Elden Ring beginner tips: how to survive the Lands Between

Elden Ring drops players into a huge open world with very little hand-holding. These tips cover the habits that make the first ten hours much smoother.

Pick a forgiving class

The starting class only sets initial stats and gear, and every build can be reshaped later. Classes with a shield and solid vigor, such as Vagabond or Warrior-style starts, are common recommendations for a first run because they leave more room for mistakes.

Level vigor before anything else

Health matters more than damage early on. Putting the first several levels into vigor makes bosses far more forgiving, and damage stats can follow once survival stops being the bottleneck.

Use Spirit Ashes

Summoned spirits distract enemies and share the damage in tough fights. Unlocking Spirit Ashes early gives new players a flexible tool that works across nearly every build.

Explore, then come back

The open world rewards curiosity, but it is also full of enemies that are far too strong for a fresh character. If a fight feels hopeless, leaving and exploring elsewhere is a valid strategy. Come back stronger, with better gear and levels.

Keep upgrading the weapon

Smithing Stones improve a weapon more reliably than spreading points across many stats. Keep one main weapon upgraded instead of switching often.

Take breaks between attempts

Repeated deaths at one boss usually mean a pattern has been missed. Watching the attack tells, dodging late rather than early, and healing only when a window is clear tend to work better than pushing harder.