Elden Ring’s vast world is as rewarding as it is dangerous, and one of the core challenges for any Tarnished is collecting runes efficiently. Whether you’re a seasoned explorer or a newcomer looking to stock up without constantly risking your life, knowing where to farm runes can make a huge difference. In this guide, I’ll break down 15 routes that maximize rune gain while keeping risk relatively low.

1. Limgrave Hillocks

Starting near the Gatefront Ruins, you can defeat groups of weak enemies on the hillocks east of the ruins. They drop a modest amount of runes, but the low threat makes this a great spot for early leveling.

2. Church of Elleh Area

The Church of Elleh is surrounded by roaming enemies that respawn quickly. Repeating these fights while using ranged attacks keeps your rune gain steady and safe.

3. Gatefront Ruins Patrol

The enemies patrolling the ruins are slightly stronger than the hillocks mobs, but their predictable patterns allow for careful kite-and-strike tactics. This route is perfect for early-to-mid game leveling.

4. Stormveil Castle Outskirts

The castle’s outer areas contain groups of soldiers and archers that give higher runes than regular mobs. If you’re cautious and use cover, you can farm here repeatedly.

5. Mistwood Clearing

Mistwood’s forest enemies are slow and easy to manage individually. You can kite them into choke points for safer rune collection.

6. Murkwater Cave

Caves tend to have tightly grouped enemies, but Murkwater is manageable if you clear it methodically. It also has minor loot drops that complement your runes.

7. Raya Lucaria Gate Approach

Approaching the academy gates, you’ll encounter magic-wielding enemies. Using a mix of ranged spells and terrain advantage makes this area lucrative without much risk.

8. Redmane Castle Fields

Mounted enemies here give generous rune payouts. If you’re comfortable with horseback combat, this route is high reward for moderate effort.

9. Liurnia Lakeside Camps

Scattered camps around the lake have numerous low-level enemies. They respawn on site, so you can repeatedly grind runes without venturing too far.

10. Sellen’s Training Spot

If you’ve met Sellen, revisiting her early training grounds can yield consistent rune drops while allowing safe experimentation with combat strategies.

11. Sellia Crystal Tunnel

This dungeon offers a manageable mix of enemies and crystal-based hazards. It’s perfect for players who want a more contained environment for farming.

12. Stormhawk Mountains

Smaller patrols of flying enemies drop more runes than ground mobs. Patience and ranged combat are key to farming safely here.

13. Caelid Swamp Edges

The poisonous terrain is tricky, but staying on elevated edges and luring enemies individually lets you gather runes without heavy risk.

14. Farum Azula Outskirts

For those in mid-to-late game, roaming Farum Azula provides extremely high rune drops. Stick to peripheral areas if you want to avoid the high-level mobs deeper in the zone.

15. Summoning Spirit Farm Spots

Certain spots allow you to summon NPC spirits for support. Combining this with tactical combat ensures you can accumulate runes efficiently while mitigating danger.

Bonus Tips

Consider upgrading your gear incrementally; even small boosts make a huge difference when farming.

Keep a steady stock of consumables to reduce downtime.

If you’re struggling with specific areas, you might also look into ways to buy elden ring runes xbox or buy Elden Ring items PS5 to supplement your farming. This isn’t necessary for progression, but it can help with experimentation and build testing.

Rune farming in Elden Ring is all about balancing risk and reward. By sticking to these routes, you can steadily level up and acquire the resources you need without constantly facing high-stakes battles. Explore safely, experiment with tactics, and the runes will come to you naturally.