Quick Links

It's no secret that Soulslike games are difficult. While Elden Ring is one of the easier games of the bunch according to veterans, it can still be very hard to even make it to the first Site of Grace for regular players. Souls games are hard, but there are plenty of things you can do at the beginning of Elden Ring to make your playthrough less frustrating.

RELATED: Elden Ring: Stats Explained

Getting these weapons and other items will allow you to enjoy the story and gameplay more if you're someone who gets easily frustrated or stuck with difficult games. Some specific items that make the game easier require you to make a dangerous run through Liurnia of The Lakes or Caelid, depending on what farming methods and weapons you're after. Other than those items, everything to make you stronger is accessible within Limgrave.

Find Every Whetblade In Limgrave

Elden Ring whetblades in inventory
  • Camp near Gatefront Grace
  • Imp Statue fog wall in Stormveil Castle

Whetblades allow you to attach Ashes of War to weapons. There are different Whetblades that let you change the scaling of weapons to better fit your build as well as changing the weapons affinity. There are up to six Whetblades in the game. Only two can be found at the beginning of the game, within Limgrave territory.

Your basic Whetstone Knife is found in an underground chest inside the camp East of Gatefront Site of Grace. The Whetstone Knife is what grants you the ability to use Ashes of War.

The next one is an Iron Whetblade that can be found in Stormveil Castle. It is looted from inside a room blocked off by an Imp Statue. There is a Grafted Scion you must pass a bit after gaining access to the Rampart Tower Site of Grace. From the dining room with said scion, there will be a room down to the right where you'll need a Stonesword Key to access. The Iron Whetblade is inside.

Accessing what Whetblades you can at the beginning of the game will make your basic attacks more powerful when traversing through the Lands Between.

Best Early Ashes Of War

elden ring hoarfrost stomp
  • Gravitas
  • Bloody Slash
  • Hoarfrost Stomp

Ashes of War are another fun way to add excitement to battle and make tough fights extremely easy. They add special powers and buffs to your weapons and attacks.

To gain the ability to add Ashes of War to weapons, you must have found the Whetstone Knife. Next, to use the ability you applied to a weapon, you must two-hand said weapon. Some of the best Ashes of War you can find at the beginning of Elden Ring are as follows.

Limgrave

Ash of War: Gravitas is a legendary Ash of War that can be attached to most swords and spears. It's found on a South-West beach in Limgrave that you must parkour down to. There is a tough enemy under an archway by a campfire that once defeated will drop this Ash of War. The best way to reach this beachside is by traveling to Sea Side Ruins Site of Grace and looking South-West, down the cliffs. Experiment with the safest way to jump down onto the next ledge. The easiest way is to drop from the farthest right side and then down again.

This enemy, the Slender Wayfarer, will use Gravitas and other gravity spells against you.

Inflicting status effects unto your enemies is deadly. There are some Ashes of War you can find that do just that. Bloody Slash allows you to project a well, bloody slash that deals Bleed and extra damage. Ash of War: Bloody Slash can be found inside Fort Haight, located in South-East Limgrave. This is a relatively small fort with easy, minor enemies. There is one tough enemy at the very top of the fort which upon defeat drops the aforementioned Ash of War.

Liurnia Of The Lakes

There is a shortcut into Liurnia of The Lakes that allows you to bypass completing Stormveil Castle. If you're collecting items to make your playthrough easier, you'll want to take this shortcut and then return back to Limgrave. To reach the shortcut you must first head directly North up the main path from Stormhill Shack Site of Grace. At seemingly the end of the map there will be a broken bridge with a Finger Reader on it. Go to the very end of the bridge. You can jump down and actually start making your way through a hidden path. Jump down and turn left, then ride along the side of the mountain. This will lead you to the same Grace you'd find if you completed Stormveil Castle, the Lake-Facing Cliffs.

