Very early into Elden Ring, I kept seeing these random, cracked, conspicuous-as-hell statues with a blue or turquoise light. And 50 hours in, I finally know how to break the?m open.

Backing up a step, there are many different types of statues in this game, some of which you can directly interact with. I'm not talking about those. I mean the statues that are partially sliced open, and often embedded in? the ground or t?oppled over. You'll probably recognize them when you see them. Like this one!

**Spoilers below**

If yo??u're anything like me, you might've tried two-handing your weapon, various jump attacks, and explosive throwables, to name a few tactics that seemed like a good idea at the time. No dice �at least, not that I've seen. Instead, you'll ne??ed to source some outside help. You need to use a big boy.

That's right, a big boy

Had I spent more time scoping out this cracked glowing statue on stormy Limgrave hillside with several trolls roaming nearby, I probably wo??uld've figured out the solution way sooner. In fact, on a return visit,? the a-ha moment happened organically: a giant just casually strolled through it on his way to my character, and the cracked statue exploded, revealing a shiny reward.

What was inside? Unfortunately, just some low-level smithing stones �a useful find i?n the early game, but far less helpful down the road when they're mo??re plentiful.

If you missed the statue pictured above, you might've seen this statue with a glowing crack in the heart of Stormveil Castle, which you would've gone past on your ??way to the boss.

It's not-so-conveniently resting next to a large, gnarly enemy �large enough to make me think it could also be strong enough to bust open the statue... but it didn't work for me. Appearance isn't always everything, but once you get a feel for who (or what) has the magic touch to bust open glowing statues in Elden Ring, you'll probably be able to instantly recognize th??em.

What I simply had to do upon luring this troll was to have it casually walk on top of this statue. It could have also j??ust swung its weapon at me and broken the statue as collateral damage, but at lower?? levels, that could be very risky.

Interestingly, it seems that other large-scale enemies in Elden Ring are capable of opening these glowing cracked statues. When we mean big boys, they don't have to be on the scale of the aforementioned trolls. You just need to be able to look and them and think, "Yeah, this guy could pro?bably eat rocks."

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Other ways to break glowing cracked statues in Elden Ring

Depending on the area you're in, you will have to do some scouting on what the biggest enemies are. You'll have to train a beast or two and bring them to the statue with the glowing cracks. In the ?example below found in the Sealed Tunnel, this statue is against the wall, so you can't just hide behind it in hopes of your enemy walking right into it.

What you will have to do is put your back against the statue as an enemy is about to attack you. At the right moment, dodge its attack and hopefully, they'll open the thing for you. Not the safest thing to do, but you probably won't get anywher??e just asking politely, either.

What do glowing cracked statues contain?

In terms of reward, from every example I've seen, these glowing cracked statues just give out various tiers of upgrade materials like Smithing Stones for your weapons and sh?ields. A potentially good haul, but not necessarily something I'd want to go out of my way to get, if that makes sense.

This ??is just the latest in a line of "Wow, I really overthought that!" moments in the game. I'm loving it. Especially now that I'??ve hit a brick wall, and it's time to go wandering again.

The post How to break glowing blue cracked s??tatues in Elden?? Ring appeared first on Destructoid.

Group passwords are the backbone of Elden Ring's multiplayer scene. Whether you and our friends are playing the game's box-standard multiplayer mode or using one of the many incredible mods fans have made to? trick it out, you'll need passwords to explore the Land Between as a team.

Luckily, group passwords are much more than a way to join a group for cooperative multiplayer or PVP. Many Elden Ring group passwords significantly buff the number of Runes you ?get when you defeat one of the game's shard-bearing bosses. Some of these passwords give you a boost of up to 5%, so you and your friends could end up squeezing a few more level-ups out of the game's most epic bosses.

Specific passwords also come with other effects, including unique summon signs, varying amounts of bloodstains, and the chance to run into hostile phantoms. Here are some of the best co-op codes in Elden Ring.

How to use group passwords in Eldren Ring

After popping open the menu and selecting Multiplayer, you can press Triangle on PS4/PS5 to change your password Settings �from here, you can enter a Multiplayer Password or a Group Password. The latter is your ticket t??o scoring more Runes.

You can input?? up to five group passwords during a session, but you don'?t have to fill every slot. Having multiple group passwords active can lead to strange results, so think carefully before you input co-op codes.

Popular Elden Ring group passwords

At the moment, I'm using these five Elden Ring group passwords:

• "SEEKERS" â€?VaatiVidya
• "straydmn" â€?r/EldenRing
• "FEXTRA" â€?Fextralife Elden Ring Wiki
• "fcb" â€?FightinCowboy
• "Koopy" â€?r/TwoBestFriendsPlay

Before I could finish filling out all five entries, my Rune buff was already active. Here's the status icon (it looks just like the Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot with an up arrow):

You'll also notice that your charac??ter ha?s a golden glow while the effect is active.

While group passwords only need to be typed once (and you can change or remove them whenever with no penalty or restriction), they won't automatically carry from one character to the next; if you've got a bunch of alt characters, you'll need to fill out the passwords again? for each individual tarnis??hed.

This is probably something I should've looked into before finishing Elden Ring, but I guess that's what subsequent playthroughs are for! I'?ve bee??n dominating the living room TV with this game, so I should cool it for now. (The keyword being "should.")

For further Rune farming, check out this late-game guide.

The post Best Elden Ring group passwords appeared first on Destructoid.

The developer who announced a fan-made Bloodborne remake last year has revealed that the project is finished. But in an amusing twist, they revealed another Bloodborne project, this time turning the FromSoftware classic into a Diablo-esque ARPG.

The developer, Maxime Foulquier on X, revealed a Bloodborne remake in Unreal Engine 5 last February. The footage has since been pulled, but you can find a short clip in the t??hread.

This week, they revealed that the project hadn't been worked on for over a year. Why? Well, Foulquier mentioned several reasons, saying it was "too big" and "too risky" to continue without Sony lawyers knocking down their door. So, they closed up shop on remake plans for ?another game that surely won't draw the lidless Eye of Sony their way. Or not. But at least it looks pretty cool.

Bloodborne looks great in ARPG form, but it looks good in about anything

As you can see from the short footage, Bloodborne kinda slays as an ARPG, fitting snugly in the mold of a Diablo-like. It makes sense, considering both franch?ises warmly embrace dark, edgy Gothic a?rt styles. With plenty of spilled blood, mind.

In the clip, you can see enemies spawning in and rushing the lone hunter, who nimbly slashes and q?uicksteps through the attacks. Even in these early stages, it looks damn clean. The game seems to take to ARPG gameplay naturally. Granted??, it's not perfect. Watching that one foe helplessly swing away at the Hunter amid a Visceral Attack (where they can't take damage) is a bit goofy. But it's just a sample, in the end.

If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that the Bloodborne fandom is insatiable. Like a pack of blood-starved beasts, fans will do anything for one more sip of that crimson ambrosia. This Bloodborne ARPG is but one of many fan-made projects that crossed our way. The creators of a Bloodborne demake demo had to stop their second project, Bloodborne Kart when Sony reached out and asked them to remove the branding. It later returned as Nightmare Kart (sans branding), which you can download for free off Steam.

Will all these fan projects finally convince Sony to bring the game to PC or, at least, remaster it for modern consoles? It's possible. The number of fan-made Bloodborne projects prov??es interest in the game remains high. But it also reveals that the impatience is?? growing.

The post Bloodborne fan remake dev announces the project’s end by revealing a Bloodborne ARPG appeared first on Destructoid.

Bloodborne The Board Game is a faithful and run adaptation of the hit video game, and comes with four expansions to add even more Yharnam adventures. Here are all of the Bloodborne The Board Game expansions, ranked.

Please note that I will be excluding kickstarter exclusive expansions from this list, as it would be unfair to rank them al??ongside the commercially available ones. For any completionists out there, your only hope is to get them secon?d hand, I'm afraid.

1. Forsaken Cainhurst Castle

The Forsaken Cainhurst Castle expansion for Bloodborne The Board Game is one of two expansions that adds two new campaigns and a side chapter that can be integrated into any?? other campaign in the franchise. However, the theme, ??choices, and the inclusion of my sweet darling boy Alfred, this one takes the top spot.

After playing the first chapter of Forsaken Cainhurst Castle, the players will have a choice in pick?ing a side in an ancient conflict. This will dictate the following narrative and conflicts, although both paths are interestin?g and fun to play.

Traversing the complicated and interestingly constructed tiles of Cainhurst Castle was fun in itself, and the peculiar and haunting quests that must be completed allowed for a gripping and thematic experience. Although the general roster of enemies aren't the most interesting of all the Bloodborne The Board Game expansions, I found the narrative, quests, and layout to be the ??most enticing.

The bosses are also awesome, with both Annalise and Martyr Logarius posing some serious thr??eats in their fights. Upon completing on?e of the campaigns, I instantly wanted to play again on the other side. The extra side chapter is also something I keep hoping to come across in every other game I play.

2. Forbidden Woods

Like Forsaken Castle Cainhurst, Forbidden Woods comes with two full campaigns and a side chapter that can be played in any other Bloodborne The Board Game campaign. Th??e murky and dangerous wood?s provides a great change of pace, and the enemies here are likely my favorite in all of the expansions.

The terrain tiles here really makes me feel as though I'm in unwelcome and mysterious territory, and the venomous and foul enemies are both a dread and a joy to fight. My friend and I only just managed ??to get past chapter one after pa??ssing all our other games with relative ease.

Although the theme and narratives I never found quite as interesting as in Forsaken Cainhurst Castle, this expansion stuck out to me a little more during play. CMON nailed the environmental and immersive element of traveling the awful woods without any idea of ??what's to come next.

The bosses here are great, although I dreaded the forsaken giant board much, much more. As with Cainhurst's side chapter, I looked forward to playing the Forbidden Woods side chapter in all future campaigns.

3. Chalice Dungeon

The Chalice Dungeon expansion for Bloodborne The Board Game adds a huge deal of content and provides two new ways of playing the game. With a whole new tile set, new hunters, and? many new enemies, the Chalice Dungeons of Yharnam w??ill provide exciting and toothier one-shots.

The goal in these sessions are simple. To work with or against other players to find the dungeon's boss and eliminate it. With five new bosses and seven new enemies, as well as being compatible with any assortment of bosses and enemies from other campaigns, the Chalice Dungeon allows you to go all-in with the exciting action that Bloodborne The Board Game provides.

Additionally, traps will provide additional challenges, which the PvP mode will only further exacerbate. Engaging in awfully tense? and dreadful fights as you work your way to the boss never gets boring and is always personal.

Some of the bosses here are simply incredible, and the t??ile sets are the coolest of the lot, in my opinion, anyway.

4. Hunter's Dream

The Hunter's Dream expansion for Bloodborne The Board Game adds an extra fourth chapter?? that you can add to any existing campaign. With the hunt being over, you and your party return to the dream, but for something ?to be quite amiss.

This extra chapter is full of great surprises and fights, including a secret fight that can only be earned through being rigorous with your questing. Through this chapter, you'll be fighting other hunters and wi?ll be traveling to The Workshop at its climax for answers.

