ELDEN RING: Complete Guide (Base Game + Shadow of the Erdtree)

A practical, spoiler-light guide to ELDEN RING and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion: early-game route, stats, build archetypes, boss order, the DLC's Scadutree system, and the new classes added in patch 1.17.

Researched September 2026 — current as of patch 1.17 (August 27, 2026) with the Tarnished Pack DLC. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• Explore before you fight what blocks you. Margit at Stormveil's gate is a skill check most first-timers aren't ready for. Limgrave, Weeping Peninsula and Stormhill have enough to get you to level 20–30 first.
• Get Torrent and the Spirit Calling Bell early. Rest at three Sites of Grace and Melina gives you the Spectral Steed Whistle. Then go back to the Church of Elleh at night to meet Renna, who hands over the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes.
• Level Vigor first. A good rule of thumb is roughly 20 Vigor by the end of Limgrave, 40 by mid-game (Altus Plateau), and around 60 for late game and the DLC. Most early deaths are one-shots, not bad builds.
• Upgrade your weapon before your stats. Smithing Stone upgrades raise damage more than a couple of stat points. Buy Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearings from bosses and Twin Maiden Husks to stop farming.
• Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears increase flask charges and flask potency. They glow gold on the map and are often near minor Erdtrees and churches. Grab every one you see.
• Use spirit ashes. They are a core mechanic, not a crutch. Upgrade your favorite with Grave Glovewort (normal ashes) or Ghost Glovewort (renowned ashes) at Roderika in Roundtable Hold.
• Flask of Wondrous Physick is at the Third Church of Marika in east Limgrave. Crimsonburst Crystal Tear (HP regen) and Opaline Hardtear (damage negation) are strong general picks.
• Rune management: spend runes before risky fights. If you die twice without recovering, they're gone. Golden Runes in your inventory are free "banked" runes.
• Guard counters and jump attacks are the two most efficient ways to break enemy stance. Hit R2/heavy right after blocking an attack to guard counter.
• Don't be afraid to respec. After Rennala at the Raya Lucaria Academy you can respec with Larval Tears.

New in Patch 1.17 (Tarnished Pack)

Patch 1.17 was the first ELDEN RING update in nearly two years. It adds support for the Tarnished Pack DLC (released August 28, 2026), two new starting classes, new weapons, three Spectral Steed Attire cosmetics for Torrent, new NPC invasion events in Caelid and Leyndell, Royal Capital (before it turns ashen), and a round of balance changes.

New class | Level | Key stats | Starting gear

Idus Knight | 7 | VIG 10, MND 12, END 11, STR 13, DEX 15, INT 8, FAI 11, ARC 6 | Idus Sword, Silver Grooved Shield, Silver Grooved Set

Heavy Knight | 10 | VIG 14, MND 8, END 17, STR 15, DEX 11, INT 7, FAI 8, ARC 9 | Hefty Scimitar (curved greatsword), Steel Armor Set

• Idus Knight is a dexterity-first class with enough Faith to dip into incantations. It's a good fit for a Dex/Faith hybrid.
• Heavy Knight has the highest starting Endurance of any class. It's a comfortable pick if you want to wear heavy armor and swing big weapons from minute one.

Notable balance changes in 1.17:

• Parry (the skill) recovers faster after activation when used with Daggers, Curved Swords and Small Shields.
• Storm Wall no longer costs FP and parries better.
• Smithscript throwing attacks cost less stamina, and several shields got higher guard boost and lower weight.
• Founding Rain of Stars and Carian Retaliation hit harder; Meteorite sorceries cast faster.
• PvP-only nerfs to Rakshasa's Great Katana (more damage taken while using it), Rugalea's Roar, and shorter hit reactions from Rotten Breath / Ekzykes's Decay.
• The full list is long; check the official 1.17 notes (Sources) for exact weapon and spell changes.

