Elden Ring Beginners Guide (2025): 9 Must-Know Tips for New Players
New to Elden Ring in 2025? You’re not alone. This brutally rewarding open-world RPG can feel overwhelming at first, but the right early strategies make all the difference. In this Elden Ring beginner’s guide, I’ll break down practical tips, class picks, stat priorities, early boss routes, and combat tactics — including mistakes I made on my first run so you won’t have to repeat them. Whether you prefer sword and shield, ranged magic, or fast-paced bleed builds, here’s how to survive Limgrave and thrive beyond it.
1. Start with the Right Class (Don’t Make It Harder for Yourself)
Your first big decision is choosing a class. While you’ll eventually shape your build however you like, your starting class determines how rough your first ten hours will be.
| Class | For Players Who Want | Practical Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Vagabond | Tanky sword & shield | Starts with heavy armor and high Vigor—easier to survive mistakes |
| Samurai | Fast melee + ranged | Uchigatana causes bleed damage; longbow helps snipe enemies from horseback |
| Astrologer | Spellcaster | Starts with Glintstone Pebble—great long-range DPS with minimal FP cost |
| Confessor | Mix of melee + healing | Healing incantation + 100% physical block shield at start |
☆☆Lesson Learned: I made the classic rookie mistake of picking an Astrologer for the cool magic without realizing how fragile they are at the start. I spent my first hour getting slapped around by wolves. Later, when I tried a Samurai, the bleed damage from the Uchigatana shredded bosses like the Beastman of Farum Azula in seconds. Huge difference.
2. Explore Limgrave — But Prioritize These Essentials
Limgrave feels open-ended, but grabbing a few key tools early makes surviving much easier.
| Item | Why It Matters | Where to Get It |
|---|---|---|
| Torrent (Horse) | Faster travel + mounted combat | Rest at Gatefront Site of Grace |
| Crafting Kit | Lets you make arrows, fire pots, and more | Buy from Merchant Kale at Church of Elleh (300 Runes) |
| Spirit Calling Bell | Summon spirit allies | Talk to Renna at Church of Elleh (night only) |
| Map Fragment (West Limgrave) | Reveals terrain and roads | Near Gatefront Ruins, stone monument |
☆☆Pro Tip: On my second playthrough, I sprinted from the First Step to the Church of Elleh, grabbed the grace, then beelined to Gatefront for Torrent. The game felt so much easier after unlocking fast travel and mounted combat.
3. Learn to Fight the Smart Way (and Abuse Guard Counters)
Button mashing gets you killed fast in Elden Ring. It’s all about patience and picking your moments.
- Guard Counter Combo: Hold L1 to block → when hit, tap R2. Devastating against slow enemies like soldiers.
- Backstab Practice: Sneak (hold Circle/B) → walk behind → press R1.
- Roll into, not away from, large enemies — it’s safer under their hitbox.
⚠️ Stamina matters. Don’t spam dodge or block. Manage your green bar like a resource.
☆☆Hard Lesson: I used to panic roll away from trolls, only to get flattened by their wide swings. Once I learned to dodge into their attacks, under their legs, I started surviving those encounters way more consistently.
4. Level Up Priorities (with Real Build Examples)
Don’t scatter your Runes. Focus your early levels on stats that keep you alive and dealing damage.
| Build | Core Stats | Why It Works Early |
|---|---|---|
| Melee Tank (Vagabond) | Vigor > Endurance > Strength | More HP, stamina, and shield-blocking capacity |
| Bleed Samurai | Dexterity > Vigor | Bleed scales with Dex and it’s fast |
| Astrologer Mage | Intelligence > Mind > Vigor | High magic damage, more FP, enough HP to take a hit |
☆☆From Experience: By level 20, my Vagabond had Vigor 20, Endurance 15, Strength 14 — enough to tank Margit’s hits while my Lone Wolves distracted him. Night and day compared to my earlier run.
5. Use Ashes and Spirit Summons — They Save Your Life
These are Elden Ring’s unofficial Easy Mode — and they’re totally intended.
Best Early Summons:
- Lone Wolf Ashes: Cheap, fast, great distraction
- Skeletal Militiamen: Revive unless finished off while downed
Where to Get:
- Renna at Church of Elleh (after unlocking Torrent)
- Stormfoot Catacombs for upgrade materials
☆☆ Lesson Learned: The first time I fought Margit, I stubbornly refused to use summons. Died ten times. Summoned wolves on attempt eleven — beat him on that run.
