50 tips on how to play "Elden Ring"! For all the "fading" players out there!

Elden Ring: 50 tips and tricks

　On February 25, 2022, "ELDEN RING was finally released. In this article, I'll share with you 50 trivia you should know about Tarnished...... who have landed in the Lands Between, especially for beginner players. This article will provide you with 50 tidbits of information you should know.

　Since this game is the evolution of the "Dark Souls" series, there are some systems that are familiar to fans, but they are also explained in this article, so players who are new to FromSoftware titles can rest easy. In addition, the locations of the most important "must-have" items are listed, but the characters, their stories, powerful enemies, and detailed item locations are not spoiled.

　The notation of the buttons is based on the notation of PlayStation 5.

(1) Don't skip the tutorial!

　After creating your character, there is a tutorial in the area where you land at the start of the game. You will want to experience the tutorial first to familiarize yourself with the controls and system. Immediately after the game starts, you will fall down from the place where the ghost is sitting on a chair to start the tutorial area. You'll learn the basic battle controls, and you'll also be rewarded, so even if you're already familiar with the game, don't skip it.

(2) You can change your appearance at any time.

　Even after you have created your character, you can change it at any time, except for your background and appearance, as you progress through the game. You can customize your appearance by examining a certain "mirror" at a base location that can be accessed by achieving certain conditions. If you want to play quickly and not spend a lot of time on character creation, you may as well just move on.

(3) What are attributes?

　The initial status of the attributes that indicates status is determined by the predisposition you choose. After that, you can enhance your status by leveling up to increase your attributes.

■Attributes
Vigor: The higher this value, the more HP you have. It also affects fire defense and immunity.
Mind: The higher this value, the more FP. Also affects focus.
Endurance: The higher this value, the more stamina you have. Also affects robustness and Max Equipment Load.
Strength: Increases the attack power of weapons with muscularity correction. Also affects physical defense.
Dexterity: Increases the attack power of weapons with dexterity. Also affects the rate of fall damage reduction, resistance to falling from Spectral Steed, and the speed at which sorcery and incantation can be used.
Intelligence: Increases the power of sorcery with Intelligence correction. Also affects magic defense.
Faith: Increases the power of faith-corrected prayers.
Arcane: Attributes that determines the power of discovery. Also affects holy defense, anti-death resistance, and certain sorcery and incantation.

(4) What is discovery and poise?

　In addition to attributes, there are other stats. In addition to your abilities, you also have other stats, such as "Discovery," which is a drop rate that makes it easier to get items and materials from enemies.

　The higher your poise, the more you can withstand enemy attacks without cowering. The higher the toughness, the better you are able to withstand enemy attacks.

(5) What is the guard?

　Weapons and armor have a "guard" attached to them. In the case of armor, it is referenced when damage occurs, such as being hit by an attack. The higher the cut rate for each attribute, the less damage the hero will take.

　The value for weapons is the "guard", and shields basically have a higher cut rate. There are shields with a 100% physical guard. The higher the guard, the less stamina is consumed when guarding.

(6) About the site of grace

　There are many site of grace in the field and in dungeons that serve as the player's base. When searching for a site of grace, it is best to follow the direction of the "guidance of grace" that extends from the site of grace you explore the field. Site of grace can also be found in places not indicated by the guidance. Site of grace emit light, so they are easy to find at night.

　There are only a few things that can be done with a site of grace at first, but as the adventure progresses, the number of functions will increase. In addition, the conversations you have with the people you meet at the site of grace may have important implications for the story.

(7)Level-up

　When certain conditions are met, you will be able to level up by spending runes in site of grace. Every one level up will increase the value of any ability by one.

　The higher your level, the more runes you need to level up, but if you have a lot of runes when you stop by the site of grace, basically don't hesitate to use them to level up.

　It is up to the player to decide which stats to raise when leveling up. Basically, you should use the following Max Equip Load and Appropriateness and Equipment Ability Correction as guidelines.

(8) How to earn runes in the early stages

　When you are at a low level, there are only a few runes needed to level up, so you want to aim to level up first after earning runes. The best way to earn runes is to defeat as many enemies as possible. Basically, as long as you keep adventuring and collecting runes without failing even when you die, you will naturally accumulate runes.

　The best way to earn runes in the early stages of the game is to defeat and revive enemies in blessings where there are enemies in the immediate vicinity. There are a lot of enemies in front of the western gate of Rimglaive, so you can earn runes while practicing fighting.

　Another option is to use the "Golden Rune", which is a consumable item. This item can be obtained mainly by exploring and picking it up. You'll see glowing skulls all over the place, and by attacking them or stepping on them with your Spirit Horse, you'll sometimes find "Golden Rune [1]" inside. These skulls are also glowing, so they are easy to find during the night hours.

