Jumping into a game like Elden Ring can be a daunting endeavor for newcomers to the Souls series. Limited healing, hard-hitting enemies, and Elden Ring's vast open world can prove frustrating if you're unprepared. Even Souls veterans might struggle during the first few hours of their playthrough.
Fortunately, there have never been so many mechanics built to assist players in a From Software title before. Spirits, mounted combat, and stealth are just a few mechanics you can use to even the odds. For those exploring the Lands Between for the first time, here are ten tips and tricks that will make your adventure much easier.
This list is in no particular order.
10 Get Comfortable Rolling
This will be a no-brainer for Souls veterans, but newcomers to From Software titles need to understand the importance of dodge rolling. In Elden Ring, dodging is by far your safest method of avoiding attacks, not because you can control your distance from the enemy, but because dodging gives you invincibility frames.
Invincibility frames, known by most as iFrames, refer to the part of your dodge's animation where you're completely impervious to incoming damage. In Elden Ring, it's around halfway through the roll animation. You'll want to time your dodges right before an enemy would strike you to avoid their hit, giving you an opportunity to counterattack. Most attacks can be avoided solely through dodging, so get comfortable rolling on the floor. And for Sekiro fans that got comfortable with that game's deflection dance, that's mostly gone in Elden Ring; it's back to rolling and parrying.
Your dodge roll animation is dependent on your character's equip load. For the best dodge roll animation, you'll want your equip load at medium (under 70 percent from your equip load cap) or lower. You can find your current equip load in the "Status" menu.
9 Use Ashes Of War
Ashes of War act as special abilities you can place onto your weapons and shields. These abilities range from powerful attacks to full-on spells, so they're worth using in normal gameplay for all builds. More importantly, Ashes of War change your weapon's damage profile and scaling.
When you change your weapon's Ash of War at a Site of Grace, you may also choose that weapon's infusion. Infusions allow you to change how aggressively that weapon's damage scales with a particular stat, or you can add a new damage type to that weapon altogether like lightning or cold. This can be extremely useful when facing bosses with vulnerabilities to certain damage types. Changing your weapon's Ash of War is completely free, so there's no reason not to experiment with this system. Find skills and infusions that synergize with your build the best.
8 Exploration Tips
Exploration is a core part of Elden Ring's gameplay loop that shouldn't be ignored. Finding crypts and enemy encampments is the perfect opportunity to upgrade your character, both through gearing and leveling. We could make an entire list about what you should look for while in the Lands Between, but we'll give you some general, spoiler-free tips instead that should make exploring just a little bit easier.
- If you're looking for dungeons to loot, stick to cliffsides.
- Enemy encampments are scattered all across the Lands Between. Be sure to clear them to find new weapons, cookbooks, and more.
- Grab any harvestable materials you find. They'll prove valuable for crafting consumables.
- You regain flask charges for clearing out large groups of enemies. Try your best to full-clear camps and patrol groups while out exploring.
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To quickly dismount from your mount, press crouch.
- You can jump attack immediately after dismounting this way.
7 Jump Often
Elden Ring has a dedicated jump button, and with it comes a new vertical element to gameplay that was absent in From Software's Dark Souls titles. Jump attacks are easier to pull off than ever before, and that's great because jump attacks are extremely powerful. Two-handing a weapon and using a heavy jump attack will break the poise of just about every enemy in the game, even a few bosses. Get in the habit of using them.
Additionally, Elden Ring features many hidden areas only accessible via jumping. Legacy dungeons make liberal use of optional paths accessed through jumping over gaps, so keep your eyes out for ledges or rooftops you can hop onto. If it looks like you can jump on it, you were probably meant to. The same goes for falling; you can drop a much greater distance than what was possible in Dark Souls.
6 Mark Locations With Map Markers
Unlike most open world games, Elden Ring's map and compass track the bare minimum for you. If you're looking for a dungeon to loot, you'll need to find it yourself. Fortunately, you're able to create map markers and beacons to mark critical locations.
You can have up to five beacons and 100 markers on your map at any time. Beacons will emit a pillar of blue light to make finding them easier. Markers only appear on your compass, although there are a multitude of marker icons you can place to better classify areas. For example, if you found a great spot for farming wolves, you might mark it with a wildlife icon to differentiate it from a landmark or treasure icon. Make liberal use of these features to help you navigate the vast world of the Lands Between.
5 Summon Spirits Whenever Possible
Should you find yourself outnumbered and near a Rebirth Monument, you can summon powerful spirits to fight alongside you. These spirits are just as useful as co-op phantoms, drawing enemy attention away from you while dishing out some serious damage. Whenever you see a tombstone icon appear on the left-hand side of your screen, you can use your Spirit Ashes to call in some backup.
You'll unlock your first Spirit Ash fairly early in your playthrough. Mild spoilers below:
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SUMMONING SPIRITS |
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Once Melina has given you the ability to summon Torrent, head back to the Church of Elleh. Renna the Witch will appear atop a ruined wall. Speak with her to receive the Spirit Calling Bell and Lone Wolf Ashes. You can now summon a pack of wolves whenever you're near a Rebirth Monument. You'll find additional Spirit Ashes throughout your playthrough, and you'll later unlock the ability to upgrade the strength of your Spirit Ashes.
4 Craft Consumables And Ammo
Crafting is a small yet impactful mechanic in Elden Ring that every player should use. By collecting resources from the environment and slain enemies, you can create powerful consumable items, ammunition for your bow, and even explosives that can inflict all sorts of powerful debuffs. Exalted Flesh, Pickled Turtle Necks, and Fire Bombs are some of the better items you can craft with this system. For more information on crafting in Elden Ring, check out our crafting guide.
3 Stealth Is Viable (Mostly)
Sekiro's stealth mechanic has made its way to Elden Ring, and it's just as useful in the Lands Between as it was in Ashina. By pressing the crouch button, your character will make less noise and become harder to see. Crouch inside of a bush, and you'll become nigh-invisible to your enemies.
Sneaking up behind an enemy allows you to backstab them, dealing massive damage while knocking them to the floor. Stealth attacks are a fantastic way of clearing out camps of enemies or isolated foes. Should you get spotted, find a place to hide and wait a few seconds for the enemies to lose interest. As powerful as this strategy is, stealth isn't an option for boss fights. If you're looking to backstab your way to becoming an Elden Lord, reconsider your strategy.
2 Pick A Spellcaster As Your Starting Class
Unlike From Software's previous titles, spellcasting catalysts are sparse in the early game. Glintstones staffs only drop from an uncommon enemy, and finger seals aren't accessible until you defeat the first major boss of Elden Ring. If you're looking to make a spellcaster or dabble with spells, consider playing as a spellcasting class. Even if you don't care about magic, we would still recommend it; spells are invaluable in Elden Ring and offer unprecedented levels of utility.
1 Mounted Combat Is A Game-Changer
Torrent is much more than a means of traversing the Lands Between. Using your mount in combat is a complete game-changer due to your sheer speed. You can avoid enemy attacks with ease while delivering a few swings from your trusty weapon. Polearms and halberds are especially powerful for this style of play.
Remember that you can attack from either side of Torrent while mounted. Right-handed attacks will swing your weapon to your right, and left-handed attacks swing to your left. Once you get comfortable with your mount's speed and the attack controls, you can single-handedly clear out groups of enemies without a scratch. Be sure to use Torrent whenever possible, even during combat.