I had a great time playing this expansion, and the extra hunter minibosses can be added to any other chapter for an emergent surprise that will get you a tough but rewarding fight. This is something I incorpora?te into all future chapters, as it'??s fun, challenging, and certainly daunting.

As much as I love the Hunter's Dream expansion for Bloodborne The Board Game, ??it doesn't quite have the replay-ability of the above expansions, but is a personal strong recommendation. It does have enough interesting events for you to want to play a second time, however. But that's all ??I'll say.

With these Bloodborne The Board Game expansions explained and ranked, all you'v?e got?? to do now is pick one to have a fantastic game night.

The post All Bloodborne The Board Game expansions, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The three different Dark Souls The Board Game core sets provide the same rule book, but different everything e?lse. Being so expensive, deciding which is for you is a tricky choice. But don't worry, I'm her?e to break them down for you.

It is a shame that Steamforged Games thought to relea??se three core sets instead of making two of these box sets v2 expansions, but for now at least, we've got to pick one before we can enjoy ourselves. Note that the available expansions were made with the old core set in mind, meaning their compatibility isn't as smooth.

The Sunless City core set �best bosses

The Sunless City core set for Dark Souls The Board Game is the spiritual reincarnation of the original core set, with almost all of the included enemie??s and bosses being the?? same.

Set in Anor Londo, this box includes tiles that reflect the gorge??ous floors of the once g?lorious city, and it houses the following enemies, bosses, and starter classes:

• Ornstein and Smough main bosses
• Titanite Demon mini boss
• Mimic enemy
• Sentinel enemy
• Silver Knight Swordsman enemies
• Silver Knight Greatbowman enemies
• Hollow Soldier enemies
• Crossbow Hollow enemies
• Herald starter class
• Pyromancer starter class
• Warrior starter class

The Sunless City core set has some of the most iconic enemies from the original Dark Souls, and is the only core set to feature Mimics and the random Mimic mechanic. Although the Explorers Expansion gives Mimics more justice as they have a behaviour deck and not just a behaviour card, this feature is painfully reminiscent of An?or Londo and is the only core set to have them.

Although the Titanite Demon is not the most outstanding boss, the Sunless City core set shines thanks to Dragonslayer Ornstein and Executioner Smough �two bosses that you'll be fighting at the same time. One of the most exciting fights in Dark Souls, t??he board game does a fantastic job of recreating the challenge t??hey present.

Honestly, the boss fight is the selling point of this core set, for it's both iconic and well-executed (pardon the pun). The journey? is still enjoyable, however, although the smattering of enemies does leave something to be desired.

Only one enemy type deals magic damage, which is consistent with all the core sets, but it's especially disappointing here. Anor Londo featured a variet?y of enemies that unleashed magic att?acks, which could have made this core set much more interesting.

Additionally, although the mix of hollow and silver knight enemies looks cool, I feel like they o??????????????????????????nly provide a slightly dynamic mix of combat strategies. The silver knights feel only like beefed up versions of their hollow counterparts, which is disappointing given how powerful and varied they are in the game. A magic damage Silver Knight Spearman would have gone a long way instead of the swordsman, for example.

Speaking of, hollows were nowhere to be found in Anor Londo in both of the Dark Souls ??games it appears in, but there were other enemies that would have pro?ved infinitely more interesting and varied.

One final issue that will be persistent with all three box sets is the use of starter classes. The Pyromancer is already available through the Characters Expansion, and is present in the Tomb of Giants core set, which is quite an insult. This means someone could own the Pyromancer up to three tim?es, which I find ridi??culous.

With this in mind, let's go over the othe??r two to see which you prefer.

The Painted World of Ariamis core set �best enemy variety

The Painted World of Ariamis core set for Dark Souls The Board Game is my personal favorite ?as the enemy variety is so exciting, and for it reminds me of my own adventures that's chilling in more ways than one.

Set in the haunting painted world, the tiles for the Painted World of Ariamis core set?? are covered in snow and stone, where you will encounter the following creatures, bosses, and starting ?classes:

• Crossbreed Priscilla main boss
• Heavy Knight mini boss
• Phalanx enemies
• Engorged Zombie enemies
• Bonewheel Skeleton enemies
• Crow Demon enemies
• Snow Rat enemies
• Deprived starter class
• Mercenary starter class
• Sorcerer starter class

The enemies here are very varied in their attacks, and although only one enemy deals magic damage which was a gripe I have with the Sunless City core set, it's o?ffset here by the variety of status effects and ?attack behaviours on display.

Each encounter is more exciting thanks to the different e??nemy mechanics you must look out for. And even the boss fights have their own unique status effects and abilities that set them apart from other bosses. Here, both the journey and destinations are writhe with dynamic combat.

The locations and enemies may be less iconic than Anor Londo and Gravelord Nito, but ?the quality of the many encounters I believe to be the best.

There aren't too many problems with the Painted World of Ariamis core set, aside from personal taste differences. Considering the show stoppers (the bosses) are less iconic than in other sets, Dark Souls fans may rather spend their money on a core set that will provide a more nostalgic time. Many remember the painted world fondly, but maybe just not as fondly as the others.

Yet again, I do have a problem with the starter classes. All three are also present in Characters Expansion! Instead of using different classes, all three starter classes will be repeat content for many, which is a gre??at shame. It was definitely the biggest let down of this core set, although for those who never got this expansion, it may be a bonus.

The Tomb of Giants core set �best overall

The Tomb of Giants core set for Dark Souls The Board Game may be one of the most hated locations in the video game, in the board game, it??'s o??ne of the more favored core sets.

Set in the awful Tomb of Giants, this core set features the deep and dark tunnels and passages on its tiles where you'll be using the following starter classes and fighting the following enemies? and bosses:

• Gravelord Nito main boss
• Black Knight mini boss
• Skeleton Beast enemy
• Necromancer enemies
• Giant Skeleton Archer enemies
• Giant Skeleton Soldier enemies
• Skeleton Archer enemies
• Skeleton Soldier enemies
• Thief starter class
• Pyromancer starter class
• Cleric starter class

Personally, I find the Tomb of Giants core set to be the middle ground between bot?h of the previous core sets. The iconicness and enemy behaviour variety is good, but not too good, to deliver a game that's overall pretty? solid.

Although the enemy variety doesn't look pleasing, with every enemy being skeletons, their behaviours are stark enough to be mechanically enjoyable. They may not be as varied and interesting as the Painted World of Ariamis core set ??enemies, but they have unique attacks and can inflict status effects, leading to enjoyabl??e enocunters.

What's more, is that the Necr?omancer enemy will be raising Skeletons for you to fight, leading to an utterly unique challenge that the other sets don't provide.

The boss, although not as thematically exciting as Ornstein and Smough, is still Gravelord Nito, and is incredibly powerful and is one of the powerful beings you need to defeat in Dark Souls for the?? Lordvessel. This does elevate the excite?ment, but the awesome looking model definitely helps as well.

Overall, the Tomb of Giants core set is a solid set that is challenging and thematically interesting. The challenges posed here are unique, even if they're not amped up to ten like with the Painted World of Ariamis core set.

As no one department is sorely lacking for this core set, there isn't too much to complain about. Sure, only one enemy d??oes have a magic attack again, but this is negated by the variety. Al??though it would have been nice.

Finally, the starter classes yet again provide disappointment. The starter classes are all from the character expansion and the Pyromancer is present, both of which I've touched on ??previously.

This does make the Tomb of Giants core set? a fantastic pick that can be described as the "best overall," although that ultimately comes d?own to personal taste.

Now that you know all you need to know about the Dark Souls The Board Game core sets, you can purchase the one tha?t best suits you �or all thr?ee!

The post Which Dark Souls The Board Game core set is best? appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready for a new era of Elden Ring. Well, at the very lea??st, the latest patch was sent out earlier today. Version ?1.13.2 of the game promises a number of issues being fixed, with developer FromSoftware thanking fans for their "support and passion."

A post on X refers to the latest hotfix as a "calibration" update, which has started rolling out for the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which was released back in June. Despite the fact that the base game is largely considered one of the greatest role-playing releases in modern times, the expansion is sitting on a recent review score of "mixed" on Steam. Go figure.

Anyway, here's everything you need to know about the update, which is rolling out to?? all platforms.

Elden Ring 1.13.2 patch notes

Information from the Bandai Namco website.

A hotfix (1.13.2) has been released to fix a bug.
Pleas?e download and apply the l??????????????????????????atest update in order to play the game. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Targeted Platforms

PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 / Xbox One / Xb?ox Series X|S / Steam

Bug fixes

• Fixed a bug which caused the Death status ailment from the Skill "Death Flare" to be applied to the Skill "Deadly Poison Spray".
• Fixed a bug that caused the power of some attacks used by the NPC "Red Bear" to be higher than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from invading other players' worlds in some areas of Scadu Altus under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug that allowed Cooperative multiplayer in some areas of Scadu Altus with no area bosses present.
• Fixes to adjustments regarding Revered Spirit Ash Blessing and some spirits introduced in App Ver. 1.13 App Ver. 1.13/Regulation Ver. 1.13.1
• Fixed a bug where summoned spirits were not correctly receiving the attack power and damage negation increase effect from Revered Spirit Ash Blessing.
• Fixed a bug in which the amount of status increase in the following spirits was different than expected. Warhawk／Spider Scorpion／Bigmouth Imp／Gravebird／Stormhawk Deenh／Banished Knight Engval／Fire Knight, Hilde／Battlemage Hugues／Depraved Perfumer Carmaan／Blackflame Monk Amon／Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh／Cleanrot Knight Finlay／Nightmaiden & Swordstress

The version number of this ??update shown at the lower?? right corner of the Title Screen will be as follows:

App Ver. 1.13
Regulation Ver. 1.13.2

• In PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions, Regulation files can be downloaded by logging in to the server.
• If the Regulation Ver. listed in the lower right corner of the title screen is not1.13.2, please select LOGIN and apply the latest regulation before enjoying the game. Online play requires the player to apply this update.

The post Elden Ring version 1.13.2 patch notes for ‘calibration update’ issue several bug fixes appeared first on Destructoid.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Patch 1.13 has arrived with some pretty lengthy notes, detailing an embarrassment of buffs. Skills, summons, spells, and more are getting a boost of power. But most importantly, the prompt for re-summoning Torrent after he dies has been fixe??d.

I can't undersell how happy a small UI tweak has made me. For those who have watched their valiant spectral steed fall to the swipe of an enemy, bringing him back can be frustrating. I'm not referring to needing to burn a Flask of Crimson Tears to get him ?back. No. I mean the prompt asking you if you want to use a Flask with an "OK" or "CANCEL" option, with cancel highlighte?d by default.

If you're not surrounded by enemies at the time, the UI quirk may merely be a short-term nuisance. But if you're fighting against a boss, the time it takes to move the cursor can leave you eating a halberd for lunch. In Shadow of the Erdtree, there is a major fight in which you can ride Torr??ent. I won't spoil it, but let's say the enemy really went hog wild on me. Having this cha??nge would have been great last week.

