What is Elden Ring, and who is this guide for?
Elden Ring is an open-world action-RPG that FromSoftware developed together with George R. R. Martin. It keeps the Dark Souls series' "hard but fair" philosophy: every enemy speaks a learnable combat language, and death is a source of information rather than a punishment. The difference is that the world is fully open — if you get stuck in an area that's giving you trouble, you can almost always go a different way and grow stronger.
This guide was written for players who haven't opened the game yet, or who are still in their first few hours. The goal isn't a step-by-step "walkthrough" — it's to show which class makes sense to pick, where to go in Limgrave without getting lost, which bosses you can postpone if they intimidate you, and a handful of items that make the early hours needlessly harder if overlooked.
Starting Class Explorer
Elden Ring has 10 starting classes; all of them carry the same 8 base stats (Vigor: health points, Mind: spell/skill points, FP, Endurance: stamina and equip load, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, Arcane: occult power) distributed in different proportions. A class is just a starting point — none of them lock you permanently into one build. eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com
Click a class in the explorer below; its starting stats, strengths/weaknesses and newcomer-friendliness will open in the panel.
First steps in Limgrave: where should you go?
The game drops you off in the Limgrave region, at a Site of Grace called The First Step. A golden guidance light points you in a direction — but this is just a suggestion, not a sign that you're "ready"; you don't have to follow it. gamerguides.com
- Stop at the Church of Elleh. The traveling merchant Kalé is here; he sells cheap but useful items like a Crafting Kit, a torch and a spyglass. At night you may also meet Ranni's messenger, Renna, here.
- Head to Gatefront Ruins. Resting at a Site of Grace here makes Melina appear, and she gives you your horse, Torrent — it grants speed and double-jump climbing in the open world. A chest in the middle of the ruins also holds the Whetstone Knife; this item unlocks changing your Ash of War (combat skill) at Sites of Grace. eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com
- Avoid the Tree Sentinel. This mounted boss patrols the road between The First Step and the Church of Elleh; it's too strong for the early hours and is entirely optional — go around it along the edge instead of engaging. eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com
- Then head south, to Weeping Peninsula. Stepping off Limgrave's main road and into this region in the south of the map is ideal for gathering levels and equipment before entering Stormveil Castle — its enemies are easier and it has its own quest chain. screenrant.com
Which bosses can you postpone?
Elden Ring's golden guidance light points you in a direction but never tells you "you're ready now." Almost every open-world boss you encounter is entirely optional — if you're struggling, you can go grow stronger elsewhere and come back.
| Boss | Where | Can it be postponed? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree Sentinel | The First Step → Church of Elleh road | Yes, entirely optional | A mounted, heavy-hitting early boss. Going around it is the safest option instead of fighting. |
| Margit, the Fell Omen | Stormveil Castle entrance | Yes, it doesn't spawn unless you enter the castle | Coming back with a few extra levels and an upgraded weapon from Weeping Peninsula first, instead of diving into the castle early, noticeably reduces the difficulty. |
Source: eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Tree+Sentinel, screenrant.com.
Life-saving early items
The items below are easily overlooked in the early hours, but the difference they make is undeniable:
| Item | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Torrent (at) | By talking to Melina at Gatefront Ruins | Provides fast exploration, double-jump climbing, and safety in mounted combat in open areas. |
| Whetstone Knife | A chest at Gatefront Ruins | Unlocks changing your Ash of War at Sites of Grace — you can customize your weapon's affinity (stat scaling). |
| Spirit Calling Bell | From the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold (100 Runes) | Unlocks summoning Spirit Ashes — a companion who fights alongside you in boss fights, one of the biggest survival aids in the early game. |
| Golden Seed | Usually at the base of large, gold-leafed trees | Increases your Flask charge count — you start with 4 and can raise it up to 14 by collecting them. |
| Sacred Tear | At churches — Weeping Peninsula alone has 3 | Increases the amount of health/FP each Flask use restores (capped at +12 Sacred Tears). |
| Smithing Stones | Dropped by soldiers, bought from merchants | Upgrading a weapon gains you damage much faster than leveling up; a +10 weapon is noticeably stronger than a +3 one. |
Source: eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Golden+Seed, eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Sacred+Tear, eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Spirit+Calling+Bell.
Tips for newcomers
- Treat the guidance light as a reference, not an order. The golden glow shows a general direction but doesn't measure whether "you're ready"; you can go a different way if you're struggling.
- Taking excessive damage is a signal. If an enemy seriously hurts you in a single hit, that usually means "not here, not now" — go grow stronger and come back.
- Prefer upgrading your weapon over leveling up. A weapon upgraded with Smithing Stones makes a much bigger difference than your raw character level.
- Unlock Spirit Ashes early. Get the Spirit Calling Bell and equip a Spirit Ashes; summoning a companion in boss fights draws attention away from you and noticeably improves your odds of survival.
- Learn the hit-and-run rhythm. Instead of attacking constantly, wait out the enemy's combo and respond with 1-2 hits; don't drain your Endurance bar (stamina).
- Use Torrent for exploration. It grants speed and distance in open areas; some boss arenas let you fight on horseback, while others knock you off your horse in enclosed spaces.
- Your class choice isn't permanent. After defeating Rennala at the Raya Lucaria Academy, you can redistribute all of your stat points from scratch in exchange for a Larval Tear (Rebirth). eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com
- Watch out for walls and suspicious gaps. Hidden passages, illusory walls and stashed chests show up often even in early areas; don't hesitate to hit a suspicious-looking wall.
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide cover Shadow of the Erdtree or Nightreign?
No. This guide covers only base Elden Ring (February 2022). The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion (2024) and the separate spin-off Elden Ring: Nightreign (2025) carry different mechanics and are outside the scope of this guide.
Which class is best for newcomers?
The general consensus leans toward Vagabond: it has the highest starting Vigor (health points) and balanced equipment. Astrologer for those who want to start with sorcery, and Samurai for those who like fast combat, are also frequently recommended alternatives. maxroll.gg
Does my class choice permanently limit my character?
No. A class only determines your starting stat distribution and equipment. After defeating Rennala at the Raya Lucaria Academy, you can redistribute all of your stat points however you like in exchange for a Larval Tear.
I can't beat Margit (or the Tree Sentinel) — am I playing wrong?
No, that's completely normal. Both are optional; you can go around the Tree Sentinel along the edge, and you can postpone meeting Margit by not entering Stormveil Castle. Struggling isn't "playing wrong" — it's the game's signal to "go a different way."
Which regions should I explore in the first 10 hours?
All of Limgrave (from The First Step to Gatefront Ruins) followed by Weeping Peninsula forms a natural scope for the first 10 hours — you can enter Stormveil Castle too if you want, but gaining a few levels and a weapon upgrade before meeting Margit will make things easier.
The game-mechanics information in this guide is based on eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com (Fextralife), gamerguides.com, maxroll.gg and screenrant.com; Elden Ring © FromSoftware / Bandai Namco. No external game imagery is used in this guide.
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