Collecting Runes is key to progressing through FromSoftware’s 2022 Game of the Year winner open world. They serve as both currency and experience points, helping your Tarnished level up while equipping powerful weapons and armor.
Elden ring runes offers some excellent Rune farming spots from an early stage, however to take full advantage of them you must unlock and progress through Dragon-Burnt Ruins first. Here’s how you can do it:
- Troll Warriors
Elden Ring can seem intimidating at first, but players quickly discover that runes come easily in early levels as there are numerous enemies that drop them upon death.
An effective way of amassing runes quickly is to travel up to the Site of Grace near Gatefront Ruins in Liurnia and rest for a bit before proceeding west on Torrent until it passes under the bridge, where sleeping Albinauric soldiers will spawn and can be quickly eliminated for approximately 2,000 runes each.
Alternately, you can locate the same amount of runes by following a giant crow that appears near a tree in the Valley of Centaurs.
- Albinaurics
One of the easiest and quickest ways to collect elden ring runes is to hunt Albinaurics – small statue-like enemies worth approximately 2000 Runes each – they can be easily killed by any player at an acceptable level and stagger after being hit, giving players a great opportunity for performing Critical Hits that take out much of their health. Furthermore, large bird enemies that can be targeted with an arrow and made to fall into death pits grant more than 11,000 Runes for every kill!
These enemies can be found in the Dragon-Burnt Ruins to the south of Lake Agheel and near Palace Approach Ledge-Road site of grace, making these locations excellent locations to farm at higher levels, making the use of Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot or Golden Scarab Talismans even more effective in optimizing success rates.
- Giant Dogs
If you’re searching for an easy way to collect Runes early and late game, this surprisingly straightforward strategy will have you becoming Lord-leveller quickly. Cooperative gameplay is recommended.
On the slope leading to the Site of Grace you will come across several sleeping Albinaurics which will each yield 2000 Runes when killed. They won’t react until attacked though so even low level characters should have no difficulty dealing with these enemies.
Killing guards patrolling near Gatefront Ruins and Lenne’s Rise Grace Site will earn you a sizeable reward; just be wary of triggering any magical boulders at the end, which can trigger deadly traps and kill you instantly!
- Leyndell Knights
The Abandoned Cave can be an effective place to farm Runes if you’re willing to battle multiple Cleanrot Knights. Though this battle can be tough for solo players, teams of friends are much quicker in taking down these enemies. After battle, your efforts will be rewarded with a Golden Scarab that grants an increase in all abilities.
Travel to the Avenue Balcony and follow its path until reaching an unfamiliar area. At this point, the large gate won’t open but there may be corpses on the steps that can be looted for 1x Smithing Stone(6) and 15 Golden Arrows.
Continue north until you reach the end of the road, and then check between buildings on your left for Leyndell Soldiers and a corpse bearing 8 Fan Daggers (one every 8 Fan Daggers you find in a corpse). Turn around toward main street to discover Rotten Strays feasting upon another corpse that grants 3 Old Fangs as rewards.
- Dragons
Assuming this dragon isn’t compromised in any way, players can slay it and earn 97,000 runes for their efforts – though doing so could unintentionally alter or even prematurely end questlines they have yet to discover.
Best way to win big rune: murdering short, non-threatening enemies throughout the area. Use stealth or backstabs against these soldiers as effective way of killing them off quickly.
The first group can be found near the Site of Grace outside the Third Church of Marika. Stormhill lies west of Limgrave and becomes accessible as soon as a player gains access to horse Torrent; here, one of the best higher-level rune farming spots can be found.