld or Dungeon bosses, that don’t necessarily need to be defeated to beat the game – though it’s a good idea to explore and fight them for unique items and Runes.
Major Story Bosses And Shardbearers
How To Beat Margit, The Fell Omen
How To Beat Godrick The Grafted
How To Beat Red Wolf Of Radagon
How to Beat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon
How to Beat Starscourge Radahn
How To Beat The Draconic Tree Sentinel
How to Defeat Morgott the Omen King
How to Beat God Devouring Serpent
How To Defeat The Fire Giant
How To Beat The Godskin Duo
How To Beat Mohg, Lord Of Blood
How To Beat Maliketh Solo
How To Beat Malenia, Blade of Miquella
How To Beat Godfrey, First Elden Lord / Hoarah Loux
How To Beat Radagon of the Golden Order
How To Beat The Elden Beast
Optional Bosses (And Named Invaders) In Elden Ring
How To Beat Erdtree Burial Watchdog
How To Beat Flying Dragon Agheel
How To Beat Beastman Of Farum Azula
How To Beat Bloodhound Knight Darriwil
How To Defeat The Tree Sentinel
How To Beat The Grave Warden Duelist
How To Beat Runebear
How To Beat Night’s Cavalry
Elden Ring: How to Beat Mad Tongue Alberich
Elden Ring: How To Beat The Leonine Misbegotten
How To Beat The Crucible Knight In Stormhill Evergaol
How To Beat The Ulcerated Tree Spirit
How To Beat The Erdtree Avatar
How To Beat Adan, Thief Of Fire
How To Beat The Fallingstar Beast
How To Beat The Cleanrot Knight
How To Beat Astel, Naturalborn Of The Void
How To Beat Lichdragon Fortissax
Quests, Puzzles, and Exploration
The main selling point of Elden Ring is its freeing approach to open world exploration. The traditional Dark Souls and FromSoftware formula is pretty linear (despite all the shortcuts) but the vast Lands Between can be explored in just about any direction a player sees fit. Bosses aren’t the only thing that guides Elden Ring players forward – NPCs throughout Elden Ring send the Tarnished on cryptic quests that span all the Lands Between, too, including a few that continue until the very end of the game. Puzzles are encountered here and there throughout Elden Ring with solutions as cryptic as lore details in NPC dialogue.
Locations in Elden Ring
How To Skip Stormveil Castle
How To Get To Jarburg
Where To Use The Sewer-Gaol Key
How to Escape From Sellia Crystal Tunnel
How to Unlock Raya Lucaria Academy Gate
Four Belfries Location and What to Do There
How to Get to Radahn
How To Get To Nokstella Eternal City
Volcano Manor Full Quest Walkthrough
Haligtree Secret Medallion Locations
Outer Moat Location
How to Get to Mohgwyn Palace
How To Find The Three Fingers
How To Get To Mountaintops Of The Giants
All Divine Tower Locations
All Limgrave Bosses, Locations, And Drops
All Caelid Bosses, Location, and Drops
Dungeons, Catacombs, and Other Walkthroughs
Tombsward Catacombs Walkthrough
Road’s End Catacombs Walkthrough
Stormfoot Catacombs Walkthrough
Mistwood Ruins Walkthrough
Minor Erdtree Catacombs Walkthrough
How to Get All Stranded Graveyard Items
Spiritcaller Cave Walkthrough
Kingsrealm Ruins Walkthrough
Sealed Tunnel Location And Walkthrough
How to Get Through Leyndell Royal Capital
How to Get Through Subterranean Shunning-Grounds
Gelmir Hero’s Grave Walkthrough
Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave Walkthrough
Auriza Hero’s Grave Location And Walkthrough
Auriza Side Tomb Location And Walkthrough
Lake Of Rot Walkthrough
Yelough Anix Ruins Walkthrough
Puzzles in Elden Ring
How To Stop And Enter Walking Mausoleums
How to Use Grand Lift of Dectus
Converted Fringe Tower Puzzle Solution
How to Get Inside Oridys’s Rise
How to Get Into Testu’s Rise
How To Get Into Lenne’s Rise
How to Get Into Renna’s Rise
How to Get Into Redmane Castle
How to Open Rennala Chest in Raya Lucaria Grand Library
How To Solve The Prophecy Painting Puzzle
How To Solve The Redmane Painting Puzzle
Stargazers’ Ruins Puzzle Solution
All Siofra River Fire Locations
How To Open Sellia Hideaway Sealed Door
