Elden Ring Walkthrough: The Best Route Through the Base Game and Shadow of the Erdtree

For a first playthrough, follow this route: Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula → Stormveil Castle → Liurnia and Raya Lucaria → Caelid and Radahn → Nokron and the underground regions → Altus Plateau and Mt. Gelmir → Leyndell → the Mountaintops of the Giants. Before using the Forge of the Giants, finish the side quests and optional areas you care about. Then complete Crumbling Farum Azula and the final boss sequence. For Shadow of the Erdtree, defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, then touch the withered arm in Mohg’s arena to enter the Realm of Shadow.

This is a recommended order, not a strict level-gated sequence. Elden Ring is deliberately nonlinear: many bosses can be skipped, regions can be entered early, and exploration is often the best answer when a fight feels overwhelmingly difficult.

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Scope and spoiler warning

This walkthrough covers the 2022 base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. It does not cover Elden Ring Nightreign, which is a separate game. The base game is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The researched base-game version is App/Regulation Version 1.16.1, dated August 21, 2025. Weapon balance, glitches, exploits, item locations, and platform behavior can change in later updates, so do not assume every patch-sensitive tactic remains identical.

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What to do first

After the tutorial, activate Sites of Grace and follow the early Limgrave route until Melina offers you Torrent. You do not need to clear every cave or defeat every field boss before entering Stormveil. A sensible early checklist is:

• Obtain Torrent and begin filling in the Limgrave map.
• Collect nearby Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears.
• Find a weapon that suits your intended attributes and upgrade that weapon before spreading materials across several choices.
• Acquire at least one useful Spirit Ash and learn how Spirit Summons work.
• Visit the Weeping Peninsula for easier early upgrades, flask improvements, and extra levels.
• Return to Roundtable Hold regularly because NPCs and services change as you explore.

If a boss is taking all of your resources and you are dealing little damage, leave. A different weapon, upgrade material, talisman, summon, flask charge, or a few levels can change the fight more effectively than repeated attempts with the same setup.

Players who prefer a physical reference may find the Elden Ring official strategy guide useful. Future Press’s Volume 1, The Lands Between, is a 512-page hardcover reference focused on the world, maps, dungeons, and NPC information. Its ISBNs are 9783869931142 and 3869931140. It is a reference book rather than a substitute for checking current patch changes, and current price or stock should be verified before purchase.

Recommended route at a glance

Mandatory and optional bosses

“Mandatory” depends on what you mean. Godrick and Rennala are central to the recommended beginner route, but the game does not require those exact two bosses to open every later destination. To reach the base-game ending, you need two Great Runes and then the late-game story bosses; there are alternative Shardbearer combinations.

Base-game walkthrough

1. Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula

Complete the Stranded Graveyard tutorial if you want the controls and basic systems explained. Activate Sites of Grace, obtain Torrent, and use the first region to learn the game’s central loop: explore, find a map fragment, improve your flask, collect upgrade materials, and return to difficult encounters later.

Do not treat Limgrave’s field bosses as a required checklist. The Tree Sentinel, dragons, evergaols, and caves can wait. Prioritize the Church of Elleh area, the early map fragment, nearby Golden Seeds, and a survivable weapon setup. Spirit Ashes are legitimate tools, not a penalty for playing incorrectly; use them if they fit your strategy.

The Weeping Peninsula is an especially good detour before Stormveil. It offers additional Sites of Grace, Sacred Tears, Golden Seeds, upgrade materials, weapons, NPC encounters, and optional bosses at a generally more forgiving difficulty. Explore the western and southern roads, churches, ruins, and Castle Morne, but leave any encounter that is still disproportionately difficult.

2. Stormveil Castle and Godrick

Margit is the recommended first major gatekeeper. His delayed swings punish panic rolls, so watch the complete attack animation rather than dodging as soon as he raises his weapon. You can use a Spirit Ash, a cooperative summon, or an alternate route if your build benefits from it.

Stormveil has two broad approaches. The main gate is direct but heavily defended. The alternate route takes you along the castle’s side and cliff paths, where you can find shortcuts, Sites of Grace, side rooms, upgrade materials, talismans, NPC dialogue, and quest steps. Neither route is automatically superior. The side route usually gives an explorer more opportunities to gather resources before Godrick.

