How to prepare for the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Ancient RingIt is Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is fast approaching, which means time is running out to prepare for its arrival.

Shadow of the Erdtree looks absolutely massive; according to director Hidetaka Miyazaki, the addition will be roughly the size of Elden Ring’s starting zone, Limgrave. In other words, you’ll have a lot to delve into on June 21, including finding out what happened to the most mysterious demigod in gaming – but only if you’re prepared.

If you don’t know how to prepare for the expansion or just haven’t played the base game in ages, don’t worry. Here’s everything you need to do Ancient Ring Before Shadow of the Erdtree.

Defeat Radahn and Mohg to gain access

A screenshot of Mohg, Lord of Blood in his mausoleum as he prepares to attack the Elden Ring player

While you don’t to have beat the game to face Shadow of the Erdtreeyou need to reach a certain level of progress before you can get started. FromSoftware has stated that the upcoming content will exist on a brand new map separate from the main game.

To start the DLC, you must defeat Radahn and Mohg, the latter guarding Miquella’s egg, which serves as the entry point to the expansion.

After all, we know that Mohg kidnapped Miquella, one of the main protagonists of the DLC. In the base game, Miquella is housed in an egg that you can interact with once you beat Mohg. Currently, the mummified remains do nothing, but Shadow of the ErdtreeThe unique trailer shows Miquella’s egg seemingly coming to life.

Beyond its historical significance, there are many other reasons to visit Mohg Palace before the DLC releases. On the one hand, the cliffside area preceding the blood-soaked map features one of the best rune farming sites in the game, thanks to a group of Albinaurics who drop a surprising amount of XP. It is likely that Mohg used them as fodder for his blood god. If you stock up on items that boost your runes, like the Golden Pickled Henstooth and the Golden Scarab Talisman, you can use these enemies to increase their power in no time.

It’s possible to gain dozens of levels in just a few minutes if you farm enemies repeatedly. Fortunately, you can fast travel to the start of the level once you’ve killed the Albinaurics to force the game to respawn them all. Make sure to shoot the bird that roams the lake of blood visible from the cliff – it can’t really harm you, and it’s also a great source of XP.

Discover Miquella’s story

Miquella is mentioned extensively throughout Ancient Ring, but you never see or speak to the blond-faced Empyryan. And like most Souls games, all of the storytelling is pretty subtle, so it’s entirely possible to not know what’s going on with Miquella – or to miss the little details that will likely be fleshed out in DLC. Watching historical videos (like the one above from popular content creator FromSoftware VaatiVidya) is a good way to remedy this problem.

Explore the Volcano Manor

One of the major themes of Shadow of the Erdtree This appears to be blasphemy. The Erdtree, after all, is associated with light, and you will flounder in the shadows, potentially after the Erdtree is destroyed. The main antagonist of the DLC appears to be related to snakes, which the base game repeatedly associates with enemies of the faith.

There is therefore a good chance that Shadow of the Erdtree will do some rappelling at Volcano Manor. The mansion is home to Ryckard, a demigod who betrayed the Golden Order by allowing himself to be devoured by a powerful serpent. It seems that Shadow of the ErdtreeThe Big Bad follows a similar path; in the trailer, he asks an anonymous mother if she would really punish someone as cursed as him. While the jury is out on whether this villain is actually another half-brother of Miquella’s who has fallen out of favor with her family, Volcano Manor’s connection to blasphemous serpents is reason enough to check it out. We may be dealing with the same outer god in the DLC.

Additionally, Volcano Manor features an unusual questline in which you hunt down other Tarnished. Not only can Volcano Manor put you in the right frame of mind for what you’re about to see in Shadow of the Erdtreeit’s a great change of pace from the rest of the game – provided, of course, that you’re willing to be a little naughty.

Complete optional dungeons

Screenshot from Elden Ring showing snow-covered Castle Sol and a wandering mausoleum atop the Giant Mountains.

You’ll also want to take on dungeons that aren’t on the game’s golden path, like Castle Sol, an area devoted entirely to the eclipse that was carried over into Shadow of the Erdtree. There you’ll learn a little more about Miquella’s followers and their apparent attempt to resurrect him, information that will likely make a return in the expansion.

Warning: Castle Sol is one of the most difficult areas in the game. Don’t be surprised if you visit Mohg’s Palace to strengthen your character first, as even the basic enemies in this area are intense.

Get the best equipment

What’s considered “best” will depend heavily on the version you’re using and your gaming preferences, but we have some suggestions for you.

For Intelligence builds, the Rock Sling sorcery and its anti-gravity properties pair wonderfully with things like the Moonveil Katana or Astel’s Wing. (For the former, check out our guide on how to get the Moonveil Katana.)
Strength builds have a multitude of options, but I like the Great Stars, which heal you on every hit, although the Classic Greatsword is also a good bet.
Followers of the faith agree that the best weapon is the Blasphemous Blade, a greatsword that can deal additional fire damage.
Dexterity builds, on the other hand, offer two powerful options available at the start of the game: Bloodhounds Fang and Uchigatana.
Those of you trying an Arcane build may want to take a look at Naginata, which can combo well with bleed effects, or Star Fists.

When it comes to armor, your choices will depend on your weight class of choice. If you’re drawn to light armor, you’ll be happy with choices like the Godskin Noble set or the Ronin set, both of which have solid stats. If you’re using medium armor, look at the Gelmir Knight set, or a Knight set in general. And if you prefer heavy armor, you can use what is considered one of the most broken pieces of gear in the game: the Bull-Goat set, a piece of gear so powerful it’s a mainstay in PVP.

Granted, weapons and armor aren’t the only things you can equip in Elden Ring – but for everything else, it really depends on how you like to play. One thing that’s true for everyone, though: the Mimic Tear, which populates a CPU version of your character, is a real headache.

And if you’re really looking to get powerful as quickly as possible, check out our Ancient Ring guide to runic farming.

Defeat Malenia

Malenia the cut defender of Miquella soaring through the air with large, breathtaking wings made of gnarled red and black rot. She wears arm and leg armor, and is otherwise undressed, with smooth, doll-like skin.

You’ll definitely want to defeat Malenia, the optional boss who resides in the hidden kingdom of Miquella. Although Malenia is notoriously difficult, she is also Miquella’s twin, so you’ll want to soak up as much of her as possible. The trailer also features a water dancer that bears an uncanny resemblance to the character mentioned in the Malenia-related gear.

That said, this is one of the toughest bosses in the game; Most players save it for the later segments of their games for good reason. If you’re struggling, our guide on how to defeat Malenia in Ancient Ring can help.

Beat the game

The fire giant of Elden Ring atop the Giant Mountains

This may seem obvious, but again, we’re talking about a Soulslike game. It’s easy to get stuck somewhere with a boss, or to give up before you’ve met the demands of one of the Ancient Ringthe esoteric purposes of. Beyond meeting major characters who may play a role in the expansion, completing the game can ensure your character is strong enough to take on any new threats. Ancient Ring throws your way.

Try a new game and more

Elden Ring player standing in front of a light table inside Roundtable Hold

The new game plus has no obvious connection with Shadow of the Erdtree: The mode simply makes the game harder in exchange for bigger rewards if you survive. But if you’ve already done everything there is to do in Elden Ring, it might not be a bad idea to try NG+: at least it can help you get back into the groove of the game . We have been waiting for a long time. Shadow of Erdtree, which means your muscle memory might need a refresher. The good news is that you will keep many of your non-quest related items and runes, so you no longer have to hunt for your favorite gear.