(9) Equipment load and suitability

　Equipment has a concept of weight, and the main character has a max equip load. The closer you get to the weight limit, the lower your evasion performance will be, and if you exceed the limit, even dash and rolling will become impossible. Basically, it is recommended to keep the weight of your equipment to medium to light.

　In addition to increasing the endurance of your abilities to raise the limit, you can also adjust your equipment. For example, the vaagabond's initial equipment is heavy, and its rolling performance is actually low. By removing the helm, the weight can be reduced to a medium amount, so change the combination of equipment.

　In addition, each weapon and sorcery/incantation has a required ability value. If you don't meet the required ability value, you won't be able to display your true power if you are using a weapon, and you won't be able to activate sorcery or incantatin if you aren't using it. (However, if you lack strength, you may be able to perform with two-handed.) If you are not sure which ability value to raise when you level up, you can use it as a guideline to raise the ability value required by the equipment, magic, or prayer you want to use.

(10) Attribute correction for equipment

　The attribute compensation set on equipment gives a bonus value depending on the associated status. There are ranks from S to E, and the higher the rank, the higher the correction value. For example, if your strength has a rank of D, you can increase its power by raising your strength. This is also one of the guidelines for leveling up.

(11) Flasks

　The flask is an important item that restores HP and FP. The number of times you can use it can be assigned with a blessing, for example, if the maximum number of times you can use it is 4, you can assign 2 times each for HP and FP, or you can assign all of them for HP recovery, depending on your play style.

　Every time you rest with a blessing, the number of times you can use it is restored to the maximum, but it can also be restored by wiping out a group of enemies or defeating a scarab. You can also recover by wiping out a group of enemies or defeating a scarab. However, you will not recover by wiping out a group of enemies in a dungeon.

(12) Strengthening the flask

　The maximum number of times you can use the flask can be increased by consuming golden seed. Also, consuming holy grail tears will increase the amount of HP recovery. The golden seeds are especially important, so take the initiative and use them when you get them. The golden seeds can be found near places related to the Erdtree, and the holy grail tears are often found in churches.

(13) Conversation with the character

　In this game, there are not only enemy characters, but also many NPCs such as allies and collaborators. Conversations with them are sometimes the key to the story, but some NPCs can also be defeated by attacking them. Let's not talk too much about what happens after defeating them at .......

　If you talk to a character a few times, you can get some kind of effect or information from them, so don't just talk to them once, try talking to them two or three times.

(14) Sub-quest-like elements

　Some characters may ask you to do something for them. These are like sub-quests, and if you complete them, you will receive some kind of benefit. However, there is no in-game list of goals and objectives, so make sure to take notes and keep track of them yourself.

(15)Spectral Steed

　Trent, the Sectral Steed that is the key to the player's movement and exploration, can be summoned by using the "Spirit Horse Whistle" item. The Spectral Steed Whistle can be obtained from a certain person. If you're having trouble finding it, try touching the blessing in front of the gate in western Limgrave.

　Spectral Steed is fast-moving, can jump two steps, and can be called upon at any time in the field. If you get it first, your exploration will be much smoother.

　You can also attack by riding, but the HP of the Spectral Steed and tarnished are set separately, and Trent may be defeated. In that case, you can revive him by consuming one of the flask of crimson tears for HP recovery.

(16)Spirit spring jump

　There are tornado-like sprit spring throughout the field. If you jump in the air while riding a Trent, you can make a huge jump over a cliff. In addition, even if you jump from a height that would normally cause you to take damage or die, you will not take any damage if you land in the Spirit spring.

(17) What is the skill?

　Skills are basically each weapon has one (or none). FP is required to activate them, and they can be activated without FP, but the performance is greatly reduced.

　Skills can be easily activated with the L2 button, but if you are holding a shield with skill in your left hand, the shield's skill will take priority. If you want to use your right hand weapon's skill, remove your shield or switch to two-handed.

(18) What is the ash of war?

　Once you have obtained the ashes of war and have the whetstone knife, you can use the ashes of war in site of grace to add skills to your weapon. The types of weapons that can be granted are determined by the ashes, but some skills can be granted to multiple weapon types, making them highly versatile.

　Ash of war is like an accessory item for weapons. Since they are not consumed, you can freely combine them with your weapons, but each ash can only be used on one weapon at a time. However, each ash can only be used on one weapon at a time, and cannot be used on multiple weapons at the same time.

　The whetstone knife can be found in the basement in front of the western gate of Limgrave. This is a very important item, so be sure to get it.