Search rooms before moving on. Legacy dungeons frequently hide items behind ladders, balconies, corners, drops, and doors that only become useful after a shortcut is opened. Activate every Site of Grace you find and spend runes before risky exploration if you are carrying enough to matter.

Godrick is the normal endpoint of Stormveil and the first major Shardbearer for many players. His large attacks have clear but sometimes delayed timing. When you defeat him, collect the Great Rune and continue into Liurnia. Godrick is not an absolute prerequisite for every later region, so do not interpret the recommended route as a locked sequence.

3. Liurnia of the Lakes and Raya Lucaria

Liurnia is the first major open-ended hub. Fill in its map fragments, explore the lake and both shorelines, visit churches and ruins, and collect flask upgrades before committing to the Academy. The region also contains a large concentration of NPC quest steps, so revisit Roundtable Hold and check dialogue after major discoveries.

Raya Lucaria Academy is the recommended major dungeon. Explore its classrooms, rooftops, courtyards, and side passages rather than rushing to the boss. Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, uses a two-stage encounter that tests target selection and patience more than raw damage. Her defeat unlocks respec functionality at the Raya Lucaria library. Respecs consume Larval Tears and still obey the game’s attribute rules; they do not provide unlimited free redistribution.

Liurnia is also the time to begin or advance Ranni, Blaidd, Rogier, Fia, and Hyetta-related content. Ranni’s quest eventually leads underground and toward the Age of Stars ending. Fia’s route connects to Deeproot Depths and the Age of Duskborn. Do not assume that an NPC will remain in the same location after a boss or region transition.

4. Caelid, Redmane Castle, and Radahn

Caelid can be entered very early, but it is usually more comfortable after Liurnia. Its enemies hit hard, inflict dangerous status effects, and punish an under-upgraded character. Visit it for specific weapons, spells, summons, quest steps, and resources, but you do not need to clear the entire region immediately.

Starscourge Radahn is optional for the ordinary base-game ending but essential for entering Shadow of the Erdtree. The Radahn Festival can be activated through progression involving Ranni and Blaidd, by speaking with Jerren and Iji after starting Ranni’s quest, or simply by reaching Altus Plateau and resting at a Site of Grace. The festival changes Redmane Castle’s presentation and makes the boss encounter accessible in a different form.

The Radahn fight is designed around using the arena and its available summons. Summoning is not mandatory, and the best approach depends on whether your build benefits from additional targets, ranged pressure, mounted movement, or a direct close-range duel. Learn the timing of his long-range opening attacks and do not spend every resource trying to force the fight before your character is ready.

5. Nokron and the underground regions

After Radahn falls, a crater opens near Limgrave and provides access to Nokron, Eternal City. Nokron is not just optional scenery. It is central to Ranni’s quest, contains important Spirit Ashes and build resources, and connects the surface story to several later areas.

Progress through Nokron while looking for the key quest item required by Ranni. Explore side chambers and the Mimic Tear area carefully; underground zones often combine important rewards with routes that are easy to miss if you follow only the brightest objective marker. If you are carrying many runes, use Sites of Grace and avoid treating every drop as a shortcut until you have checked where it leads.

Deeproot Depths is optional for the ordinary route but consequential. It connects to Fia’s quest and the Lichdragon Fortissax encounter. Completing this content can unlock the Age of Duskborn ending variant through a Mending Rune. Keep this separate from Ranni’s Age of Stars route: both are major quest outcomes, but they are not the same ending.

6. Altus Plateau, Mt. Gelmir, and Volcano Manor

Altus Plateau marks the transition into the mid-to-late game. You can reach it through the Grand Lift of Dectus, the Ruin-Strewn Precipice, or other routes. Once there, obtain the regional map, visit churches and Minor Erdtrees, collect Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears, and open the approaches to Leyndell.

