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

Elden Ring‘S Shadow of the Erdtree enlargement is just around the corner, which means time is running out to prepare for its arrival.

Shadow of the Erdtree will be absolutely huge; said director Hidetaka Miyazakithe addition will be approximately the size of the starting area of ​​Elden Ring, Limgrave. In other words, you’ll have a lot to do on June 21, including figuring out what happened to the game’s most mysterious demigod – but only if you’re prepared.

If you’re not sure how to prepare for the expansion, or if you haven’t played the base game in a while, don’t worry. Here you will find everything you need to do Elden Ring for Shadow of the Erdtree.

Reach and defeat Mohg to gain access

While you don’t to have to beat the game to tackle Shadow of the Erdtree, you have to make a certain amount of progress before you can jump in. FromSoftware has said that the upcoming content will appear on a brand new map separate from the main game. Based on the information released so far, you’ll gain access to that region through Mohg’s palace (and, to that end, by defeating Mohg).

After all, we know that Mohg kidnapped Miquella, one of the DLC’s protagonists. In the base game, Miquella is inside an egg that you can interact with once you defeat Mohg. Right now the mummy-like remains aren’t doing anything, but… Shadow of the Erdtree‘s single trailer shows Miquella’s egg seemingly coming to life.

Besides its importance, there are plenty of other reasons to visit Mohg’s Palace before the DLC releases. For starters, the cliff area prior to the blood-soaked map is home to Albinaurics that drop a surprising amount of XP. Mohg probably used them as fodder for his blood god. If you stock up on items that boost your Runes, like the Gold Pickled Fowl Foot and the Gold Scarab Talisman, you can use these enemies to increase their power in no time.

It is possible to reach dozens of levels in a matter of minutes if you repeatedly work the enemies. Luckily, you can fast travel to the start of the level once you’ve killed the Albinaurics, allowing the game to respawn them all. Be sure to spot the bird that wanders the blood lake visible from the cliff. It can’t really hurt you, and it’s also a great source of XP.

Discover Miquella’s knowledge

Miquella is called heavy everywhere Elden Ring, but you never see or speak to the honest Empyryan. And like most Souls games, the storytelling is all quite subtle, so it’s entirely possible you won’t know what’s going on with Miquella – or you’ll miss the smaller details that will likely be covered in the DLC elaborated. Watching lore videos (like the one above from the popular FromSoftware content creator VaatiVidya) is a good way to solve this problem.

Explore Volcano Manor

One of the most important themes for Shadow of the Erdtree seems to be blasphemy. After all, the Erdtree is associated with light, and you are wading into the shadows, possibly after the Erdtree’s destruction. The DLC’s main antagonist appears to be connected to snakes, which the base game repeatedly associates with enemies of the faith.

There seems to be a good chance that this is the case Shadow of the Erdtree will call back to Volcano Manor several times. The mansion is home to Ryckard, a demigod who betrayed the Golden Order by allowing himself to be devoured by a powerful snake. It seems that Shadow of the Erdtree‘s big bad follows a similar path; in the trailer he asks an unnamed mother if she would really sanction someone as cursed as him. While the jury is still out on whether this villain is actually another half-sister of Miquella who has fallen from favor with his family, Volcano Manor’s ties to blasphemous snakes are enough reason to give it a try. We may be dealing with the same outer god in the DLC.

Additionally, Volcano Manor features a series of unusual quests that will have you hunting down other Tarnished. Volcano Manor can’t just put you in the right mindset for what you’re about to see Shadow of the Erdtreeit’s a big change of pace from the rest of the game, provided of course you’re willing to be a little evil.

Complete optional dungeons

You’ll also want to enter dungeons that aren’t on the game’s golden path, such as Castle Sol – an area entirely themed around the solar eclipse adopted in Shadow of the Erdtree. There you’ll learn something about Miquella’s followers and their apparent attempt to resurrect him, tidbits that will likely return in the expansion.

Be warned: 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.

Buy the best equipment

What qualifies as ‘best’ depends a lot on the build you’re using and your playing preferences, but we have a few suggestions for you.

• For Intelligence builds, the Rock Sling sorcery and its anti-grav properties pair wonderfully with things like the Moonveil Katana or Wing of Astel. (For the former, check out our guide on how to get the Moonveil Katana.)
• Strength builds have a lot of options, but I love the Great Stars, which heal you on every hit, although the classic Greatsword is also a good bet.
• Faith enthusiasts agree that the best weapon is the Blasphemous Blade, a large sword that can deal additional fire damage.
• Dexterity builds, meanwhile, have two strong options available at the start of the game: Bloodhounds Fang and Uchigatana.
• Those of you trying out an Arcane build might want to check out the Naginata, which pairs well with bleed effects, or the Star Fists.

As for armor, your choices depend on the weight class you choose. If you lean toward light armor, you’ll be happy with choices like the Godskin Noble set or the Ronin set, both of which have strong stats. If you’re using medium armor, take a look at the Gelmir Knight set, or any Knight set in general. And if you prefer heavy armor, you can use one of the most broken gears in the game: the Bull-Goat set, 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 applies to everyone, though: the Mimic Tear, which features a CPU version of your character, is awesome.

And if you really want to get powerful as quickly as possible, consult our Elden Ring rune farming guide.

Defeat Malenia

You’ll definitely want to defeat Malenia, the optional boss who lives in Miquella’s hidden kingdom. Although Malenia is notoriously difficult, she is also Miquella’s twin brother, so you’ll want to know as much about her as possible. The trailer also features a water dancer who looks suspiciously like the character mentioned in Malenia-related gear.

That said, she is one of the toughest bosses in the game; it’s not without reason that most players save her for the latter parts of their playthroughs. If you’re struggling, read our guide on how to beat Malenia Elden Ring can help.

Beat the game

This may seem obvious, but again, we’re talking about a Soulslike game. It’s easy to get stuck on a boss somewhere, or give up before completing the requirements for one Elden Ring‘s esoteric endings. In addition to meeting key characters who may play a role in the expansion, completing the game can ensure your character is strong enough to face whatever new threat comes along. Elden Ring throws your way.

Try out the new game plus

New Game Plus has no apparent connection with Shadow of the Erdtree: The mode simply makes the game more difficult in exchange for greater rewards, should you survive. But if you’ve already done everything there is to do in Elden Ring, it might not be a bad idea to give NG+ a try: it can at least help you get back into the game’s atmosphere. We have waited a long time for it Shadow of the Erdtree, which means your muscle memory may need a refresher. The good news is that you keep many of your non-mission related items and runes, so you don’t have to search for your favorite gear again.