(19) Get the ash of war.

　Ash of war can be collected as rewards for defeating bosses or by obtaining them from treasure chests. The easiest way to get them is by defeating the glowing gray scarabs that are scattered throughout the area. You may mistake them for scarabs, but there's no harm in killing them when you see them.

(20) Ash of war attribution

　Ashes not only give you skills, but also attributes such as high quality. It is also possible to add skills, but not attributes. The attributes that can be added are determined by the ashes, but you can add multiple attributes by adventuring and obtaining the whetstone blade.

　In most cases, granting an attribute will basically enhance the ability correction value instead of lowering the attack power. In some situations, the attack power may be lowered, so watch the attack power section carefully. There are also attributes that grant incidental effects.

(21) Sorcery and incantation

　Sorcery and incantation are so-called magic. FP is used to activate them, and if the required FP is not enough, they cannot be activated. To be able to activate them, you need to set the sorcery or incantation you want to use in the site of grace in the memory slot, and equip a staff for sorcery or a holy seal for incantation.

　There are only two memory slots by default, but you can add more by using the "Memory Stone" item.

(22) How do I get sorcery and incantation?

　There are various ways to obtain sorcery or incantation, such as acquiring them from treasure chests, defeating bosses, or purchasing them from merchants. In some cases, you can increase the number of sorcery or incantation you can purchase by obtaining specific items and giving them to NPCs.

(23) Summon the spirit

　Once you have the spirit summoning bell, you can use the spirit ash to summon spirits.

　In addition to consuming FP to summon spirits, they can only be summoned in the vicinity of a nearby object called the rebirth monument. The monument is small and hard to find, but when you enter an area where you can summon a spirit, an inscription icon will appear on the left side of the screen.

　The spirit ash alone will not be enough to summon the spirits, the bell is required. You can get this item at the Church of Elleh in the western part of Limgrave if you meet certain conditions.

(24)Obtaining the spirit ash

　Spirit Ash can be obtained by exploring or purchased from merchants. They are often obtained as rewards for boss battles, and some of them have powerful effects, such as the ability to summon the boss itself. However, summoning powerful spirits consumes a lot of FP, so if you want to use them aggressively, level up to increase your mind.

(25) Strengthening the spirit

　If you are able to meet a certain person, you will be able to strengthen each ash by consuming items such as "Grave Suzuran". The ashes can be strengthened up to 10 levels, and the more you strengthen them, the more practical their power becomes. Lily of the grave can be found mainly in the graveyard area, so be sure to search for it.

(26) Asynchronous online elements

　This game has asynchronous online elements, and the actions of other players can have a small impact on your adventure.

　The phantom is a vague display of another player's figure. They may be able to give you hints on what to do.

　By examining the bloodstains on the ground, you can replay how other players have died. The cause of death often provides hints for adventure and combat, and places with lots of bloodstains indicate dangerous areas.

　Check out the glowing messages on the ground when you find them. In addition to the ones prepared in advance, there are also messages placed by other players. The messages may not only give you hints, but they may also contain lies or unique comments that have nothing to do with the progress of the game.

　However, there are times when the excitement of exploration is lost on some players, such as when they are told that there is an item ahead or that there is a powerful enemy ahead. If you are concerned about this, don't look up messages at all or play offline.

(27) Multiplayer Specifications

　This game supports online multiplayer. You can enjoy cooperative multiplayer where you fight with other players, or hostile multiplayer where you invade other players' worlds. You can play with up to two other players, or up to three players including the host, in cooperative multiplayer. If there is one more intruder or antagonist, the multiplayer experience will be for up to four players.

(28) Summonning pool

　Touching the white stone statue on the field will open up the "summoninig pool". If you use the small golden effigy (cooperative sign) or small red effigy (hostile sign), the summoned sign will be sent near the pool, making it easier for the host to find the summoned sign. This makes it easier for the host to find the summoned sign. Use this feature if you want to play multiplayer.

　By the way, summoning signs may exist even when you are offline, but they are cooperators prepared by the game, so use them aggressively.

(29)Item craft

　Once you have obtained the crafting kit from the merchant at the Church of Elleh in the western part of Limglaive, you will be able to create items from the menu screen at any time, except during battle. You will need materials to make items, and if you collect materials in the field, you won't be in trouble when you need them.

　In order to increase the number of items you can create, you need to acquire recipe items called "cookbook". You can buy them from merchants, but you can also find them while exploring.　You need a cracked pot to make a jar-based item. When you use an item in a jar, the jar itself will not be lost, but will return to the cracked pot after use. Also, you can make items up to the maximum number of crack pots you have.