Hoarfrost Stomp is a strong skill that can be used and is spammed in PvP often. It allows you to stomp your foot, creating bursts of icicles on the ground in front of you, dealing explosive frost damage. It consumes little FP, allowing you to spam it as many times as you want. You can either collect the direct Ash of War for Hoarfrost Stomp or you can find a weapon that has this ability attached to it already, the Icerind Hatchet. Both are inside Liurnia.

The Icerind Hatchet is found in some ruins labeled as Temple Quarter. There is a treasure chest in a broken tower here that contains the hatchet. However, the Ash of War: Hoarfrost Stomp is a bit trickier to obtain. You must travel all the way to Caria Manor. Instead of going inside the manor, go to the right side of the grounds where there's a little pond on the map. There will be an invisible scarab here. You'll see its footsteps glowing. There are multiple invisible scarabs in the world, you must attack the scarab by cutting it off.

Get The Sword Of Night And Flame

elden ring sword of night and flame
  • Get to Liurnia of The Lakes
  • Dangerous run through Caria Manor

The Sword of Night and Flame used to be the weapon to make a loot run for. It would melt bosses in absolute seconds. Unfortunately, it has since been nerfed by the developers, with the range and damage being somewhat reduced. Despite this nerf, it is still a strong weapon to use due to its special abilities — especially in the early game.

To get it, you have to enter Liurnia of The Lakes and make a dangerous run through Caria Manor.

elden ring caria manor path to sword of flame

When you first enter Caria Manor, the room that contains this sword is actually directly behind the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. The issue is that the door is locked. You have to run through the manor up until Manor Lower Level Site of Grace. From here, you'll have to run across some rooftops where spectral beings will spawn.

To continue through the manor you have to go straight, but to get the Sword of Night and Flame, you must turn left and continue running down the pathways. You'll seemingly reach the end, where you have to turn to your left and drop onto a roof. Then you hop onto another roof that will have an opening with a ladder. This leads you to the sword.

How To Get Smithing Stones Quickly

  • Scattered around Limgrave
  • Limgrave Tunnels and Morne Tunnel
  • Bell Bearing from Liurnia of The Lakes boss

Smithing Stones allow you to upgrade your weapons, increasing their damage to enemies. Collecting Smithing Stones, and the next up Somber Smithing Stones, is crucial for becoming stronger.

At the beginning of the game, you can work towards collecting as many Smithing Stones as you can so that you can upgrade all your weapons before continuing. By doing this, your adventure will not seem as hard, and you'll be able to explore at a smoother pace since you're not expected to instantly level up your weapons as much as you can.

Limgrave

Multiple Smithing Stones level (1) and (2) are scattered around the open world of Limgrave. You may also visit the dungeons Morne Tunnel and Limgrave Tunnels for more. These caves are crystal caves, where tough mining enemies are protecting multiple Smithing Stones (1) and Somber Smithing Stones (1). You can make it your goal to run through these caves and loot every Smithing Stone before continuing on.

Limgrave Tunnels is located in Agheel Lake. If you drop down into the lake from the Agheel Lake North Site of Grace, the cave is just to your right in a corner. On the other hand, Morne Tunnel is in South Limgrave, part of the Weeping Peninsula. After passing the bridge to the Weeping Peninsula, you'll want to go up the road and head right. From the South of the Lookout Tower Site of Grace, head down the lower path and South, past poisonous flowers. At the very end of the path will be the entrance to the Morne Tunnel.

RELATED: Elden Ring: How To Respec Your Character

Smithing Stone Bell Bearing in Liurnia

elden ring academy crystal cave location

Another option to acquire as many Smithing Stones as you want, especially if you're trying to experiment with different weapons, is by finding Miner's Smithing Stone Bell Bearings.

You can find different types of Bell Bearings in the game. These are then given to the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, where you can then purchase new items from her shop indefinitely. Giving the Twin Maiden Husks Miner's Smithing Stone Bell Bearings allows you to infinitely buy Smithing Stones from her shop instead of going out to loot some.