6. Upgrade Your Gear — Don’t Just Level Up
Weapon upgrades > raw stats in early Elden Ring.
What to Do Early:
-
Farm Smithing Stone [1] from:
- Limgrave Tunnels
- Ruins near Agheel Lake
- Use the anvil at Church of Elleh to reach +3.
- Visit Blacksmith Hewg at Roundtable Hold later.
⚠️ Don’t upgrade every weapon. Stick to 1–2 you like (I went all-in on the Uchigatana and never regretted it).
☆☆ Video Tip: I followed a guide to upgrade my weapon early, and watching my damage jump against cave bosses was one of those “I should’ve done this hours ago” moments.
7. Avoid These Classic Rookie Mistakes
| Mistake | What Happens | Better Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Fighting Tree Sentinel at Level 1 | You get obliterated | Ride past him, come back later |
| Hoarding Runes | You lose them on death | Spend them often |
| Ignoring Flask of Wondrous Physick | Missing huge buffs | Mix boosts like +Stamina Regen |
| Skipping dungeons | Missing gear, Ashes, upgrade mats | Prioritize Groveside Cave, Coastal Cave |
☆☆ Personal Fail: I lost 5000 Runes to a random troll, then rage-quit for an hour. Now, I spend Runes constantly and keep zero before risky boss attempts.
8. Recommended Boss Route for Beginners
Work through these in order to practice mechanics and farm gear:
| Boss | Type | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Beastman of Farum Azula | Melee test | Easy win, drops a solid talisman |
| Flying Dragon Agheel | Spectacle fight | Use Torrent to kite, bleed weapons shred him |
| Patches | Trap Boss | Surrenders halfway, becomes a shopkeeper |
| Bloody Finger Nerijus | Invader | Get NPC help from Yura, practice PvP mechanics |
☆☆ By Margit: Try to hit level 25+, have a +3 weapon, and upgraded summons.
9. Use Community Tools and In-Game Clues
- Read every player message.
- Use MapGenie’s Elden Ring Map for loot, bosses, and upgrade paths.
- NPCs change dialogue after resting at grace—talk to them again.
☆☆ Pro Tip: Joining a Discord server saved me from quitting. Other players’ advice on bleed builds and hidden caves totally turned my run around.
Where Can You Play Elden Ring? And Which Setup Should Beginners Choose?
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam) — and after playing it across multiple systems, I can tell you the experience can feel quite different depending on your setup.
On PS5, the game runs buttery smooth at 60 FPS with quick load times and stunning visuals. The DualSense haptics subtly rumble when massive bosses slam the ground, adding a layer of immersion I didn’t expect. PS4 still holds up decently, but the frame drops in heavy fights like against Flying Dragon Agheel made dodging a little tougher than it should be.
On Xbox Series X, it’s rock solid — the visuals feel crisp, especially in open areas like Mistwood. And thanks to Quick Resume, I could jump in and out of the world without losing progress, which helped a lot when farming early runes or testing weapons.
But the most surprising experience I had was when I hooked up my console to a portable screen. I travel often, and being able to play Elden Ring on a high-quality portable gaming monitor changed everything for me. The display’s sharp colors made it easier to spot hidden enemies in dark caves, and its 120Hz refresh rate smoothed out frantic boss fights. Plus, setting it up at a coffee shop or hotel room meant I never missed a rune farm session.
For beginners, I honestly recommend playing on the best screen you can get your hands on. If you’re on console and don’t have a giant TV, a portable monitor is an awesome way to get a premium experience without being stuck at your desk or living room.
Final Advice: Dying Is Part of the Process
The early game is tough — but you’ll learn, adapt, and eventually feel unstoppable.
- Experiment with builds
- Use Torrent to explore and run from fights you can’t win
- Summon help whenever you need it
- Celebrate tiny victories (that first boss kill? Legendary)
- Pick the platform that suits you best, or grab a portable gaming monitor to level up your experience.
⚠️ May your flasks be full, your grace guiding, and your Uchigatana always sharp. Welcome to Elden Ring.
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