(30) Status ailment

　When you are attacked by status ailment or come into contact with a gimmick in the field that has a status aliment, the gauge will accumulate. When this gauge reaches its maximum, you will receive the effect of the status aliment. It's okay if the gauge doesn't build up to the maximum, so if you're walking and see the gauge for status aliment, you can often prevent the abnormality by leaving the area.

　Status aliment or accumulated values of status aliment can be recovered by consuming items or by resting with site of grace.

(31) Incidental effects

　Some of the weapons have incidental effects attached to them. For example, if a weapon has a "poison" effect, the poison effect will accumulate every time you attack an enemy, and if the enemy's resistance value is exceeded, the enemy will be poisoned. This means that if you use a weapon with an incidental effect, you can inflict some status aliment on the enemy, but keep in mind that the accumulated value will decrease over time, just like the main character. Ancillary effects are powerful, so you can use them as a guideline when choosing equipment.

(32)Obtain map fragments

　At the start of the game, the map is almost completely blank, but by obtaining map fragments, you can open up a detailed map of the area. When you arrive at a new area, you'll want to get the map fragment first. Map Fragments can be found in the areas where there are faintly glowing pillar-like objects on the map.

(33) Use of map

　The map shows the site of graces that you have touched. You can instantly warp to any sites listed on the map (this is not possible in some places, such as in dungeons). Also, if you set a light marker on the map, a glowing pillar will appear on the field, which can be used as a landmark to find your destination. These functions can be used regardless of whether or not you have the map fragments.

　You can also place up to 100 other icons on the map. It is up to the player to decide how to use the icons, and they can be used like notes to record the location of enemies or wild animals. However, the location of these icons will not be displayed on the field.

(34) How to hold a weapon

　You can change the way you hold your weapon by pressing the left or right hand button, such as R1 or R2, while holding down the action button (△ button). The performance changes depending on whether you hold the weapon one-handed or two-handed, and depending on the weapon type, the action itself may change drastically. Incidentally, long-distance weapons, with the exception of the crossbow, can only be held two-handed when attacking.

　One-handed is mainly used when handling a shield with the left hand, and if you don't use a shield, you should basically use two-handed. If you don't use a shield, you should basically use two-handed, because two-handed is often superior in power, reach, and attack speed.

　Also, if you equip the same weapon type in your left and right hands, you will have two swords. If you use the L1 button to launch an attack, you will be able to launch a special attack for two swords, so give it a try.

(35) Attack Derivative

　Basically, you use normal and strong attacks to defeat enemies, but in this game, you can also use jump attacks. Depending on the weapon, the action of the normal attack and strong attack differs, and the range of the attack may change. You can also change your attack action by launching a normal attack after backstepping (0 button) or while crouching (L3 button), so keep that in mind.

(36) Weapon Attack Attributes

　Each weapon has its own attack attribute. There are four types of attack attributes, and each weapon has one or two of them. Each weapon has one or two of these attributes, and you can think of them as changing the ease with which you can attack your enemies.

　In some cases, the physical attack attribute changes depending on the attack motion. For example, in the case of swords, a slashing attack has the "slashing" attribute, while a thrusting attack has the "piercing" attribute. Basically, you should be able to use both slashing and striking attacks at any time to make your adventures easier.

■List of physical attack attributes
Standard: A standard attribute. There are no highly effective enemies, but there are also almost no resistant enemies.
Slash: An attribute that slashes with a blade. Effective against lightly armored opponents and creatures. Not effective against heavy equipment or rock-like enemies.
Strike: A bludgeoning attribute. Especially effective against heavy equipment and rocky enemies. It is easy to break the enemy's stance and guard.
Thrust: An attribute that pokes the enemy. When countered, the damage dealt is increased.

(37)Talisman

　The Talisman is an accessory item. It has no effect on the weight of your equipment, and has a variety of effects depending on the type of talisman. Initially, you can only equip one Talisman, but as you progress through the adventure, you'll be able to equip multiple Talismans.

(38) Time and weather

　There is a concept of time in this game, and the scenery changes as time passes from morning to day to night. In terms of exploration, enemies that only appear at night will appear, and glowing items will be easier to find at night. Rain also affects the enemy's visibility, although it can reduce visibility and make it difficult to spot them.

　You can move forward in time with site of grace, so you can choose the time of day that suits you best for your adventures, such as focusing on exploration at night and combat after the sun comes up.

(39) Smithing table

　At the Church of Elleh in the western part of Limgrave, you'll find a smithing table[. Here, you can strengthen your weapons by using smithing stones and runes. Smithing stones can be found mainly in mines and rocky areas. At the table, you can only enhance your weapon up to +3, but at certain places, you can enhance it up to +25.

