In Elden Ring, building the right loadout can make the difference between being obliterated in one hit and dominating even the most punishing bosses. Whether you’re diving into the Lands Between for the first time or crafting your fifth character for PvP duels, your choice and use of items directly impact how quickly and efficiently you can strengthen your build.
After spending hundreds of hours exploring every corner of the game, here are 17 tried-and-true methods to help you enhance your loadout fast using Elden Ring items, resources, and smart strategies.
1. Farm Smithing Stones Early
Upgrade materials like Smithing Stones and Somber Smithing Stones are essential to power up your weapons. Limgrave Tunnels and Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel are among the earliest and most reliable farming spots for these items. Make a habit of clearing these areas thoroughly.
If you’re looking to speed up your progression even further or want quick access to hard-to-find gear, checking out a trusted Elden shop can be a smart move. Whether it’s upgrade materials, rare weapons, or fully optimized loadouts, a reliable Elden shop offers a convenient way to get what you need without spending countless hours grinding. Just make sure to choose a reputable source to ensure safe and secure transactions.
2. Buy Stones from Twin Maiden Husks
As you progress, offer Bell Bearings to the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold. This allows you to purchase Smithing Stones directly, removing the need to farm everything manually. It’s a huge time-saver.
3. Loot the Right Ashes of War
Ashes of War can transform a weapon from average to deadly. Items like Bloody Slash, Hoarfrost Stomp, and Flaming Strike offer powerful enhancements and are found relatively early in the game. Don’t forget to experiment with different affinities depending on your build.
4. Use Buffing Consumables in Tough Areas
Greases (like Fire Grease or Magic Grease) temporarily imbue your weapon with elemental damage. Stocking up on these consumables can help you overcome difficult zones and bosses without needing permanent upgrades right away.
5. Grab the Best Spirit Ashes Early
Spirit Ashes like Lhutel the Headless or Banished Knight Oleg can carry you through some rough patches. You can summon them for help in boss fights or tight encounters, essentially enhancing your combat potential without gear changes.
6. Prioritize Flask Upgrades
Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears upgrade your Flask capacity and potency. Better healing means you can survive longer and take more risks, which naturally accelerates your progression and loot access.
7. Hunt Down Legendary Talismans
Talismans offer massive passive boosts. Some excellent early-to-mid game choices include:
- Radagon’s Scarseal (increased Strength)
- Green Turtle Talisman (stamina recovery)
- Erdtree’s Favor (boosts HP, stamina, equip load)
These directly enhance your combat performance and loadout flexibility.
8. Level Up Your Vigor
It’s tempting to dump everything into Strength or Intelligence, but a balanced build needs survivability. Investing in Vigor allows you to take advantage of heavier armor and avoid one-shot deaths, effectively increasing your loadout potential.
9. Upgrade Armor Selectively
Armor upgrades aren’t available like in previous FromSoftware titles, but choosing the right set is still critical. The Raging Wolf, Bull-Goat, and Veteran’s sets are among the best for tanky builds. For Dex or magic builds, opt for lighter sets that complement agility or FP management.
10. Use Rune Arcs with Great Runes
Once you’ve activated a Great Rune (like Godrick’s or Radahn’s), use Rune Arcs to power it up. The stat bonuses can be game-changing, especially in tougher zones or invasions.
11. Respect the Weapon Weight System
Over-encumbering yourself slows your roll speed and dodging. Keep an eye on your equip load percentage. The Arsenal Charm and similar talismans help you wear heavier gear without sacrificing mobility.
12. Unlock Merchant Access Early
Merchants like Patches or Isolated Merchant Kale sell unique weapons, shields, and utility items. By unlocking fast travel points near them and revisiting often, you’ll maintain access to valuable gear early on.
13. Craft Regularly Using the Crafting Kit
The Crafting Kit, available from Merchant Kale, enables you to create useful items like arrows, greases, and boluses. This gives you flexibility and saves time looking for consumables.
14. Farm Runes in High-Yield Spots
You’ll need Runes to level up and buy gear. High-yield farming zones like Mohgwyn Palace (accessible via Varre’s questline) or Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow offer efficient rune gathering once you’re strong enough to survive there.
15. Upgrade Your Torrent’s Survivability
Torrent, your spectral steed, plays a vital role in open-world combat and traversal. Items like the Flask of Crimson Tears can heal Torrent, and upgrading your flask quantity allows you to support him during long exploration runs.
16. Exploit Legacy Dungeons for Top Gear
Legacy dungeons like Stormveil Castle, Academy of Raya Lucaria, and Leyndell are packed with powerful gear and upgrade materials. Explore thoroughly—you’ll often find weapons and talismans that drastically boost your loadout.
17. Respec When Necessary
After defeating Rennala, you can respec your stats using Larval Tears. If your build starts to feel inefficient or lacks synergy with the gear you’ve collected, don’t hesitate to redistribute your points to better optimize your loadout.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to the best Elden Ring loadout, but mastering how to enhance it quickly through efficient item usage, resource gathering, and stat balancing is essential for surviving the brutal world of the Lands Between. By applying these 17 strategies, you’ll optimize your performance, cut down on wasted time, and focus on what truly matters—exploration, challenge, and victory.
Whether you’re a strength-scaling Colossal weapon fan or a nimble sorcerer casting Comet Azur from afar, there’s always room to improve—and these methods will keep you ahead of the curve.