Mt. Gelmir and Volcano Manor deserve their own visit. Volcano Manor is a faction hub with assassination requests, NPC dialogue, rewards, and a principal legacy-dungeon boss. It is not merely a dungeon entrance. If you want to complete the contracts or see the associated NPC content, do those requests before defeating the area’s principal boss. Major area progression can alter or end related interactions.

Ranni, Fia, Corhyn, Goldmask, Dung Eater, Millicent, Nepheli, Kenneth Haight, White Mask Varré, and Volcano Manor all have steps that may be affected by where you go next. Keep a manual quest log with the NPC’s name, last location, requested item, and next region. The game rarely provides a complete quest journal.

7. Leyndell, Royal Capital

Leyndell is both a major legacy dungeon and a story checkpoint. Explore the outer capital before rushing toward the Erdtree Sanctuary and royal-throne sequence. Activate Sites of Grace, open shortcuts, inspect rooftops and underground routes, and collect important items before moving into the next phase.

The capital can feel maze-like because several routes overlap vertically. When you find a locked door or an apparently unreachable balcony, mark it mentally and continue; another path often opens from above or from a later shortcut. The outer capital, sewers, and central legacy-dungeon route are distinct experiences, and completionists should not assume that reaching the throne means they have seen everything.

Checkpoint: finish side content before the Forge. Before taking the late-game story step that leads to burning the Erdtree, review the checklist below. The subsequent transition can change the capital, remove access to some locations, and alter NPC quest states. Exact quest behavior can depend on earlier actions, so this checklist reduces risk but cannot guarantee every edge-case outcome.

8. Mountaintops of the Giants

After the capital, the Mountaintops become the main story region. Follow the route toward the Fire Giant, but explore enough to collect map fragments, flask upgrades, weapons, and quest items first. The area’s enemies are a substantial difficulty increase, so use the region as a gear and learning check rather than sprinting straight to the boss.

Consecrated Snowfield is a later optional region reached through the relevant Haligtree Secret Medallion halves. It contains Ordina, access to Miquella’s Haligtree, a route to Mohgwyn Palace, and additional endgame resources. Mohgwyn Palace can also be reached through White Mask Varré’s quest after obtaining the Pureblood Knight’s Medal. Both routes are valuable: use the one that matches your quest progress.

Mohg, Lord of Blood, is optional for the base-game ending but must be defeated to enter the expansion. If you are preparing for Shadow of the Erdtree, defeat both Radahn and Mohg before returning to Mohg’s arena and interacting with the withered arm in the cocoon.

9. Miquella’s Haligtree and Malenia

Miquella’s Haligtree is optional and should be treated as an advanced endgame challenge. The route requires the relevant Haligtree Secret Medallion halves, access to the Consecrated Snowfield, and the Ordina Evergaol puzzle. From Ordina, descend through the Haligtree toward Elphael.

Malenia, Blade of Miquella, is an optional superboss. She is not required for the base-game ending, the standard Elden Lord route, or expansion access. Her encounter rewards careful spacing, recognition of delayed and multi-hit attacks, and a willingness to change equipment or damage-negation choices. Spirit Ashes, status effects, ranged attacks, shields, and cooperative play are all valid options, but no single tactic is universally reliable.

10. The Forge and Crumbling Farum Azula

After the Fire Giant, the Forge of the Giants begins the late-game transition. If you still want to explore Leyndell’s original layout, finish desired capital exploration first. Also review NPC quests, Volcano Manor contracts, legendary equipment, and optional bosses before proceeding.

Crumbling Farum Azula is the principal endgame legacy dungeon. Its broken architecture creates misleading drops, long jumps, looping paths, and dangerous open spaces. Activate Sites of Grace frequently, use ranged options for troublesome flying or distant enemies, and do not assume that a visible platform is a safe landing.

The major progression targets are Godskin Duo and Maliketh, the Black Blade. Godskin Duo is a mandatory encounter on this route; use the arena’s pillars, damage windows, and any summon or status strategy that fits your build rather than trying to trade hits in the open. Maliketh’s second phase is highly mobile and punishes healing or attacking at the wrong distance. Upgrade your main weapon, keep enough Vigor to survive mistakes, and learn the timing of his projectiles before committing to a long attack animation.

