Runes make the world go ’round within FromSoftware’s Elden Ring: players will purchase items with them, level their characters up, and even strengthen weapons using these runes. Taking the place of souls from the Souls franchise, players will likely find themselves needing to shore up a few runes during their time within the Lands Between.
Thankfully, there are a few areas that players can take advantage of to keep their levels (and spirits) high as they slog through the treacherous imaginings of this fantasy-laden world. Here are three areas ripe for rune farming, whether you find yourself early, mid, or in the late game.
Related: The 10 worst weapons in Elden Ring
Early game rune farming in Elden Ring
You’re still shaking out the kinks in your dodge-rolling and backstab-fishing, and claiming an early rune farming spot will likely help bolster players for the upcoming bosses. Thankfully, the first rune-farming area is pretty close the The First Step, where players exit the tutorial from. Head just northeast from the Gatefront, where you meet Melina, and you’ll find a plateau with five massive trolls lumbering about.
Go during the day to avoid proccing a boss fight, and eliminate these trolls methodically, gaining 1,000 runes per kill. If you need a troll that won’t fight back, just southeast you’ll find a funeral process where the trolls are chained, making it a far easier fight.
Mid game rune farming in Elden Ring
Mid game, players will enter the Royal Capital Leyndell. Starting from the East Capital Rampart grace, move inwards through the city and murder every horn-tooting Oracle Envoy for roughly 450 per kill. They go down quickly, so eliminate them all and then rest at the grace to reset them for another farming run. This is a safe means of earning tens of thousands of runes before the coming boss fight at the Elden Throne, so don’t be shy about stocking up.
Late game rune farming
For late-game rune farming, the answer continues to be Mohgwyn Palace. You can only access this dungeon in the late game, but it can offer a consistent 11,000 runes. Travel to the Palace Approach Ledge-Road grace, and look west to see a oversized chicken strutting about. Pull out a bow, stand near the ledge, and shoot it — this will force it to charge off the cliff.
Walk back to the grace, rest, and it resets for another 11k runes for as long as you can stomach grinding it. Players should note, however, that individual levels within Elden Ring do less than learning the fights and the necessary combat styles. When a single level earns a player two or three points within an associated stat, brute forcing your way through fights isn’t the ideal means of progression.
