The Ultimate Rune Farming Guide: Discovering Elden Ring’s Best Rune Source
The tarnished seek power, and in the Lands Between, power is often measured in Runes. While Great Runes offer powerful boons, they aren’t the best source of runes. For those seeking a steady stream of currency to level up, purchase items, and upgrade equipment, the best “rune” in Elden Ring for obtaining Runes is unequivocally the Lord’s Rune. Consuming a Lord’s Rune grants a substantial 50,000 Runes, far surpassing any other single consumable item. However, acquiring a stockpile of Lord’s Runes requires venturing into challenging areas and defeating formidable foes. Therefore, knowing the most efficient rune farming methods, particularly those available in Mohgwyn Palace, is crucial.
Understanding Rune Farming in Elden Ring
Rune farming is a core mechanic in Elden Ring, allowing players to grind experience points (Runes) by repeatedly defeating enemies or exploiting environmental features. The effectiveness of a rune farm depends on several factors: the Runes yield per enemy, the difficulty of the enemies, the distance to a Site of Grace (for quick resets), and the player’s build and level. Mastering rune farming is essential for overcoming difficult bosses and exploring the full potential of character builds. Let’s delve into strategies and other types of Runes.
Strategies for Rune Farming
Several strategies exist for efficient rune farming. Early game, utilizing the falling ball trap at Lenne’s Rise in Dragonbarrow offers a quick 2,000 Runes per run. Mid-game options include the Redmane Castle and the Bestial Sanctuary approaches. However, the undisputed champion of rune farming is Mohgwyn Palace.
Mohgwyn Palace offers several rune farming opportunities:
- The Bird Farm: Shooting the bird off the cliff near the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace yields a quick 11,000 Runes. This is a highly efficient method for players of all levels.
- Albinauric Slaughter: Wielding weapons with AoE attacks or utilizing spells in the blood-soaked lake populated by Albinaurics can yield tens of thousands of Runes in minutes. This method is particularly effective with the Sacred Relic Sword’s Wave of Gold skill.
- Invading the Dynasty Mausoleum: This method will require players to kill all bosses and enemies on the surface, as well as the Mimic Tear boss in Nokron, Eternal City. After that, players will be able to interact with the blood marks on the ground, which will cause them to invade other players’ world and gain Runes in the process.
Great Runes: Power Beyond Runes
While the article states that they aren’t the best source of Runes, Great Runes obtained from defeating demigod bosses are not directly used for leveling or purchasing items. Instead, they provide powerful buffs when activated at specific Divine Towers and empowered by a Rune Arc.
Activating and Utilizing Great Runes
To activate a Great Rune:
- Defeat the relevant demigod boss.
- Travel to the corresponding Divine Tower.
- Reach the top of the tower and interact with the Two Fingers to activate the Great Rune.
- Equip the Great Rune at a Site of Grace.
- Consume a Rune Arc to gain the Great Rune’s effect.
The effect lasts until death, making Rune Arcs valuable consumables.
Ranking the Great Runes
While opinions vary, a general ranking of Great Runes based on their overall utility is as follows:
- Godrick’s Great Rune: Raises all attributes by 5, providing a well-rounded boost suitable for all builds.
- Radahn’s Great Rune: Increases HP, FP, and Stamina, enhancing survivability and resource management.
- Morgott’s Great Rune: Provides a significant HP boost.
- Malenia’s Great Rune: Grants health regeneration upon attacking after receiving damage, offering a risky but potentially rewarding healing mechanic.
- Mohg’s Great Rune: Grants a Blessing of Blood, adding a Bloodflame effect to attacks, and offers multiplayer benefits.
- Rykard’s Great Rune: Grants health upon defeating enemies, encouraging aggressive play.
- Great Rune of the Unborn: Allows for rebirth (respeccing) at Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. This rune does not offer any other benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions to help you better understand Runes, Great Runes, and efficient rune farming in Elden Ring.
1. What gives the most Runes in Elden Ring?
The Lord’s Rune gives the most Runes, granting 50,000 upon consumption. However, Lord’s Runes are rare and typically found in late-game areas.
2. What is the best way to use Great Runes?
Activate the Great Rune at its corresponding Divine Tower, equip it at a Site of Grace, and then consume a Rune Arc to gain its effects. Remember that the effect lasts until you die.
3. Is Godrick’s or Radahn’s Great Rune better?
Godrick’s Great Rune is generally better early on due to its balanced attribute boost. Radahn’s Great Rune becomes more significant later in the game when your HP, FP, and Stamina are already high.
4. What is the best early game rune farm?
The falling ball trap at Lenne’s Rise in Dragonbarrow provides a consistent 2,000 Runes per run and is easily accessible early in the game.
5. What is the best mid-game rune farm?
Redmane Castle and Bestial Sanctuary offer decent Rune yields in the mid-game. However, progressing to Mohgwyn Palace as early as possible will unlock far more efficient farming locations.
6. What is the best late-game rune farm?
Mohgwyn Palace remains the best location for rune farming due to the bird farm and the Albinauric slaughter methods.
7. How many Runes are needed to reach the max level in Elden Ring?
Reaching the maximum level of 713 requires a staggering 1,692,558,415 Runes.
8. What does Arcane do in Elden Ring?
Arcane primarily governs item discovery (increasing the chance of enemies dropping items) and also influences resistance to Holy damage and Death Blight buildup.
9. What are the Golden Runes for?
Golden Runes are consumable items that grant a specific number of Runes when used, ranging from Golden Rune [1] (200 Runes) to Golden Rune [13].
10. What is the effect of using a Rune Arc?
Using a Rune Arc activates the effect of your equipped Great Rune, granting its benefits until you die.
11. How long does a Great Rune’s effect last?
A Great Rune’s effect lasts indefinitely, as long as you do not die.
12. Who is the weakest demigod in Elden Ring?
Godrick the Grafted is generally considered the weakest demigod in Elden Ring, both in terms of lore and gameplay difficulty.
13. Is Margit harder than Godrick?
Many players find Margit to be more challenging than Godrick due to his aggressive moveset and unpredictable attacks.
14. What is the best summon to use against Godrick?
Spirit Ashes like the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes or the Rotten Stray Ashes can be effective against Godrick, providing both damage and distraction.
15. Are there any resources to learn more about the educational aspects of gaming?
Yes! Check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org for research and insights into the educational potential of video games.