However, I think anyone who plays the game has the right to decide how they enjoy it. This includes rune farming strategies, using exploits in the game, and even purchasing Elden Ring Runes from third-party sellers. No one has the right to tell you how to have fun.

Farming Gatefront Ruins

One of the easiest places to farm runes in Elden Ring is Gatefront Ruins. Gatefront Ruins is located in Limgrave, just north of Church of Elleh. It’s filled with relatively easy-to-kill enemies, and with a little more strategy and caution, you can make a tidy profit here.

I’ll show you the route I took on the outside to get you the most bang for your buck. While I’m at it, I’d like to point out that there are a few things to pick up here, the first of which is Limgrave West Map. You can find it in a large stone steel in the center of Gatefront Ruins, which is guarded by several Godrick Soldiers.

Another item you can pick up is Whetstone Knife, which allows you to equip and change Ash of War on your weapon. It’s in a chest south of Ruins. You can also get Ash of War Storm Stomp from here.

You can also pick up two weapons, Lordsworn’s Greatsword and Flail. However, you can find other options from the enemies there.

The primary goal here is to kill as many enemies as quickly as possible and then reset them by resting at Sites of Grace. As long as you want to get ahead on some of your attributes, you can do that as often as you want.

I will mention that before thinking about increasing damage stats like Strength or Dexterity, I always recommend increasing your Vigor stat to 20 or 25 for increased survivability.

Kill Silver Sphere

Another decent rune farming area is located in Caelid. To get there, you’ll need torrents, and you’ll need to start at Sites of Grace, just north of Agheel Lake. You then need to head south across the bridge and then northeast to Mistwood Outskirts Sites of Grace.

You can open the map and view Glintstone on the map. You can pick up the map if you want, but be aware that there are 3 giant Runebears nearby, and they may kill you if provoked.

You can also go around them, pick up the map, and go east to Third Church of Marika. Activate Sites of Grace, grab Flask of Wondrous Physick, Sacred Tear, and Crimson Crystal Tear, go through the hole in the wall on the northwest side of the church, and head to the back of the church.

You will then be transported to a distant place in Caelid, known as Bestial Sanctum. Be careful to avoid the huge Black Blade Kindred Creature here and continue heading south. Next, cross the bridge to Lenne’s Rise and capture Sites of Grace.

Our major goal is to farm the enemy here, Silver Sphere. There are two spawning sites just west of Lenne’s Rise, one close to it and the other a little further on the road to the west.

Each Silver Sphere will grant you 1,952 runes. You then continue to Sites of Grace and rest to reset enemies and rinse and repeat.

Farming Dragon Greyoll

The third rune farming strategy I want to talk about is Dragon. This strategy is suitable for novice to intermediate players.

First, you need a weapon that causes blood loss. The most accessible and available to any class without stat investment is Morning Star. It can be found in a chest inside a broken carriage a little south of Limgrave.

Next, you’ll reach Lenne’s Rise using the strategy I mentioned above. Then head to the back of Lenne’s Rise via torrent. Go to Spiritspring and collect Golden Runes near the coffin.

Then head southwest down the hill and directly south to Fort Faroth to activate Sites of Grace. The target you want to kill is a dragon named Greyoll. If you get in the right spot, not only will nothing attack you, but you’ll also be able to kill the dragon.

If you are a Scholar or a class with a Strength below 12, you will need to use Morning Star with two hands. Get on the torrent and run towards the dragon, attack with Morning Star to trigger the blood and repeat until there is only a little health left.

Next, this is where you make your decision. Either you can kill the dragon and get about 50,000 runes in one go. Or you can use a glitch to farm the dragon repeatedly, essentially giving you infinite runes.

If you want to exploit this, get on Torrent while it has a little health left, but aim Torrent next to Greyoll so you can still hit her. If you do it correctly, you’ll gain 50,000 runes, and Greyoll will still be alive. If you do it wrong, then she disappears. You get the rune, and you get 5 Dragon Hearts.

Albunaurics & Bird

The fourth rune farming strategy I want to talk about is Albunaurics and Birds. This rune farming strategy is suitable for intermediate to advanced players.

Albunaurics and Bird I’m talking about are both located in Mohgwyn Palace. The nearest Sites of Grace is Palace Approach Ledge Road. You need to either reach Consecrated Snowfield or complete Varre questline to reach Mohgwyn Palace.

Next choose Albunaurics or Bird. If you choose Albunaurics on the slopes, then you can attack them all at once or in large groups using your maximum range weapons or magic. Sacred Relic Sword excels in this regard. On your first playthrough, you can get around 70,00 runes per run, or 150,000 runes if you use Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot.

If you choose Bird, face the edge of the cliff, equip a bow, switch to first-person mode and shoot him to attract him and lure him off the cliff. On your first playthrough, you’ll get around 11,000 runes per run, or 26,896 runes if you use Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot. This is also by far the most efficient and fastest way to farm runes in Elden Ring.

Collect Golden Runes

Which brings me to the last strategy for farming runes, which is collecting Golden Runes. This strategy is suitable for beginners to experienced players. It depends on which Golden Runes you get from which coffins.