11. Ashen Capital and the final bosses

Major spoilers for the ending sequence: after Maliketh, Leyndell becomes Ashen Capital. The altered capital contains the final approach and no longer functions like the earlier version, which is why side-quest and collectible cleanup belongs before the late-game transition.

The final mandatory sequence includes Gideon, Godfrey/Hoarah Loux, and the final Elden Ring encounter after Radagon. These fights test different skills: reading spell pressure, surviving powerful close-range attacks, managing healing windows, and maintaining resources across consecutive battles.

Universal preparation is more reliable than a claimed “best build.” Upgrade your main weapon as far as your current materials allow, carry a practical damage-negation or status-resistance option, maintain adequate Vigor, and choose summons only when the extra target distribution helps your plan. Delayed attacks are common throughout the endgame, so roll in response to the hit rather than the enemy’s first movement.

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NPC quests and point-of-no-return checklist

Use this checklist before the Forge of the Giants and again before entering the final boss area. It is a reminder list, not a guarantee: quest states can depend on dialogue, item collection, boss order, and earlier transitions.

• Ranni, Blaidd, Rogier, and Iji: advance Ranni’s quest through the underground route if you want the Age of Stars ending or its unique rewards. Check dialogue after major steps.
• Fia: progress her Roundtable Hold dialogue, obtain the relevant Cursemark, reach Deeproot Depths, and decide whether to complete the Lichdragon Fortissax route for the Age of Duskborn Mending Rune.
• Corhyn and Goldmask: follow their movements through Altus and the later regions if you want the Perfect Order ending variant. Do not leave their late-game locations unchecked.
• Dung Eater: collect and use the relevant Seedbed Curses if you want his quest and the Blessing of Despair ending variant.
• Millicent: follow her progression through Caelid and the later regions if you want her rewards and the item needed for the late-game Frenzied Flame reversal route.
• Nepheli Loux and Kenneth Haight: complete their dialogue and regional steps before finalizing the related Limgrave and Stormveil outcomes.
• Volcano Manor: complete contracts and speak with the faction’s NPCs before defeating the manor’s principal boss if you want all available interactions.
• White Mask Varré: advance his quest if you want the early route to Mohgwyn Palace and the Pureblood Knight’s Medal.
• Collectibles: finish any desired legendary armaments, spells, talismans, Spirit Ashes, map fragments, Golden Seeds, Sacred Tears, and achievement objectives whose locations may change after the transition.

Base-game endings

Late-game spoiler warning: only one ending can normally be selected at the conclusion of a completed playthrough. Several ending families are available, and some are quest variants of the Elden Lord outcome.

The Frenzied Flame route involves the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds and the Cathedral of the Forsaken. If you later want to reverse it, the relevant late-game process requires completing Millicent’s quest, obtaining the needed needle, defeating Malenia, and using the needle in the appropriate Placidusax arena. Reversing the condition removes the Frenzied Flame lock for the ending selection; it does not let you select both outcomes in the same conclusion.

Shadow of the Erdtree: access and recommended route

Shadow of the Erdtree requires the base game. The expansion adds a new story and region, weapons, equipment, skills, magic, enemies, bosses, and NPC plotlines. New players who own neither component should look for the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Edition, the bundle containing the base game and expansion. Verify the platform, edition, region, and current availability before purchasing.

How to enter the Realm of Shadow

1. Defeat Starscourge Radahn.
2. Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood, in Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum.
3. Travel to Mohg’s arena and approach the cocoon.
4. Interact with the withered arm to enter the Realm of Shadow.

Both Radahn and Mohg are required. Defeating only one of them is not enough, and the expansion does not begin from an ordinary map marker.

The most practical expansion route

The Realm of Shadow is nonlinear, so the following order is a discovery route rather than a mandatory boss list.

Gravesite Plain and the Three-Path Cross

Begin by activating Sites of Grace, finding the local map fragment, and investigating the Three-Path Cross and nearby Miquella Cross locations. Miquella Crosses are important exploration markers and often indicate where to search for Scadutree Fragments or NPC dialogue. Explore the surrounding roads and minor dungeons before assuming the first major castle is the only available destination.

