WithElden Ring’s massive open world, you’re able to wander far and wide and rarely find safety. Much of The Lands Between is overrun with hostile creatures and madmen whose sole purpose is to give you the wordsFromsoftplayers know so well: “You Died”. Design-wise, Elden Ring’s locations have a unique sense of identity, as do their challenges.
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Your difficulty in each area also depends on when you face it. Obviously, an area meant for starting characters will pose no threat to endgame characters, but wandering into an extremely difficult area under-levelled will be much more challenging. From the almost-peaceful Limgrave to the gruelling Haligtree, here are the zones where you will find the best battles.
10Castle Morne
In the grand scheme of Elden Ring, Castle Morne is a small step in the journey to become Elden Lord. By the endgame, its defenders pose little risk, but early on, the castle is the first major threat you will face. Castle Morne’s challenges vary from dealing with hordes of enemies to strong singular enemies to fighting melee enemies supported by archers.
At an early level, your tarnished lacks the health and damage to eliminate these threats quickly, and you’re easily overwhelmed. Morne is an essential first step; it teaches you the challenges you’ll need to overcome for the rest of the game. The lessons you learn from conquering Castle Morne stick with you for the rest of the game.
9Shaded Castle
Of course there’s a poison castle in Elden Ring. The Shaded Castle is a rundown and crumbling building with a vile swamp as its courtyard. Wading into it poisons you and slows you down for the lethal enemies nearby.
The shaded castle has various enemies that are some of the most frustrating to be fought under normal circumstances. While dealing with poison from the swamp, and Miranda Blooms, Basilisks try to kill you with Deathblight. A Revenant constantly hounds you while the swamp slows you, andCleanrot Knightswait higher up the castle to inflict you with Scarlet Rot. The threats in the Shaded Castle compound into a horrible mess, and you have to clean it up.
8Stormveil Castle
Stormveil is the first legacy dungeon you’ll reach during your playthrough of Elden Ring. It doesn’t help that a devious NPC directs you there the moment you finish the tutorial. Because of that direction, many players wander towards the castle under-levelled. If you can get past Margitt, the fell omen, the rest of the castle opens up, and it doesn’t get any easier.
Stormveil is replete with environmental hazards like ballistas and explosive barrels, and enemies are too keen to use them. When the enemy isn’t swarming you with numbers or birds with daggers for feet, their Elite Knights are dangerous enough to challenge you one-on-one. The Banished Knights have wind-based attacks that can leave you staggered. To top it all off, a Troll blocks you from the boss room.
7Caria Manor
Caria Manor is more dangerous than the legacy dungeon found in Liurnia. Even before reaching the front entrance, you’re attacked by a magic cascade falling from the sky. Once you enter, you are immediately ambushed by some of the creepiest enemies in Elden Ring.
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Caria Manor has a disembodied hand problem, and they dig under the courtyard to trap you from below if you’re not careful. These Fingercreepers, and many other enemies inside the Manor deal magic damage, which is harder to block than physical damage. There are a few other tough enemies, like the magic-casting Troll Knight and an Abductor Virgin. Still, surviving Caria Manor is well worth the trouble sincea legendary weaponlies within.
6Leyndell, Royal Capital
Leyndell is a massive legacy dungeon taking domain over the entirety of the capital city. You begin on the ramparts as humming instruments buzz in your ear, and the difficulty ramps up the deeper you go. Leyndell has various ranged and melee enemies that often work in tandem, so you always need to be alert.
On the rooftops, you contend with Oracle Envoys and Fanged Imps that try to force you down onto the streets where Knights and Soldiers wait below. Leyndell Knights use lightning to augment their attacks and track you with frustrating accuracy. If basic Enemies weren’t challenging enough, Leyndell has a few boss monsters scattered through its territory lying in wait for you. There is a threat around every corner.
Caelid is a large area of the Elden Ring map directly east of your starting location once you reach the lands between. As such, it is very easy for new players to wander into one of the most inhospitable environments in the game. There are many sub-regions within Caelid, but as overworld regions go, it is easily the hardest area to survive.
Caelid will often be your first encounter with the deadly status Scarlet Rot, and you will contract it many times as you explore Caelid. In addition to a swamp that will inflict you just by standing in it, many of the enemies wandering Caelid can also infect you. Despite its ease of access, Caelid is anything but a starting area. If you’re under-levelled, do yourself a favor and turn around.
4Crumbling Farum Azula
Farum Azula is a late-game area made to test both your skill in battle, your platforming skills and your survival instincts. The enemies aren’t as varied as in other areas, but they hit hard. Farum Azula has a strong draconic presence, as you’ll be assailed by ancient Dragons all along the way.
The bosses are tricky too. It’s not enough that Farum Azula has strong enemies like theCrucible Knightand Wormfaces dotted throughout, it has three hard boss fights, and two are unavoidable; The Dodskin Duo, and Maliketh the Black Blade. As mandatory bosses go, the latter is often considered one of the hardest.
3Auriza Hero’s Grave
Hero’s Grave dungeons are frustrating, and Auriza Hero’s Grave is the most challenging of them all. Navigating the chariot challenges without knowing how to do it will lead to death several times before you pull through. As enemies go, Auriza doesn’t have too many, but the ones it does are tough.
Omens are massive hulks that don’t stagger often, and Basilisks lurk around trying to kill you with Deathblight instantly. By far, the hardest part of this dungeon is the boss. A pair of crucible knights attack you at once in one of the most challenging duo fights in the game.
2Castle Sol
Located within the mountain tops of the giants, Castle Sol lets you know it’s not to be taken lightly the moment you walk through the door. As you enter, you’re attacked by a pair of Lion Guardians; highly mobile and very damaging. Fortunately, they don’t respawn.
That’s as much good fortune as you get, though. Spectral versions of Exiled and Banished Knights defend Castle Sol. While you’ve seen these enemies before, the Spectral versions have short-range teleports making them harder to track during a fight. At the very end, you have to faceCommander Niall, avery difficult bossthat can use summons, Lightning, and Wind.
1The Haligtree
The most brutal zone in the game is undoubtedly the Haligtree. Split into two parts; you begin on the Haligtree branches, where you fight ranged and melee enemies trying to force you to fall to your death. Once past them, and you’ve defeated the Mage-Knight Loretta, you proceed to the brace of the Haligtree, Elphael.
Here you face a swathe of the most challenging enemies Elden Ring can throw at you. Haligtree Knights andCleanrot Knightsdeal massive damage, with the latter inflicting scarlet rot. If soldiers weren’t enough, the place is a maze, requiring you to climb up and down and navigate deeper to the tree’s base. There, you fight the hardest boss in Elden Ring: Malenia, Blade of Miquella.
