Elden Ring

10 Best Elden Ring Tips for Beginners

Essential advice before you step into the Lands Between

Start as a Vagabond or Samurai

Best starting classes for beginners. Vagabond has the highest starting HP and the best armor. Samurai starts with the Uchigatana — a weapon that can carry you through the entire game due to its bleed damage. Avoid Wretch and Astrologer for your first playthrough.

Level Vigor First — Get It to 40

Most new players make the mistake of spreading stats evenly. Vigor (HP) is the most important stat early game. Get Vigor to 40 before investing heavily in damage stats. With 40 Vigor, you survive hits that would one-shot you at 20. This alone makes the game 50% easier.

Explore Limgrave Thoroughly Before Stormveil

Don't rush to Margit. South Limgrave, the Weeping Peninsula, and the coastal caves have upgrade materials, Golden Seeds (more flask charges), and Sacred Tears (better flask healing). Explore everything south of Stormhill before entering Stormveil Castle.

Upgrade Your Weapon, Not Your Level

A +6 weapon at level 30 is better than a +0 weapon at level 50. Weapon upgrades matter more than stats. Find Smithing Stones in mines (marked on your map with a small black circle). The first mine is Limgrave Tunnels, east of the Agheel Lake North site of grace.

Use Spirit Ashes — They're Not Cheating

Elden Ring is balanced around Spirit Ashes. They draw boss aggro, give you breathing room to heal, and deal passive damage. The Lone Wolf Ashes (found at the Church of Elleh after getting Torrent) are excellent for early game. Upgrade them at Roundtable Hold.

Learn to Jump Attack

Jumping heavy attacks (press jump + heavy attack) deal bonus poise damage and stagger most enemies in 2-3 hits. This is the single most effective combat technique in the game — use it as your primary opening attack.

Don't Fight the Tree Sentinel

The golden knight on a horse you see right after the tutorial area? Come back later. He's a field boss designed to teach you that not every fight is meant to be won immediately. Mark him on your map and return at level 30+.

Use Torrent in Boss Fights (When Possible)

For open-world field bosses, mount up. Torrent gives you mobility that can't be matched by rolling. The fight against Radahn is a perfect example — riding Torrent in wide arcs dodges his gravity arrows completely.

Read Item Descriptions

Elden Ring doesn't hold your hand. Key information about boss weaknesses, quest NPC locations, and hidden paths is hidden in item descriptions. When you pick up a new item, read its description. It might tell you exactly what to do next.

When You're Stuck — Go Somewhere Else

Elden Ring is an open world. If Margit is too hard, explore south. If Rennala is giving you trouble, explore Caelid. There's always another direction to go. The game is designed to let you leave and come back stronger.