Belurat and Castle Ensis

Belurat and its surrounding areas provide an early expansion legacy-dungeon route. Castle Ensis leads toward Rellana and the path into the next major region. Treat Rellana as a major route boss, but do not assume every nearby named boss is mandatory for the expansion ending. If the castle is overwhelming, return to Gravesite Plain and search for blessing items, map fragments, weapon upgrades, and side paths.

Cerulean Coast and the southern branch

The southern Cerulean Coast route is a useful optional branch for exploration, materials, quests, and bosses. It is also a reminder that the expansion expects you to leave the obvious road. Reaching a new subregion does not mean you must defeat its first large enemy immediately.

Scadu Altus and Shadow Keep

Scadu Altus is the central mid-expansion hub. Explore its roads, crosses, churches, ruins, and entrances before committing to Shadow Keep. Shadow Keep is a major progression point with several entrances and internal routes, so activate shortcuts and search side rooms before leaving.

Checkpoint before Shadow Keep: spend runes, upgrade your primary weapon, collect every nearby Scadutree Fragment and Revered Spirit Ash you can safely reach, review NPC dialogue, and decide whether you want to complete southern or castle-side quests first.

Rauh Ruins and the Ancient Ruins of Rauh

The Rauh routes are late-midgame expansion content with vertical navigation, confusing landmarks, and significant boss encounters. Use map fragments and Sites of Grace to establish a return route before exploring deep into the ruins. If a boss seems to defeat you before you can meaningfully learn its moves, search the surrounding region for more blessing levels rather than assuming you need a different character class.

Abyssal Woods and Charo’s Hidden Grave

Abyssal Woods and Charo’s Hidden Grave are optional or quest-linked branches depending on your goals. They contain their own encounters and exploration rewards and should be labeled separately from the main route in a completionist checklist.

Jagged Peak and the final approach

Jagged Peak is another demanding optional or route-linked branch. Prepare with upgraded weapons, suitable damage negation, and a healthy supply of healing before climbing deep into it. The final expansion sequence leads toward Enir-Ilim after the relevant late-game progression. Complete NPC conversations, remembrance exchanges, and desired optional bosses before committing to the final sequence.

Enir-Ilim

Enir-Ilim is the expansion’s late-game concluding area. Treat it like Ashen Capital: activate every available Site of Grace, spend runes, finish nearby quests, and inspect side paths before entering the final encounters. Not every named expansion boss is required for the conclusion; distinguish main-route bosses from optional remembrance, dungeon, field, and quest-linked encounters.

Scadutree Blessing and Revered Spirit Ash

Shadow of the Erdtree introduces two essential Realm of Shadow progression systems:

• Scadutree Fragments increase your attack power and damage negation in the Realm of Shadow.
• Revered Spirit Ashes improve the offensive and defensive performance of Spirit Ashes there.

Use the Shadow Realm Blessing menu at a Site of Grace to apply both upgrades. Their benefits apply in the Realm of Shadow, not while you are back in the Lands Between. This distinction matters: a character can feel adequately equipped in the base game and still be underpowered in the expansion if blessing levels have been ignored.

When an expansion boss feels far harder than expected, first explore for Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes. They are not a replacement for learning the encounter, but they are a central part of the expansion’s intended difficulty curve.

Expansion checkpoints: repeat the same preparation routine before Castle Ensis, Shadow Keep, the late-game Rauh route, Abyssal Woods, Jagged Peak, and Enir-Ilim: upgrade weapons, spend runes, collect nearby blessing items and map fragments, revisit NPCs, and decide whether to finish side content.

Build, leveling, and combat advice

Survivability comes first

Prioritize Vigor early instead of putting every level into damage. As practical, nonmandatory benchmarks, many first-time players find roughly 20 Vigor comfortable in the early game, 30–40 through the middle portion, and 40–60 for late-game attempts. These are guidelines, not requirements; armor, talismans, shields, summons, player skill, and your willingness to avoid hits all change the answer.

Raise Endurance enough to maintain a useful equip load and stamina pool. Add Mind if your plan depends heavily on skills, spells, summons, or weapon arts. Do not level every offensive attribute at once. Choose a weapon or spell plan, meet its requirements, and concentrate on the attributes that actually improve that plan.

