Official Elden Ring Thread

[purbeast0]

Its not so much being large than how often you die. According to my son, I have been playing around 150 hours and am only 15% done. He is the Elden Ring king IMO and has 100s of hours in and still isn't complete. I personally had to shelve this for a few days and my arthritic hands have been killing me and I need to heal.

Honestly I don't die that much in this game compared to Demon's Souls (only other game of theirs I've played).

I think the open world aspect makes it easier than prior games. Most bosses have a save point RIGHT before them or a stake or marika, so you start right there. In the old games you would have to run a gauntlet before even getting to the boss.

In ER it's easy to run away from trouble too if you are about to die and lose runes. You can hop on the horse and just gtfo. Then you can fast travel somewhere else. I found myself doing A LOT of getting like 1/2 to a new level then I would almost die and run away, then decide to farm to get to the next level so I could just not worry about losing runes.

Funny enough, that happened more when I was lower level. Around like level 100 or so I started not to worry about that and I would level up much easier since I'd kill bosses easier and get huge payouts. Then I would have some great runes in my inventory and just use those to put me over the number for the next level, level up, and now I'm back to not worrying about losing runes again.

But I'm so powerful now and just ripping through enemies, that I'd build up runes again pretty easily, get to another boss, defeat em, rinse and repeat. I also usually rock the golden scarab, although I recently have put something else in it's place that I recently obtained.

 

[purbeast0]

Got to Melania earlier and she's the first boss that I haven't steam rolled in a while. Took me 3-4 tries to finally whoop her ass. 480k runes reward lol.

I have my katana maxed at +25 and my blasphemous blade maxed at +10. I'm level 160 at this point and find leveling up easier now than it was earlier on because I don't have to farm and enemies just drop so much. I do use the one mixed flask that makes it so when you die you don't lose runes quite often, if I'm entering a risky area, so that helps.

It's crazy to me how I've gone back to some places and I'm finding stuff I didn't before including graces. I realized I hadn't done the mini erdtree in the Volcano Manor area and found some tunnels/caves I missed too as well as 1 or 2 graces.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Got to Melania earlier and she's the first boss that I haven't steam rolled in a while. Took me 3-4 tries to finally whoop her ass. 480k runes reward lol.

I have my katana maxed at +25 and my blasphemous blade maxed at +10. I'm level 160 at this point and find leveling up easier now than it was earlier on because I don't have to farm and enemies just drop so much. I do use the one mixed flask that makes it so when you die you don't lose runes quite often, if I'm entering a risky area, so that helps.

It's crazy to me how I've gone back to some places and I'm finding stuff I didn't before including graces. I realized I hadn't done the mini erdtree in the Volcano Manor area and found some tunnels/caves I missed too as well as 1 or 2 graces.

You're so over leveled now that nothing will be of any challenge to you. Should move on to NG+ unless you're just doing 1 play through.

 

[purbeast0]

You're so over leveled now that nothing will be of any challenge to you. Should move on to NG+ unless you're just doing 1 play through.

I haven't beaten it yet so can't just do NG+ yet.

I'm still having fun though because I just like going to every single nook and cranny in the game and just seeing the environments.

I am also using like 3 talisman that make my stats increase so that is also making me more powerful. One of em gives me more stats but I take more damage, but with the blasphemous blade getting you health back on kills, it doesn't really matter.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Ugh when you're waxing bosses but then lose 800,000 runes to getting one shot by a dog.

 

[purbeast0]

Ugh when you're waxing bosses but then lose 800,000 runes to getting one shot by a dog.

I pretty much always have the mixed flask with the "dont lose runes" tear in there and will use it when I am going into an area that looks like it could be trouble. It's pretty easy to tell when you're going into an area like that for the most part so I've been good about it most of the times.

On vacation now so haven't played since Monday but will be back on it next week.

 

[sze5003]

I usually level up as soon as I can if I have a lot of runes. I've died way too many times and lost a lot of runes for good. There's a spot in volcano manor where you have to jump to get a smithing stone 7 and I died several times making that jump but I did end up getting the stone.

I'm trying to get the blood fang sword up to level 10.

 

[purbeast0]

I usually level up as soon as I can if I have a lot of runes. I've died way too many times and lost a lot of runes for good. There's a spot in volcano manor where you have to jump to get a smithing stone 7 and I died several times making that jump but I did end up getting the stone.

I'm trying to get the blood fang sword up to level 10.

Make sure to use the great/hero/lord runes you pick up. I use those a lot too when I'm like 40k-50k away from leveling up and usually have enough to get to the next level. It's kind of funny how leveling up for me has been so much easier like post 100 level. It was so much harder when I was lower level.

 

[repoman0]

I’ve been using the bloodhound fang too .. have it at +9 now and I feel extremely OP most of the time.

Re: great/hero/lord runes … wtf is that?! I’m level 105 or so now and don’t think I’ve seen those.

 

[purbeast0]

I’ve been using the bloodhound fang too .. have it at +9 now and I feel extremely OP most of the time.

Re: great/hero/lord runes … wtf is that?! I’m level 105 or so now and don’t think I’ve seen those.

Not sure if "great" is the right word but the ones you get that are worth runes if you use em. There are hero/lord ones that are worth a lot more. Some worth 50k.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I pretty much always have the mixed flask with the "dont lose runes" tear in there and will use it when I am going into an area that looks like it could be trouble. It's pretty easy to tell when you're going into an area like that for the most part so I've been good about it most of the times.

On vacation now so haven't played since Monday but will be back on it next week.