Shadow of the Erdtree patch buffs just about everything

Oh, right, there's the rest of the patch, which brings a buffet of buffs to the table. There are some PvP-focused changes for Ski?lls and equipment, for those who like to fight their fellow Tar?nished.

But beyond these changes, dozens upon dozens of Armaments, Skills, Spells, Incantations, and Spirit Ashes have been tweaked. Armaments such as the Euporia have been buffed, with the weapon in question receiving inc??reased Holy damage and more. Many skills and spells have been changed to make them stronger, such as the Lightspeed Dash and Blades of Stone.

Impenetrable Thorns has taken a hit, however. The popular spell received a d??ecrease in da?mage and the Hemorrhage buildup in the patch.

Nearly all Spirit Ashes have been buffed with more stagger resistance. Hell, you may as well call this the "Will no longer stagger as easily" patch, because, well, Ashes now won't stagger as easily. Some have also gotten an HP increase, such as the Inquisitor. Fire Knight Queelign didn't get the stagger buff, but does come away with more Vigor and ?Faith.

The notes for Patch 1.13 of Elden Ring -Shadow of the Erdtree are lengthy indeed, so be sure to head over to the announcement page for a deeper look.

The post Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree patch buffs Skills and Ashes while finally fixing Torrent’s summon appeared first on Destructoid.

While Bloodborne getting ported to PC remains a dream, you can at least pretend a bit while playing FromSoftware's latest. Rabbath's Cannon is a large arm-mounted gun in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. If you're working on a Bloodborne cosplay, you should seek it out.

Rabbath's Cannon is found in a tower on the eastern section of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Getting there ??takes some time if you haven't reached it yet. You'll need to go spelunking in caves and cros??s massive bridges to find it.

Rabbath's Cannon location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Rabbath's Cannon is found in Rabbath's Rise, a tower that should be all too familiar for fans of the base game. Finding it requires you to first make your way to Bonny Village and beyond. We've written guides on how to reach this area if you're on your way to the Church District sector of the Shadow Keep. Feel free to follow our guide on how to reach this ?elusive region of the?? Land of Shadow.

In brief,?? you need to find a cave leading to Bonny Village via a hole near a church by the 'Moorth Ruins' Site of Grace.

Check the map below for the path you should take:

After crossing two bridges, make your way through the woods. They're full of wolves, but Torrent is quicker. Keep making your way north and past the wandering Furnace Golem.

Eventually, you'll see Rabbat??h's Rise of??f in the distance.

Does it look familiar? It should be for veteran Elden Ring players who cleared Caria Mano?r. Ranni and her weird-ass cohorts live near the manor in towers similar to these. Ranni's Rise is a common stomping ground for many Tarnished, and Rabbath's Rise sure has some similar vibes.

Rabbath's Cannon hides in Rabbath's Rise, but finding it takes an old-fashioned trick. Go insid?e the tower and climb up the stairs. Don't bother with tr?ying to take the elevator up �it won't work.

Instead, return to the room before the elevator. Strike or roll against the wall with the two stone arches to reveal an illusory wall. Destroy the stone just past it to activate a nearby Spiritspr?ing.

Go back outside and hop on Torrent. Take the?? newly activated Spiritspring to the sta??ircase near the top of the tower.

H??ead up the stairs and open the chest to find Rabbath's Cannon.

Rabbath's Cannon specs

Rabbath's Cannon is a Ballista-type weapon capable of firing greatbolts. It requires attributes in both Strength and Dexterity, making it a good weapon for those ?who play mostly Strength builds.

The cannon is powerful, capable of dishing out nearly 1,000 damage for my Strength-build warri?or.

Rabbath's Cannon specs:

• Attack Power

  • Physical: 135
  • Magic: 135
  • Critical: 100
  • Range: 50

• Attributes Required

  • Str: 28
  • Dex: 16

• Special

  • Kick

• Weight

  • 15.0

For more Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree weapon guides, check out how to get Devonia's Hammer, the Dueling Shield, and the Sword Lance.

The post Where to get Rabbath’s Cannon in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree appeared first on Destructoid.

For Strength builds, bigger usually is always better. And there are few hammers bigger than Devonia's Hammer in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. I'll show you how to find the weapon, but you s??hould prepare for a scrap when you arrive.

Devonia's Hammer is wielded by the Crucible Knight Devonia in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, and they're not giving it up without a fight.

Devonia's Hammer location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

To find Devonia's Hammer, you'll first need to clear the Shadow Keep and head west past the Viaduct to the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. Starting at the 'Vi??aduct Minor Tower' Site of G??race, head right on Torrent and down into the ancient structure.

Keep descending, making your way past two large, ornate doors. You'll know you'r?e heading in the right direction when you enter a room with Serpen??t Snails hanging about.

Look for a Spiritspring nearby and use it to descend further. On?ce yo??u land, you'll have two directions you can go. One direction leads you down a tunnel, while another takes you left past the image of a cloaked person carved into a stone wall. Take the path left from the carving.

The path leads you down a flooded passageway.

Keep moving until y??ou reach an open area. The?re, standing guard nearby, is the Crucible Knight Devonia deep in thought.

Devonia will aggro on you as you approach. You can take this fight on Torrent, ?so use your speed to your advantage with hit-and-run strikes.

Devonia attacks slowly, so you should be able to take them down without receiving too much damage. But watch out for Devo?nia's special attack. When you see them twirling the Hammer above their head, run away to avoid the area attack.

When Devonia is defeated, they drop Devonia's Hammer and the Crucible Hammer-??Helm.

Devonia's Hammer specs

Devonia's Hammer is a Colossal Great Hammer that scales with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith. It leans more towa??rd Strength, naturally, as it is a ma?ssive piece of metal attached to a stick.

Its Ashes of War ability is Devonia's Vortex. Activating it causes ??you to twirl the hammer above your he??ad before smashing it down in front of you, causing a golden explosion. Charging the attack makes the strike more powerful.

Here are the specs:

• Attack Power (Strike)

  • Physical: 147
  • Holy: 44

• Attribute Scaling

  • Str: C
  • Dex: E
  • Fai: D

• Guarded Damage Negation

  • Physical: 73.0
  • Magic:
  • Fire:
  • Lightning:
  • Holy:
  • Guard Boost:

• Attributes Required

  • Str: 30
  • Dex: 13
  • Fai: 19

Since you can wield the weapon with both hands, I suggest you track down the Two-Handed Sword Talisman to boost its attack power.

There are plenty of other weapons to discover in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Be sure to check out our guides on how to find the Milady, Dueling Shield, and the Great Katana.

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If you're struggling against magic and elemental damage, you may want to find the Pearldrake Talisman +3 in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. It protects agai??nst everything but physical dama?ge, and it's the best of its Pearldrake siblings to do so.

The Talisman, exclusive to Shadow of the Erdtree, can be found in the Shadow Keep. It's kept away in the Specimen Storeroom, which isn't available until after you beat the first boss of the area. Luckily, getting to the Storeroo??m afterward is rather straightforward. You'll need to dodge some Fire Knights and Shadow Militiamen to get there, but at least... no, wait. There are Fire Knights and Militiamen in the Storeroom as well. Sorry. The struggle will be worth it.

Pearldrake Talisman +3 location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

To find the Pearldrake Talisman +3, you'll have to start at the 'Storehouse, First Floor' Site of Grace at the Shadow Keep. Once you arrive, go around the massive centerpiece on the l??eft side.

Watch for Militiamen ambushes as you continue to a staircase you need to climb. Take a sharp left after? the ??staircase and walk down the corridor. Stop when the second shelf to your right ends and then head up the stairs to your right.

Ignore the? Fire Knight on the floor and go up the n??ext set of stairs.

You'll have to fight the Fire Knight you see standing near the edge.? Make sure your fight is a flashy one!

From where the Fir??e Knight was standing, look right?? and squeeze between the two shelves.

The Pearldrake Talisman +3 is held by the giant, hornsent statue/cor?pse.

What does the Talisman do?

The Pearldrake Talisman +3 lowers all non-physical damage while being worn. As ??per the description:

"Talisman with a large depic??tion of a pearles??cent ancient dragon. Boosts non-physical damage negation by the utmost."

Non-physical damage con??sists of magic, holy, lightning, fire, and any other damage not caused by something metal, stone, or wood.

You found the Talisman, but you're not done yet. The Shadow Keep holds many secrets, such as powerful items and tools. Be sure to check out our guides on how to find the Dueling Shield, the Prayer Room, and the Carian Thrusting Shield.

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Mysterious keys to mysterious doors are not uncommon in FromSoftware games. In Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, you may stumble on the Pra?yer Room Key with no Prayer Room in sight?. Read on to find out where to discover said room and claim the reward within.

Where to find the Prayer Room Key

The Prayer Room Key can be obtained by defeating the Fire Knight Queelign in the Church of the Crusade. You can reach the church after completing Castle Ensis and unlocking the Scadu Atlas region. Go n??orthwest from the 'Highroad Cross' Site of Grace to find the church on a hill.

Queelign is? an NPC invader, so prepare for a fight. He uses a spear and fire magic, so wait for him to thrust forward before attacking. When defeated, he drops the Prayer Room Key.

Where to find the Prayer Room

Reading the description on the key, you'l??l learn that the Pra??yer Room is somewhere in the Shadow Keep �but things aren't that simple. You can scour the keep from top to bottom, but the Prayer Room will most likely elude you.

The Prayer Room is actually in the Church District, on the eastern section of the Shadow Keep. It's not accessible from the keep, though. You'll have to reach it by coming in from the east. If you haven't unlocked the area yet, be sure to check out our detailed guide with directions.

After you arrive at the Church District, head forward and hop ac??ross the buildings in from of you while avoiding exploding enemies and the water.

When you reach the roof with the Fire Knight, kill it and jump onto the?? stone buttress leading up to th?e dilapidated church nearby.

Drop through the hole in the roof onto the stone structure below. ??Ma?ke your way to the room with the hole and descend further down.

Nearby, you should see a room with a door �don't go down the hallway in the other direction (unless you also still need the Carian Thrusting Shield). Go to ?the door and unlock it using the Prayer ?Room Key.

Inside, you'll find the NPC Queelign moping over Que??en Marika. You now have an option to do something with Queelign, which I'll go over next.

Should you give Queelign the Iris of Grace or the Iris of Occultation?

After you exhaust Queelign's dialogue, you're given options depending on if you're carrying the Iris of Grace or the the Iris of Occultation (or both). You can also leave him if you're not rea?dy to choose.

• If you give Queelign the Iris of Occultation, you can get his weapon: 'Queelign's Greatsword'
• If you give him the Iris of Grace, your reward is the 'Fire Knight Queelign' Spirit Ashes

What you decide is ultimately up to you. Bear in mind ?that whatever option you pick, you can't un-pick it; the other item can only be claimed on a second playthrough of th??e DLC.

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The Dueling Shield is one of the two new Thrusting Shields introduced in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and you can find it rather early. All you need is to progress far enough to ??reach the Shadow Keep.

Granted, the Shadow Keep comes available after clearing Castle Ensis and entering the area beyond. I wish you the best with the Ensis boss fight. If you're struggling, be sure to check out our helpful guide.

