Best rune farming locations in the early, mid, and late game in Elden Ring

In Elden Ring, collecting runes is crucial for leveling up, purchasing items, upgrading gear, and more. Farming runes effectively can make your journey through the Lands Between a lot easier, allowing you to grow stronger faster. This article will guide you through the best rune farming locations in the early, mid, and late game, helping you maximize your rune collection and progress at your own pace.

Early Game Rune Farming Locations

In the early stages of Elden Ring Runes, your rune farming opportunities are limited but still highly effective. Here are some key spots to farm runes early on:

1. Cave of Knowledge (Tutorial Area)

The Cave of Knowledge, which players visit early in the game, offers the perfect chance to learn combat mechanics and earn some initial runes. While not a farming hotspot in the traditional sense, you'll encounter groups of enemies here, like the Soldier enemies. Killing them can net you a small but useful amount of runes as a starting point.

2. Gatefront Ruins

Located just south of the First Step Site of Grace, the Gatefront Ruins is a great early-game location for rune farming. Here, you'll find several enemies scattered across the ruins, including basic soldiers and a mini-boss known as the Tree Sentinel. While the Tree Sentinel is much tougher, defeating the other soldiers in the area is manageable for lower-level players. The total number of enemies, combined with their relatively low difficulty, makes this location ideal for beginners looking to build up their rune stockpile.

3. East Limgrave – The Weeping Peninsula

After progressing further into Limgrave, head east toward the Weeping Peninsula, where you'll find several easy-to-defeat enemies, such as the nearby soldiers and animals. Specifically, look for groups of soldiers at the Castle Morne Ramparts. These enemies are relatively weak and drop a good amount of runes for your efforts.

Mid-Game Rune Farming Locations

As you move into the mid-game, you'll be able to access more advanced locations, which provide better rewards. These farming spots are ideal once you've leveled up and obtained some powerful weapons and skills.

1. Siofra River

The Siofra River is one of the most rewarding farming areas in the mid-game, offering both rune farming and an opportunity to explore a vast underground region. The area is filled with large groups of enemies that are easy to kill, especially with an area-of-effect weapon. These enemies, like the Siofra River Soldiers and the larger humanoid figures, drop a solid amount of runes. The key to farming here is quickly clearing out the enemies and collecting the loot before the environment's traps can do any damage.

2. Magma Wyrm Makar – Smoldering Wall

After advancing through the game, the Smoldering Wall area is an excellent location for farming runes, especially if you are willing to take on a few tougher enemies. While there are some smaller foes here, the real value comes from defeating the Magma Wyrm Makar, a boss that rewards players with an impressive number of runes. Though challenging, it's worth considering as a mid-game source of runes.

3. Leyndell, Royal Capital

Leyndell is another area where you'll encounter tougher enemies and bigger rewards. The Royal Capital is a dense, heavily guarded area filled with enemies like Royal Knights, and slaying these foes can yield large amounts of runes. The Golden Tree near the outer walls also contains several high-value items that can be exchanged for runes. This location is particularly great for farming runes if you have the equipment and skills to manage the larger crowds and more difficult enemies.

Late Game Rune Farming Locations

The late game in Elden Ring opens up opportunities to earn significant amounts of runes, but the enemies are much stronger and more aggressive. However, with the right preparation, these locations offer the highest rune rewards.

1. Mohgwyn Palace

A late-game area accessible after progressing through the game's main storyline and completing specific quests. The Mohgwyn Palace is one of the best farming locations in the entire game, thanks to its sheer number of enemies that spawn in clusters. In particular, the Albinaurics in Mohgwyn's Palace drop a significant number of runes, and by using the Mog's Shackle or jumping from a high ledge to trigger a group of enemies, you can take advantage of their respawn and farm them efficiently. Defeating these enemies en masse can reward you with thousands of runes in mere minutes.

2. Ainsel River and Forbidden Lands

The Forbidden Lands and Ainsel River areas are late-game zones where players can farm enemies such as the Tree Spirits and Giant Mushrooms. These foes not only provide a decent amount of runes but also drop valuable materials used for crafting and upgrades. The large enemy groups in the Forbidden Lands make it one of the most profitable farming areas in the game, especially for players who are geared up and ready for large-scale combat.

3. Endings in Crumbling Farum Azula

The Crumbling Farum Azula is an endgame location known for its incredible rune rewards. With tough enemies like the Draconic Tree Sentinel, Draconic Soldier, and numerous other large enemies roaming the area, farming runes here requires precision and preparation. However, once you defeat these enemies, you'll be rewarded with a bounty of runes that can be used to purchase high-end items or level up your character for the final stretch of the game.

Key Tips for Efficient Rune Farming

Utilize Rune-Boosting Items: Make use of items like the Gold Scarab talisman or Silver Pickled Fowl Foot, which increase the amount of runes gained from enemies, making your farming sessions even more profitable.

Equip a Heavy Weapon or AOE Attacks: When farming larger groups of enemies, using a weapon with area-of-effect (AOE) attacks or a weapon with high stagger potential makes the process much faster.

Focus on Enemy Groups: Many rune farming locations in Elden Ring Items feature large groups of enemies that can be cleared quickly. Focusing on these areas allows you to kill several foes at once and farm efficiently.

Conclusion

Farming runes is a key part of progressing through Elden Ring, and knowing the best locations for rune farming will make your journey much smoother. From the early areas like the Gatefront Ruins to the late-game spots like Mohgwyn Palace, there's no shortage of opportunities to gather runes at various stages of the game. By making use of these rune farming locations, you'll be able to power up your character and tackle tougher challenges with ease. Happy farming!