Elden Ring drops you into a vast open world with almost no explanation. While dying is how you learn, knowing a handful of key tips upfront can save you dozens of hours of frustration. This guide covers everything from class selection to taking down your first Legacy Dungeon boss.
1. Class Selection — The Best Starting Choice for Beginners
Classes in Elden Ring only determine your starting stats — you can eventually build toward any playstyle regardless of your initial pick. That said, beginners should strongly consider these two:
Vagabond — Top Recommendation for New Players
- ▶Starts with Vigor 15, Strength 14, Dexterity 13
- ▶Can equip heavy armor and a 100% physical block shield from the start
- ▶Shield blocking without parrying makes survival far more forgiving
- ▶The strongest "safe" choice for players unfamiliar with the combat
Prophet — Best for Those Who Want Healing Magic
- ▶Starts with Faith 16 and the Urgent Heal incantation
- ▶Lets you conserve flasks by healing mid-combat with FP
- ▶Good if you find yourself burning through Crimson Flasks too fast
Class to Avoid as a First-Timer: Wretch starts naked with all stats at 10. It's an optimization choice for experienced players — skip it on your first run.
2. Stat Priority — What to Level in Your First 20 Levels
Spending runes inefficiently early on is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
Priority 1: Vigor (HP) — Get it to 25 First
- ▶Vigor 15 → 20: approximately +300 HP (massive survivability boost)
- ▶Vigor 20 → 25: approximately +250 HP
- ▶This range offers the best return per level in the entire game
- ▶Soft cap is 60, but 25 is all you need for early areas
Priority 2: Your Primary Attack Stat — 5 Above Weapon Requirement
- ▶If your weapon requires Strength 10, push Strength to 15 for optimal AR scaling
- ▶Scaling letters (E through S) improve as you hit stat breakpoints
- ▶Example: Longsword (Str 10, Dex 10 req.) → push Str to 15 before anything else
Priority 3: Endurance — Hit 20 Early
- ▶Endurance 20 = enough stamina for 3–4 consecutive rolls before exhaustion
- ▶Below 20, you'll frequently get caught mid-dodge, especially against bosses
Stats to Ignore Early
- ▶Memory (unless you plan to use spells — every point not spent elsewhere is wasted)
- ▶Mind (FP pool doesn't matter much in the first 10 hours if you're melee)
📸 Screenshots
3. Items You Cannot Afford to Miss in Limgrave
Golden Seeds — Increase Your Flask Count
- ▶Found near glowing saplings along the main road in Limgrave
- ▶Each Golden Seed (combined in sets of 1–3) adds +1 use to your total flask count
- ▶Collecting 4 early nets you +2 uses — that's potentially 2 extra resurrections per run
Sacred Tears — Boost Flask Heal Amount
- ▶Found inside churches (Stormhill Shack church has one nearby)
- ▶Each Sacred Tear increases HP restored per sip by roughly 15%
- ▶More valuable than Golden Seeds in the early game — prioritize churches
Player Messages on the Ground
- ▶Orange glowing text is left by other players (or NPCs)
- ▶Upvoting messages restores a small amount of HP — don't ignore them
- ▶Trap warnings and "try jumping" hints are often genuine and lifesaving
Rune Farming: Stormgate Troll
- ▶The troll guarding Stormgate near the main road drops 1,000 runes and respawns
- ▶Run in, backstab, collect — repeatably farm levels 5–15 without risk
4. Boss Strategy — Margit and Godrick
Tree Sentinel (Golden Knight at the Start) — Skip Him
- ▶He is designed to be skipped. Come back at level 20+.
- ▶Spending 30 attempts on him at level 5 is wasted time and a common beginner trap
Margit, the Fell Omen — First Legacy Dungeon Boss
Recommended level: 25–30
Key tactics:
- 1Margit's Shackle — purchasable from Patches for 5,000 runes after finding him in Murkwater Cave. Slams Margit to the ground twice during phase 1, giving you free hits.
- 2Summon NPC phantom Rogier using the golden summon sign near the fog wall.
- 3Phase 1: Bait the slow hammer swing — punish with 2 hits and roll away.
- 4Phase 2 (below 60% HP): Re-use summon spirits here. Let them absorb aggro while you punish from behind.
- 5His golden dagger combos are fast — don't get greedy. 1–2 hits after each attack, then back off.
Godrick the Grafted — Stormveil Castle Final Boss
Recommended level: 35
Key tactics:
- 1NPC summon Nepheli Loux is available just before the boss fog — always use her.
- 2Phase 1: Slow axe sweeps are punishable with 3 hits. Watch for the grab attack — dodge into him (not away).
- 3Phase 2 (dragon head on arm): The fire breath sweeps left to right — sprint left and you can avoid it without rolling.
- 4Flame pillars: Stay close and circle — the AoE doesn't reach right next to Godrick.
5. Mindset Tips for Soulslike Newcomers
- 1Death is the tutorial: Every time you die to a boss, you've learned one more pattern. After 10 deaths you know 10 patterns — the fight is almost over.
- 1Don't hoard runes: Level up the moment you can afford it. Sitting on 10,000 runes and dying means losing them all.
- 1Grace points first: Every new area — activate the Site of Grace immediately. It's your checkpoint and fast-travel anchor.
- 1Weapon upgrades beat character levels: A +3 weapon (3 Smithing Stones) does more for your damage output than 5 levels. Upgrade early and often.
- 1Co-op is not cheating: The golden summon sign system is an official in-game mechanic. If a boss has a summon sign outside, use it without guilt.
Elden Ring is genuinely difficult, but these tips make the first 30 hours far more manageable. Explore slowly, learn from every death, and remember: even the most experienced players were once a lost Tarnished standing at the Gate Front Ruins. Keep going.