Golden Runes can be found in several locations across the land, but the most important way to find them is to look for cemeteries with coffins or sarcophagi inside. Every place with these will have Golden Runes, so keep your eyes open when exploring. There are quite a few of them, and the best part is that you can collect them as you go through torrents.

That’s it for today’s guide. I hope these tips help you farm as many runes as possible to get your character ready for the expansion coming in June!

The first build features the Ripple Crescent Halberd, a rare drop obtainable from the Albinaurics in Liurnia of the Lakes. It boasts S Tier scaling in Arcane, making it unique. What's remarkable about this weapon is its versatility in applying various status effects with any grease, thanks to its high arcane scaling. Even without grease, it deals with substantial physical damage.

For the build, the Rippled Crescent Halberd is the centerpiece. Additional components include the Dragon Communication Seal for buffs, granting an extra 35% physical damage and 15% damage negation from the Flame, Grant Me Strength, and Golden Vow.

The Spear Talisman and Rotten Wing Sword Insignia are essential, with flexibility in slot number 3. The recommended options are the Ritual Shield Talisman or the Shard of Alexander for maximizing Spinning Slash. To complement the build, the Flask of Wondrous Physick should include the Thorny Cracked Tear and the Greenburst Crystal Tear for successive attacks and additional stamina.

Reduvia Dagger Build

The next is an Arcane build utilizes dual daggers, focusing on the Reduvia weapon alongside the Occult Great Knife to leverage additional blood loss effects. This setup helps alleviate the need for constant spamming of the Ashes of War ability.

This build excels at swiftly dispatching bosses, even those immune to bleeding, because of its high attack speed and respectable physical damage output. Talismans are incorporated to enhance the proc attack power of Ashes of War and provide damage mitigation.

Here’s a breakdown of the essential gear: Reduvia and Occult Great Knife, Dragon Communion Seal, synergize well with Arcane and the White Mask. Then we also need Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman or Green Turtle Talisman for extra stamina, Lord of Blood’s Exultation and Shard of Alexander.

For flask, opt for Thorny Cracked Tear and Greenburst Crystal Tear. Similar to the previous build, the utilization of Flame, Grant Me Strength, and Golden Vow buffs enhances physical damage output.

Poison Build

The next build focuses on utilizing one of the most underrated status effects to swiftly damage your enemies. This build centers on the use of Ashes of War and Poison Moth Flight. By triggering boosts from the Mushroom Crown and Rose’s Kindred, you can achieve a substantial damage increase with the 2 weapons utilized in this setup.

Here's a breakdown of the essential gear: Poison Uchigatana, Coil Shield (for fast Poison procs), Serpentbone Blade (for additional Poison buildup) and Dragon Communion Seal. Mushroom Crown (provides a damage boost when Poison is active), then we need Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman, Kindred of Rot’s Exultation and Shard of Alexander.

For flask usage, opt for Thorny Cracked Tear and Greenburst Crystal Tear. Buffs such as Flame, Grant Me Strength, and Golden Vow enhance physical damage output and complement the build's on poisoning enemies for maximum effectiveness.

Varre's Bouquet Build

The next build centers on Varre's Bouquet, a weapon that can cause significant bleeding if your enemy is susceptible to it. However, adding Frost Grease may be advisable for an extra 20% damage boost when triggering Frost buildup alongside blood loss. You have the flexibility to use any grease on this weapon to build up status effects like Blood and Frost.

For this build, you'll need Varre's Bouquet, along with the Dragon Communion Seal for Flame, Grant Me Strength and Golden Vow. The White Mask provides a boost to bleed proc attack power, while the Lord of Blood’s Exultation, Axe Talisman, Dagger Talisman, and Shard of Alexander complement the build.

To complement the build's with heavy charged R2 attacks, use the Stonebarb Cracked Tear and Thorny Cracked Tear flasks to break your opponent's stance and execute critical strikes effectively.

Regalia Of Eochaid Build

The final build we have features the Regalia Of Eochaid. It's an Arcane build that relies purely on Dexterity and Arcane, with the weapon scaling equally in both attributes, although it leans slightly more towards the Arcane side. While we primarily focus on the Ashes of War, if you have 2 Regalias or another straight sword, the Dual Straight Sword move set can also be incredibly effective.

The Ashes of War can offer flexibility in combat strategies. Knowing when to fully charge it for maximum damage or to opt for quick bursts of damage is crucial. A fully charged Ashes of War can devastate bosses. Using the Dragon Claw to slam enemies to the ground allows for charging up the Eochaid's Dancing Blade to unleash unparalleled damage upon their recovery.

For this build, you'll need the Regalia Of Eochaid, the Dragon Communion Seal, and suitable armor providing over 51 Poise to withstand hits while charging the Ashes of War. Additional gear includes the Shard of Alexander, Dragon Crest Great Shield Talisman, the Godfrey Icon, and the Rotten Wing Sword Insignia.

For the Flask of Wondrous Physick, utilize the Stonebarb Cracked Tear and the Dexterity-knot Crystal Tear to complement the weapon's dexterity scaling. Buffs include Flame, Grant Me Strength, Golden Vow, and any Dragon Communion Incantations of your choice, with Dragonmaw being a personal preference.

