Elden Ring: Beginner's Guide & Best Tips

This Game Hates You (And That's the Point)

Yeah, Elden Ring is brutal. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it's "fair but challenging" like some nerds on YouTube. Sometimes it's straight-up bullshit. I've been playing these games since Demon's Souls on the PS3, and I still got my face kicked in by a random dog in Limgrave for twenty minutes on my first playthrough. A dog. Not even a boss.

But here's the thing nobody says out loud: Elden Ring is also the most forgiving game from FromSoftware has ever made. You can run past almost everything. You can summon spirits that tank hits for you. You can overlevel until you're a walking nuke. The game gives you ten thousand tools. The problem is, it never explains any of them. You're just dropped into this desolate world with a stick and told "good luck, idiot."

I've put around 400 hours across three characters. I've tried strength builds, bleed builds, magic builds, and a dumb cosplay run where I dressed like a pot and only used fists for the first 20 hours. This guide is everything I actually needed to know on day one, not the vague "get good" garbage you see on forums. I'm gonna tell you exactly what to do, what to ignore, and what's a complete waste of your time.

One thing upfront: Elden Ring is gorgeous. The way the Erdtree glows at sunset, the verticality of Liurnia, the sheer dread of Caelid — it's art. But you're not here for a painting. You're here to survive. Let's get to it.

Why You're Probably Already Rage-Quitting

I see the same complaints in every new player thread. Let me address the big ones head-on, because I went through all of this myself.

"I can't beat the first boss." You're not supposed to. The Tree Sentinel on that horse right outside the starting area? That's a trap. FromSoft put him there to teach you a lesson: you can walk away. I spent two hours dying to that golden bastard on my first day because I thought I had to kill him to progress. You don't. Come back at level 40 and crush him. Until then, just run past. He doesn't even drop anything game-breaking — a halberd that's okay but not worth the headache.

"I keep dying to normal enemies." Stop treating the game like Assassin's Creed. You cannot tank hits. Every enemy in Elden Ring hits like a truck made of smaller trucks. Your health bar is a suggestion, not a safety net. The solution: level Vigor first. I cannot stress this enough. I ran a pure glass cannon mage on my first playthrough and got one-shot by a rat. A rat. Put your first 20 levels into HP. Your damage will come from weapon upgrades, not stat scaling, early on.

"I'm wasting all my resources." Oh, this one hurt. I spent my first three runs trying to stack poison damage on a weapon that wasn't even good, and got destroyed by the second major boss EVERY TIME. Golden seeds and sacred tears are finite but not as rare as you think. Use them. Don't hoard them like a dragon. I still have 12 golden seeds in my inventory from my first playthrough because I was scared to waste them. That's stupid. Click the damn items.

"I have no idea where to go." Follow the golden light from Sites of Grace. It points you toward the main story. But honestly? Ignore it for the first 10 hours. Go south to the Weeping Peninsula. It's a low-level area that's actually balanced for your starting gear. The game points you north toward Stormveil Castle, which is a death sentence for a fresh character. South is where you get strong.

"The map is confusing." The map fragments are held by little glowing statues on the roads. You can see them from a distance if you're paying attention. But more importantly: the map doesn't show you everything. Caves, catacombs, and dungeons are hidden. If you see a ring of rocks on your map, there's probably a dungeon there. If you see a weird building shape, go check it out. The game rewards curiosity more than combat skill, honestly.

First Steps: What I Wish Someone Screamed at Me Before I Started

Alright, you just woke up in the Chapel of Anticipation. You got your ass kicked by a big spider-hand thing that wasn't even a boss. You're in Limgrave. Now what?

Step one: Get a horse. That first merchant at the Church of Elleh (the one with the anvil outside) will sell you a crafting kit. Buy it. Then rest at the Site of Grace just past the church. A woman named Renna will show up at night and give you the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes. If you miss this, you can buy the bell later from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, but it costs more. Get it for free now.

Step two: Your starting class barely matters. Stop agonizing over it for three hours like I did. That samurai start with the katana is popular because bleed is strong, but you can find the same weapon in a catacomb within 20 minutes. I started as a Wretch (the naked guy with a club) and it forced me to learn the game properly. Pick the class that looks cool. By level 50, the differences are almost meaningless.

Step three: The first thing you should do. Ride south. Straight down. Past the giant gate, past the soldiers, all the way to the Weeping Peninsula. This area is littered with upgrade materials, golden seeds, and sacred tears. There's a church at the very bottom called the Church of the Plague (don't worry, it's safe) that has a sacred tear. There's an evergaol with a fight that's actually fair. There's a castle with a boss called the Leonine Misbegotten that drops a talisman that gives you extra HP. Go clear this entire area before you even look at Stormveil Castle.