Core Stats

Stat | What it does | Practical target

Vigor | HP, fire defense | 40 mid-game, 60 late game (diminishing returns after 60)

Mind | FP, focus | 15–25 for casters/ash users, more for heavy casters

Endurance | Stamina, equip load | 20–30 for most builds, higher for heavy armor

Strength | STR weapon scaling, physical defense | Main stat for heavy builds

Dexterity | DEX scaling, casting speed | Main stat for katanas, curved swords, bows

Intelligence | Sorcery scaling, magic defense | Main stat for sorcery

Faith | Incantation scaling | Main stat for incantations

Arcane | Bleed/poison buildup, discovery, some incantations | Main stat for bleed and dragon cult builds

Damage stats give strong returns up to roughly 50–60 and slow down noticeably after that, though pure builds still benefit up to 80. The common PvP meta levels are 125 and 150 (base game) and 150–200 for DLC-era play. For PvE there's no reason to stop leveling.

Weapon Upgrades and Affinities

• Regular weapons use Smithing Stones [1]–[8] up to +24, then an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for +25.
• Special/unique weapons use Somber Smithing Stones [1]–[9] up to +9, then a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for +10.
• Regular weapons accept Ashes of War and affinities (Heavy, Keen, Quality, Fire, Flame Art, Lightning, Sacred, Magic, Cold, Poison, Blood, Occult). You need a Whetblade to unlock each affinity group.
• Iron Whetblade: Heavy, Keen, Quality
• Glintstone Whetblade: Magic, Cold
• Red-Hot Whetblade: Fire, Flame Art
• Sanctified Whetblade: Lightning, Sacred
• Black Whetblade: Poison, Blood, Occult
• Rule of thumb: Heavy for pure STR, Keen for pure DEX, Quality for STR/DEX, Blood/Occult for Arcane bleed.

Build Archetypes

These have stayed reliable through every patch. Check current numbers in the 1.17 notes before min-maxing.

Build | Key stats | Core gear | Why it works

Bleed katana | DEX + ARC | Uchigatana or Nagakiba (Blood affinity), Rivers of Blood, Seppuku Ash of War, White Mask, Lord of Blood's Exultation | Hemorrhage deals a chunk of max HP. Very strong against most bosses.

Strength colossal | STR, END | Giant-Crusher, Greatsword, Prelate's Inferno Crozier, Lion's Claw / Stamp (Upward Cut) | Huge stance damage, jump attacks, and the heaviest hits in the game. Two-handing multiplies STR by 1.5.

Quality | STR + DEX | Claymore, Bloodhound's Fang, Greatsword of Solitude (DLC) | Flexible and forgiving. Good first-playthrough build.

Pure sorcery | INT, MND | Meteorite Staff (early), Lusat's Glintstone Staff, Carian Regal Scepter, Rock Sling, Comet Azur, Carian Slicer | Rock Sling from Caelid carries early game. Comet Azur plus Terra Magica melts late bosses.

Faith / incantations | FAI, MND | Sacred Seal / Erdtree Seal, Black Flame, Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, Blasphemous Blade | Strong buffs, healing, and fire damage. Blasphemous Blade's Taker's Flames heals you as you deal damage.

Dragon cult / Arcane | ARC, FAI | Dragon Communion Seal, Dragonfire / Ekzykes's Decay, Rotten Breath | Huge AoE from dragon incantations.

Martial arts / DLC hybrid | Varies | Dryleaf Arts (Hand-to-Hand), Milady (light greatsword), Backhand Blades, throwing blades | Fast, aggressive DLC weapon classes with high DPS.

Talismans worth hunting early: Erdtree's Favor (HP/stamina/equip load), Green Turtle Talisman (stamina recovery), Shard of Alexander (skill damage), Radagon's Soreseal (stats), Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman (physical damage negation, late), and the Crimson Amber Medallion line.

Suggested Progression Order (Base Game)

This is a comfortable route for a first playthrough. The game is open, so treat it as a guide, not a rule.