To put it briefly, new regions that are distinct from the original game are to be expected. If you want to take on the challenge more easily, be sure to accumulate enough Elden Ring Runes to level up your character!

4. Eight Novel Types Of Weaponry & Armor

New weaponry and armor are standard features in any expansion developed by FromSoftware, and Shadow of the Erdtree is certainly no different.

The trailer exhibits a Gladiator-inspired ensemble complete with a striking fur cape, alongside a sleek red dress tailored for those with a keen eye for fashion. However, the allure lies primarily in the assortment of weapons. Although the exact count remains undisclosed, Miyazaki has verified the introduction of eight novel weapon classifications.

These encompass a hefty Japanese sword, a versatile dueling shield described by Miyazaki to Famitsu as blending offense and defense, and throwing daggers engineered for hurling in combat. Additionally, glimpses are offered of innovative selections, such as a fully automatic crossbow equipped with incendiary bolts and a fresh Twinblade paired with a shield.

“I believe even veterans who have extensively utilized existing weapon types in the main storyline will find these additions invigorating and gratifying,” Miyazaki remarks.

5. Ten Brand-New Bosses & Fresh Enemies

The adversaries depicted in the trailer, including the leech-like creature, appear vexing enough, but it’s the bosses that are anticipated to present the greatest challenges.

Miyazaki has confirmed the presence of over 10 new bosses, comprising a horned beast adorned with human body parts that unleash devastating lightning strikes, a porcupine-esque creature boasting a formidable bite, a peculiar skeleton mounted on horseback wielding a boomerang-like weapon, and a towering inferno fueled by burning bodies. Additionally, players can confront Mesmer the Impaler, a formidable adversary utilizing fiery assaults and occupying a pivotal role.

Furthermore, Miyazaki hints at a challenge comparable to that posed by Millennia in the base game, though the identity remains unconfirmed. As always, anticipation builds as we await further revelations, albeit at the cost of numerous defeats.

Lastly, the expansion introduces an array of new spells and abilities, with some showcasing truly remarkable capabilities.

6. Fresh Spells & Skills

Certainly, the expansion also introduces an array of fresh skills and weaponry, some of which are truly astounding. Among these are:

• Dual curved swords, enabling agile maneuvers to evade attacks and strike adversaries
• A spell capable of summoning numerous butterflies, subsequently detonating them in an area around the player
• A flurry of kicks delivering multiple hits to opponents
• The integration of the new Twinblade and shield, offering a formidable offensive combination. 
• Moreover, players can utilize the horned beast’s head, possibly unleashing breath-based assaults, and harness the porcupine’s quills in combat.

However, what has been revealed merely scratches the surface, leaving us eagerly anticipating what other marvels await.

7. New Regular & Legacy Dungeons

During an interview with Eurogamer, Miyazaki affirmed the existence of numerous dungeons, including multiple Legacy Dungeons.

Several of these dungeons are showcased in the trailer, notably a grand, fortress-like structure reminiscent of Stormveil, albeit with the summit appearing dilapidated. Additionally, the arena belonging to Mesmer piques interest as it potentially occupies a distinct dungeon setting.

In summary, the full breadth of available dungeons is yet to be revealed. However, indications suggest a diverse selection awaits, catering to enthusiasts of the original game.

8. Novel Plots & Characters

Exploring the Land of Shadow introduces players to fresh faces, some harboring “ulterior motives.”

The addition of these characters implies the potential for new side quests, the possibility of embarking on uncharted quest chains, or the chance to engage with additional vendors. Notably, the official website teases the introduction of fresh plotlines, promising to “enhance players’ RPG freedom.”

These narrative threads might lead to diverse outcomes, dependent on the paths players opt to pursue.

9. Results Of The Expansion Are Unaffected By The Main Story

Nevertheless, it’s certain that the decisions made in the expansion won’t alter the outcome of the main storyline.

Moreover, Miyazaki clarified to Famitsu that the “progression of events in the main story will remain unaffected by the DLC’s content,” indicating that no new conclusions for the base game should be anticipated if players opt to embark on the Shadow of the Erdtree adventure first.

Players should anticipate a self-contained narrative within the realm of Shadow of the Erdtree, with resolutions confined to its confines. However, it wouldn’t be unexpected if this tale unveils a couple of earth-shattering revelations along the way.

10. Price & Exclusive Editions

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is priced at $39.99, in contrast to The Ringed City at $14.99 and The Old Hunters at $19.99. 

While various factors come into play when comparing the prices of DLCs from previous years with the current one, it’s notable that this expansion is only $20 less than the base price of Elden Ring.

Additionally, there are multiple editions available:

• The Premium Bundle, comprising the expansion along with a digital art book and soundtrack
• The Deluxe Edition, bundling the base game with the expansion and digital extras
• The Collector’s Edition, boasting a physical artbook, an 18-inch statue of Messmer, and a voucher to download the expansion (unfortunately, this edition is exclusively available through the Bandai Namco Store in select countries). 

Moreover, players have the option to acquire a limited quantity of physical replicas of Messmer’s helm.