Dueling Shield location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

To find the Dueling Shield in Shadow of the Erdtree, progress in the Shadow Keep until you reach the first Site of Grace in the Specimen Storehouse. From the Site of Grace on the first floor, head forward and circle the cente?rpiece on the left side.

Watch for the ambush from the Shadow Militiaman doing its best Bloodborne impression? and keep moving until you see a staircase leading up and then to t?he left.

Defeat the enemies and take a sharp left after the staircase. Keep moving until the end of the first bookshelf on ??your righ??t. Another Militiaman is waiting for you. Defeat it and head up the staircase.

Climb the next ?set of stairs going left. Ignore the Fire Knight chilling nearby and go up the stairs to the next floor.

You will see another set of stairs going to a platform with another Fire Knight. You can run past ?the Knight or fight it. Either way, you'll need to head up the stairs and take a left.

Take the bridge going across the gap. You should see the corpse of what appears to be a giant goat... or something. Stop here and look for the narrow stone buttress leading from the bridge to a platform? on the other side. Use it to get across.

The corpse a?t th?e end of the room is holding the Dueling Shield.

Dueling Shield specs and uses

The Dueling Shield is in a new shield category called Thrusting Shields introduced by the Elden Ring DLC. Thrusting Shields are shields and offensive weapons rolled into one, allowing you to go fr?om?? defense to offense quickly.

Dueling Shield specs:

• Attack Power (Standard/Pierce)

  • Physical: 125
  • Critical: 100

• Attribute Scaling

  • Str: D
  • Dex: D

• Attributes Required

  • Str: 15
  • Dex: 14

• Guarded Damage Negation

  • Physical: 88.0
  • Magic: 44.0
  • Fire: 39.0
  • Lightning: 55.0
  • Holy: 53.0
  • Guard Boost: 58

• Skill

  • Shield Strike

• Weight

  • 9.0

The Dueling Shield works great for players using strength/dexterity builds. With it, you can protect yourself from strikes before hitting right back. It's honestly a fun weapon? to use, and it feels way too good to watch those annoying-ass Militiamen desperately try to kill you before you recipr??ocate with the shield's jabby end.

Also, since the shield counts as a weapon, you can increase your offense by two-handing it with the Two-Handed Sword Talisman.

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The Carian Thrusting Shield is one of two shields in the new Thrusting Shield category introduced by Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Both ??are found in the same area, but the Carian Thrusting Shield takes a bit more work.

Like its Dueling Shield cousin, the Carian Thrusting Shield is located in the Shadow Keep �but stashed away. Yo??u need to go in via the back entrance in the Church District, which itself can't be accessed directly from the Shadow Keep.

Carian Thrusting Shield location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

To find the shield, you must begin your search in the Church District on the eastern section of the Shadow Keep. If you don't have the Site of Grace for the area unlocked, I suggest you first follow our guide on ho?w to get there.

Once at the Church District, head ?forward and jump onto ??the roof below. Go around on the right side and use this piece of architecture to reach the stone wall beyond.

Go across the roof, but ignore the burning enemies. They'll charge you and explode, causing a lot of damage. It's best to leave them to pop on their sad lonesome. Climb the broken wall leading t?o a higher platform and turn left once you reach the top.

Jump from the platform?? onto the roof nearby, but watch out for the Fire Knight on patrol??.

After taking care of the Fi??re Knight, h?ead to the roof to the west and jump onto the stone buttress leading to the roof of a large, dilapidated church.

Drop down onto the st?one arch from the hole in the roof.

Carefully follow the arch down to the next platform an?d drop through th?e hole.

You have two directions you can go once you reach the floor. One direction will take you to the locked door of the Prayer Room. If you have the Prayer Room Key, you can enter and chat with the guy inside. You must go the opposite way for the shield.

Back on the path, you'll pass by a room to your left with a 'Rune of an Unsung Hero' inside. Beyond is a patrol??ling Fire Knight. Kill them and take a left through the door that has a stone path going over water.

Follow the path and then take the elevator you find to the top. You've made it to the back room of the Specimen Storehouse at the Sha?dow Keep!?????????????????????????? Wasn't that a fun journey? I bet it was, especially for those of you who didn't have the Church District unlocked.

Anyway, take a left once y??ou enter the Keep and activate the Lost Grace. Walk across the bridge and kill all the enemies (the Fire Knight included) in the darkened room with spears lining the walls.

Once the deed is done, grab the Carian Thrusting Shield off the corpse on the far wall.

Carian Thrusting Shield uses and specs

The Carian Thrusting Shield, once owned by Rellana, is a shield in the Thrusting Shield category. It can be used for both defense and offense, allowing the user to swap back and forth quickly. It's great for defending against attacks and re?ciprocating with powerful jabs.

Carian Thrusting Shield specs:

• Attack Power (Standard/Pierce)

  • Physical: 122
  • Magic: 36
  • Critical: 100

• Attribute Scaling

  • Str: D
  • Dex: D
  • Int: D

• Attributes Required

  • Str: 17
  • Dex: 13
  • Int 15

• Guarded Damage Negation

  • Physical: 94.0
  • Magic: 64.0
  • Fire: 36.0
  • Lightning: 34.0
  • Holy: 35.0
  • Guard Boost: 64

• Skill

  • Shield Strike

• Weight

  • 10.5

The Carian Thrusting Shield scales with strength, dexterity, and intelligence, but likely favors strength and intelligence builds as it does have magic attack power. Naturally??, this means my 'unga bunga' warrior can use it as well as he can throw it.

But since it is a weapon and shield combined, using it two-handed with the Two-Handed Sword Talisman should increase your damage.

There are still more things you can accomplish while in the Church District in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. If you're searching for how to lower the water level, be sure to give our guide a look.

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Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree isn't too illuminating when it comes to how to get to certain places in the Land of Shadow, and the Church District is no exception. The area is locat?ed on the eastern part of the Shadow Keep, but reaching it is quite a journey.

By journey, I mean you have to make like Gimli and go ??the long way around. The Shadow Keep doesn't offer a quick and dirty way to enter the Church District. You'll have to s??tart further to the south.

Steps on how to get to the Church District of the Shadow Keep

To get to the Church District, you must begin your trip at the 'Moorth Ruins' Site of Grace, southeast of the Shadow Keep. From the Site of G??race, travel under the massive stone arch.

Take a sharp left after the arch. You should see a church sinking into the ??ground with a glowing item on the roof.

Climb over the roof and drop down to the other side. From there, you'll see a hole in the ground near the back o??f the church. Drop down and look for a cave that goes even deeper.

Keep going until you find a narrow passageway leading deeper into the cave. Near the end ??of the cave is a ladder that takes you to the Bonny Village.

Travel eas??t from Bonny Village and cross two bridges. Grab the Site of Grace - 'Bridge Leading to the Village' and continue north.

Run pas??t the Furnace Golem, or fight it if you wish, and keep moving until you reach the next Si?te of Grace: 'Church District Highroad'.

We're nearly there! From this Site of Grace, travel the road until you se??e a large, immaculate entrance carved into the rock. Go inside.

At last, you'll discover the Church District at the end of the tunnel. There are plenty ?of things to do in the district. Oh, and stay away from ??the water. Something scary is lurking down there, and I don't think it's friendly.

But if you're wondering how to lower the water levels, be sure to check out our guide.

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The ideal pick for all looking to put their opponents in the most peaceful of nightmares, the Velvet Sword of St. Trina is —together with the St Trina's Torch and the Thiollier's Hidden Needle�one of the only weapons in Elden Ring capable of?? na?tively applying the Eternal Sleep stat.

But as you can imagine, getting the weapon won't be easy. Here's how to get the Velvet Sword of St. Trina in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring Velvet Sword of St. Trina Location

After entering the Land of Shadow as part of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, you will be able to find the Velvet Sword of St. Trina by first heading to the Fissure Cross Site of Grace —loc??ated within Stone Coffin Fissure. You can check out the location of the site in the image below.

From the Site of Grace, head northwest toward the massive coffin highlighted in the first imag??e below and then platform down until you reach a larger area facing a cave formation, showcased in the second image. As you cannot call Torrent here, I recommend equ??ipping the Longtail Cat Talisman to mitigate fall damage if you end up misplacing a jump or falling any of the ledges you must platform on.

Once you finish your descent, you will be met wit?h a couple of pathways. To reach the Velvet Sword of St. Trina, head toward the cave located directly ahead. Be aware, however, as a set of three slimes will fall from the ceiling once you get close to the item. So take your time and defeat them before grabbing the weapon.

Velvet Sword of St. Trina stats and scaling

As an intellige?nce weapon, the Velvet Sword of St. Trina will have an initial scaling of E Strength, D Dexterity, and E Intelligence. You will also need to have 10 Strength, 12 Dexterity, and 14 Intelligence to wield it. While at +10, the weapon will offer a D/D/D scaling and 232 Physical and 149 Magic Attack. You can check out an overview of all of the initial stats for the Velvet Sword of St. Trina below:

• Type: Straight Sword (Standard/Pierce)
• Requirements: 10 Strength, 12 Dexterity, and 14 Intelligence
• Initial Scaling: E Strength, D Dexterity, and E Intelligence
• Weapon Skill: Mists of Eternal Sleep (Unique) / FP Cost: 23
• Weight: 2.5
• Attack Power: 95 Physical and 61 Magic / 110 Critical
• Guarded Damage Negation: Physical/Magic 37.0, Fire/Lightning/Holy 25.0, Guard Boost 27
• Passive Effects: 42 Eternal Sleep buildup per hit

Best talismans for the Velvet Sword of St. Trina

When looking to make use of the Velvet Sword of St. Trina, I recommend that you go with the St. Trina's Smile talisman. When equipped, the talisman will increase your damage by 20% after applying any amount of either Sleep or Eternal Sleep. To further boost your damage after inflicting any of the statuses on your targets, I recommend also using either the standard or the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia talisman for a sequential attack damage boost.

Does Eternal Sleep affect bosses?

Yes, althoug?h differently from regular enem?ies, bosses will only be momentarily staggered by the effect. The same is true for other players in PVP. Keep in mind that using the Velvet Sword of St. Trina against bosses is not optimal, as most of them have a high resistance against Sleep/Eternal Sleep.

On the other hand, the weapon is extremely efficient when facing either medium or small-sized enemies, as they will truly enter an eternal slumber once you apply enough o??f the status. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said? about large targets, which will eventually wake up.

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Clearing the Shadow Keep is no easy feat. First off, well done! But now you've found yourself wandering through the Ancient Ruins of Rauh and are getting no closer to that map icon. Here's how to find the Rauh Ruins map in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Unfortunately, the Rauh Ruins map doesn't appear to be accessib?le from the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. You'll have to put your foolish ambitions to rest and go all the way back to the Scadu Atlas to locate it. The path to the Rauh Ruins map takes you across poisonous ponds and through caves, but it's worth the trip to see the Ancient Ruins in its fully charted glory.

Rauh Ruins map location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

To find the Rauh Ruins map, take a trip to the 'Moorth Ruins' Site of Grace. If you haven't unlocked it, warp to 'Highroad Cross', the first Site of Gr??ace you likely disc?overed after clearing Castle Ensis. Follow the road to the Shadow Keep but turn right when you reach the intersection. Travel southeast from there until you reach Moorth Ruins.