Every Bell Bearing for Smithing Stones is severely out of reach from the beginning area other than the first one. You can find Miner's Smithing Stone Bell Bearing (1) in Liurnia of The Lakes. (2) Is found in Leyndell, then the next in Mountaintop of the Giants, and so on.

Whether you've beaten Godrick in Stormveil Castle or not, you can take the previously mentioned hidden path to Liurnia of The Lakes and use your best Spirit Ash to take down the boss that drops Miner's Smithing Stone Bell Bearing (1). This Bell Bearing will allow you to purchase Smithing Stones 1-2 and Glintstone Scrap from the Twin Maiden Husks. This boss is found inside Academy Crystal Cave, just behind the mountain keeping Raya Lucaria Academy afloat. See the photo above to understand where it is on the map.

This is an extremely hard cave locked behind an Imp Statue fog gate. So not only do you need a Stonesword Key, but you need to play it smart and use summons. You'll want to avoid all enemies and run straight to the boss room, then allow your summons to keep the boss busy while you deal most of the damage.

Rune Farming For Leveling Up

Elden Ring silver ball in caelid
  • Greyoll Dragon in Caelid
  • Silver Ball farm in Caelid
  • Coffin cemeteries

Runes allow you to purchase things from merchants but most important of all, they let you buy upgrades for your weapons, Spirit Ashes, and they also let you level up. Thus, collecting a ton of runes is important.

There are ways to farm as many runes as you can so that you can level up at a quicker succession. Both farming locations are within Caelid, a dangerous area not meant for beginners at all. However, you can sneak into and run through these locations to begin farming without much trouble.

How To Enter Caelid Region

There are multiple ways to get into Caelid. You can walk into it from Summonwater Village, but this will trigger an NPC invasion that may be tough. To avoid a fight you can't walk away from, you can either teleport yourself into a Caelid cave and quickly escape it, or you can gain access to the Bestial Sanctum and run through Caelid from there.

To teleport into a Caelid cave you must open a trap chest in Agheel Lake. It's located inside the Dragon-Burnt Ruins, down some cobblestone steps. On the other hand, to gain access to the Bestial Sanctum, you must first beat the Tibia Mariner in Summonwater and accept newfound NPC D's request. He will be standing near the water after defeating said boss. Speak to him again at Roundtable Hold, and he will tell you how to travel to Bestial Sanctum.

From the Bestial Sanctum, mount up and run South down the main path until you find the Farum Greatbridge Site of Grace.

If you missed the chance to speak with D in Summonwater after defeating the Tibia Mariner, don't worry; he'll be at the Roundtable, waiting for you, and he'll give you the direction anyway.

Kill The Mother Dragon In Caelid

There is an area within Caelid called Dragonsborrow that harbors all the dragons you need for a great number of runes. The best part is that it's easier than it sounds.

From the Farum Greatbridge Site of Grace, head down the bridge, ignoring the large dragon on it. Follow the main path West until you come to a fork in the road. Continuing West will lead you to a map fragment for Caelid, but turning left will lead you to Dragonsborrow.

When you get to Dragonsborrow, sneak past the smaller dragons and walk up to the ginormous sleeping dragon. The mother dragon will not wake up, allowing you to farm up to 80,000 runes without using items that increase the number of runes earned. Though if she shouts, the smaller dragons will come to her defense. That's why it's best to hide behind her where the other dragons won't see you, as you inflict damage on her.

You can also kill all of her babies, which will result in her automatic death. Here is a basic guide on how to defeat these dragons.

Farm The Silver Ball In Caelid

From the Farum Greatbridge Site of Grace, instead of going down the large bridge, you can go down a lower path to the left. This will eventually lead you to Lenne's Rise Site of Grace. From here, there is a small hill going downward to the South.

