Elden Ring — Complete Beginner's Guide

Elden Ring is FromSoftware's open-world masterpiece — brutally difficult, endlessly rewarding, and widely regarded as one of the greatest games ever made. One principle above all others: you will die, and you will learn. Every death teaches you something.

Class & Keepsake

• 1
  Don't stress your starting class — it's not permanentAll 10 classes can eventually use any gear. For beginners: Vagabond (melee tank) and Samurai (versatile katana) are most forgiving. Astrologer for ranged magic. You cannot pick wrong.
• 2
  Pick the Golden Seed as your KeepsakeGives you an extra charge on your Flask of Crimson Tears (healing potion). One extra heal at the start is more valuable than any other starting bonus.

Limgrave — what to do, what to ignore

• 3
  Get Torrent (your horse) as soon as possibleAfter the first outdoor Site of Grace, speak to Melina. She gives you Torrent AND the ability to level up. Torrent is essential — get him immediately.
• 4
  At the Church of Elleh: buy the Crafting Kit and find Renna at nightBuy the Crafting Kit from Merchant Kale. Return at nighttime — Renna appears and gives you the Spirit Calling Bell, letting you summon Spirit Ashes (AI ally fighters) in boss fights. This is massive.
• 5
  Do NOT fight the Tree Sentinel at the startThe golden knight on horseback right after the tutorial is a trap for new players — walk away. Come back after 10+ hours. FromSoftware is teaching you that not every enemy needs to be fought immediately.

The most important thing beginners get wrong

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  Pump Vigor first — always VigorVigor = your HP. The #1 beginner mistake is ignoring it. Aim for at least 40 Vigor before investing heavily elsewhere. "I died 50 times before realising I just needed more HP" — every veteran, ever.
• 7
  Always spend Runes before heading into dangerRunes are your XP currency. You lose them on death — they drop at your corpse and you have one chance to retrieve them. Level up at a Site of Grace before any boss fight.
• 8
  Collect Golden Seeds and Sacred TearsGolden Seeds (glowing golden plants) add extra healing flask charges. Sacred Tears (churches and ruins) increase how much each charge heals. Among the highest-priority pickups in the game.

How to stop dying to everything

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  Stop panic rolling — time your dodgeSpam-rolling gets you killed. Elden Ring has input buffering — mashing queues inputs that fire at the wrong moment. Practice one well-timed roll through an attack. The invincibility frames on a good dodge are your best defensive tool.
• 10
  Two-hand your weapon for a big damage boostHold Triangle/Y while pressing your weapon button. Gives a 50% Strength bonus and often better move sets. For Strength builds, two-handing is a free damage upgrade without spending a level.
• 11
  Use Spirit Ashes — they're not cheatingSpirit Ashes are part of the game's design. The Lone Wolf Ashes (three wolves, available early) pull boss aggro while you heal or attack from the side. Use every tool the game gives you.
• 12
  If an area destroys you — leave and come backElden Ring is non-linear. If a zone wrecks you, go somewhere else. Level up. Come back stronger. There is always a path forward. This isn't giving up — it's playing correctly.

The expansion — harder than the base game

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  Scadutree Fragments are your power — collect obsessivelyThe DLC uses a completely separate power system. Scadutree Fragments permanently boost your attack AND damage negation. Your base game level barely matters here — Scadutree Blessing level does. Treat these like Sacred Tears.
• 14
  Revered Spirit Ashes re-empower your summonsYour Spirit Ashes are weakened in the DLC. Revered Spirit Ashes (found at places of worship in the Realm of Shadow) boost them back. Neglecting either system makes the DLC brutally harder than necessary.
• 15
  Explore sideways before story bossesUnlock as much map as possible before tackling story bosses. More map = more Scadutree Fragments = dramatically easier fights.
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  DLC bosses are harder than anything in the base gameIf you're getting one-shot at full Vigor 60, you need more Scadutree Fragments. The final boss is widely considered the hardest FromSoftware has ever made. Use every tool. No shame in it.

Our take on Elden Ring