Upgrade one main weapon

Early upgrade materials are limited. Pick one primary weapon and improve it before investing heavily in several alternatives. Somber weapons and ordinary weapons use different upgrade paths, so check which material your chosen weapon requires. A moderately upgraded weapon paired with suitable attributes is usually more useful than a high-level character carrying an untouched weapon.

Use the complete toolbox

• Spirit Ashes can divide enemy attention and create healing or attack windows.
• Cooperative summons can help when your build benefits from another target or damage source.
• Shields, guard counters, ranged attacks, consumables, buffs, and status effects are intended systems.
• Damage negation and resistance matter more in some encounters than a small increase in attack power.
• Light, medium, and heavy equipment loads change your roll behavior; avoid carrying so much that your preferred defensive movement becomes unreliable.

There is no universal optimal build. A weapon’s moveset, attribute scaling, range, stamina cost, and skill can matter as much as its displayed attack rating. Patch-sensitive balance also means that a strategy described as dominant on one version may not remain so.

A simple boss troubleshooting process

1. Identify the real failure. Are you dying in one hit, running out of stamina, missing damage windows, or losing because the fight lasts too long?
2. Improve the largest weakness. Add Vigor or damage negation if you die quickly; upgrade the weapon if damage is low; use resistance or curing items if a status effect ends attempts.
3. Change the distance. Some attacks are easier to read at midrange, while others are safer when you stay close and circle.
4. Learn one phase at a time. Spend attempts observing delayed attacks and punish windows instead of treating every attempt as a requirement to win.
5. Explore elsewhere. A talisman, flask upgrade, summon, weapon skill, or blessing item may solve the problem more efficiently than another twenty identical attempts.
6. Choose summons deliberately. A summon can help by drawing attacks, but it can also make a boss move unpredictably or increase health scaling in multiplayer. Use one when its advantages fit your plan.

Completionist checklists

The following lists are designed for a player who wants a structured sweep rather than a perfect item-by-item location guide. Mark each item in your own notes because NPC states and map transitions are easy to forget.

World and upgrade checklist

• ☐ Limgrave map fragments, churches, Golden Seeds, and Sacred Tears
• ☐ Weeping Peninsula map, flask upgrades, caves, and Castle Morne
• ☐ Liurnia map fragments, churches, Academy, and lake-side ruins
• ☐ Caelid and Dragonbarrow map fragments, key quest locations, and Redmane Castle
• ☐ Altus Plateau, Mt. Gelmir, and Leyndell map fragments
• ☐ Mountaintops of the Giants, Consecrated Snowfield, and optional underground maps
• ☐ Siofra/Nokron-related underground routes, Deeproot Depths, and Mohgwyn Palace
• ☐ Every desired Golden Seed and Sacred Tear
• ☐ Weapon upgrade materials and the bell-bearing progression needed to purchase replacement materials
• ☐ Spirit Ashes and the resources needed to upgrade your preferred summons
• ☐ Realm of Shadow map fragments, Miquella Crosses, Scadutree Fragments, and Revered Spirit Ashes

Legendary and achievement targets

• ☐ Legendary armaments, including targets such as the Bolt of Gransax, Dark Moon Greatsword, Sword of Night and Flame, Ruins Greatsword, and other achievement-linked weapons
• ☐ Legendary talismans, including the late-game and underground targets tied to achievement progress
• ☐ Legendary sorceries and incantations, including Comet Azur, Stars of Ruin, Ranni’s Dark Moon, Founding Rain of Stars, Elden Stars, Flame of the Fell God, and Greyoll’s Roar
• ☐ Legendary Spirit Ashes such as Mimic Tear, Black Knife Tiche, Lhutel the Headless, and the other achievement-linked summons
• ☐ Major remembrance bosses and the rewards you want from each remembrance before exchanging duplicates
• ☐ Any desired ending achievements; one completed playthrough normally provides only one ending selection

For a deeper late-game reference focused on enemies, bosses, weapons, and armaments, consider Elden Ring official strategy guide Volume 2, also known as Shards of the Shattering. Verify the edition and current availability before purchase; it should complement, not replace, current patch notes.