By walking down it, a Silver Ball will spawn behind you and attempt to crush you. The cheese here is to dodge to the left, allowing the ball to fall off the cliff and keep you unharmed. This rewards you with 1,952 runes. You can run back to the Grace to reset the event and continuously herd the ball to fall off the edge and collect your runes.

Coffins In Limgrave

Aside from farming the dragon and ball, above is a labeled map of where to find coffins. An area full of multiple coffins always contains multiple Golden Runes. Golden Runes are essentially free runes you keep in your inventory even when you die. They can be sold or consumed to obtain numerous runes whenever you desire.

Early Overpowered Mage

elden ring street of sages ruins meteorite staff location
  • Get to Street of Sages Ruin in Caelid

They say that choosing a mage class in any Souls game is already making the game extremely easy for you. Topped off with Spirit Ashes who can hold aggro for you while you sling spells at the enemy, being a mage is powerful. Finding better spells and upgrading your style as a mage is very tough to do until mid to late game, though. Your best bet is making a run through Caelid to find an S-scaling staff and a matching spell to boot.

You can make a loot run for the Meteorite Staff, the best weapon a mage can get early game due to its S-scaling in Intelligence. This is looted off a ruined tower in the Street of Sages Ruins in Caelid. Then just East, in different ruins down some steps, can be found the spell Rock Sling. The Meteorite Staff boosts gravity spells, making Rock Sling all the stronger.

Rock Sling will allow mages to break enemies' stances more frequently.

RELATED: Elden Ring: How To Revive NPCs

Level Up Vigor

Elden Ring level up screen

Every veteran or Elden Ring player with lots of hours will tell you to level up your Vigor. When you have such a hard time defeating enemies, you think the best option is to increase your damage as much as possible. It's also equally important to level up your health so that you aren't one tap for enemies and PvPers alike. This will help you survive longer.

A good number to eventually reach is 45 in Vigor. When leveling up, remember to pour equally into your damage of choice and Vigor respectively.

Which Keepsakes To Choose From

elden ring keepsake character creator screen
  • Golden Seed
  • Lands Between Rune
  • Crimson Amber Medallion

Keepsakes give you a tiny advantage when you start the game. There are up to nine Keepsakes you can choose from, but only three of them will make you stronger and faster. Picking the Golden Seed will allow you to immediately gain another Flask for either HP or FP depending on what you want to allocate. The Crimson Amber Medallion automatically gives you +6 extra health points, which isn't much but makes you a little stronger compared to the other Keepsakes. The Lands Between Rune gives you immediate access to 3,000 runes, allowing you to level up well as soon as you start the game.

Farm Erdtree Avatars And Collect All Flask Upgrades

Elden Ring erdtree avatar boss fight
  • Find Wonderous Flask of Physik
  • Farm Erdtree Avatars

Upgrading your flasks is important for staying strong. Golden Seeds give you more Flasks, but Sacred Tears make the Flasks stronger with every gulp. Sacred Tears are usually found within ruined churches in the Lands Between.

Four Sacred Tears can be found within Limgrave. Below are their locations:

  1. Third Church of Marika, in North-East Limgrave.
  2. Callu Baptismal Church, near Ailing village in Weeping Peninsula.
  3. Church of Pilgrimage, in North Weeping Peninsula.
  4. Fourth Church of Marika, in West Weeping Peninsula.

On the other hand, three Phantom Trees can be found in Limgrave, which hold Golden Seeds.

  1. Fort Haight West Site of Grace.
  2. South of Stormhill Shack Site of Grace.
  3. South of Castle Morne Rampart, in Weeping Peninsula.
elden ring miner trees

You can actually acquire a third type of Flask, the Wondrous Flask of Physik. This is found at the Third Church of Marika in East Limgrave.

To use it, you must defeat Erdtree Avatars to collect different Crystal Tears. You then combine Crystal Tears within your Wondrous Flask at a Site of Grace, giving you a power-up drink on top of an HP and FP flask. This is why defeating most Erdtree Avatars is important. Each one drops different Crystal Tear buffs, so you can experiment with what works for you. Erdtree Avatars are found by Minor Erdtrees in Lands Between. See the photo above to see all Minor Erdtree locations in Limgrave.

