I have played Elden Ring for more than 400 hours. I can share viable information from my first-hand experience, and you can trust me with what I provide!
Elden Ring introduced Runes which are the in-game currency and act as the XP or experience points. Your character will receive these Runes after completing quests or killing enemies. You may also acquire them around the map or loot them off from the corpse of the dead. However, the game mechanics will not hand out a decent amount of Runes as it requires players to compete and earn by completing different activities. This calls for the best Rune farming Elden Ring that can assist players in leveling up quicker.
Helpful Related Read: Elden Ring Early Game Weapons
Key Takeaways
- Rune farming enhances character development in Elden Ring.
- Death during farming leads to Rune loss with a blood trail marker.
- Deeproot Depths is recommended for low to medium-level players, yielding 30,000 Runes.
- Access Deeproot Depths after completing the main story and reaching Ancestral Woods from Nokron.
- Stormhill, west of Limgrave, offers Rune farming with up to 5 trolls and 5,000 Runes.
- The challenging Land Between requires a lot of Runes for character progression.
- High risk of permanent Rune loss upon player death.
Best Runes And What They Offer
Here is a summary table for the best Runes in Elden Ring
No. | Name | Gather & Farm Items | Upgrade Materials | Equipment and Magic | Unique, Ashes & Keys | Creatures, Enemies, and Bosses | Walkthrough | Field Bosses and Bosses | NPCs and Merchants | Notable Features |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Deeproot Depths Farming | Dewkissed Herba, Golden Centipede, Human Bone Shard, Melted Mushroom, Nascent Butterfly, Rune Arc, Warming Stone | Ghost Glovewort (4), Ghost Glovewort (5), Ghost Glovewort (6), Ghost Glovewort (7), Smithing Stone (4), Smithing Stone (6), Somber Smithing Stone (6) | Clarifying Boluses, Crucible Tree Set, Elden Stars, Golden Rune (6), Golden Rune (8), Golden Rune (9), Numen's Rune | Ash of War: Golden Land, Ash of War: Vacuum Slice, Stonesword Key | Giant Ant, Basilisk, Mausoleum Knight, Mausoleum Soldier, Lesser Runebear, Fia's Champions, Crucible Knight Siluria | Deeproot Depths Walkthrough | - | - | - |
2 | Stormhill Farming Site | Ruin Fragment, Golden Seed, Slumbering Egg (Eagle drop), Starlight Shards, Fulgurbloom, Golden Rune (1), Rowa Fruit, Erdleaf Flower, Herba | Smithing Stone (1), Golden Rune (1) | Aspects of the Crucible: Tail, Kaiden Helm | Stonesword Key, Armorer's Cookbook [1] | - | - | - | - | - |
3 | Limgrave Farming Site | x1 Explosive Stone (Miner Drop), x3 Glintstone Scrap, x5 Large Glintstone Scrap, x1 Golden Rune (1), x1 Golden Rune (4) | Smithing Stone (1), x1 Somber Smithing Stone (1) | Roar Medallion, Pickaxe (Miner Drop), | There are no key items in this location. | Giant Rat Miner Rotten Stray | - | Stonedigger Troll | - | - |
4 | Third Church of Marika Farming Site | Sacred Tear, Flask of Wondrous Physick, Crimson Crystal Tear | - | - | - | Wolf, Eagle | - | None | Melina | Site of Grace, Sending Gate |
5 | Dominula, Windmill Village Farming | Human Bone Shard, Stormhawk Feather, Gold firefly, Holyproof Dried Liver, Lightning Grease, Golden Seed, Rune Arc, Festive Hood, Festive Garb, Festive Garb (Altered), Blue Festive Hood, Blue Festive Garb, Celebrant's Skull, Celebrant's Cleaver, Celebrant's Sickle, Celebrant's Rib-Rake, Godskin Peeler, Scouring Black Flame, Fire's Deadly Sin | - | - | - | Celebrant, Rotten Stray | - | Godskin Apostle | Millicent, Spirit NPC | Guaranteed Celebrant's Skull location, Boss: Godskin Apostle location, Fire's Deadly Sin spell location |
6 | War-Dead Catacombs AFK Farming | Grave Violet, Trina's Lily | Ghost Glovewort [4] x 1, Golden Seed (Boss drop), Grave Glovewort [6] x 5 | Collapsing Stars, Golden Rune [6] x 1, Magic Grease x 3, Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot | Radahn Soldier Ashes, Redmane Knight Ogha Ashes (Boss drop) | Lesser Cleanrot Knight Spirit, Radahn Soldier Spirit, Redmane Knight Spirit, Imp | - | Putrid Tree Spirit | - | - |
Farming Runes is not going to be an easy feat. But that is the only approach to upgrade further and progress at a steady pace. Significantly, if you are new to the Elden Ring, the journey in the Land Between will challenge your abilities.
