Since the conception of Soulsborne games, players have only ever had one option from where they’d like to respawn – in Elden Ring, Stakes of Marika change all that.
Elden Ring FAQ: Every Guide You’ll Need
Bonfires, Statues, and Lanterns have previously served as waypoints in FromSoftware games. You’d find them at strategic points throughout the world, marking out a usually safe area for you to rest and recuperate. These have been replaced by Sites of Grace in Elden Ring, and they’re where you can level up your character or replenish your Flask.
Just like previous games, you’ll always have the option to respawn at your last visited Site of Grace when you die in Elden Ring. However, there is now an alternative option that makes attempting bosses and tricky areas a little less frustrating.
Elden Ring – What are Stakes of Marika?
While playing through Elden Ring, you may notice small statues wedged into the ground. They depict a woman with her arms outstretched and are known as Stakes of Marika. When you pass by one of these stakes, a small icon will appear next to your status bar, right below your Stamina metre.
When you die in Elden Ring, you’ll now have two choices as to where you’d like to respawn. Of course, you can still return to your last visited Site of Grace. Alternatively, you can choose to respawn next to the last Stake of Marika you passed. These Stakes are usually situated much closer to the action, so you’ll have less distance to travel to get back in the action.
Respawning at a Stake of Marika will see you return with a full Flask. However, you can’t replenish them if you try to interact with them. For that, you’ll need to trek all the way back to a Site of Grace.
Still, it’s great to see FromSoftware recognise that we don’t always want to have to run a half marathon every time we fail a boss attempt.
Be sure to check out our other guides on Elden Ring. We have starter tips on upgrading your Sacred Flask, using Ashes of War and Spirit Ashes, as well as how to use Torrent. If you want to know more about levelling, check out our guide to each class in the game, how to level up, and the best locations to farm runes. And finally, if it’s boss encounters you’re after we also have some tips to help you beat the early game bosses.
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