Ordina Liturgical Town Barrier Puzzle Solution
NPC And Questlines
Pope Turtle Location
Corhyn Full Quest Walkthrough
White Mask Varre Full Quest Walkthrough
Jar Bairn Full Quest Walkthrough
Boc the Seamster Full Quest Walkthrough
Iron Fist Alexander Warrior Jar Full Quest Walkthrough
Sorceress Sellen Full Quest Walkthrough
How To Complete Irina’s Questline
How To Complete Edgar’s Questline
Blaidd the Half-Wolf Full Quest Walkthrough
Nepheli Loux Full Quest Walkthrough
Yura Hunter of Bloody Fingers Full Quest Walkthrough
Rya Full Quest Walkthrough
Millicent Full Quest Walkthrough
Ranni Full Quest Walkthrough
Hyetta Full Quest Walkthrough
Patches Full Quest Walkthrough
Fia Full Quest Walkthrough
Diallos Full Quest Walkthrough
D Hunter of the Dead Full Quest Walkthrough
Dung Eater Full Quest Walkthrough
How to Get All Endings
Armaments, Sorceries, and Incantations
Elden Ring gives players more freedom than ever before in their builds, mostly thanks to the incredible variety of weapons, armor, Sorceries, Incantations, and other combat gear and skills that can be customized to the heart’s content. Weapons vary from daggers to greatswords to axes and everything in between, but choosing the right one for you is more difficult than some of the game’s bosses. Nevertheless, this gear and these spells will set a Tarnished well on their way to strengthening a multi-faceted build.
Elden Ring Weapons And Staffs
Every Starting Weapon, Ranked
Where To Get The Ghostflame Torch
How to Get Uchigatana Katana
How To Get Serpentbone Blade Katana
How To Get Vyke’s War Spear
Coded Sword Location
How to Get Twinblade
Flowing Curved Sword Location
How To Get Rogier’s Rapier +8
How to Get the Grave Scythe
How to Get Magma Blade
How To Get Death’s Poker
How To Get Giant Crusher
How To Get Ringed Finger Hammer
How to Get Zweihander Sword
Icerind Hatchet Location
How To Get Claymore
How To Get The Jar Cannon
How to Get Meteorite Staff
How to Get Demi-Human Queen’s Staff and Crystal Burst
How To Get Lusat’s Glintstone Staff
Where To Find Cinquedea Dagger
How to Get the Guardian’s Swordspear
Elden Ring Legendary Weapons And Spells
All Legendary Sorcery and Incantation Locations
How To Get Devourer’s Scepter
How To Get Eclipse Shotel
How To Get The Grafted Blade Greatsword
Armor and Shields
How to Get Raptor’s Black Feathers
How to Get Mushroom Crown
How to Get White Mask for Blood Loss Builds
Best Armor Pieces To Negate Holy Damage
Best Armor To Negate Lightning Damage
One Eyed Shield Location
Where to Find Jellyfish Shield
How To Get Black Knife Armor Set
Small Shields Tier List
Medium Shields Tier List
Best Armor To Negate Magic Damage
The Best Shields To Negate Lightning Damage
The Best Shields To Negate Holy Damage
Fingerprint Stone Shield Location
Elden Ring Incantations
How to Get and Cast Incantations
Golden Vow Incantation Location
How to Get Lightning Spear Incantation
How To Get The Assassin’s Prayerbook
How To Get The Godskin Prayerbook
How To Get Elden Stars Incantation
Rotten Breath Location
Where to Get Aspect of the Crucible: Horns
Inescapable Frenzy Incantation Location
Elden Ring Sorceries
Best Early Sorcery Spells
How to Get More Spell Slots
How to Get Rock Sling
Eternal Darkness Sorcery Location
How to Get Ancient Death Rancor Spell
How To Get Rennala’s Full Moon Sorcery
How To Get The Adula’s Moonblade
How To Get Terra Magica Buff Spell
How To Get Unseen Blade And Unseen Form Sorceries
Ashes, Talismans, And Other Key Items
Weapons and armor aren’t the only important pieces of equipment a player will need to use in Elden Ring. Talismans, for example, provide bonuses while equipped to a variety of mechanics, Ashes of War are used to change scaling and skills on weapons, Spirit Summons can be called to aid you in challenging areas, and other Key Items throughout Elden Ring can affect how you experience the game just as much as your choice of armament.