You will need a massive amount of Runes to push the limits of the weapon and level up your character early in the game. If you are also one of those players seeking the best Rune farming, you are in the right place. This guide entails the top 6 farming locations that will reward thousands and thousands of Runes. With that said, let’s get right into it.
Deeproot Depths Farming
Category | Item Name |
---|---|
Gather & Farm Items | Dewkissed Herba, Golden Centipede, Human Bone Shard, Melted Mushroom, Nascent Butterfly, Rune Arc, Warming Stone |
Upgrade Materials | Ghost Glovewort (4), Ghost Glovewort (5), Ghost Glovewort (6), Ghost Glovewort (7), Smithing Stone (4), Smithing Stone (6), Somber Smithing Stone (6) |
Equipment and Magic | Clarifying Boluses, Crucible Tree Set, Elden Stars, Golden Rune (6), Golden Rune (8), Golden Rune (9), Numen's Rune |
Unique, Ashes & Keys | Ash of War: Golden Land, Ash of War: Vacuum Slice, Stonesword Key |
Creatures, Enemies, and Bosses | Giant Ant, Basilisk, Mausoleum Knight, Mausoleum Soldier, Lesser Runebear, Fia's Champions, Crucible Knight Siluria |
Walkthrough | Deeproot Depths Walkthrough |
Visit Deeproot Depths to farm Statue Monsters, which is easily accessible for low-medium level players. These monsters are relatively easy to defeat in just 30 seconds, without needing character buffs and grace.
There are three Statue Monsters here, and killing them yields over 30,000 Runes, which is valuable for early-level players. Higher-level characters can also benefit, as they can quickly earn the Runes without struggling with other game bosses.
To unlock the Deeproot Depths location in Elden Ring:
- Complete the storyline to obtain the best weapons and access to the Nokron, Eternal City.
- Visit Ancestral Woods from the Nokron, Eternal City, following Renna’s earlier instructions in the storyline.
- Head to the west side from the entrance of Ancestral Woods, located after the Site of Grace.
- Navigate through the woods while avoiding enemies.
- Continue until you encounter Jellyfish creatures, indicating you’re on the right path.
- Jump down the cliff known as Aqueduct-Facing Cliffs.
- Traverse through the Aqueduct and enter the Siofra Aqueduct.
- Navigate through the sewers and reach the staircase with a massive waterfall on the other side.
- Under the waterfall, you’ll find a coffin.
- Be prepared for boss attacks before interacting with the coffin. Use the best bleed weapons to defeat them and avoid losing progress.
- After defeating the bosses, enter the coffin to reach another location, Deeproot Depths.
- Continue your journey until you reach Across the Roots, where you can find and defeat Statue Monsters to earn Runes.
Stormhill Farming Site
Category | Item Name |
---|---|
Gather & Farm Items | Ruin Fragment, Golden Seed, Slumbering Egg (Eagle drop), Starlight Shards, Fulgurbloom, Golden Rune (1), Rowa Fruit, Erdleaf Flower, Herba |
Upgrade Materials | Smithing Stone (1), Golden Rune (1) |
Equipment and Magic | Aspects of the Crucible: Tail, Kaiden Helm |
Unique, Ashes & Keys | Stonesword Key, Armorer's Cookbook [1] |
Another profitable farming spot in Elden Ring is Stormhill, offering Rune farming while battling Trolls. To access this location, visit Melian at the Site of Grace and head west from Limgrave to reach Stormhill.
