Elden Ring Runes: 12 Mistakes You Should Never Make During Progression

Ebonflame

Progressing through Elden Ring is as rewarding as it is challenging, but one thing that often trips up players is how they manage their runes. Runes serve as the backbone of your character’s growth, so mishandling them can slow your progress or even lead to frustrating setbacks. To help you avoid common pitfalls, here are 12 mistakes you should never make when dealing with runes during your journey.

1. Hoarding Runes Without Spending
Holding onto runes without investing them in leveling up or improving gear can leave you underpowered. It’s tempting to save for a rainy day, but upgrading your character regularly is crucial to keep pace with the game’s difficulty.

2. Dying Without Retrieving Your Lost Runes
Every time you die, your runes drop at the spot of your death. Forgetting to go back and recover them means you lose precious resources permanently. Prioritize retrieving your runes before engaging in risky fights again.

3. Spending Runes on Unnecessary Items Early On
Buying consumables or upgrade materials prematurely can drain your rune reserves. Focus your rune spending on leveling up or essential equipment first before splurging on less critical items.

4. Ignoring Rune Farming Opportunities
Sometimes it’s worth taking a break from the main quest to farm runes in safer areas. Many players overlook effective farming routes or fail to identify the best place to buy Elden Ring Runes for quick progression.

5. Not Upgrading Your Flask Early
Ignoring your Flask of Crimson Tears and Flask of Cerulean Tears upgrades means longer downtime in fights and less efficiency overall. Use your runes to improve these flasks as soon as possible.

6. Underestimating Talismans and Ashes of War
Some players forget to invest runes into powerful talismans or Ashes of War that can significantly boost combat effectiveness, slowing their progress.

7. Overleveling in One Stat
Pumping all your runes into a single stat without balance can hurt your survivability or damage output. Plan your build to optimize multiple attributes according to your playstyle.

8. Forgetting to Repair and Upgrade Weapons
Not using runes to maintain and upgrade your weapons is a missed opportunity. Stronger weapons mean faster kills and less time spent farming.

9. Neglecting Multiplayer Benefits
Co-op and PvP can be great ways to earn runes quickly. Some players ignore these modes, missing out on valuable opportunities to level up faster.

10. Wasting Runes on Gear You Won’t Use
Experimenting is important, but constantly buying and upgrading gear that doesn’t fit your build wastes runes. Focus on a few reliable weapons and armor sets.

11. Ignoring Rune-Saving Items or Buffs
Certain items and buffs can increase rune acquisition or reduce rune loss on death. Not utilizing these means losing potential rune gains.

12. Not Knowing Where to Acquire Runes Efficiently
Some players waste time in less efficient farming areas. Finding the best site to buy Elden Ring items or discovering optimal farming spots can streamline progression and make rune management easier.

Managing your runes wisely is essential to mastering Elden Ring. Avoid these mistakes, and your progression will feel smoother and more rewarding. Remember, runes are your key to growth—handle them with care and make the most of every opportunity to enhance your character.