Ashes of War
Where To Get The No Skill Ash Of War
How To Get Hoarfrost Stomp
Lightning Slash Ash Of War Location
Lion’s Claw Ash Of War Location
Where To Find Barricade Shield
Spirit Ash Summons
All Legendary Ashen Remains Locations
How To Get Spirit Jellyfish Ashes
Where To Get The Demi-Human Ashes
Raya Lucaria Soldier Ashes Location
How To Get Mimic Tear Ashes
Black Knife Tiche Ashes Location
How to Get Banished Knight Oleg Summon
Elden Ring Talismans
All Legendary Talisman Locations
How to Get Gold Scarab Talisman (And What It Does)
Silver Scarab Talisman Location
How To Get The Claw Talisman
How To Get The Blue Dancer Charm
Where To Find The Curved Sword Talisman
How To Get The Green Turtle Talisman
How To Get The Hammer Talisman
How To Get The Erdtree’s Favor Talisman
How To Get The Viridian Amber Medallion
How To Get The Cerulean Seed Talisman
How to Get Rotten Winged Sword Insignia
Kindred Of Rot’s Exultation Talisman Location
How To Get Great Jar’s Arsenal Talisman
How To Get The Radagon Icon
How To Get Flock’s Canvas Talisman
Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman Location
How To Get Radagon’s Soreseal
How To Get Marika’s Soreseal
Primal Glintstone Blade Location
Crafting/Upgrade Materials
Every Crafting Material And Where To Find Them
How to Get Unlimited Smithing Stones 1 & 2
How to Get Unlimited Smithing Stones 3 & 4
How to Get Unlimited Smithing Stones 5 & 6
How to Buy Smithing Stones 7 & 8
How to Buy Somber Smithing Stones 3 & 4
How to Buy Somber Smithing Stones 5 & 6
How to Buy Somber Smithing Stones 7 & 8
How to Buy Grave Glovewort 1, 2, 3
How to Buy Grave Glovewort 4, 5, 6
How to Buy Ghost Glovewort 1, 2, 3
How to Buy Ghost Glovewort 4, 5, 6
How to Buy Ghost Glovewort 7, 8, & 9
How to Get Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone
How To Get Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot
How to Get Bewitching Branches
How to Get Cracked Pots
Crystal Tears and Flask Upgrades
All Golden Seed Locations
All Sacred Tear Locations
How to Get Unlimited FP Tear
Twiggy Cracked Tear Location
Other Key Items And Essentials
Larval Tear Locations
Elden Ring: Deathroot Locations
All Memory Stone Locations
Where to Get Talisman Pouches
All Imbued Sword Key Locations
How To Get The Bloody Finger
How to Get Tonic of Forgetfulness
How to Get Celestial Dew
What to Do With Dragon Hearts
Where To Get The Hello Prattling Pate
Where To Get The Please Help Prattling Pate
Where to Find Deathroot
How To Get Tailoring Tools
Every Bell Bearing, Where To Find Them & What They Give You
How to Get the Cursemark of Death and What It’s Used for
Elden Ring Builds And Classes
There are 10 starting classes in Elden Ring. Some, like the Samurai or the Confessor, are unique to Elden Ring, while others like the Wretch or the Vagabond might remind FromSoftware veterans of the Deprived or the Knight class. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what class you start with because you can build your character however you please. For example, even though a Confessor starts with low Intelligence, they can still mix Glintstone Sorceries into their Incantation rotation with the right attribute investments.
Builds
Blasphemous Blade Build Guide
Moonveil Katana Build Guide
General Radahn Roleplay Build Guide
Best Gear & Equipment For A Stance-Breaking Build
No-Damage Pacifist Priest Build Guide
Scarlet Rot Incantations Build Guide
Classes
Stats And Equipment For Every Starting Class
Wretch Class Explained
Prophet Class Explained
Confessor Class Explained
Samurai Class Explained
Bandit Class Explained
Astrologer Class Explained
Other Tips And Tricks For Elden Ring
To say that Elden Ring is an expansive game is a severe understatement – some reviewers more accurately described it as “Dark Souls 4, 5, and 6 all at the same time”. It’s a huge game and it has a lot of things for players to do and understand. Below, find guides for subjects not covered in the sections above, like how to change your appearance, tips for farming Runes, and what to do at the start of the game. It’s fun to discover these things for yourself, but understanding workarounds like leveling and weapon upgrades can make the game’s most challenging areas a walk in the park.
