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Introduction
"Elden Ring" has captivated the gaming world with its sprawling open world, challenging combat, and deep lore. FromSoftware's latest masterpiece rewards patience, strategy, and exploration, but its difficulty can be daunting for newcomers. Whether you’re a first-time player or a seasoned veteran, this guide will help you master the world of Elden Ring. We will cover essential tips for survival, combat strategies, exploration, and other key aspects of the game.
1. Starting Strong: Choosing Your Class and Keepsake
The first crucial step in Elden Ring is selecting a class and a keepsake. Your choice sets the tone for the beginning of your journey.Choosing the Right Class
Each class in Elden Ring has its strengths, weaknesses, and playstyle. Whether you prefer melee combat, magic, or hybrid approaches, there's a class for you. Beginners might find classes like the Vagabond or Confessor more forgiving due to their balanced stats and armor.Keepsakes: Small Boosts with Big Impact
At character creation, you’ll also choose a keepsake, which offers an early advantage. The Golden Seed is a popular choice as it grants an extra healing flask, but items like the Crimson Amber Medallion (boosting HP) can also make a significant difference in the early game.2. Mastering Combat: Basic Moves and Dodging
Elden Ring's combat is punishing but fair, with success hinging on mastering its core mechanics.Perfecting Dodges and Parries
Dodging is your best friend in Elden Ring. Time your rolls correctly to avoid attacks and position yourself for counterattacks. Parries, while more difficult to execute, can stagger enemies and open them up for critical hits. However, learning when to dodge and when to parry can drastically improve your survivability.Stamina Management
Combat revolves around stamina. Running out leaves you vulnerable to enemy attacks. Always monitor your stamina bar and avoid spamming attacks, dodges, or blocks. A balanced approach ensures you're never left defenseless.3. Exploring the World: Early Game Areas to Focus On
Elden Ring's open world is vast, and knowing where to start can help you level up and gather resources effectively.Limgrave: A Beginner's Playground
Limgrave is the starting area and offers numerous dungeons, minibosses, and secrets. Focus on this region to level up before heading into more difficult zones. The Church of Elleh, where you can upgrade your gear, and the nearby groves filled with wolves and enemies, are good practice areas.Collecting Runes and Upgrades
Runes, which act as the game’s currency, are essential for leveling up. Kill enemies and explore dungeons to accumulate enough to improve your stats. Be cautious about dying, as you can lose your runes, but you can recover them if you make it back to where you fell.4. Enhancing Your Arsenal: Finding and Upgrading Weapons
In Elden Ring, upgrading your weapons is as important as leveling up your character.Best Early Game Weapons
Look for weapons like the Uchigatana or Twinblade, both powerful choices available early on. Each weapon scales with different attributes, so choose one that complements your class.Weapon Upgrades: Smithing Stones
Smithing Stones are required for upgrading your weapons. Early in the game, you can find these stones in caves, dungeons, and from specific merchants. Prioritize upgrading a couple of weapons rather than spreading your resources too thin.5. Understanding the Map: Points of Interest and Fast Travel
Efficient exploration is crucial in Elden Ring, and using the map wisely can help you navigate the dangerous world.Unlocking Map Fragments
Throughout the game, map fragments are scattered at obelisks in each region. Be sure to find these to fully reveal the area you're exploring. They also help identify important locations, dungeons, and potential bosses.Utilizing Fast Travel
Bonfires, or Sites of Grace in Elden Ring, act as fast travel points. Use these to save time when moving across large distances, but remember that fast traveling to some regions without proper preparation can be fatal
6. Using Spirit Summons and NPC Helpers
Spirit summons and NPC allies can turn the tide of battle, especially during challenging boss fights.Spirit Summoning: Unlocking and Using Wisely
Spirit summons are helpful companions in battle. Unlock the Spirit Calling Bell early to access them. Whether it's wolves or powerful warriors, summons can distract enemies, giving you breathing room in fights. However, they use FP, so make sure your character has enough to support their usage.NPC Summons
Throughout the game, NPC allies can be summoned before certain bosses. These NPCs can deal significant damage and serve as distractions, making boss fights more manageable, especially for solo players.7. Surviving Boss Fights: Strategies for Success
Boss fights are the heart of Elden Ring, and each one presents a unique challenge.Study Enemy Patterns
Each boss has a distinct set of moves, and learning their patterns is key. Take your time to observe attacks and find openings. Don’t rush into combat without understanding how a boss behaves, as this leads to unnecessary deaths.Prepare for Multiple Attempts
You will likely die a lot in Elden Ring, but that's part of the process. Each attempt helps you understand the boss’s moveset better. Make sure to restock healing flasks and summon allies to improve your odds.8. Understanding Status Effects and Resistances
Status effects play a major role in both combat and exploration.Common Status Effects: Poison, Bleed, and Frostbite
Enemies and environments can afflict you with various status effects like poison or frostbite, reducing health over time or lowering defenses. Use items like antidotes to cleanse these effects, or equip gear with high resistance stats to prevent them from occurring.Building Resistance
Equip gear or consume items that provide resistance against specific status effects before heading into areas where they are prevalent, such as poison swamps or frost-heavy regions.9. Experimenting with Builds: Find What Works for You
One of Elden Ring’s strengths is its flexibility with character builds.Strength, Dexterity, or Magic?
Focus on a primary stat that complements your preferred playstyle. Strength builds favor heavy weapons and shields, while Dexterity builds rely on fast attacks. If you prefer ranged combat or powerful spells, invest in Intelligence and Faith for magic-based builds.Hybrid Builds
Hybrid builds allow you to balance melee combat and magic, providing versatility in fights. However, these builds require careful stat allocation, so be strategic when distributing your runes.10. Staying Patient and Persistent: Embracing the Challenge
Elden Ring, like other FromSoftware titles, rewards patience and perseverance.Don't Rush
Rushing through areas can lead to missing valuable items or walking into traps. Take your time to explore every nook and cranny. Elden Ring’s world is full of hidden paths, secrets, and lore.Learn From Mistakes
Every death is a learning experience. Instead of getting frustrated, analyze what went wrong and adapt. Whether it's taking a different approach to combat or using the environment to your advantage, persistence is key.
