Elden Ring is the first souls game I have ever played. When I reserved the game 6 months ago all that I knew was that it was an RPG and that George R. R. Martin played a large role in developing the lore of the game. When I realized it was a souls game, I adopted the mindset that I was going to give it a shot difficulty be damned. In the months since its release I have spent a solid chunk of my waking hours exploring the Lands Between. Now that I’m more than 200 hours into my first play through of Elden Ring, I’ve picked up a few tips that make a difference in how difficult or more difficult your own adventures in the Lands Between will be.
1. Vigor, Vigor, VIGOR! Most ARPGs and RPGs rely on hit points in some form or fashion. Elden Ring is no different. Almost every enemy you encounter packs a wallop, and the more wallops you can absorb, the odds of your victory increase. To build up your hit points you need to stack points on Vigor early and often. Every second or third level gained when you are starting out should be devoted to increasing your Vigor stat. The more HPs you have, the harder you are to kill, period.
2. Get a Bow ASAP! There is no better weapon in the game to poke enemies from a distance and lure them away from larger groups or positions they are guarding which allows you to isolate enemies and defeat them one at a time. Bows are also fantastic tools to afflict different status conditions such as bleed and poison on powerful enemies, especially dragons.
3. Monitor Your Equipment Load! The best way to avoid damage is not to be there when it comes your way. Dodging is a critical skill in Elden Ring, even if you’re wearing heavy armor. Your ability to dodge is reflected in your Equipment Load stat. Endurance is the stat that governs both your Equipment Load and Stamina, so you will want to dump points into your endurance and use talismans to manage your Equipment Load. The goal is to avoid Heavy Load or worse, Overloaded ratings. Heavy Load causes all dodges to be slow and sluggish and affects the speed of your attacks. Being Overloaded prevents dodging altogether.
4. Explore! During your adventures in the Lands Between it’s inevitable you will encounter enemies you aren’t equipped or high enough level to face. If you’re like me and are playing offline and adventuring solo, you will need to get on Torrent and start exploring the Lands Between. Exploring will allow you to uncover hundreds of secrets in the open world and find items that will help you beat whatever enemy is giving you trouble. While exploring, you will also be earning runes from the enemies you defeat, which will help you level up for future encounters with bosses and tougher enemies alike.
5. Apply those Status Effects! Arrows, darts, greases, incantations – all of these things provide an invaluable edge when taking on your enemies in Elden Ring. Status effects can cause incredible amounts of over time often handing you victory over tough opponents and most enemies have a weakness to one status ailment or another. The most common status effects are Bleed, Fire, Holy, Magic, Poison, and Rot. Most items that apply status ailments can be crafted or purchased while others can only be acquired through the defeat of bosses or powerful enemies such as dragons. Status effects aren’t just suggested, in some battles they are required in order to survive in Elden Ring.
Conclusion
Elden Ring is a beautiful, brutal game. I have no doubt it will be Game of the Year for 2022. With advice above you will be a pro in no time and becoming the Elden Lord won’t be so daunting.
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