Elden Ring has gone down as a triumph for developer FromSoftware, selling a huge number of copies, receiving glowing reviews from nearly everywhere, and making a major impression on the gaming community. It is the most a game from the developer has broken out into the mainstream, picking up thousands of players unused to the studio’s games.
Although widely considered the most accessible of FromSoftware’s games, the game can still be daunting for first-timers. Even a short way through the game, some mechanics and tricks stand out as invaluable for a new player to better help them take on the challenges awaiting them in the Lands Between.
8 Visit The Church Of Elleh Early On
The Church of Elleh is one of the first landmarks the player is likely to see upon exiting the tutorial – or skipping it entirely – but a player may still head elsewhere. The fearsome Tree Sentinel boss blocks the most obvious path to the Church, and many players may avoid it in giving him a wide berth.
However, visiting the Church early on can prove incredibly helpful. Other than providing a Site of Lost Grace, it also contains a merchant, an NPC who can give the player the first of their Ash Summons – invaluable for tipping fights in the player’s favor – and a place to upgrade their weaponry, making early fights easier.
7 Bleed Weapons Are Powerful
In addition to dealing damage, several weapons in Elden Ring also apply a variety of status effects. Alongside the damage-over-time Poison and the stamina-reducing Frost, weapons can also inflict Bleed, which builds up in an enemy until it deals a massive chunk of damage all at once.
Bleed weapons have varied in effectiveness in the Souls games, but in Elden Ring, they have proven incredibly potent. Able to devastate even well-armored enemies and soften bosses up immensely, Bleed can even the odds immensely – and the Samurai class begins with the bleed-inflicting Uchigatana.
6 Don’t Fight The Tree Sentinel Right Away
The first enemy a player is likely to see after Elden Ring‘s tutorial is a boss, the mounted Tree Sentinel patrolling Limgrave’s opening areas. Players, especially those used to previous games in the Souls series, may think they are supposed to fight him right away. This is a bad idea, however, as the Sentinel has a lot of health, can kill a starting character in two hits, and is far faster on his horse.
Instead, players should go around him, or even in the opposite direction entirely, and explore the Lands Between. When they have a few levels, their own horse, and perhaps an upgraded weapon, the Sentinel will prove a much more reasonable challenge.
5 Weapons Can Swing Either Way When Mounted
Elden Ring‘s mounted combat is an entirely new mechanic in a game that draws heavily on Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and even Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. FromSoftware has never implemented anything like it before, and it requires some getting used to. Mounted combat can prove tricky because it revolves around timing, with attacks needing to land as the horse passes an enemy.
However, another factor that can trip up players is that it changes the controls of the game somewhat. Normally, the shoulder and trigger buttons on each side control only the weapons wielded on that side. In mounted combat, however, the character wields only a single weapon and using the buttons on the left or right swings the weapon in that way – necessitating a shift in muscle memory.
4 Legacy Dungeons Contain Great Loot
The biggest innovation Elden Ring has over previous FromSoftware games is its fully open world, with players being given a sprawling environment to explore, rather than the linear areas of previous games. There are places where the old school of design reigns, the more linear and challenging “legacy dungeons.”
While the open world is full of challenges and useful loot, the legacy dungeons are good places to go when treasure-seeking. They often contain some invaluable weapons as well as other useful loot. Some – such as the southern Castle Morne – are even doable from very early on.
3 Margit Is Best Saved For Later
Margit is one of the first bosses the player is likely to encounter, a warrior guarding the way to Stormveil Castle. Although he is optional, many players following Sites of Grace will believe they have to defeat him – and the opportunity to explore Stormveil is well worth it.
However, Margit has become notorious for defeating players who try and fight him immediately. He is a tough boss and, in particular, has attacks with odd timings, making them hard to avoid. If a player explores elsewhere first, they’ll be able to fight Margit with a much more generous margin for error, rather than dying after a few bungled dodges.
2 Guard Counters Are Invaluable
Combat in previous Souls games often emphasizes dodging, with shields and blocking being considered a less popular playstyle. Elden Ring, taking lessons from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, rebalances things so that blocking is at least as useful as dodging. Aside from making dodging more difficult, it also introduces the Guard Counter.
Similar to Sekiro‘s combat style, a player carries out a Guard Counter by blocking and almost immediately counterattacking with a heavy attack. The move heavily damages an opponent’s guard, likely stunning them and leaving them open for powerful attacks. Mastering it can make a player punch high above their weight.
1 Sorcery Might Be The Most Powerful Build
FromSoftware games are known for their visceral melee combat, with a wide range of weaponry and many enemies that fight close-up. However, the games also tend to have well-developed magic systems, with a great many spells at a player’s disposal. In Elden Ring, sorceries have emerged as not only the most powerful form of magic but some of the most powerful tools in the game.
Usable from a distance, sorceries are safer than many other forms of combat, and they deal a hefty amount of damage. With videos online of players melting bosses with their magic, they have emerged as both the safest and most lethal type of combat in the game, invaluable for people struggling with the difficulty.
About The Author