• Limgrave – Church of Elleh, Gatefront, Third Church of Marika, Agheel Lake. Clear Stormhill Evergaol and the Limgrave catacombs for ashes and runes.
• Weeping Peninsula – Castle Morne, Tombsward Catacombs. Easy runes and Golden Seeds.
• Stormveil Castle – Margit, the Fell Omen, then Godrick the Grafted (Great Rune). Buy Margit's Shackle from Patches in Murkwater Cave to make Margit easier.
• Liurnia of the Lakes – Raya Lucaria Academy, Red Wolf of Radagon, Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon (Great Rune, respec). Start Ranni's questline at Ranni's Rise.
• Caelid (south) – Starscourge Radahn during the Radahn Festival at Redmane Castle. Defeating him also opens Nokron.
• Siofra/Nokron (underground) – Mimic Tear ashes in Nokron, Eternal City, Ancestral Spirit.
• Altus Plateau and Mt. Gelmir – Grand Lift of Dectus (two medallion halves) or the Ruin-Strewn Precipice route. Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy in Volcano Manor is optional but gives a Great Rune.
• Leyndell, Royal Capital – Godfrey (golden shade) and Morgott, the Omen King.
• Mountaintops of the Giants – Fire Giant, then the Forge of the Giants.
• Crumbling Farum Azula – Godskin Duo, Beast Clergyman / Maliketh, the Black Blade.
• Leyndell, Ashen Capital – Sir Gideon Ofnir, Godfrey, First Elden Lord / Hoarah Loux.
• Elden Throne – Radagon of the Golden Order and Elden Beast.

Optional but important:

• Mohg, Lord of Blood (Mohgwyn Palace) – needed to enter the DLC.
• Malenia, Blade of Miquella (Elphael, Haligtree) – the hardest base-game boss.
• Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, Dragonlord Placidusax, Lichdragon Fortissax – tied to questlines and endings.

Shadow of the Erdtree

How to enter

You must defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, then touch the withered arm on Miquella's cocoon in Mohg's arena. Aim to be level 120–150 with a +22–25 (or +9–10 somber) weapon before you go in. The DLC is tuned for late-game characters.

Scadutree Blessing is everything

Your base-game levels matter less in the Land of Shadow than Scadutree Blessing does.

• Scadutree Fragments raise your damage dealt and damage taken bonus while in the Realm of Shadow. Spend them at any Site of Grace. There are 50 fragments for 20 levels.
• Revered Spirit Ash does the same for spirit ashes and Torrent. There are 25 for 10 levels.
• Fragments are usually found near Miquella's Crosses and in dungeons and catacombs. If a boss feels impossible, go explore and come back with more blessings. This makes a much bigger difference than leveling.

Key DLC bosses (rough order)

• Divine Beast Dancing Lion (Belurat, Tower Settlement)
• Rellana, Twin Moon Knight (Castle Ensis)
• Messmer the Impaler (Shadow Keep)
• Romina, Saint of the Bud (Church of the Bud, Ancient Ruins of Rauh)
• Commander Gaius, Putrescent Knight, Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame, Bayle the Dread, Metyr, Mother of Fingers (optional or quest-linked)
• Scadutree Avatar (Scadutree Base)
• Promised Consort Radahn (Enir-Ilim, final boss)

DLC tips

• Many areas are layered vertically. If you can't reach a region on your map, look for a cliff path, a hidden lift, or the underground route.
• Messmer's Shadow Keep opens a lot of the map. Clearing it early unlocks huge amounts of loot.
• DLC weapon classes to try: Light Greatswords (Milady, Rellana's Twin Blades), Backhand Blades, Great Katanas, Hand-to-Hand Arts, Throwing Blades, Beast Claws, Perfume Bottles.
• Crafted Hefty pots and Revered Spirit Ash boosts make summon-heavy approaches very strong.

Missables and Questlines

Most NPC quests can break if you advance the story or kill the wrong boss. Before you do the following, finish or check your active quests:

• Burning the Erdtree (Forge of the Giants) changes Leyndell to its ashen form. Morgott's area loot and some quest steps become unavailable.
• Defeating Maliketh moves the world into its late state.
• Ranni's questline (Age of Stars ending) spans Liurnia, Siofra, Nokron, and Lake of Rot. It's one of the most rewarding quests. Don't skip talking to Blaidd, Iji and Seluvis.
• Millicent (Gowry's Shack, Caelid) rewards the Unalloyed Gold Needle and a strong late-game talisman. Don't choose the wrong side at the end.
• Fia, Alexander, Hyetta, Nepheli, Sellen, Boc – each has steps that time out as the world changes.
• The DLC's Ansbach, Thiollier, Hornsent, Freyja and Leda questline interlocks. Choices near the end decide who fights whom.