(40) Merchant

　You can buy or sell items, including equipment, from the merchants you meet at each location. You need runes to buy items, and when you sell them, you get runes based on the price of the item. The first place to meet a merchant is probably the Church of Elleh, but merchants can be found all over the Lands Between. They can be located far away from the blessing, so it is recommended to keep track of their locations by placing icons on the map.

　Incidentally, once a merchant is defeated, he will never appear again. However, if you give the item that appears when you defeat the merchant to a certain person, you will be able to buy the merchant's lineup.

(41) Items to buy from merchants.

　Merchants sell weapons, armor, and other items, but what you want to take the initiative in buying are the cookbooks. The more types of items you can make, the better your adventure will be.

　There are also documents that contain useful information for your adventures, such as enemy weaknesses. They are not expensive, so feel free to purchase them.

(42) Torch

　There is one thing that you must have before you buy cookbooks. That is a torch. Torch is classified as shields, but they can't be used as guards. However, it is essential for exploring dark dungeons because it illuminates the surroundings. You should never enter a cave or other dungeon without a torch.

　When a torch is equipped in the left hand, pressing the L1 button immediately raises the torch. If you equip the torch in your right hand, you can use it as a weapon and use the "torch attack" with either your left or right hand. It's not very powerful, but its strength lies in its ability to attack with fire. There are many enemies whose weakness is the flame attribute, so this can be useful in unexpected situations.

(43)Key of the stone sword

　The Key of the Stone Sword, which can be obtained during the adventure, is the key to unlocking the seal at the location of the statue of the Imp. It is needed to unlock the white, transparent wall near the blessing in the Drifting Cemetery, which you visit immediately after starting the game.

　The key to the stone sword itself is not that valuable, but in some cases the entrance to the dungeon may be sealed with an imp statue. In some cases, however, the entrance to the dungeon may be sealed by an imp statue, and you may need two of them to break the seal, so it's a good idea to keep two (look closely at the imp statue to see how many you need). In some cases, merchants sell them.

(44) About death and retry

　When you die, you drop the rune you were holding, and you have to retry from the last site of grace you visited. If you want to retrieve it, just go back to the place where you died, but the place where the rune is dropped is basically the place where you were a few seconds before you died, so if you died due to damage from a height difference, the rune will be dropped on the cliff right before you jumped off. If you died in an area with strong enemies, it may have fallen outside that area.

　You can also use the icons on the compass and map to find the runes you've dropped. If the site of graace is too far away, use the retry point "Stake of Marika" to revive.

(45) How to use the pouch

　In the upper right corner of the menu screen, there is a pouch menu where you can register item shortcuts. By holding down the △ button and pressing the directional key, you can use the registered items. You should always register shortcuts not only for throwing weapons and other items you need to use on the fly, but especially for the "Spectral Steed Whistle". This is because it will greatly change the efficiency of your movement.

(46)Hard-to-notice treasure chest

　Some treasure chests are located in hard to notice places. For example, you may see a cart stand, but there is a treasure chest in it. There are many such devices in this game, so it is important to search everywhere to make sure you don't miss anything.

(47) Items available from enemy attacks.

　In some locations, items hidden in stone statues can be seen, but cannot be retrieved intact. However, a powerful attack by a large enemy will break the statue and allow you to retrieve the item inside. We hope you'll give it a try.

(48) Guide to the dungeon

　There is a statue in the field that points to something, which corresponds to a specific underground tomb. If the tomb is undiscovered, you can look it up and the light will guide you in that direction. If you find a large statue while exploring, try to find the direction indicated by its fingertips. In addition, if you examine something that looks like a glowing candlestick, an apparition will appear and wander off somewhere. If you follow him, you may discover something.

(49) Keep a bow or crossbow handy.

　You should be able to use at least one of the long range weapons, the bow and the crossbow. This is because they are useful in a variety of situations, such as luring out enemies and attacking specific areas. The hurdle to obtaining them is not high, so if you are not particular about them, you should be able to use them right away. In addition, you should always have arrows and bolts on hand. Arrows and bolts are inexpensive, so if you want to have a large supply, I recommend buying them rather than making them.

(50) If you get stuck, go somewhere else.

　If your path is blocked by a powerful boss or other obstacle and you just can't go on, explore other places and focus on developing your character and equipment.

　Some enemies can be defeated by standing around even if their status is low, but if you have to keep retrying, it is better to expand your search area. Sometimes you can find your way to the next area without defeating the boss. You don't have to defeat all the enemies on the first try. Why not try adventuring with the feeling that you will try again after you have strengthened yourself!