Thing is, the dogs don't look like they'd be trouble. But they're bugged. Turns out they have an attack that causes blood loss and hits you once per frame for an attack of like 8000 HP. Didn't know that until I looked it up thinking WTF when I have 60 vigor for 1900 HP plus Tree Sentinel heavy armor and I'm getting one-shotted by a dog.

 

[KentState]

Speaking of too many runes, the Sacred Relic Sword breaks farming in Mohgwyn Palace. In NG+, I was able to farm 80k+ runes in mere seconds, warp to grace site and do it again. Racked up a few million runes so that I could raise my stats to play with a ton of weapons. Got my money's worth out of this game at least. About to platinum it on the PS5 and PC.

The worst part is, I can't get into any other games after this masterpiece. Tried Skyward Sword HD on the Switch and felt like I was cheating with trailer trash. Don't even see myself firing up Horizon Forbidden West either. Is it too soon for Elden Ring 2 or at least some DLC?

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Malenia felt quite a bit harder in NG than in the original playthrough. Wonder what she'll be like third playthrough?

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Anyone else find the Erdtree Avatar in Elphael the hardest enemy in the game? It's like they buffed the Erdtree Avatar from Caelid with 10x the health, gave him a homing magic attack, and two knights with like 15000 HP you have to fight at the same time, oh and you have to do it inside a small room while he's shooting scarlet rot all over the place, shooting magic at you, and you have those two damage sponge knights on your ass at the same time. Can't even think about fighting them outside since the two guys on the ballista above you will destroy you with arrows six at a time. I beat Malenia in about the sixth or seventh attempt on my second playthrough but I died at least 20 times to that stupid erdtree avatar and still haven't beaten him this playthrough. And even with dual +25 blood uchigatanas these two knights take a while to kill. But the scarlet rot plus magic attack are a mess too in this little room, as the only way to safely avoid the rot is to run down a staircase, and you have to run all the way down it to avoid his magic once you have gone here to flee the rot, which ends up feeling like you're cheesing him since it gets him to respawn at the original area.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Anyone else find the Erdtree Avatar in Elphael the hardest enemy in the game?

You can pull the knights individually and kill them before you attack the avatar.

 

[JujuFish]

You can pull the knights individually and kill them before you attack the avatar.

You can also draw it forward and let the ballistae murder it.

 

[KentState]

I just got the site of grace first and then took on the Erdtree from there.

 

[sze5003]

I got to the Rennala fight. My +10 bloodhoind fang does good work but the second phase of her fight is harder than other bosses I've fought so far.

I use the militia minutemen as summons and they are upgraded to +2. I also decided to use an axe that I upgraded to +11 but it doesn't have as much damage as the bloodhound fang. The summons don't seem to help much on this one.

She also ends up summoning giant trolls too but her magic attacks usually one shot me.

It's just annoying to have to get through her first phase of the fight each time I die.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Got to Melania earlier and she's the first boss that I haven't steam rolled in a while. Took me 3-4 tries to finally whoop her ass. 480k runes reward lol.

On second playthrough Malenia gave 1.1 million runes, though I also had the golden scarab equipped.

 

[KentState]

I got to the Rennala fight. My +10 bloodhoind fang does good work but the second phase of her fight is harder than other bosses I've fought so far.

I use the militia minutemen as summons and they are upgraded to +2. I also decided to use an axe that I upgraded to +11 but it doesn't have as much damage as the bloodhound fang. The summons don't seem to help much on this one.

She also ends up summoning giant trolls too but her magic attacks usually one shot me.

It's just annoying to have to get through her first phase of the fight each time I die.

Wolves stagger the heck out of her. Get them upgraded and save them until after her first cast.

 

[sze5003]

Wolves stagger the heck out of her. Get them upgraded and save them until after her first cast.

I was able to use my blood fang +10 instead of the axe I upgraded so I could do more damage in her second phase. The trick was to avoid any huge summons she pulls out and then to dodge all the magic attacks so I could get in close to take swings. Took a few tries but I finally got it.

 

[JujuFish]

I was able to use my blood fang +10 instead of the axe I upgraded so I could do more damage in her second phase. The trick was to avoid any huge summons she pulls out and then to dodge all the magic attacks so I could get in close to take swings. Took a few tries but I finally got it.

Wait, you got a +10 Bloodhound Fang before Rennala? I didn't get mine to +10 until almost the end of the game.

 

[KentState]

You would need a Somber Dragon stone which requires getting to the high level areas. Requires beating Godfrey and Morgott at least to get the lift to the snow areas. I know you can skip Margit and Rennala but unless you glitch the game, I don't think you can skip the Capital.

 

[JujuFish]

You would need a Somber Dragon stone which requires getting to the high level areas. Requires beating Godfrey and Morgott at least to get the lift to the snow areas. I know you can skip Margit and Rennala but unless you glitch the game, I don't think you can skip the Capital.

So I looked into it, and you can get a Somber Dragon stone from Mohgwyn Palace, which you can get to early by doing the quest line of the guy you meet at the first grace in the open world.

 

[sze5003]

So I looked into it, and you can get a Somber Dragon stone from Mohgwyn Palace, which you can get to early by doing the quest line of the guy you meet at the first grace in the open world.

Yea that's what I did. I didn't know by doing his quest line I would end up getting that stone. Honestly a lot of the times I'm not sure what the npc's mean when they are talking to you.

Also I was following a walkthrough which basically made it easier by letting you know which areas you should be able to go into and explore but not fight vs where to go for graces, etc. I'm still pretty lost as is in the game. It's way too large of an environment for me and I barely get any play time so I use the walkthrough for guidance.