If you’re new to Elden Ring, and you don’t know where to go or what to do first, don’t panic. We’re here to guide your first steps in the game.
What do I do at the beginning of Elden Ring?
The first things to do in Elden Ring in the order of importance are:
- Visit the Church of Elleh in Western Limgrave
- Pick up the first map fragment
- Activate the three Sites of Grace and meet Melina
- Go back to the Church of Elleh and talk to Ranni
- Head to Stormhill Shack and speak with Roderika
- Go to the Stormveil Castle and take on Margit
What to do first in Elden Ring
Step 1: Visit the Church of Elleh
Follow the yellow arrows, and go to the Church of Elleh. Activate the Church of Elleh Site of Grace. Avoid the Tree Sentinel, and find Merchant Kale. Buy the crafting kit from him for just a few hundred Runes. You can use this crafting kit to make other items using the consumable items scattered in the environment. Pick up everything you find.
While you’re at the Church of Elleh, pick up a torch, and locate the Smithing Table. You can use it later to upgrade your weapons while in Limgrave.
Don’t forget to pick up the first map fragment that you’ll find it near the Church of Elleh.
Step 2: Go to the Gatefront Ruins and talk to Melina
Follow the yellow arrows, and head north to go to the Gatefront Ruins. You have two more Sites of Grace to activate in order to meet Melina. She’ll appear to you while you’re resting at the third Site of Grace.
She’ll teach you how to level up in Elden Ring, and give you a special item that you can use to summon Torrent, your horse.
⇒ Quick Tip: Speak to friendly NPCs multiple times to unlock additional items, and learn more about the Elden Ring lore.
Step 3: Go back to the Church of Elleh and talk to Ranni
Return to the Church of Elleh and you’ll meet Ranni the Witch. She’ll give you a Summoning Bell that you can use to summon spirits to help you in combat.
You need to spend FP in order to summon spirits. The more powerful the spirits, the more FP it will cost. Make sure to replenish FP fast. Keep in mind that Spirit Summons will prevent you from having friends join you for co-op.
⇒ Note: If you keep exploring beyond Limgrave after getting Torrent, and reach the Roundtable Hold area, Ranni will no longer appear at the church. In this case, you can buy the Summoning Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes from a merchant NPC in the Roundtable Hold.
Step 4: Clear the Gatefront Ruins
Go back to the Gatefront Ruins, and and pick up every collectible item you can find in the area. Pick up the Map Fragment for West Limgrave. You’ll find it at foot of a pillar. Avoid direct confrontation with patrolling enemies.
There are two large carriages located at the edges of the ruins. Open the two chests from the carriages and pick up the Flail, and the Lordsworn Greatsword.
There’s also an underground tunnel south side of the ruins where you can find Ashes of War and the Whetstone Knife. You can use the knife to freely change out your Ashes of War among your weapons.
Next, go to the Dragon-burnt Ruins located south of the Gatefront Ruins. Defeat Nerijus’ NPC invasion to unlock the Reduvia dagger. Rest assured, a friendly NPC will help you out. You can use the Reduvia Dagger to inflict Bleed damage on enemies.
Additionally, take out all the enemies you encounter to earn some extra Runes. Then, take the southern staircases, and use Torrent to jump over the high walls. Enter the chamber with a chest. Open the chest to get your hands on the Twinblade.
Taking on Stormveil Castle might still be early. Margit the Fell Omen is defending the area and won’t let you pass.
Near the large bridge in Limgrave, there’s the entrance to a mini dungeon known as Murkwater Cave. Clear the area to unlock Margit’s Shackle. You can use this item to paralyze Margit the Fell Omen in Stormveil Castle.
Step 5: Head to Stormhill Shack
Pass through Stormgate to open road to Stormveil Castle. Head east until you reach the Stormhill Shack where Roderika lives. Speak to her to obtain the Jellyfish Spirit Ash. Pick up the Chrysalid in Stormveil Castle, and bring it to Roderika.
Step 6: Clear the Limgrave Tunnels and Waypoint Ruins
You really need to focus on upgrading your weapons now. Head to the Limgrave Tunnels where you can find lots of Smithing Stones. Keep in mind that the enemies in Limgrave Tunnels are vulnerable to magic.
If you’re interested in levelling up your Magic skills, go to the Waypoint Ruins in Western Limgrave. Defeat the Mad Pumpkin Head and talk to Sorceress Sellen. She sells basic Glintstone spells.
Then, head northeast of the Waypoint Ruins until you reach the Third Church of Marika. Interact with the statue to get the Flask of Wondrous Physik and two starter crystals.
You should now be ready to take on Margit.
Step 7: Go to the Stormveil Castle
Margit the Fell Omen is the first major boss you’ll encounter in the game. He’s waiting for you at the Stormveil Castle. To defeat Margit, you need better-than-average offensive stats. Summon all the spirits that you can to help you in combat. Don’t forget to use Margit’s Shackle to temporarily freeze the boss.
If you can’t defeat Margit after several tries, go back to Limgrave and clear all the tunnels if you haven’t done that already. Pick up all the items you can find and use them to upgrade your weapons before taking on Margit again.
The above points barely scratch the surface of what the first hours of gameplay have in store for you. After following the steps above, free to explore the map at your own pace.
Happy gaming!
⇒ Hungry for more Elden Ring stories? Check out our Elden Ring hub.