The Best Elden Ring Rune Farms (2023) (2024)

Level progression in RPGs can be taxing due to the high item requirements needed to upgrade characters, and players spend a lot of time and energy farming tools and XP to give themselves a slight edge in hard-fought boss battles. FromSoftware's Soulsborne titles are still among the most recognizable games with farming dynamics, and Elden Ring stretches the abilities of its playerbase through intensive rune farming in preparation for its famed boss fights. The best Rune Farms in Elden Ring offer more value than their counterparts, and their farming potential makes them gamers' first stops to gain valuable runes in 2023.

Farming can be tricky, as players always want to maximize the return for valuable time spent repeating the same moves multiple times. Without adequate information, any location looks as good as the next to begin the long road to acquiring enough Runes to defeat Elden Ring's hardest bosses, but pitching tents in just any place can be counterproductive to gamers' efforts. Rune farming potential differs based on how far players have wandered into The Lands Between, and spots that could be considered treasure troves in the early-game yield pitiful rewards compared to the end-game's best locations. For each scenario in the award-winning title, some sites produce the best results, and their potential encourages players to harvest their goodies.

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Caelid and Dragonbarrow Have Excellent Early and Mid Game Rune Farms

The early-game acquaints players with the Tarnished and their motivations, and the character's enemies are not too difficult in contrast to some monstrosities he'll encounter later on. Despite this, some bosses in Elden Ring still require substantial farming effort to defeat, and a few farming spots are ideal to level up the player character. Liurnia is one of the easiest locations in the game for players to exploit and yields a return of 1,000 Runes if done right. This path takes players away from the Stormveil Castle to the Lost Grace of Liurnia Highway North, where spectral soldiers and giants are locked in a battle once the protagonist gets close enough for them to spawn.

The Tarnished doesn't even have to fight to gain valuable runes, as the combatants kill themselves off on short notice, and the process is easily reproduced by resting at the Lost Grace. Similar results can be achieved at the Bestial Sanctum in Greyoll's Dragonbarrow by avoiding the deadly monstrosity of the Black Blade Kindred and forging onward to the Farum Greatbridge Site of Grace at the hill's valley. Sneaking up on each of the area's resident ninjas also earns the Tarnished anywhere between 600 and a thousand Runes, a nice payday for relatively easy pickings.

As players venture deeper into the mystical world, the rewards from these spots will no longer measure up to the Tarnished's needs, but several locations can suffice for the mid-game. Redmane Castle holds similar farming potential to the Liurnia Rune Farm, and once again, players don't need to mash buttons to get the spot's full reward. Located in Southern Caelid, gamers will notice a gathering of knights wielding fire and beastly-looking dogs slugging it out in front of the fortress, and the Tarnished can sit back and enjoy the gory show. After the bulk of the population has met their demise, players can swoop in and pick off the stragglers, earning up to 3,000 Runes.

Another mid-game Rune Farm with enormous earning potential is in Dragonbarrow at Lenne's Rise Site of Grace. The same principle from Redmane Castle is in play, although the victim of this procedure is a boss. Luring the unsuspecting character across a bridge lined with poison traps can be a challenge and a valuable lesson in dodging attacks, but the poison eventually does its work on the boss and gives the Tarnished a reward of 42,000 Runes. Players can repeat this process to their hearts' content by visiting the Lost Grace and resting.

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Taking Down Bosses and a Visit to Mohgwyn's Palace Gives Players Epic Rewards

The Altus Plateau's Northern coastline also holds a treasure trove players are all too happy to harvest at its Windmill Village. Here, happy locals engage in dancing -- that is, until the Tarnished gets too close for comfort. Clashing with the enemies and clearing out the small hamlet earns players 7,000 Runes, and bolder players who relish a challenge can also assault the Godskin Apostle boss for a bigger payout. Defeating the Godskin Apostle yields 14,000 Runes and other reward items such as the Godskin Peeler and the Scouring Black Flame Incantation.

In preparation for Elden Ring's late-game scenarios and the earthshaking clash with Malenia, players still have a few options to get the Tarnished kitted to the nines in Mohgwyn's Palace and the Haligtree. The optional Haligtree area has an infamous reputation in the Elden Ring community for its extreme difficulty, but there are also rewards for traversing the dangerous path. The Prayer Room Site of Grace is surrounded by enemy knights and footsoldiers, and blitzing through the location drops around 3,000 Runes per kill.

The most valuable Rune Farm in Elden Ring is Mohgwyn's Palace, and the spot contains multiple options for players to take advantage of. Using the Pureblood Knight's Medal to get to the underground area and heading to the Palace Approach Ledge Road Site of Grace reveals a group of Albinaurics deep in slumber, and each one gains the Tarnished 2,000 Runes. A round of crow hunting in Mohgwyn's Palace can earn up to 13,000 Runes, although accessing this location requires players to complete the Varre questline.

Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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