Elden Ring: 10 Essential Tips for New Players

Elden Ring does not hold your hand. It drops you into the Lands Between and expects you to figure it out. Most new players die dozens of times before understanding the basics. These ten tips will save you hours of frustration.

1. You are supposed to run away

The first enemy you encounter outside the tutorial — the massive Tree Sentinel on horseback — is not meant to be fought at level one. Elden Ring is an open world. If an enemy kills you in two hits, go somewhere else, get stronger, and come back. Running away is not failure. It is strategy.

2. Explore everything before fighting bosses

Elden Ring rewards exploration more than any other game in the genre. Every cave, catacomb, and hidden path contains runes, weapons, and upgrades. A boss that seems impossible at level 20 becomes manageable at level 40 with better gear. Explore Limgrave thoroughly before attempting Stormveil Castle.

3. Always summon your Spirit Ashes

Spirit Ashes are summoned allies that fight alongside you in boss fights. Many new players forget they have them. The Lone Wolf Ashes you receive early in the game summon three wolves that distract bosses and deal real damage. Always use them. There is no shame in it — the game gives them to you for a reason.

4. Torrent is your best friend

Torrent is your horse and you can summon him almost anywhere in the open world. Use him constantly. He lets you outrun enemies, escape dangerous situations, and traverse the map in a fraction of the time. Many overworld enemies can be completely avoided or kited on horseback. Never walk when you can ride.

5. Level Vigor first

Vigor is your health stat. New players often ignore it in favor of their damage stats and then wonder why they die in two hits. Getting one-shot by bosses is almost always a Vigor problem not a skill problem. Aim for at least 40 Vigor before attempting late game areas. A larger health bar gives you more room to learn attack patterns.

6. Two handing a weapon doubles your strength

Holding a weapon with both hands by pressing Triangle or Y multiplies your Strength stat by 1.5. This means a Strength build can two hand a weapon and effectively have 50 Strength with only 35 invested. Two handing also changes your moveset and often gives you access to more powerful attacks. Try it on every weapon you use.

7. Read every item description

Elden Ring tells its story almost entirely through item descriptions. Weapons, armor, and consumables all contain lore that explains what is happening in the world. Beyond the story, item descriptions also contain gameplay hints. Many items tell you exactly what they do and when to use them if you take the time to read.

8. Grace points to the critical path

The golden light emanating from each Site of Grace points in the direction of the next major objective. You are never completely lost in Elden Ring — follow the light when you are unsure where to go. This does not mean you have to follow it, but it is there when you need direction.

9. Dodge through attacks not away

The most important combat skill in Elden Ring. Dodging away from attacks keeps you at range where follow-up hits can still reach you. Dodging through attacks — directly into the enemy — passes through the hitbox entirely and puts you behind or beside them for a counterattack. It feels wrong at first but becomes natural quickly.

10. Death is part of the game

You will die hundreds of times in Elden Ring. Every death teaches you something — an attack pattern, a weakness, a better approach. The game is designed around dying and improving. When you die you drop your runes where you fell. Get them back before dying again and you lose nothing permanently. The only real failure is stopping.