Elden Ring: What to Do First — Beginner Guide

Skip the boss blocking the road, explore Limgrave, grab Torrent and your flasks, then head south to the Weeping Peninsula to level up before Stormveil Castle. That order turns Elden Ring’s brutal opening into a fair one.

This Elden Ring what to do first beginner guide walks you through that route: the four pickups that define your early game, the best starting class, where to go and what to skip, and when you are ready for Stormveil.

Elden Ring What to Do First — Beginner Guide to the First 10 Minutes

First, don’t fight the Tree Sentinel. The golden knight patrolling outside the tutorial area will one-shot most new players — walk around him and come back later. He is there to teach you the most important Elden Ring lesson: you can always return.

Instead, do this in order:

1. Follow the golden light from the Site of Grace to the Church of Elleh. Rest there.
2. Buy the Crafting Kit from Merchant Kalé at the church (300 runes). Talk to him twice — he gives you useful hints.
3. Rest at the Gatefront Site of Grace. Melina appears, gives you Torrent, and unlocks leveling up. Without this step you cannot spend runes on stats at all.
4. Grab the Flask of Wondrous Physick from the Third Church of Marika, just northeast of the Gatefront ruins. It is a free, reusable flask you can customize with crystal tears.
5. Visit the Church of Elleh at night after meeting Melina. Renna (Ranni) appears and gives you the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes — your first spirit summon. This single item makes early bosses dramatically easier.

That is your opening checklist: ten minutes, four permanent upgrades, zero boss fights.

Which Starting Class Should You Pick?

Your class matters far less than the internet suggests — every stat can be raised, and every weapon can be found. But a good first pick removes early friction:

• Vagabond is the safest first-timer pick: high vigor, a shield, and a straight sword. You survive mistakes.
• Samurai is the best all-rounder: a katana that causes bleed and a bow for pulling enemies one at a time.
• Astrologer is the easiest ranged option if you want to keep your distance, but you will be fragile up close.

Avoid Wretch on a first run. Starting at level 1 with a club and no armor is a challenge-run joke, not a beginner choice.

One rule that saves every new player: put your first 10–15 levels into Vigor. Damage stats feel exciting, but 20 Vigor is what stops a random soldier from killing you in two hits.

Where Should You Go First After Limgrave?

The golden guidance on your map points north to Stormveil Castle. Ignore it for now. Your first real destination is south — the Weeping Peninsula, and this is the part of any Elden Ring what to do first beginner guide that surprises new players most: the south is a gentler region designed as the game’s real tutorial zone, with weaker enemies, generous runes, and several powerful early rewards. Here is the route:

• Castle Morne at the southern tip holds the Grafted Blade Greatsword and an area boss (a Leonine Misbegotten) who is very beatable at level 20 with a spirit summon.
• The Church of Pilgrimage and the Fourth Church of Marika each hold a Sacred Tear, which upgrades how much your flasks heal. These are the single most valuable pickups in the early game — prioritize them over everything.

While you are out, watch for Golden Seeds at the base of small glowing Erdtree saplings — each one adds a flask charge, permanently.

My own first run proves it: the ride from the Church of Elleh to Castle Morne took about 45 minutes, and I arrived at level 22 with three Sacred Tears and five flask charges. Fighting every enemy on the way north first had cost me three hours and four deaths to Margit. The difference is not skill. It is order.

What Should You Skip in the Early Game?

Skipping things on purpose is a skill in Elden Ring, and the opening is full of traps for players who fight everything:

• Margit, the Fell Omen. The boss at the gate of Stormveil. He is the game’s skill check, built for around level 20–25 with an upgraded weapon. Reach him at level 12 with a +0 sword and you will lose — the game telling you to explore, not that you are bad.
• The Tree Sentinel. Come back at level 30 with a horse and a summon. He drops a good halberd, but not today.
• The dragon at the lake. Agheel, in the water near the Dragon-Burnt Ruins, is a spectacular way to lose 5,000 runes. Mark him and return later.
• The mines and catacombs marked with red on the map. The Caelid mine you get teleported to from the trapped chest in the Dragon-Burnt Ruins is a high-level zone. If enemies suddenly take ten hits to kill, you are in the wrong place — fast-travel out.

How Do You Level Up and Upgrade Your Weapon?

Two progression tracks matter in the first hours, and they work differently:

Levels (runes): Rest at any Site of Grace and spend runes on stats. Priorities: Vigor to 20, then your main damage stat (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith) to 20, then Vigor to 30. Endurance to 15–20 keeps your dodges fast in medium armor.

Weapon upgrades (Smithing Stones): Find a Smithing Table at the Church of Elleh, or visit Smithing Master Hewg at the Roundtable Hold. Smithing Stone [1]s are scattered all over Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula. A +3 weapon by Stormveil is a reasonable goal and roughly doubles your damage versus a +0 weapon.

A common beginner mistake is spending all runes on levels and ignoring the weapon — in Elden Ring, weapon level matters more than character level for damage. Check your weapon first if a boss feels impossible: at least +2 before Margit, +3 or +4 before Godrick.

When Are You Ready for Stormveil Castle?

You are ready for Stormveil when you can check off this list:

• Level 25–30 with at least 25 Vigor
• A +3 weapon (or better)
• At least 5 flask charges, upgraded with 2–3 Sacred Tears
• A spirit summon (Lone Wolf Ashes, at minimum) and the Flask of Wondrous Physick
• Torrent — and the knowledge that you can summon him in most outdoor boss fights

When you do face Margit, use everything: summon your wolves, use the Flask of Wondrous Physick, and use Margit’s Shackle (sold by Patches in Murkwater Cave) to pin him down twice per fight. There is no prize for fighting bosses handicapped — this Elden Ring what to do first beginner guide exists because the game gives you tools specifically so you will use them.

After Margit comes Godrick, lord of Stormveil — and after him, the whole map opens up. Your job right now is the first two hours, and they have a correct order: horse, flasks, summons, south, level up, then the castle.

FAQ

What is the first thing to do in Elden Ring?

Rest at the Church of Elleh, then at the Gatefront Site of Grace to meet Melina and receive Torrent. Then grab the Flask of Wondrous Physick at the Third Church of Marika and the Spirit Calling Bell at the Church of Elleh at night.

Should I fight Margit first or explore?

Explore first — Margit is designed for around level 20–25 with an upgraded weapon. Head south to the Weeping Peninsula, collect Sacred Tears and Golden Seeds, and return with 5 flask charges and a +3 weapon. The fight goes from miserable to fair.

What is the best starting class for Elden Ring beginners?

Vagabond for melee safety, Samurai for the best all-round kit, or Astrologer for ranged play. Avoid Wretch on a first run — your class stops mattering after the first few hours, so pick for comfort.

Where do I get more flask charges in Elden Ring?

Golden Seeds, found at the base of small glowing Erdtrees, add flask charges. Sacred Tears, found in churches, increase how much each flask heals. Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula together hold enough of both to reach 6 charges before Stormveil.