Quest checklist

• ☐ Ranni and Age of Stars
• ☐ Fia, Deeproot Depths, and Age of Duskborn
• ☐ Corhyn and Goldmask for Perfect Order
• ☐ Dung Eater for Blessing of Despair
• ☐ Three Fingers and the Frenzied Flame, if that is your intended outcome
• ☐ Millicent and the item needed to reverse the Frenzied Flame
• ☐ Nepheli and Kenneth Haight
• ☐ Rogier, Blaidd, Iji, Hyetta, and other Roundtable or regional NPCs
• ☐ Volcano Manor contracts and NPC dialogue
• ☐ White Mask Varré and the Mohgwyn Palace route
• ☐ Any Shadow of the Erdtree NPC questlines before Enir-Ilim

Platform and edition notes

Bandai Namco’s researched platform listing covers PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for the base game. The expansion requires that base game.

As of the research timestamp of August 11, 2026, Bandai Namco lists Elden Ring Tarnished Edition Switch 2 as scheduled for August 28, 2026. The announced edition includes the base game and Shadow of the Erdtree, along with two new starting classes, four exclusive armor sets, new weapons and combat techniques, and three Torrent customization options. It should be described as scheduled rather than available unless a current check confirms its release.

Bandai Namco has separately announced the Elden Ring Tarnished Pack for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, and digital PC, also scheduled for August 28, 2026. The researched announcement lists a standard price of €4.99 before local-currency variation. Availability, pricing, and program eligibility should be verified at publication time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access Shadow of the Erdtree?

Defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, in the base game. Then return to Mohg’s arena in Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum and interact with the withered arm in the cocoon. Both bosses are required; defeating only one does not unlock the expansion.

Do I need to defeat Malenia, Radahn, or Godrick to finish Elden Ring?

Malenia is optional. Radahn is optional for the ordinary base-game ending but required for Shadow of the Erdtree. Godrick is the recommended first Shardbearer and the normal Stormveil endpoint, but the game allows alternative progression routes and does not require every recommended boss.

How does respec work?

Defeat Rennala in Raya Lucaria Academy to unlock respec functionality. Each redistribution uses a Larval Tear and still follows the game’s attribute rules. Respec is useful for changing a build after finding a weapon or spell, but it is not unlimited free experimentation.

Are multiplayer, Spirit Ashes, shields, and status effects allowed in a normal playthrough?

Yes. Cooperative play, Spirit Ashes, shields, ranged attacks, consumables, buffs, and status effects are all legitimate systems. Use them when they support your chosen strategy. Summoning can change enemy behavior or health scaling, so it is a tactical choice rather than an automatic solution.

What should I do before New Game Plus?

Finish desired NPC quests and endings, collect legendary equipment and achievement items, gather upgrade materials and map-related rewards, exchange the remembrances you want, and spend or bank your runes. New Game Plus is a new cycle, so a cleanup pass is easier before starting it.

Can I choose multiple endings in one playthrough?

Normally, one ending is selected at the conclusion of a playthrough. Ranni’s Age of Stars route uses its own ending interaction, while Mending Rune routes modify the ordinary Elden Lord choice. The Frenzied Flame can override other choices unless it is reversed through the relevant late-game quest process.

Do Shadow Realm Blessings work in the base game?

No. Scadutree Blessings improve attack power and damage negation in the Realm of Shadow, and Revered Spirit Ash Blessings improve Spirit Ash performance there. Their benefits do not apply while you are back in the Lands Between.

The Bottom Line

The safest first-playthrough plan is to follow the recommended route without treating it as a rigid checklist: explore Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula, clear Stormveil and Raya Lucaria, visit Caelid and defeat Radahn, explore the underground, then move through Altus, Volcano Manor, Leyndell, and the Mountaintops. Finish the side quests and optional regions you care about before the Forge and late-game capital transition. For Shadow of the Erdtree, defeat Radahn and Mohg, enter through the cocoon, and collect Shadow Realm Blessings whenever an expansion boss feels unusually difficult.

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