1. Early Game Exploration: War Master's Shack

Head directly north from the starting location to find the War Master's Shack. This merchant sells various Ashes of War, which are critical for customizing your weapon abilities. One particularly useful Ash is "No Skill," which replaces your shield's parry ability with your weapon's main active ability. This setup allows you to perform your weapon's special attacks while keeping a shield ready for defense.

2. Crouching and Dodge Attacks

Your weapon might have a powerful dodge attack, but dodging consumes stamina and requires movement. Instead, try performing a light attack while crouching. This technique shortcuts to your weapon's dodge attack without the extra stamina cost. Additionally, you can use this from a sprint, making it a versatile move in combat.

3. Dealing with Reanimating Skeletons

Contrary to common belief, you don't need holy damage to permanently defeat reanimating skeletons. Any damage will do the trick as long as you hit them while they're in their downed reanimating state. For a strategic advantage, consider summoning skeleton spirits, which share this reanimating property. They can be a game-changer in tough boss fights, continually returning to battle unless destroyed during their reanimation.

4. Neutralizing Flame Traps

Flame-spewing traps can be a real nuisance. Equip a bow and shoot them to retract the flames, allowing safe passage. This simple tactic can save you a lot of hassle in flame-filled areas.

5. Horseback Combat Tips

Many weapons can perform multiple hits on horseback if you hold down the heavy attack button. Some weapons hit twice, while others continue to strike several times. Moreover, you can switch to your offhand weapon by holding the use button and pressing R1. If your offhand is a shield, holding heavy attack blocks during the initial animation, providing a defensive option while riding.

6. Breaking Enemy Stance with a Kick

With the "No Skill" Ash of War on your offhand, having only one weapon in your right-hand slot allows you to switch to an unarmed stance by pressing right on the D-pad. This stance gives you access to a kick, which is highly effective against shielded enemies, breaking their stance and opening them up for critical hits.

7. Managing Heavy Equipment Loads

Heavy equipment loads lead to slow rolling, which is ineffective in combat. However, jumping remains unaffected by weight, providing a way to stay mobile despite a heavy load. Use jumps instead of rolls to maintain agility in battle.

8. Utilizing Flame Traps for Offense

Flame traps can be used offensively. Run into the trap to trigger it, then jump on top. The trap will activate, allowing you to sit safely while enemies walk into the flames. This tactic can turn a defensive mechanism into a deadly weapon.

9. Time of Day Influences Enemy Spawns

The time of day affects enemy spawns. For example, on an early bridge, a normal mounted soldier is replaced by a tougher Dark Knight at night. Be cautious when venturing into new areas during different times of the day.

10. Activating Great Runes

After defeating a major boss and obtaining a Great Rune, simply equipping it is not enough. You need to consume a Rune Arc to activate its effects, which last until you die. These powerful effects can significantly enhance your gameplay.

11. High Stagger Attacks

Three attacks are exceptional for staggering enemies: jumping heavy attacks, charged heavy attacks, and guard counters (heavy attack after blocking). Incorporate these moves into your combat strategy to quickly break enemy defenses and land critical hits.

12. Revealing the Map

To uncover new areas, look for monolith symbols on your map. Visiting these locations reveals the surrounding area, helping you navigate and plan your exploration.

13. Freeing Up Your Offhand with a Lantern

Instead of using a torch to light dark areas, equip a lantern. This item attaches to your character, freeing up both hands for combat. You can purchase a lantern from various vendors, including one northwest of the main starting location.

14. Navigating Hazardous Water on Horseback

Certain water sources can harm your character but are harmless to your horse. Use your horse to traverse these hazardous areas safely.

15. Enemies with Glowing Eyes

Enemies with shimmering yellow eyes drop quadruple the runes compared to their regular counterparts. Keep an eye out for these foes to maximize your rune collection.

16. Pursue and Defeat Treasure Carriers

You'll occasionally encounter enemies carrying chests. They will try to escape, but if you kill them in time, they drop items that yield a significant amount of runes. Note that subsequent kills of these enemies do not yield additional rewards.

17. Utilizing Air Gusts for Safe Descent

The air gusts used to propel your horse upwards also negate fall damage. Use them to descend safely from high places, avoiding lethal falls.

18. Avoiding Status Effects

Rolling through status-inflicting waters causes the effect to adhere to your armor, continuing to build up even after leaving the area. Use soap to clean your armor and avoid status effects.

19. Breaking Free from Grapple Attacks

Some enemies have unblockable grapple attacks. If caught, quickly press random face buttons or the right and left bumpers to break free early and avoid a fatal outcome.

20. Quick Access to Healing Flasks

Hold down on the D-pad to instantly switch to the first item in your quick item rotation, usually your healing flasks. This shortcut can save precious time in critical moments.

21. Navigating Hazardous Terrain with Quick Step

In areas with movement-impairing terrain like lava, equip the Quick Step Ash of War on any weapon. This ability allows you to move through these areas more efficiently.

22. Hidden Properties of Armor

Armor pieces can have hidden properties not immediately apparent. Use the switch display button to view the full description. For instance, the Raptor's Black Feathers enhance your jump attacks, which are already powerful stagger moves.

23. Two-Handing Weapons for Strength Requirements

If you don't meet the strength requirement for a weapon, you can two-hand it by holding the use button and pressing R1 or L1. This reduces the strength requirement and increases your damage output.

These tips should enhance your Elden Ring experience, making you more efficient and effective in the treacherous world of the Lands Between. Good luck, Tarnished, and may you find glory in your journey!

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