From Moorth Ruins, travel northeast toward the lake populated by blue gummy worms. Enter the cav??e on the other side and continue north across the pools of poison.

You will ?see another large cave on the other side. Go inside and start heading northwest. After the ca??ve, you'll find your next Site of Grace: 'Ancient Ruins Base'.

Travel southwest, past the massive Golems standing gu??ard. The Archer Golem may cause ?you some trouble. If so, remember to attack its ankles.

Keep traveling?? along this path southwest until you see a place dotted with broken pillars.

The Rauh Ruins map location is just beyond!

With the Rauh Ruins map unlocked, you'll finally be able to see the entirety of the area. It's massive, but not as complicated as ?you may have thought at first glance.

Before you return to the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, be sure to stop by the Temple Town Ruins to the southwest of the map location. It hides the Two-Handed Sword Talisman, ??which is perfect for those who like to hit things with giant swords.

Temple Town Ruins is also near the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman and the Rivermouth Cave. Y?ou might not even have the time to go back to the Ancient Ru??ins at this rate.

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Two-handed swords in Elden Ring, like with most FromSoftware games, hit hard and hurt a lot. It's what makes them so fun. If you're looking to min/max your two-handed build, here's how to get the Two-Handed Sword Talisman early in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

The Two-Handed Sword Talisman is located in the Temple Town Ruins to the north of the Gravesite Plain where you begin your new journey. But if you've just begun, it's not so easy to find the path, which passes t??hrough caves and over pools of poison. It's always pools of poison ??with this game, isn't it?

Two-Handed Sword Talisman location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

To q?uickly track down the Talisman, you have to progress in the game en??ough to reach the 'Highroad Cross' Site of Grace. It becomes available after you clear out Castle Ensis, one of the earliest locations in the DLC. Here's the map with the directions we're going to follow:

From Highroad Cross, travel north and then follow the path that goes right when you reach the intersection, before the enemy e??ncampment. If you don't have it already, you should go southeast to unlock the next Site of Grace at the 'Moorth Ruins'.

From here, head to the lake northeast of the ruins. Enter the cav??e at the edge of the lake with the friendly gummy w??orms.

Ignore the enemies in the cave and exit via?? the hole to the right. Beyond are the aforementioned pools of poison, so keep traveling on Torrent. Make your way further north and into another, massive cave.

Exit the cave to find yourself at Rauh Base. Gr??ab the 'Ancient Ruins Base' Lost Grace and then head southwest. Ignore the two Golems if you can and keep going. If you can't get past the Archer Golem without taking some hits, remember that their ankles are their weak points.

Keep moving southwest until you ?find the map of the Rauh Ruins.

The dilapid??ated remains of the Temple Town Ruins are nearby, further southwest. Look for a hole in the wall of the ruins on the sou?th side.

Enter the ruins via the hole in the wall and go up the winding staircase to yo?ur right. Climb onto the bridge with the p?urple fabric draped over the top.

Drop down onto the e?xposed corner at the end of the path?.

There's a Scadutree Fragment nearby, so grab it before returning to the corner where you first dropped down. Once you're back, drop again onto the platform below and climb the stairs nea??rby.

After th??e stairs, you'll run into a Hor?ned Warrior. Defeat him and go up the next flight of stairs.

In the room at the top of the stairs is a chest with the Two-Handed?? Sword Talisman.

That's it! Enjoy hitting things even harder now. In my experience, I was able to pull off around 20??0 more damage per swing, making the Talisman upgrade feel pretty significant.

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At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, but as a person who runs a strength-build character, stamina is essential. That's why it's wise to locate the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree �the best Talisman for stamina regeneration.

Okay, that did sound like an awful lot like an infomercial, but if you've been hooked by the pitch then you should read on to know more. The Two-Headed Turtle Talisman in Shadow of the Erdtree is like its single-headed sibling in the base Elden Ring, except better. As advertised, it's designed to improve upon the original's stamina regeneration. All players benefi??t from its effects, but it's arguably the most useful for us heavy types who enjoy swinging weapons the size o?f God's middle finger.

Two-Headed Turtle Talisman location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

To find the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman, you must travel to the Ellac River that cuts through the heart of the Land of Shadow. The fastest way to get there is by locating the 'Ellac River Cave' Site of Grace, which is a bit tricky to find. If you have the Site unlocked, skip the next couple of paragraphs. If not, then read on for the directions. Keep in mind that the journey is tr??eacherous; there are enemy soldiers, gargoyles, cliffs, a surprise attack, and mayb?e a giant crab or two.

Here's the map of the path we're about to take:

To find the river, you'll need to start at the 'Castle Front' Site of Grace to the northeast of the starting point on the map. It's just past the Ellac Greatbridge. From there, head east while keeping the rock wall to your left. Ignore the enemies as you cut through the enemy soldier camp. We're not here for them. Past the c??amp is a cliff with a hidden path leading down the cliff.

Carefully make your way down on To?rrent, all the way to the bottom. You'll know you're close when you see a giant poisonous f??lower by its lonesome.

Enter the cave t??o the right of the flower and keep going until you discover the? Ellac River Cave Site of Grace.

Once you leave the cave and enter the river, ignore the waterfall to the left and head north. Make sure you're traveling on the left side of the r?iver when you reach this spot to avoid a surprise attack by an Ulcerated Tree Spirit that rises from the waters (how deep is this river?!).

Keep travel?ing north until you ??spot a giant crab near a waterfall.

Past the wate?rfall is a cave with three angry gummy worms �a??nd a corpse holding the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman. Nice!

Be sure to?? remove the worms before you praise?? the dog.

You can get to the Talisman cave via an alternate route from the Temple Town Ruins.?? Head south from the ruins and then descend to the Ellac River by hopping down a series of massive tombstones sticking ou??t of the cliff wall.

Be sure to check out the cave to the left of t?he Talisman cave. This is the Rivermouth Cave, ??a place that contains a Site of Grace and all kinds of fresh horrors.

Check out our in-depth guide on how to clear the cave before you go spelunking.

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The Great Katana it's by far the most adaptable of its weapon class in Elden Ring, the latter given its ability to be imbued with differen??t properties and thus f??it a wide array of builds.

But did you know that the weapon is also one of the first available as part of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC? For all looking to test out the new weapon class as soon as possible, here's how to get the Great Katana in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring Great Katana Location

After entering the Land of Shadow, you can find the Great Katana at the center of the lake featuring the Gho?stflame Dragon in Gravesite Plain. You will be able to reach the area by first heading north from the Three-Path Cross Site of Grace until you reach the Greatbridge North one. Once there, sim?ply head west toward the frozen lake and you will be able to spot the weapon in front of the sleeping dragon at its center. You can check out the in-map location of the Great Katana below.

If you got a little careless or just want to be fully ready in case you end up awakening the boss from its nap, you can check out how to defeat the dragon in our How to Beat the ?Ghostflame Dragon in Elden Ring guide.

Great Katana stats and scaling

The Great Katana has an initial scaling of D Strength and D Dexterity, you will also need to have at least 14 and 18 in the respective stats to wield it. As mentioned earlier, you will be able to alter the weapon's scaling by following different upgrade paths. For example, a +25 Quality Great Katana will have B Strength and B Dexterity scaling, while a +25 Occult will have E Strength, D Dexterity, and? B Arcane. So that you can have a better view of the weapon, here are all of the initial stats for the Great Katana:

• Type: Great Katana
• Requirements: 14 Strength and 16 Dexterity
• Initial Scaling: D Strength and D Dexterity
• Weapon Skill: Overhead Stance (Can be replaced with other Ashes of War)
• Weight: 9.0
• Attack Power: 145 Physical / 100 Critical
• Guarded Damage Negation: 60.0 Physical, 30.0 Magic/Fire/Lightning/Holy, Guard Boost 35
• Passive Effects: 55 blood loss buildup

Is the Great Katana better than the Nagakiba?

Although the Great Katana will offer a great deal of damage and similar range, the Nagakiba's ability to make use of a wider array of ashes of war and how you can dual??-wield it with other light weapons for maximum effect makes it my main pick for most builds.

If you are looking for a two-hand weapon, however, the Great Katana is the best among the two given its higher damage and above-average attack speed for weapons of its size. Its native Ash of War's abili??ty to apply harmful effects fast and deal massive damage at a low FP cost is also a huge plus. If you cannot get used to the slow buildup of Overhead Stance, the Lion's Claw Ash of War will allow you to deal similar damage while putting yourself at way less risk.

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Fans are already touting Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree as an even big?ger challenge than the base game, and that's naturally due to its new boss roster.

While I don't think any of the bosses in the new gallery of monstrosities reaches the heights of Malenia when it comes to sheer difficulty, I can still safely say that Shadow Of The Erdtree's hardest b??osses feature some highly challeng??ing and inventive foes.

10. Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame

As with with all things frenzied flame, Midra requires players to worry about the yellow madness meter that builds up when they get hit by his attacks. Though madness is his most perilous threat, he has a harder time charging up the meter than the guards that inhabit? the woods section players must cross to reach Midra.

Midra isn't a particularly dau??nting foe if you know what you're up against, but getting too comfortable against his rather slow move-set might prove your downfall as he still has some faster lunges with his sword, and because you might forget the bui??ldup of the aforementioned madness.

Though he is a respectable foe, the most difficult part about Midra is getting to him, as he hides inside a secre??t area that's easily the least fun to traverse in the entire game.

9. Divine Beast Dancing Lion

The DLC's first main boss isn't as hard as Magrit, the first main boss in the main game, but he's the perfect foil for players who dare to underestimate Shadow Of The Erdtree's new trappings.

If you go head-first into the DLC's main quest, the Dancing Lion might prove a challenge, due to how the DLC's new level scaling mostly nullifies the advantages players would expect from entering it at a high le?vel. The Dancing Lion is a big enemy who at??tacks with large swings and elemental AOE abilities, but he's actually pretty accessible as a "first boss" for players engaging the DLC as FromSoft intended.

If he's giving you a har?d tim?e, take a step back, do your reconaissance, grab some Scadutree fragments here and there, and then give it another shot. You'll see that his threat will be greatly diminished.

8. Bayle, The Dread

One of the very first lessons you learn when playing the first game in the Souls series is that all enemies can kill you, but Dragon-type enemie??s even more so.

FromSoft seems to love putting Dragons in their DLCs that are even stronger than the Dragons seen in the base games, and Bayle might just be their masterpiece. While not as strong and resilient as Darkeater Midir from the Dark Souls 3 Ringed City DLC, Bayle is still very resilient and a much more well-rounded enemy, courtesy of its smaller frame and vaster moveset. Bayle is likely the most fun D??????????????????????????ragon-type boss to fight in the whole series.

7. Scadutree Avatar

Not all bosses need to rush players with an incessant barrage of crazy moves to provide a challenge. Scadutree avatar picks his battles, and splits his most devastating abilities into three phases �yes, this thing is almost a Final Fantasy boss.

