Elden Ring: 10 Beginner Tips & Tricks

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Penned by Gibson Vasela

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

With the release of the highly anticipated Elden Ring, more players than ever are trying out their first FromSoftware game. Even if you’ve played some of their past entries, chances are good that there are a few things you’re unsure about when it comes to Elden Ring.

So what exactly do you need to know before entering the Lands Between? What are some tips for getting the most out of your experience? How can you better handle the many boss fights you’ll encounter along your journey? We’ll be answering all these questions and more with these Elden Ring beginner tips & tricks.

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Elden Ring Beginners Guide: 10 Tips & Tricks

Without any further delay, let’s jump right in!

1. Choose the Golden Seed Keepsake

When first firing up the game, you’ll need to choose your class and create your character. One aspect of the character creation is the keepsake. You’ll be given a list of several important items that you can use to start out your adventure in the Lands Between.

There are many different things to choose from, but the item you’ll need the most is the Golden Seed. Golden Seeds can be used to increase the number of flasks (or potions) that you can carry with you at once. This is very important to have, as you’ll be chugging down flasks to heal for much of the game.

You can get away with picking some of the other items, depending on your build (one such item is a medal that increases your max health), but trust me when I say the Golden Seed is your best bet.

2. Look For the Small, Glowing Skulls

Before you can level up your character and access better gear, you’ll need runes. These are the main currency of Elden Ring, and you’re going to want as much as possible.

A good way to get runes in the Lands Between is by looking out for small, glowing skulls scattered across the ground. You can attack them or run them over with your horse, and out pop a few runes! You don’t get many this way, but they do add up quickly.

3. Collect Cookbooks

Next up, let’s take a second to talk about cookbooks. Cookbooks are items you can use to gain more knowledge about crafting certain items. These items can range from ammunition for your weapons to consumables to help you out in a fight.

The easiest way to find them is by purchasing them through merchants using runes. Another way to acquire some cookbooks is through defeating a certain boss or enemy type. They can also be picked up out in the open world, or given to you by various different NPCs.

4. If You Can’t Beat a Boss, Come Back Later

In past FromSoftware games, it was common for players to get stuck on a hard boss or difficult part of the game. This was due to the more claustrophobic level design and linear maps. Players would have to rough it and continue fighting the same boss again and again until they were victorious.

This problem has been negated significantly in Elden Ring thanks to its wide-open world. If you happen to run into a boss that you can’t beat, all you need to do is turn around and continue exploring the map. There are many different locations for you to explore, quests to complete, and side bosses to fight.

Then, after you’ve leveled up quite a bit, you can return to that boss who was giving you trouble and you’ll have an easier time fighting him. Don’t be afraid to do this, there’s no shame in it!

5. Look for Golden Saplings

As previously mentioned, you’ll need Golden Seeds to increase the number of flasks you can carry with you at once. Aside from getting on as a keepsake, the best way to get more of them is by visiting golden saplings.

Golden saplings are little trees that glow and appear to be made of gold! They are fairly rare and are scattered throughout the world. Due to their appearance, it’s somewhat easy to spot them. Once you find one, simply interact with it and you’ll be given one golden seed!

6. Visit Churches for Sacred Tears

In addition to upgrading the number of flasks you can carry, you can also upgrade how effective they are at restoring your health and/or focus points. In order to do this, you’ll need to find Sacred Tears. These can be easily found at churches that are scattered throughout the Lands Between.

Upon finding a church, simply go inside the building and have a look around. You’ll usually find some in front of the church’s altar, or in front of a statue located there. Churches aren’t that hard to miss, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them while you are on your adventure.

7. Always Keep at Least One Ranged Weapon

While every fight in Elden Ring can be successfully completed using only melee weapons, it is much easier to beat some bosses using ranged weapons. Attacking a target from a farther distance allows you to deal damage while minimizing your risk of being hit.

As for which weapon you should use, it really depends on what your stats are. High-strength characters are best suited for using crossbows and ballistas. If you level up dexterity a lot, go for bows and light bows. You can also equip certain throwable weapons into your consumable slot — throwing daggers are pretty common to find!

8. Use Map Fragments

If you’re the type of person who loves exploring open worlds, you’ll want to hear all about this next tip. Strange stone obelisks are scattered throughout the Lands Between. You can find these obelisks by looking for an icon on the map that resembles a lighthouse (as shown in the image above).

Once you go to these locations, walk up to the obelisk and interact with it. This will reward you with a map fragment, which automatically reveals a big part of the map! This is incredibly useful for navigating the terrain and finding points of interest.

9. Beware of Teleporter Chests

Throughout the Lands Between, you may come across unique traps in the form of teleportation chests. Upon opening these chests, you’ll spawn into a much more dangerous area with higher leveled enemies. These chests can take you by surprise if you’re not expecting them, so be sure you’re always stocked up on flasks and the best gear in case it happens.

Aside from these chests, there are also objects in the world that will ask you to “Travel to another location.” Upon pressing yes, you will teleport across the map in a similar fashion to the teleporter chests. As far as I’m aware you don’t need to use these things to progress through the story, so don’t be afraid to say no to them.

10. Play Defensively When First Encountering a Boss

The last piece of advice in our list of beginner tips and tricks in Elden Ring can be applied to other Souls games, and other action games in general. Don’t be afraid to take it slow when facing a new boss for the first time. Play defensively, using your shield and rolling around often to block and dodge attacks.

As the fight goes on, you’ll learn the boss’s attack patterns and how aggressive they are. This allows you to fight them much more tactically and efficiently in the future. In Elden Ring, bosses frequently swing at you with their weapon a few times, only to swing over their shoulder with an additional surprise attack. Given how unpredictable some bosses are, this tip is essential for players of all skill levels.

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Happy gaming!