Follow a wiki quest page if you care about completing them. Several can fail silently.

Farming and Economy

• Rune farming: The Mohgwyn Palace bird spot (Palace Approach Ledge-Road grace) is the classic mid/late-game farm. Early on, repeat any big group of enemies that sits close to a Site of Grace.
• Use a Golden Scarab talisman and Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot to boost rune gains.
• Varré's questline gives an early shortcut into Mohgwyn Palace (via the Pureblood Knight's Medal). Be warned: the area is dangerous at low level, so stay near the grace.
• Buy Bell Bearings (Smithing-Stone Miner's, Somberstone Miner's, Glovewort Picker's) from Twin Maiden Husks after defeating the relevant bosses. They save hours of farming.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Vigor. Damage means nothing if you're one-shot.
• Spreading stats too thin. Pick one or two damage stats and commit.
• Upgrading many weapons early. Somber and Ancient Dragon stones are limited. Pick one main weapon until you find the Bell Bearings.
• Rolling late. Elden Ring bosses delay their swings. Watch the weapon, not the wind-up animation. Roll into or through attacks, not away.
• Panic-healing. Many bosses punish flask use instantly. Heal after a combo ends or at a distance.
• Skipping catacombs and caves. They're where most spirit ashes, talismans and Golden Seeds live.
• Entering the DLC with no Scadutree Blessings and blaming your build. Explore first.
• Advancing the story mid-quest and breaking NPC questlines.

Advanced Tips

• Jump attacks break stance quickly, especially with two-handed heavy weapons.
• Guard counters are faster than they look. Combine a greatshield with Barricade Shield or Golden Retaliation ashes.
• Charged heavy attacks also break stance fast. With the Lion's Claw ash of war they're even stronger.
• Physick combinations: Opaline Hardtear plus a damage tear (Crimsonburst, Greenburst or Stonebarb) for boss runs.
• Buff stacking: Buffs of the same category don't stack (e.g. two weapon buffs). Golden Vow, Flame, Grant Me Strength, the Shard of Alexander and a weapon buff do stack.
• Status buildup: Bleed, frostbite, poison and scarlet rot each have separate buildup meters. Frost plus bleed is a strong combo.
• Parry builds are more viable after 1.17's parry improvements. Buckler Parry and Carian Retaliation are the go-to options.
• Summon co-op partners by using a Furlcalling Finger Remedy near a boss fog. Online co-op often trivializes hard fights.

FAQ

What level should I be for Shadow of the Erdtree? Most players enter at level 120–150 with a fully upgraded weapon. Your Scadutree Blessing level matters more than your character level once you're inside.

What's the best starting class? Vagabond and Samurai are the most beginner-friendly. Astrologer is best for pure magic. As of patch 1.17, the new Heavy Knight is an excellent choice for heavy armor and big weapons, and Idus Knight suits Dex/Faith hybrids. Class only sets your starting point; you can build anything later.

How do I respec? Defeat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. She'll let you rebirth for one Larval Tear per respec. Larval Tears are limited, so plan ahead.

What's the level cap? 713, with every stat at 99. Practically, the community treats 125 and 150 as the main PvP brackets.

Is Malenia required? No. She's optional, but she guards the Haligtree and Miquella's Great Rune and is tied to some questlines.

How do I get the Tarnished Pack classes? The Idus Knight and Heavy Knight classes were added in patch 1.17 alongside the Tarnished Pack DLC. They appear at character creation once you own the DLC (they are included by default in the Nintendo Switch 2 Tarnished Edition). Their weapons and armor can also be found or bought in the Lands Between.

How do I unlock the DLC? Defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, then touch the withered arm in Mohg's arena.

Sources

• Bandai Namco Europe – ELDEN RING Patch Notes Version 1.17
• Fextralife ELDEN RING Wiki – Patch Notes
• Fextralife ELDEN RING Wiki – Idus Knight
• Fextralife ELDEN RING Wiki – Heavy Knight
• ComicBook – Elden Ring gets first new update in nearly 2 years
• FinalWeapon – Elden Ring Update 1.17 Tarnished Pack details