On top of having the unwavering discipline necessary to navigate the Scadutree Avatar's three forms, players can't just reduce its health to 0, as they'll also have to seal the deal at the end of each form by performing a Sekiro-?like critical hit animation. Sleeping on that will just cause the beast to get back up and deny you the fruits of your hard la??bor.

6. Messmer

Going into the DLC, many likely expected Messmer, the most publicized new enemy in the DLC, to become its most challenging foe. That fear grew even stronger w?hen we started hearing rumors that he could be Malenia's third sibling.

Though Messmer possesses two different forms and various po?werful AOE attacks, he never poses as much as a challenge as his sister.

Messmer even has o??ne continuous attack that seems to emulate the Waterfowl Dance, Malenia's most dangerous move, but it's still not as ??difficult to avoid as his sister's nightmarish game-ender. Messmer can deal a lot of damage if left unchecked, but he doesn't prime for his resilience. I nearly did him in my first attempt, and that was before I started searching the map to stock up on Scadutree Fragments.

5. Putrescent Knight

One of the cool things about Elden Ring is how it allows players to pick between going on foot or on horseback against most enemies. That's advantageous to us, but it would totally suck to have to face a boss who can also ??switch between the two modes on the f??ly. The Putrescent Knight does that, and then takes it a step further by commanding his ride to attack you while he's also striking you on foot. Expect a barrage of attacks that will only stop once either you or this thing is looking at his equivalent of the "You Died" screen.

Now, please don't get me wrong. I just made him look like a nightmare, but the the Putrescent? Knight is also one of the most fun challenges in t??he game.

4. Blackgaol Knight

Do not let the lack of lore or altogether presentation throw you off. This guy is not to be trifled with. He resides in a crypt near the start of?? the game, which might lead you to believe he's a training dummy that Miyazaki nicely put there to ease you into the game. But he's a whole different thing.

The Blackgaol Knight is very dangerous from afar, as he can make use of his automatic crossbow to fill players with burning arrows. Things don't get much better up close, where he'll absolutely obliterate most pla?yers courtesy of his high poise-granting armor and massive sword. He's as fast as the player, can self-heal once, and is completely relentless. His moveset is rather simple, but he leaves absolutely no room for failure.

Bringing a high level from the base game with no new upgrades counts for very little once you enter his arena. One mistake or one instance of ??getting too cocky is all that it takes for your life to immediately reach zero. I'm pretty sure FromSof??t put it there just to let players know that even a straightforward enemy is all that it takes to destroy players who won't adhere by the DLC's rules.

3. Rellana, Twin Moon Knight

Rellana is the sister of Rennala from the base game, but the two boss fights are nothing alike. Rennala is a mage that will try to keep her distance from players to try to snipe them with ranged spells. Rellana is a knight who'll use her two swords to cut players from up close via an incredibly aggressive moveset �but is also somehow capable of inflicting immense damage from afar. In fact, Rellana's most deadly spell is ?more powerful and harder to avoid than any of Rennala's spells.

Rellana's swords heavily resemble Pontiff Sulyvahn's weapons from Dark Souls 3, but this spiritual disciple of Sulyvahn's is a much, much more formi?dable opponent than the old man.

2. Commander Gaius

As soon as I gathered the courage to admit that I was getting my ass handed to me by a r?ando on literal piggyback, I was immediately assured by the Destructoid team that Commander G??aius was no joke.

Though he's not one of the most famed bosses, I'd argue that he's the boss that can kill you the fastest. I'm not saying FromSoft messed up when coding this one, but something about the hit detection of his ramming attacks just didn't feel right in any of the (over) ten attempts I needed to beat him �and he rams a lot. It feels like he hits you before his character model comes in contact with ??your character, then there seems to be a second hit detection for the boar that he's riding. He hits fast, hard, and also moves very quickly. This is one of the very few enemies in the entire series that's hard to outrun �even when riding Torrent.

As for his moveset, well, he feels like a mix between that Tree Sentinel known for stomping on all Elden Ring newcomers, and the speci??al moves of General Radahn. He's an absolute menace.

1. Promised Consort Radahn

Ever looked at Radahn in his Elden Ring form and wondered how much of a beast he'd ?have been in his prime? Well, you probably shouldn't have done that.

Radahn's new fight is poised to be difficult simply because he'll revive the memories of the frustrations you had when going up against him in the original game, but this time he's even worse. This is not old decrepit Radahn. This is the Radahn that Malenia had to nearly sacrif??ice herself to beat. And, if just being so much stronger weren't enough, instead of a horse, he now has the help of a literal god on his shoulders.

Much like the original iteration, the new Radahn has a wide ra??nge of flashy moves, many of which are capable of bringing your HP bar to 0 with ease. Unlike the original iteration, however, which didn't prime for its toughness, new Radahn has a lot of HP �even if you have your character up to ??date with the new Ashes and Scadutree upgrades.

This Radahn is one for the ages, and not just because he might take age?s for you to be??at.

The post Elden ?Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree hardest bosses, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

The Stone-Sheathed Sword is one of the strangest weapons in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, and I absolutely love it. 

At first glance, the Stone-Sheathed Sword seems like a fine strength weapon. It starts with C scaling in Strength and that c?an become B scaling with some Somber Smi??thing Stones. With a little extra effort, though, the sword can become an awesome dark- or light-infused Strength/Faith weapon. 

There are three different altars hidden in the Land of Shadow that will give you the sword. Once you have it in your possession, the other two altars will let you transform it into the Sword of Light or Sword of Darkness. Each version adds Holy damage and Faith scaling, and the only differe??nce is whether the new weapon art spews dark clouds or brilliant light. 

You can transform the sword back and forth between Light and Darkness by revisiting the altars, but you won’t be able to get it back to its stone form? once you’v?e done your first transformation. If you’ve got a Strength/Faith build, this is an awesome little weapon, so here are the various places you can pick it up. 

Fog Rift Catacombs

If you want to get your hands on the Stone-Sheathed Sword as early as possible, you’re going to need to head into the Fog Rift Catacombs. This sprawling dungeon is located in the woods northwest of the Castle Front Site of Grace, and yo?u can walk there the momen??t you enter the Land of Shadow. 

There are multiple levels to explore in the catacombs and tons of different things to discover, so for the sake of brevity we’re going to? focus specifically on grabbing the sword here. First you’ll need to get to the elevator that take??s you down to the second level of the dungeon. From there, you’ll come to a long room with an altar at the end and a spiked ceiling looming above.

Get to the altar, and then stand near the railing to trigger the ceiling dropping. You’ll see a space in the ceiling that you can jump into, and then you’ll be able to ride up to a secret area. Once you’ve reached the top, trigger the ceiling to drop again, and this time jump onto the ceiling and run to the back right corner. Here you’ll find an altar that either contains the Stone-Sheathed Sword or, if y??ou’ve already picked up the sword elsewhere, allows you to transform it into either the Sword of Light or Sword of Darkness.  

Ruins of Unte

The second place you can pick up the Stone-Sheathed Sword is in the Ruins of Unte beneath Shadow Keep. Check out our guide for how to get to the Ruins, and then start at the Ruins of Unte Site of Grace. You s?hould notice?? an inactive Furnace Golem wedged into the side of a building directly ahead of you. I’m sorry about this, but you’re going to need to bring the golem back to life. Climb onto the roof of the building next to it and throw a Hefty Furnace Pot right at its head. 

As the golem gets up, he’ll unblock an entra?nce to a courtyard. Fight the golem if you want, or you can follow my lead and run straight past it and into the courtyard. Quickly go to the right to avoid his massive fire blast, and you should notice a small altar?. It will either give you the Stone-Sheathed Sword, or if you picked up the Sword from the Fog Rift Catacombs, it will allow you to transform it into the Sword of Darkness.

Ancient Ruins of Rauh

The Ancient Ruins of Rauh are another labyrinthine area in Shadow of the Erdtree, and they also mark the DLC's point of no return. Hidden in the area is an altar that will let you get the Sword of Light, assuming you already picked up the Stone-Sheathed Sword from the Fog Rift Catacombs. First, you should travel to the Rauh Ancient Ruins, West Site of Grace and get ready to move qui??ckly.

Head west up a set of stairs, and you'll reach a la??rge square room. There's a hallway on the west side of this room that will lead you to an elevator. Ride the elevator up, and you should see a small ar??ea with a gazebo in the middle.

Run straight past the gazebo, into a rot-infested area, and turn to your right. There will be another elevator that takes you down. Once you reach the bottom, take a left and run all the way down the hall until y??ou come to a room that's filled with my least favorite enemy in the entire game: Kindred.

If you have the patience of god, or the fighting prowess o?f a demigod, you can kill all the Kindred before continuing, but I’d recommend just running straight to the back of the room. You should see an opening on the left and right side of the wall. It doesn't matter which exit you take, they both lead to the same balcony.

From here you’ll see a tower in the distance, and getting there is as easy as running straight across the gaping chasm beneath you. There’s an invisib??le floor here that’s usually marked by messages from other players, but don’t worry if there’s no markings. The path runs straight across to the tower, ?so it’s easy to stay on. You’ll find the altar as soon as you make it across. 

The post What to do with?? the Stone-Sheathed Sword in Elden Ring appeared first on Destructoid.

The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring has undoubtedly been another success story for developer FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco, with it pushing five ?million copies in its f?irst three days. However, many players have aired complaints with the DLC's perfo??rmance, particularly on PC, and FromSoftware ma?y have found the cause of it: mouse control related software.

In a June 28 Tweet (as translated by Automaton), FromSoftware explained that Elden Ring's frame rate risks becoming unstable if you're also running any sort of app that has to do with mouse control. As such, it's worth disabling it to see if that improves the performance at all, not just for the DLC but for the base game too. At least one player, Twitter user ECHIZEN_KURAGE_, has said that this does work, saying their performance issues went away after turning off a mouse gesture app they were using. At t??he time of writing, though, it remains to be seen how widespread this solution is.

In the recent patch notes for Shadow of the Erdtree, Bandai Namco also confirmed it discovered a bug with the PC version that could be an alternative cause for the performance issues. For some reason, this bug automatically enables raytracing, which would hamper the frame rate on any PCs that aren't powerful enough to run games with raytracing. Fortunately, there's a very easy fix for this. You just have to go into Elden Ring's graphic settings and, if raytraci??ng is turned on, simply turn it off.

If you've been struggling to enjoy Elden Ring on PC because of an inconsistent frame rate, hopefully either one of these solutions will be enough to resolve the problem. If not, then that's something FromSoftware is ideally working on behind the scenes. The ?studio has already promised at least one more patch? later down the line, which will include more bug fixes and balance adjustments.

The post Elden Ring’s PC performance problems may be caused by mouse control software appeared first on Destructoid.

All the Tarnished out there are getting punished on a minute-by-minute basis and loving it. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launched on June 21, 2024, and the official a??ccounts are already reporting five million copies sold? around the world.

According to Bandai Namco Entertainment's original press release, these numbers come after just three days of the DLC's release. The X (formerly Twitter) account for Elden Ring th?anked "the many who tread the path left by Kindly Miquella."