While you can defeat two chained trolls here, it’s not the most efficient way to farm Runes in Stormhill. For optimal results, enter Stormhill through the Gatefront when coming from West Limgrave. Here, you’ll encounter a total of 5 trolls simultaneously. If you can defeat them all successfully, you’ll earn a total of 5,000 Runes. This method provides a better Rune payout for your character.
When farming trolls at Stormhill in Elden Ring:
- Bring your best weapons, as you’ll be facing all the trolls.
- Initially, it may seem challenging, but after defeating 2-3 trolls, it gets easier.
- The entire process can take 10-20 minutes, depending on your gear and upgrades.
- Observe the attack patterns of trolls before engaging them in battle. They have a dangerous stomp attack.
- Use Magic to farm safely without risking your character’s life repeatedly.
- Beginners can take on trolls one at a time to minimize the risk of death.
- Encourage trolls to attack each other to lower their health pools quickly without close-range combat.
Limgrave Farming Site
Category | Item Name |
---|---|
Gather & Farm Items | x1 Explosive Stone (Miner Drop), x3 Glintstone Scrap, x5 Large Glintstone Scrap, x1 Golden Rune (1), x1 Golden Rune (4) |
Upgrade Materials | Smithing Stone (1), x1 Somber Smithing Stone (1) |
Equipment and Magic | Roar Medallion, Pickaxe (Miner Drop), |
Unique, Ashes & Keys | There are no key items in this location. |
Regular Creatures and Enemies | Giant Rat Miner Rotten Stray |
Field Bosses and Bosses | Stonedigger Troll |
Another most profitable farming site is located in the Limgrave. For that location, it is highly advised to at least get your torrent to travel across and farm in a short time easily. Limgrave is only a starting location, and you will have to progress from a low level to a higher-level area to bring in the better Runes.
As for the location, you will be starting from the Third Church of Marika in Limgrave. Visit a portal on the northeast of entry in the Third Church of Marika. Interacting with the portal will allow you to enter a new location Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow. This is the higher-level area that we talked about earlier and is located near the north of Caelid.
Also Check this: Elden Ring Starting Classes
You’ll encounter hostile higher-level bosses and complex gate guardians. Avoid engaging them; use your torrent to run to a Site of Grace. Interact with it, then call your torrent again. Now, farm easy-to-kill enemies for 937 Runes each. There are 6-7 of them, so be sure to eliminate all for a quick Rune collection.
Third Church of Marika Farming Site
Category | Item Name |
---|---|
NPCs and Merchants | Melina |
Items | Sacred Tear, Flask of Wondrous Physick, Crimson Crystal Tear |
Regular Creatures and Enemies | Wolf, Eagle |
Field Bosses and Bosses | None |
Notable Features | Site of Grace, Sending Gate |
Now that you are already in the location, you might want to consider another best Rune Farming in Elden Ring strategy at Dragonbarrow. This Runes farming approach is relatively easy as compared to others mentioned above. You will not even have to engage in a combat situation, thus making it suitable for beginner players.
Another vital thing to remember is to pursue this site in the morning. The main reason for that is the location you are going to is not going to be safe and will be lurking with enemies of all kinds. If you truly want to farm Runes safely, then it is highly advised to find a Site of Grace and rest till the morning. If you have reached the Third Church of Marika, you can easily consider Lenne’s Rise Site of Grace to wait for the morning.
When reaching the farming site from the Site of Grace:
- Instead of taking the long, straight bridge near the Site of Grace, opt for a shorter route to avoid engaging different enemies and minimize combat risks.
- Choose the bridge on the right side of the map, which will lead you quickly and safely to the farming site.
- After crossing the bridge, look for another Site of Grace to activate.
- Proceed down the road, and at a certain point, a giant spherical boulder will spawn, posing a threat to your character.
- Use the torrent ability to escape the sphere’s path and let it roll down the hill on its own, ensuring your safety.
This will yield a whopping 1952 Runes making it the highest reward of Runes without doing anything. You can teleport back to the Site of Grace to trigger the boulder again and achieve unlimited Runes with a ridiculous strategy that will not strain your abilities.