The one in Mistwood is not guarded by an avatar, yet you can loot Crystal Tears from its base.

Create A Bleed Build

Elden Ring bloody finger nerijus fight
  • Reduvia
  • Uchiagatana
  • Bloodhound's Fang

Status effects are overpowered and deadly, as we already mentioned. If you've been playing PvP or simply visited unwelcoming enemies, you've experienced a Bleed effect here, and a Blight effect there. Bleed builds are currently the most popular around. By attacking an enemy with a weapon that inflicts Bleed, Bleed will build up and once at its fullest will chew a huge chunk of health from the enemy.

There are multiple different Bleed abilities to build on top of one another. The best Bleed weapons you can get early on are the Reduvia dagger, double Uchigatana's, and the Bloodhound's Fang.

The Reduvia dagger is dropped from a scripted NPC invasion near Murkwater cave. If you've yet to visit this cave and find Patches, go to Agheel Lake and head North down a smaller stream of water, under the bridge. Towards the end is where this invasion will take place, in which another NPC, Bloody Finger Yura, will spawn in and help you. Upon the defeat of the invader, you will receive the Reduvia.

The Uchigatana is a Bleed katana that is actually automatically with the Samurai class. To get dual Uchigatana's, you'll want to start as a Samurai and then head to the Deathtouch Catacombs in Limgrave. Towards the end of this catacomb, you'll find another Uchigatana to wield. This way you can do even double the Bleed damage.

Bloodhound's Fang is a large curved sword that looks really cool. It's dropped after defeating Forlorn Hound in the evergaol in South Limgrave, just near the Agheel Lake South Site of Grace.

The Best Spirit Ash Summons In Early Game

Elden Ring talking to roderika in roundtable hold
  • Lone Wolf
  • Lhutel The Headless

You can summon Spirit Ashes of once-lived warriors to fight alongside you in battle. This includes most boss fights and general areas full of enemies in the game. Some legendary Spirit Ashes can only be acquired in the middle of the game, but here are the few that will do you justice fresh out the gate.

Lone Wolf Ashes

The wolves are the easiest obtainable Spirit Ash, and sometimes the first, that players will encounter. After gaining access to your Torrent mount and returning to the Church of Elleh, Ranni The Witch will greet you and give you the ability to summon spirits, along with the Lone Wolf Spirit Ashes.

These wolves are very useful despite their easy access because there are multiple wolves, and they easily get most enemies stuck in a loop of stagger. With three wolves staggering a boss, you can get easy damage off.

Lhutel The Headless

The next accessible Spirit Ash within Limgrave is Lhutel The Headless. He is a tanky knight who is found in the Weeping Peninsula portion of Limgrave. To get this Spirit Ash, you must defeat the boss at the end of Tombsward Catacombs. This cave is found North, below the Minor Erdtree in the Weeping Peninsula.

Use Dragon Spells

Elden Ring church of dragon communion
  • Church of Dragon Communion on West Limgrave island.

Dragon Spells can be OP against the right opponents. They inflict different status effects that can build up. Dragon Spells are purchased from the Church of Dragon Communion in Limgrave or the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid.

To reach the first one, you have to go through and complete the Coastal Cave dungeon on the West beaches of Limgrave. The end of the cave will lead you to the church on an island. To purchase Dragon spells there, you need Dragon Hearts, obtained from defeating dragons. A tough feat, unless you've farmed the mother dragon in Caelid who will give you around five Dragon Hearts at once.

These spells, especially Rot Breath, allow you to add a punishing status effect to bosses, ticking away at their health while you continue walking away. Rot Breath is especially powerful against Radahn Starscourge.

Next: Elden Ring: Complete Guide And Walkthrough