A new accolades trailer also dropped along? with the news:

Much has been said about the difficulty of Shadow of the Erdtree in the days since its arrival. At first it was too brutal even for seasoned vets of Elden Ring and other FromSoftware titles. Then its unique leveling system got patched and players were split on the adjustments. Regardless of where folks fall on the usual "too hard/not hard enough" scale,? it's? clear plenty were eagerly anticipating the long-awaited expansion.

Now, how many of those five million (and counting, presumably) Tarnished were able to access the DLC as soon as it launched? Show us the hard numbers, Bandai Namco! I'd love to know how many had progressed far enough through optional areas and encounters to enter the Realm of Shadow. 

Hopefully everyone will get there eventually, because Shadow of the Erdtree is a hell of a send-off for Elden Ring as a whole. 

The post Elden Ring: Shadow of t??he Erdtree ?welcomes 5 million Tarnished in first three days appeared first on Destructoid.

The Anvil Hammer is one of the new colossal weapons added to Elden Ring in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. It helps you live out the fantasy of swinging a large, superheated chunk of metal at the head of anyone?? who looks at you funny. 

In terms of Strength/Faith based weapons, it hardly gets any better than the Anvil Hammer,  and as an added bonus, it’s an easy weapon to get. Here’s how to get the new weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Shadow of the Erdtree, the Anvil Hammer location

You can find the Anvil Hammer in the Ruined Forge Lava Intake. The easiest way to get there is to star?t at the Pillar Path Waypoint Site of Grace and go west. You’ll need to drop down just a bit, but then you should find the entrance to the forge. 

The Ruined Forge doesn’t have many enemies guarding its halls. You’ll need to be on the lookout for Fire Blobs that will drop from the ceiling, but they’re as easy to kill as any other blob in the game. The only other enemies in here are a couple of Golem Smiths. Those unfo?rtunately have a to?n of HP and don’t take much damage from slashing or piercing weapons, but they have a weak point on their back. Plus, they’re slow enough that you can easily run past them if you need to. 

Eventually, you’ll find yourself in the main forge room. Look for a fallen pillar on the landing at the top of the staircase and run up it. Climb the ladder you f?ind, and you’ll reach a platform with a level that lowers a large metal pipe above a pit of lava. Jump onto the pit?? and walk all the way up it. There will be a room on your right that contains the Anvil Hammer, an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone, and the teleporter to get you out of the dungeon. No boss in sight!

Anvil Hammer Stats and Scaling

Using the Anvil Hammer requires 39 Strength, 10 Dexterity, 10 Intelligence, and 22 Faith. The weapon also scales with all of those attributes. It starts with C scaling for Strength (which goes up to B with upgrades), D for Fa?ith, and E for both Dexterity and Intelligence. Because of the scaling, this is primarily going to be a weapon for Strength/Faith builds, but here’s a list of the hammer’s full stats:

• Type: Colossal Weapon (Strike) 
• Weapon Skill: Smithing Arts Spears
• FP Cost: 18 
• Weight: 22.0
• Attack Power: Physical 131 / Fire 85 / Critical 100
• Guarded Damage Negation: 80.0 Physical, 43.0 Magic, 59 Fire, 43 Lightning, 41 Holy, Guard Boost 53 

Using the Anvil Hammer in Elden Ring

Like the other colossal weapons in the game, the Anvil Hammer is fairly slow, but it hits extremely hard. You could one-hand this, but I’d recommend using it two-handed to get the most dama??ge out of its massive swings. This thing also does a huge amount of poise damage, so you’re going to be staggering enemies frequently. 

The Smithing Arts Spears skill looks in?credible, but getting it off can be tricky. You slowly slam the hammer into the ground, and then flaming spears rise up and stab your enemies. It can be good for clearing a small group of foes, but I found it too slow to be useful in one-on-one combat. Oh well, though, it looks great, and sometimes that’s all you need. With max upgrades, and depending on your stats, the Anvil Hammer can easily top 1,000 damage per swing in the Land of Shadow, and that’s good enough to crush any qualms I have about its skill. 

The post How to get and use the Anvil Hammer in Elden Ring appeared first on Destructoid.

The Elden Ring DLC is a tough piece of video game, but thankfully it isn't completely malicious. The DLC includes more ways to strengthen your character, such as new Talismans. I suggest you find the Spelldrake Talisman +3 in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for the best magic defense.

The Spelldrake Talisman +3 is in a cave along a cliffside near the 'Castle Front' encampment Site of Grace. If you have the Site unlocked, you can start your quest for the Talisman there. If not, you'll need to travel to the Castle Front encampment located northeast from where you begin Shadow of the Erdtree. To get there, you must cross the Ellac Greatbridge, which has a few enemies and a guy guarding the encampment with a large ballista?? that f??ires tree-sized bolts �which explode. Right, I should have mentioned that this path won't be easy.

Fight yo??ur way past the enemies or run awa??y from them and go deeper into the encampment. Unlock the Castle Front Site of Grace, just in case.

Where to find Spelldrake Talisman +3 in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Once you've captured the Site of Grace,?? travel toward ??the center of the camp and stop at the crossroad. Take the path leading north into the woods.

Here's the path you need to take on the map:

Make a sharp right where the path branches off. You'll know?? when to turn once the woods end and you clearly see the castle and wooden structure with enemies pat??rolling below.

Watch out for the bats guarding the path and keep going until you reach the end where you can ??cross to the other side by hopping over an edge.

You'll ??see a structure built into the cliff under the castle with a door at the bottom. That's where we need to go.

Leap over the chasm and enter the door. Inside is?? a storeroom with a corpse near the back that's holding the Spelldrake Talisman +3.

Spelldrake Talisman +3 is likely the best magic defense Talisman in Elden Ring. When equipped, it "Boosts magic damage negation by the utmost." If you're struggling with magic-casting bosses (the Dancing Lion, for example), then you should gi?ve them another go wi??th the Talisman equipped.

There are plenty more Talismans to find in Shadow of the Erdtree. ?Ch??eck out our other guides if you're looking to power up against the might of the DLC:

• How to get Flamedrake Talisman +3
• How to get Viridian Amber Medallion +3

Equipping these should help you beat the DLC. Well,? theo??retically.

The post How to find Spelldrake Talisman +3 in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdree – Best magic defense talisman appeared first on Destructoid.

The Storeroom Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is likely one of ??the two keys you can stumble on while traveling through Belura?t, the Tower Settlement. But once you find out where to take it, you have one more mystery to solve.

The Storeroom Key can easily be found on a corpse as you make your way through Belurat toward the boss fight. It'll be hard to miss since the body is along the path. In ??other words, it's not as hard to track down as the Well Depths Key. Speaking of which, to find the Storeroom Key in Belurat, we must sta??rt at the same Site of Grace needed for said Well Depths Key.

Where to find the Storeroom Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Let's start our journey at the Small Private Altar, the second Site of Grace you discover at Belurat. If you need an idea of where it is, kee??p progressing past the settlement square, under the bridge where those two enemies are firing magic, and then up the ladder.

The directions to the Storeroom Key are the same as our directions to the Well Depths Key, which you can read in greater detail in the guide for the latter. I suggest following those same steps until you reach the corpse with the key. But, in brief, after leaving the Small Priva?te Altar, take a right and go up two sets of stairs. Hang a sharp right and enter an alley with a building to your left and a broken wall to the right.

Take a left when y??ou hit the wall. At the end of the path is a yellow river that leads to a waterfall. Walk along the river while dodging/fighting foes and then enter the building a??long the right side. Climb the ladder, and the corpse with the Storeroom Key is waiting at the top.

Where to take the Storeroom Key

Return to the Site of Grace - Small Private Altar. Enter the room that branches off as before, but this time go left toward the bridge. Take s??weet revenge on the two enemies who were firing at you earlier and walk until the end of the bridge.

To your left is the Storeroom. Yes, it real?ly was tha?t close.

Inside the Storeroom, you'll find a woman. She's isn't helpful, sugges?ting you must do something first to get her to speak with you. Le??t's go over that part next.

How to get the Storeroom woman to speak with you

There is a clue on what to do with the Storeroom woman, who's called the Hornsent Grandam in the game. On a table across from where she sits is a mask similar to the one used by the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, the boss of Belurat. This is our hint.

Return to the Hornsent Grandam after completing the Dancing Lion boss fight. You'll find her now weeping and still refusing to speak with you. Put on the Divine Beast Head mask you got as a reward for the boss battle and speak with her again. She'll at last respond to you, commenting on your, erm, ?musk.

Exhausting her dialogue will reward you with the Watchful Spirit Incantation. Here's what it does:

"S?ummon a guardian spirit above the caster's head. The spirit never strays far from the cast??er, conjuring several apparitions before dissipating."

Return to the Hornsent Grandam later and speak with her again to receive Scorpion Stew, an edible item that boosts "physical damage negation temporarily and gradually restores HP." It also apparently has a "rank, sour smell," whic?h is appropriate for a game and DLC that love you so dearly.

The post How to?? get and use the Storeroo??m Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree appeared first on Destructoid.

Much like its predecessors, Elden Ring often drops mysterious keys with no clear direction on where to bring them. The Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is one such it?em, but luckily we can figure out? where to take it rather quickly.

You'll find the Well Depths Key in Belurat, the Tower Settlement to the northwest of where you begin your journey in the Elden Ring DLC. It's located in a room that's cut off from a main path but is accessible with just the right amount of exploration and light hopping. The key opens a door at the bottom o??f a well, but we can tackle that step later.

Where to find the Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The fastest way to the Well Depths Key location is to start at the 'Small Private Altar' Site of Grace, the second site after entering the settlement.

To find the key, walk through the door with the stone arch near the Small Private Altar. To the left is a bridge (where you ?can find the two enemies who were firing at you earlier), and to the right is a staircase leading up.

Take the staircase ??but watch out for the Horned Warrior patrolling up top. Unfortunately, to find the key, you'll need to head left to wh?ere the warrior is going. Fight the warrior if you're feeling confident, or follow him and head up the second short staircase. He'll keep walking and stop at the end of the path.

You will be able to see where you need to go from here. Look up toward the building covered in purple cloth with a massive bird enemy standing guard. That's where the key is.

To get there, we'll need to find our way around. Head right just past the stairs ?and walk along the path with the building to your? left and a broken wall along the right.

Keep going until you hi?t a wall, then go left �but watch for ambushes. The first is on your left before the end of the path, and the second is to your right after you turn and walk a short way. Keep moving until you reach a yellow stream heading left toward a waterfall. There's another enemy ready to amb?ush you on the left-hand side, so be careful

After defeating the two larg??e buttheads, walk toward the waterfall and enter the building on the right. There will be a l??antern hanging to the left of the door.

Take the ladder to the floor above. If you turn around here, you will see a door lead?ing onward. That's where we need to go but, well, not with the hole here. Grab the Storeroom Key off the corpse again??st the wall and leave via the door to its right.

Outside is a staircase on the right leading up, and anot?her staircase to your left heading down. Go left and stop at the top of the stairs (you may need to defeat the enemy here before continuing).

Don't go down. Instead, look to your le?ft to see a small, slanted rooftop with what appears to be sand covering a section. Jump onto the ro??of and walk until you get to the edge.