Dominula, Windmill Village Farming
Category | Item Name |
---|---|
NPCs and Merchants | Millicent, Spirit NPC |
Items | Human Bone Shard, Stormhawk Feather, Gold firefly, Holyproof Dried Liver, Lightning Grease, Golden Seed, Rune Arc, Festive Hood, Festive Garb, Festive Garb (Altered), Blue Festive Hood, Blue Festive Garb, Celebrant's Skull, Celebrant's Cleaver, Celebrant's Sickle, Celebrant's Rib-Rake, Godskin Peeler, Scouring Black Flame, Fire's Deadly Sin |
Regular Creatures and Enemies | Celebrant, Rotten Stray |
Field Bosses and Bosses | Godskin Apostle |
Notable Features | Guaranteed Celebrant's Skull location, Boss: Godskin Apostle location, Fire's Deadly Sin spell location |
Runes farming in Elden Ring is mostly rinsing and repeating. You will have to kill enemies repeatedly to earn all the Runes they can offer. Dominula Windmill Village location will do the same with the best payday of Runes you can get in an hour, making it the best Rune farming location. However, there are a few requirements that you might need to consider before going to the location.
First things first, you will need Twinned Knight Swords. It is a massive murdering weapon that scales with the Strenght stats. Although, it is a one-handed weapon. But its true potential is unlocked with two-hand, and the enormous swing can deal massive damage. Secondly, you will need Gold Scarab. This is a must-have item for all players because it increases the number of Runes you can obtain from enemies.
Once you have these items, all you need to do is visit the Windmill Village. Here you will be farming on all the dancing devils you can find around the location. Attacking any of them will instantly make all of the nearby enemies hostile. This is where you will have to wield the mighty Twinned Knight Swords.
You can also find a Site of Grace at the entrance of Dominula. So it is highly advised to interact with it before starting the farm to teleport back to the Grace and farm these enemies easily.
War-Dead Catacombs AFK Farming
Category | Item Name |
---|---|
Gather & Farm Items | Grave Violet, Trina's Lily |
Upgrade Materials | Ghost Glovewort [4] x 1, Golden Seed (Boss drop), Grave Glovewort [6] x 5 |
Equipment and Magic | Collapsing Stars, Golden Rune [6] x 1, Magic Grease x 3, Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot |
Unique, Ashes & Keys | Radahn Soldier Ashes, Redmane Knight Ogha Ashes (Boss drop) |
Creatures, Enemies | Lesser Cleanrot Knight Spirit, Radahn Soldier Spirit, Redmane Knight Spirit, Imp |
Bosses | Putrid Tree Spirit |
AFK farming is quite effective as it involves players doing nothing and making Runes while asleep. But that comes with one heavy requirement of a higher character level. As for the War-Dead Catacombs farming, you must have fought Starscourge Radahn because you will be visiting the same battleground. That is going to be the southeast of Caelid. Moreover, after killing the Starscourge Radahn, you will also unlock Site of Grace points, allowing you to access the location repeatedly easily.
All you need to do is to visit the War-Dead Catacombs. This location is filled with high-level enemies that you surely do not want to mess. However, you can take advantage of this fight and earn passive Runes without even worrying about engaging in combat. For that, you will need to visit the location silently without blowing your cover. It will allow the game to spawn other enemies and fight with the existing ones.
This will be a massive battle of enemies, and you will earn Runes from each of the dead enemies. Find a safe point where you can leave your character overnight, and you will be all set to make thousands of Runes in a single night.
Final Words
Runes are great game mechanics that enable players to engage and seek solutions to earn good rewards and progress further. Unlike other players selling or buying Runes on eBay, you can consider some of the best farming spots in the game to level up your character.
That is about it for best Rune farming in Elden Ring. Do you find this guide helpful for farming locations in Elden Ring? What is your go-to spot for farming Runes in Elden Ring? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section down below.
Good job! Please give your positive feedback 😏
How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 💡
Farrukh has been covering Souls like games for years now. Having an extensive experience in Dark Soul 3 and Elden Ring he critically judges these games and writes his unbiased thoughts on them after spending hundreds of hours grinding. Farrukh has also worked with Game Rant, MP1st and The Nerd Stash on a variety of gaming guides making him an expert to share his opinions. When not writing he probably be clearing another dungeon. You can also join Farrukh on his Steam.