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Elden Ring Guide: tips and tricks for explorers

There are many things you should know before starting your journey in Elden Ring. In this article, you will find the best tricks, tips and strategies.

Update: Feb 25th, 2022 16:51 EST

As part of our Elden Ring guide, we have compiled a list of tips, tricks and recommendations that you should take into account before embarking on your journey through The Lands Between. It is a difficult game, but thanks to the following information you will lose your fear and will be able to face any challenge that is put in front of you.

Elden Ring: All you need to know: tips and tricks

Activate all the Sites of Grace: although they are not always on your way, it is important to interact with all the new Sites of Grace you find. They work like Dark Souls bonfires and in them, you can use fast travel, level up, modify ashes and talk to certain characters, among other actions. In addition, almost every time you die you will reappear in the last one you touched.
Stakes of Marika: these figures are generally found in areas where a demanding fight or an encounter with a final boss awaits you. If you are near one when you die you can choose whether to be reborn in one of them or return to the previous Site of Grace.
Find the map of each area: when you explore a region for the first time, if you open the map you will only see something similar to a brown cardboard. However, if you zoom in and look closely you will be able to locate a small drawing in the shape of a pillar. In them, you will always find the complete map of the scenario in which you are.
Don't be afraid to die: unless you have a lot of runes on you, you should know that Elden Ring is more generous than other From Software games in this regard. On one hand, there are Sites of Grace everywhere and you won't usually have to repeat a long walk. On the other hand, fast travel is immediate and you will be able to return to any place in a matter of seconds.
Do not kill any NPC: a classic that any Dark Souls fan has engraved in their memory. There are characters that you can't even attack, but others can be killed. In the first playthrough, don't do it under any circumstances, as you may lose different content related to them.
Visit the Roundtable Hold often: this place is a nexus that serves as a meeting point for several important NPCs such as the blacksmith and various merchants. When you pass an important part of the story ( like killing a demigod), use the quick trip to pay a visit, talk to everyone and check if there are any new items to buy.
Equip the weapon with two hands: the combination of buttons that you must use for this is very different from the one found in Dark Souls. In Elden Ring, once you have it equipped in one hand, you have to press triangle + R1 on PlayStation or Y + RB on Xbox.
Fleeing is not for cowards: the world of Elden Ring is huge and you can explore it with total freedom, but always with the consideration that there are many creatures capable of killing you in the blink of an eye. If you come across a dragon or a large enemy, it is very likely that you will not always have enough power to face it. Call your horse and run out of the area; you'll come back another time.
Hunchback statues: okay, we don't know if they are called yet, but we can't think of any other way to describe them. They are statues in the shape of a creature with a long, bent neck. If you interact with them, they will emit a beam of blue light that always indicates the direction of a point of interest. In the vast majority of the time, they point to nearby dungeons.
Follow the ghosts: if you see an illuminated banner, approach it and press the inspect button. A kind of ghost will appear and start walking slowly with the intention of showing you something important. They often guide you to dungeons that you have not yet discovered.
Look for churches on the map: in almost every church in the world, you will find a Site of Grace and seeds or other objects needed to improve the power of the health vials. It is easy to locate them from afar by visually scanning the environment, as they all have a similar structure.
Enter all the dungeons you see: regardless of whether you are willing to complete it or not, it is a good idea to access all of them to activate the Site of Grace that you can find as soon as you enter. This way they will not only be marked on the map; you can also use the teleport to return to them when you want to explore it and face the boss that awaits you inside.
Collect plants and minerals: the world of Elden Ring is full of crafting items, ingredients for miraculous mixtures and weapon enhancement items. From flowers in a forest to precious stones in the depths of a mine. These items are weightless and you can store as many as you want, so don't hesitate to collect everything you see.
Defeat the Tree Guardian: these enemies are tougher than others, as they act as optional bosses. A good tactic is to fight on horseback, approaching them to land a couple of blows and fleeing as soon as they are ready to cast their spells. Finishing them off is highly recommended, as they always drop interesting items for crafting miraculous mixtures. These trees are easily seen on the map, as they are drawn on a large scale.
Use the Flask of Wondrous Physick: this potion can only be used once per life and to create it you need tears that you will find while exploring. The container is located in a church in the northwest part of the West Limgrave map. The formula you want to carry inside must be elaborated in the Sites of Grace menu. If you achieve a beneficial effect, save it to take it just before entering a fight against a boss.
Don't sell items: the number of Runes that merchants will offer you for them are ridiculous compared to what you can earn by defeating enemies. It is better to keep any item in case you need it in the future than to sell it in exchange for a sum that you can get in a couple of minutes.
Use the torches: they are indispensable for exploring a dark cave, and also do not work badly as a weapon in case you run into an enemy and do not want to change weapon and the darkness takes over everything. It is not complicated that any enemy of the West Limgrave that carries one will drop it after being defeated. If you do not want to wait, you can buy one from the Santa Claus-looking merchant in the church you see a few minutes after starting the game.
Study the enemy: if you encounter an opponent you don't know, don't rush to attack. Raise your shield or keep your distance to check how they move, when they move and what kind of attacks they make. Knowledge has no limits, and there is no better way to face combat than knowing your enemy.
Use stealth: Elden Ring offers the possibility to overcome some situations without any enemy seeing you. You can crouch (left stick) in the open field to hide in bushes and other elements until you can hunt your enemy from behind. This way you will avoid making noise and you will be able to clear the area of obstacles.
If you can't take on a boss, summon allies: the Furlcalling Finger Remedy is a consumable item that reveals the summoning symbols left by other players. This item is often found in many places, but you can also create them in the crafting menu. If you can't defeat a final boss, don't hesitate to use it near the Site of Grace closest to the combat room, as you may find other users willing to lend you a hand in battle.
Use the Guard Counter: this powerful move consists of blocking an enemy attack with the shield and immediately press the strong attack button (R2 on PlayStation or RT on Xbox) to respond to the opponent with a practically fatal blow, which will sometimes kill or stun it for a couple of seconds. Be careful that the opponent is not in the middle of a combo, since you have to do it once it launches its last blow.

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