Look left and you'll see a connecting hallway between two buildings with purple cloth draped over the side. Jump on the fabric and then ho??p over the railing.

To the left is the room with the ladder mentioned before, so go right instead. Watch for the ambush on you??r left and kill the enemy inside the room. The corpse in the corner holds the Well Depths Key.

Where to use the Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The Well Depths Key unlocks a door at the bottom of a well in Belurat. T??o find it, open up the map and?? warp to the 'Belurat, Tower Settlement' Site of Grace.

Walk in the direction ?of the inner settlemen??t toward the water fountain.

Take a right and go up the short staircase next to the fountain, avoiding or killing any enemies. Instead of going left toward the Small Private Altar, head right at the top of the stairs. Ahead, you'll see another fountain with four spectral enemies p??raying. To the left of the fountain is a covered well, hiding in shadow. Take the ladder in the well, going down.

At the botto??m of the ladder is a large drain pipe with a few enemies mulling about. Kill them and use t?he Well Depths Key on the gated door.

That's it! So, what's your reward for all this? A big, putrid lake of poison and (checks notes) an Ulcerated Tree Spirit ready to make your life a living hell. ??Awesome. Thanks, FromSoftware.

The post How to find and where to use the Well Depths Key in Elden Ring: ??Shadow of the Erdtree appeared first on Destructoid.

Streamers have been playing Elden Ring in unique ways ever since it was initially released. MissMikkaa beat the game on a dance pad, followed by two simultaneous playthroughs across the dance pad and a controller, and Luality did it using motion controls.

However, PerriKaryal is working on the most impressive run, using nothing but her mind to beat Shadow of the Erdtree's incredibly stressful Divine Beast Dancing Lion, and Rellana, Twin Moon Knight boss, fights using nothing more than her mind. PerriKaryal uses an EEG wireless headset that measures brainwaves? and eye-tracking software to con??trol her character in the game while exploring or battling bosses. Considering a lot of us are having trouble beating these bosses with a standard controller, this is hugely impressive.

PerriKaryal has beaten the Dancing Lion and Rellana bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree and is already working on the rest of the DLC

As fans watch their favorite content creators work through Shadow of the Erdtree's boss roster, PerriKaryal has been putting on quite the show. U??sing brainwaves and eye tracking software, she was able to battle with one of the most acrobatic bosses I've ever seen in a soulslike game and emerge victorious.

Every sword swing, sip of The Flask of Crimson Tears, summon, and ranged attack was achieved by the streamer feeling a pre-determined and pre-programmed emotion or action. These are outlined at the start of the VOD of this battle as anger, pushing, or spinning a plate. I can't quite get my head around how someone co?uld ??manage to focus on these feelings in the middle of this boss fight, but the final result shows it's not only possible but works better than a controller in some players' hands.

At the time of writing, PerriKaryal has just beaten Rellana, Twin Moon Knight with her custom controller. With two bosses done alread?y, she's sure to complete the DLC in? under a week if she can maintain the mental energy required to play in this way.

How is she playing Elden Ring with her mind?

PerriKaryal is a streamer who has developed a way to play games using nothing but her mind and eye movements. While this is impressive enough to pull off playing something simple like Pac-Man, this creator is pushing the limits with games like Palworld and now Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

I know this is hard to understand, but PerriKaryal has put together a video explaining how the whole process works. She had been thinking about how to use brainwaves with video games for a while, and when she found t?he EEG headset online, ev??erything fell into place.

This is definitely the most interesting way I've seen someone tackle a soulslike? game to date, but what I love most about this streamer's efforts is that they're an invitation for someone to take things yet another step further.

The soulslike community loves a challenge, and when you've mastered all the most popular? games, the only way to make them more difficult is to change the way you play. I don't know how someone will top this, but I'm sure it won't take long.

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The Rivermouth Cave in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a great place to stock up for your DLC adventure. You can get to the cave almost as soon as you arrive in the Land of Shadow, and it has a new Ash of War? ??and nearby there’s a fantastic Stamina-boosting talisman for you to pick up.

The easiest way to reach the Rivermouth Cave is to start at the Ellac River ?Site of Grace. From there you can simply head north along the river until you see the cave entrance on your left. If you’re up above on the Gravesite Plains, there are some helpful tombstones that you can jump down with Torrent. The stones?? will deposit you right in front of the cave entrance, as long as you can manage the platforming.

Getting through the Rivermouth Cave

The Rivermouth Cave gave me big Groveside Cave flashbacks. Groveside was the first cave I ever explored in Elden Ring, and just like it, Rivermouth Cave is filled with wolves. The very first room pits you against a pack of them, so don’t just run into the center o??????????????????????????f the room ??or they’ll overwhelm you. 

After dispatching the wolves, you’ll head into a forked hallway. Going right will take you to two more wolves and a body carrying Hefty Beast Bones. Going left will take you further into the cave, and into another room where a f??ew wolves are waiting. The only way out of this room is to climb some rocks at the east end, which will lead you to a small open space where you can jump down a hole to a lower level. 

Follow the ominous river o?f blood until you reach a massive cavern where some Bloodfiends are worshiping at an altar. Immediately to your right?? is a room with a Bloodfiend and an entrance to a winding path that leads back up to the top part of the cave. You can follow it if you want, but to keep going you’ll need to head into that lake of blood. 

The Bloodfiends aren’t especially tough, but there’s so many of them here that you’re g?oing to need to be very careful as you fight your way through the space �or you can just run right past them. Either way, grab some Sacred Flesh that’s sitting on the altar, and then take the path to the right of the altar to reach the boss room.

How to beat the Chief Bloodfiend

 Beating the Chief Bloodfiend is a pretty straightforward task. Actually, if you play Elden Ring the way I tend to, then you already have something?? in c?ommon with the boss. He’s about as unga bunga as the game gets, which means you’re going to want to avoid those massive weapon swings but beyond that, there isn’t much to worry about here. 

The Chief Bloodfiend will charge at you swinging his giant blade and occasionally he’ll raise his weapon with both arms to smash it down on your head. Both of those attacks are easy enough to roll through. His other move is to spit blood at you, but as long as you circle strafe around him, he won’t be able to get a good shot in. The only other thing he does is a flame claw spell that should look familiar after fighting Mohg. Luckily, the Chief Bloodfiend’s spell isn’t as fast or as strong as Mohg’s. When you see him swipe the air with his hand and a fiery claw appears, just move backwards or roll toward the right of the spell, and you’ll be in the clear. Once he’s defeated, he drops the Bloodfiend Hexer’s Ashes. 

How to get the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman

One final note, after you go back to the cave entrance, leave and t??urn left. Continue following the river north until you see a waterfall. Run right through it and straight to the back of the small cavern? hidden behind it to loot the Two-Headed Turtle Talisman to massively boost your Stamina recovery speed. 

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The Fog Rift Catacombs are a very long and extremely challenging dungeon in Shadow of the Erdtree, but the rewards you get for clearing it are?? well ?worth the effort.

If you start at the Castle Front Site of Grace in the Gravesite Plains, you’ll want to head north??west until you see some wood scaffolding and bridges on your right. Head under those and continue straight through the thick woods until you see two flaming pillars on either side of a s??mall stone door. That’s the entrance to the catacombs. 

Navigating the Fog Rift Catacombs Level 1

The first room in the catacombs introduces you to a new type of gargoyle enemy. Fight them off and then go down the hall. The next room has a spike ceiling, but there’s an alcove on your left that will keep y?ou safe.

Kill the enemies in this room and then you’ll move into an L-shaped hall that has a bridge about halfway through it. There’s a spellcaster standing on the bridge, so it’s best to just run straight past him and then tuck yourself into an alcove on t?he left where there’s a Yellow Fulgurbloom. From here you can fight t?he one gargoyle enemy that’s going to charge at you before going into the next hall. 

Coming out of the L-shaped hall, you’ll descend some stairs. Watch out, because a cannon-mouthed gargoyle is going to shoot a fireball at you as you reach the bottom of the stairs. It’s up high, so ignore it for now and go into the room on your right. There’s two more gargoyles to kill here, but then you can loot the Ancient Dragon Knight’s Cookbook [1]. Go back to the fireball room, but this time t?ake the exit on the western side and descend another se??t of stairs. 

As you get to the bottom of the stairs, you should notice that there’s a big drop into a square room and another spiked ceiling waiting above. Instead of jumping off, get close enough to the edge to trigger the ceiling drop, then jump onto the ceiling and ride it upward. Run straight across ?to a stone platform, where another cannon is waiting to blast you to bits. 

After killing the gargoyle, you should notice a doorway marked with candles on the southern wall. You’ll need to run back across the ceiling to reach it, but this path will eventually lead you across that bridge where the spellcaster was firing on you earlier. Kill him and run? up another set of stairs, where two knights are guarding a doorway??.

Dispatching them is easy. The fight waiting for you in the room they’re guarding is much harder. There’s a hammer-wielding knight that you’ve likely encountered before at Castle Ensis, but as you approach him, another small knight will pop out of the corner and try to attack you from behind. I’d recommend gra?bbing the item they’re guarding �a Great Ghost Glovewort �then run back out and go to your left. You can jump off a ledge here to re-enter that very first room with the spiked ceiling, and the ceiling can help you grind some health off the knights before you go in for the kill. 

Navigating the Fog Rift Catacombs Level 2 

Get yourself back to the staircase that leads to the drop below a spiked ceiling. This time you’re going to want to actually drop down and run strai??ght across the room. You’ll find an elevator that will take you even deeper into the catacombs. You’ll be in another L-shaped hall with some gargoyles to fight, and there’s a room to the west with a spellcaster and a gargoyle. Kill all of ?them and then head south into an extremely long room with a spiked ceiling hanging out above it. 

Once again you’ve got a safe alcove on the left, but this time as soon as you enter it, a gargoyle will drop down and try to kill you. Stick to the left wall, and you’ll be able? to move from alcove to alcove to avoid the ceiling. Be very careful on the second alcove, though, as part of the ground has fallen away. Later you can drop down to loot some more Glovewort and the Electrocharge incantatio??n. 

After killing the enemies in the long room, stand at the top of the altar and look backward. When the spiked ceiling drops, y??ou’ll see a square hole you can jump into. Ride it up to find a chest containing the Blinkbolt Ash of War. Pretty cool, but the best is yet to come. When the ceiling drops, jump on top of  it and run back across the room and to your right. Here you’ll find a space containing the Stone Sheathed Sword. 

Make your way back down to the altar, and this time take the exit on the ??west side of the room. This will lead you to the final elevator that will take you to the boss. 

How to beat the Death Knight

The Death Knight uses twin axes with electric spells to deal high damage very quickly. Using talismans and item??s that give you a boost to electric damage negation is almost a must here. When it comes to his fast axe attacks, just m??ake sure to keep your guard up and be prepared to roll toward him to avoid the hits. 

The biggest problem in this fight is an AoE spell that covers the ground with two waves of electricity. When you see the Death Knight charging something with his axes, roll toward?? him to avoid the first wave, then as it scatters along the ground, roll backward as the second wave of electricity hits everything immediately surrounding the knight. When you manage to kill him, you’ll get his axes, which come with the Blinkbolt Ash of War, as a reward.

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