Step four: Upgrade your weapon. You'll find Smithing Stones in the mines. Look for orange circles on your map — those are mines. The first one near Limgrave, Limgrave Tunnels, has enough stones to get a weapon to +3. Do it. A +3 weapon with 20 Vigor is stronger than a +0 weapon with 40 Strength. Upgrade priority: weapon level > Vigor > your main damage stat.

Step five: Use your summons. The Lone Wolf Ashes are fine. But the best early summon is the Jellyfish Ashes you get from a woman in a cabin near the starting area. That jellyfish tanks hits, poisons enemies, and doesn't die easily. It carried me through the first three major bosses. Summons aren't "easy mode" — they're a core mechanic. Use them shamelessly.

Step six: Learn to dodge into attacks, not away from them. This is the #1 mechanical skill in this game. Most enemies have wide sweeping attacks. If you dodge backward, you'll get caught by the follow-up. If you dodge into their weapon swing, you'll end up behind them with an opening. Practice this on the Soldiers of Godrick outside the first gate. It feels wrong at first. It's the right call 90% of the time.

Expert Tips: The Stuff You Only Learn After 200 Hours of Getting Stomped

These are the non-obvious things. The mechanics the game hides from you. The cheese strategies that actually work.

Guard counters are broken. If you block an attack with a shield (a medium shield, not a small one), you can immediately hit your heavy attack button for a guard counter. This does huge poise damage and staggers most enemies. I ignored this mechanic for 60 hours because I thought it was for bad players. It's not. It's the best way to handle groups of enemies. A Brass Shield (drops from soldiers with shields) with a guard counter can stun-lock knights that would normally combo you to death.

Jump attacks are life. Jumping heavy attacks do massive poise damage. Against human-sized enemies, two jump attacks will stagger them for a critical hit. Against bosses, it's your fastest way to break their stance. I beat Malenia (the hardest boss in the game) mostly by spamming jump attacks with a greatsword. It's not elegant. It works.

Status effects stack fast. Bleed does percentage-based damage. Frost reduces defense and does flat damage. Poison is slow but safe. If you're stuck on a boss that feels impossible, try a weapon with bleed. The Bloodhound's Fang (found in the Evergaol south of Limgrave) is arguably the best early-game weapon because it has bleed, a weapon art that dodges, and good damage. I used it for half the game.

Torrent (your horse) is not just for travel. In a boss arena that allows Torrent, you can summon him mid-fight. This is huge. You can ride in, hit the boss, ride out, heal. I beat Radahn (a nightmare boss for most players) purely by hit-and-run on horseback. Never got hit once. Also, Torrent can double-jump. Use this to dodge ground-based AoE attacks that would otherwise be inescapable.

The crafting system is actually useful. I ignored it for 100 hours. Then I discovered Furlcalling Finger Remedy (needed for coop) can be crafted from Erdleaf Flowers, which grow everywhere. I was buying them from merchants like an idiot. Also, Roped Fire Pots are a godsend for annoying enemies that run away. Don't sleep on crafting.

Night time is dangerous but rewarding. At night, you'll encounter Night's Cavalry, black knights on horses that drop very good equipment. There's one on the bridge leading to the Weeping Peninsula. Beat him for a powerful Ash of War. Also, some bosses only appear at night. If you can handle the increased enemy aggression, night farming is worth it.

Stonesword Keys are not one-use for the door. They are one-use, but you keep the key until you actually insert it. Check every locked door you find. Even if you don't have a key now, you can come back later. Most imp statue doors lead to a friendly NPC, loot, or a shortcut. The first one you should unlock is in Roundtable Hold, in the room behind the blacksmith. It has a talisman that increases equip load.

Level your weapon, not your stats. By the time you reach Liurnia of the Lakes (the second big area), your weapon should be +6 minimum. Each weapon level adds a flat damage bonus AND increases scaling. A +10 weapon with 20 Strength deals more damage than a +3 weapon with 40 Strength. Prioritize upgrade materials over souls.

Common Mistakes That Got Me Killed (And Will Get You Killed Too)

I made every mistake in this game. Here's what not to do:

• Not leveling Vigor. I already said this, but I'll say it again. I had 15 Vigor at level 50 and wondered why I died in two hits to everything. 40 Vigor is the soft cap. After that, returns diminish. But before 40, every point is an extra hit you can take. That's more valuable than 5 extra damage on your sword.
• Ignoring the tutorial. There's a tutorial in the first cave. The game literally drops you into it after the intro cinematic. I skipped it because I'm impatient. I didn't learn about guard counters, jumping attacks, or the critical hit mechanic properly until 30 hours in. Go do the tutorial.
• Fat rolling. Your equip load determines your dodge roll speed. Under 30%: fast roll. 30-70%: medium roll. Over 70%: fat roll. Fat rolling is death. You take longer to recover, you have less invincibility frames, and you look ridiculous. I spent half the game in fat roll because I wanted to wear heavy armor. The truth: armor barely matters. The difference between light and heavy armor is maybe one extra hit of survivability. Speed is everything. Stay under 70%.
• Not using your weapon's Ash of War. Every weapon has a special ability. Some are trash (looking at you, standard "Stance" Ash of War). Some are broken. Bloodhound's Step gives you a teleport dodge. Flame of the Redmanes does insane poise damage. Hoarfrost Stomp (now nerfed but still good) freezes enemies. Experiment with your Ash of War. Don't just spam light attacks.
• Getting trapped in Caelid early. The teleport trap chest in the Dragon-Burnt Ruins sends you to Caelid, a high-level hell zone filled with giant birds, dinosaurs, and rot. You can't fast travel out of a trap chest location. You have to find a Site of Grace. You will die. I was stuck there for three hours at level 15. If you open a chest and see a message saying "trapped," prepare to hate your life.
• Selling items for runes. Don't sell your boss souls, crafting materials, or upgrade stones. Runes are infinite. Boss weapons are not. The Bastard's Stars from the Dragonkin Soul is a great weapon for magic builds. Keep everything.
• Thinking "I can take them." You can't. Not if there are six dogs. Not if there's a giant lobster that snipes you from 50 meters. Not if there's a field boss that's clearly meant for level 80. The game is designed to make you retreat. Pride gets you killed. If an area feels unfair, it's because you're underleveled or missing a mechanic. Go somewhere else.

FAQ: The Questions You're Too Embarrassed to Ask

Q: What's the best starting class for a new player?
A: Vagabond has the best starting stats for survivability (high Vigor, good armor, a shield that blocks 100% physical damage). Samurai is second best — good damage, great weapon, starts with a bow. Avoid Astrologer if you're new; magic is powerful but requires good positioning and mana management. I started as Wretch and regretted it for the first 15 hours.

Q: How do I summon other players?
A: You need a Furlcalling Finger Remedy (craft from 2 Erdleaf Flowers, or buy from merchants). Use it at a Summoning Pool statue (the ones with the glowing blue circles on the ground) to see player summon signs. You also need to be online. You can also summon NPCs for certain boss fights — they show up as gold signs near the boss fog.

Q: Is the "Grafted Blade Greatsword" good?
A: No. It's a trap weapon. It's from the boss at the very start of the game (the Grafted Scion on the tutorial area). You can get it later from a different boss. The weapon art buffs all stats by 5 but the recovery time is so long you'll get punished. There are 20 better greatswords. Claymore (found in a chest near the starting area) is better in every way.

Q: I can't beat Margit (first major boss). What do I do?
A: Margit is a skill check, not a gear check. But here's the cheese: use the shackle item. There's an item called Margit's Shackle that you buy from a merchant called Patches (found in Murkwater Cave, northeast of Limgrave). It stuns Margit twice during the fight, giving you free damage windows. Also, summon Roderika's spirit (or the Jellyfish) to distract him. If you still struggle, level to 30+, get your weapon to +5, and focus on dodging his delayed attacks. He's designed to punish early aggression.

Q: What does "Scadutree Blessing" do? (DLC related)
A: If you have the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, this is the equivalent of weapon upgrades inside the DLC area. You find them from Miquella's Crosses and Scadutree Fragments. They increase damage dealt and decrease damage taken. Everything outside the DLC doesn't matter for this. You'll need around level 8 Scadutree Blessing to not get one-shot by basic enemies. Don't enter the DLC under level 100.

Q: How do I respec my character?
A: You need a Larval Tear. There are about 10 in the game per playthrough. You give them to Rennala (the boss of Raya Lucaria Academy) after you beat her. She's in the library. Talk to her and choose "Rebirth." You can respec your stats back to a base value and reallocate them. You cannot change your starting class or starting stats. Use them wisely — Larval Tears are finite per playthrough, but there's a "soft" infinite source in the DLC.

Q: Why do enemies respawn when I rest at a Site of Grace?
A: That's how these games work. They respawn to allow farming, but also to punish reckless play. Every time you rest, the world resets. Bosses and mini-bosses you've killed stay dead. But regular enemies come back. This is intentional — it makes you plan your routes. If you're sick of respawning, you can clear an area once and then sprint through it. Enemies despawn if you kill them enough times in a row (there's a hidden mechanic for certain groups), but generally, you just have to deal with it.

Q: What's the point of rune arcs?
A: Rune Arcs activate your equipped Great Rune. To equip a Great Rune, you need to defeat a shardbearer (like Godrick), then go to the Divine Tower in their area to activate the rune, then equip it at a Site of Grace. The effect depends on the rune: Godrick's Great Rune gives +5 to all stats. Radahn's increases HP, FP, and Stamina. Malenia's lets you recover HP on hits. Rune Arcs are consumable and rare (you get maybe 30 per playthrough). Save them for bossfights or situations where you're stuck. Don't waste them on random mobs.