🗡️ How to Equip Great Runes in Elden Ring 🏆

 

Introduction

 

Great Runes are some of the most powerful items you can find in Elden Ring. These legendary talismans grant unique buffs and abilities that can give you a big edge in combat. 💪 But first, you need to track down these Runes across the Lands Between and activate their power at Divine Towers.

 

Equipping and managing your Great Runes takes a bit of work too. Let's break down everything you need to know to master these mighty talismans in detail! 🔥

 

What are Great Runes?

 

Great Runes are special talismans left behind by the Shardbearers - the demigod bosses who each possessed a shard of the Elden Ring. Defeating a Shardbearer allows you to collect their Great Rune item.

 

-         Great Rune Items

 

There are six Great Runes obtainable in the main story from the following Shardbearer bosses that each provide powerful unique effects:

 

- Godrick the Grafted - Rune of Godrick: Raises all attributes

- Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon - Rune of Rennala: Restores FP and allows respec

- Radahn, Starscourge - Rune of Radahn: Boosts HP, FP, and stamina 

- Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy - Rune of Rykard: Boosts attack power with successful hits

- Morgott, the Omen King - Rune of Morgott: Improves flasks' HP and FP restoration

- Malenia, Blade of Miquella - Rune of Malenia: Gradually restores HP

 

The right Great Rune can nicely complement your build and playstyle with their potent effects. Each one provides a strong incentive to hunt down the legendary Shardbearers!

 

-         Great Rune Effects

 

Here's a deeper look at what each of the signature Great Runes attained from the main story bosses provides:

 

- **Rune of Godrick:** This Great Rune raises all your attributes by 5, including Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane. This makes it an excellent all-purpose Rune great for any build by boosting your raw stats and survivability.

 

- **Rune of Rennala:** Activating this Rune completely refills your FP (magic) bar, allowing immediate access to your most powerful spells and incantations. It also enables you to respec your attributes, change your appearance, and alter your Ashes of War - providing unparalleled character customization.

 

- **Rune of Radahn:** Radahn's Great Rune dramatically raises your maximum HP, FP, and stamina by 15%+. This gives you a big edge for any melee build by expanding your health, magic, and endurance bars for tanking damage and dishing it out.

 

- **Rune of Rykard:** Rykard's Rune boosts your attack power for a short period whenever you successfully land attacks. This rewards an aggressive playstyle, letting you build up a damage bonus then unleash devastating attacks before it expires.

 

- **Rune of Morgott:** Equipping this Rune improves flasks' HP restoration by 25% and FP restoration by 15%+. Having your flasks refill more HP and magic allows you to heal and cast spells more freely during long treks and tough boss battles.

 

- **Rune of Malenia:** Malenia's Great Rune allows you to regenerate HP over time at a steady rate, even during combat. This passive healing can make a major difference, allowing you to recover HP while still dishing out attacks rather than having to constantly dodge and heal.

 

-         Optional Great Runes

 

Beyond the six from the main demigods, a couple extremely powerful optional Great Runes exist:

 

- **Rune of the Death Prince:** Found in Nokron after beating Fortissax, this Rune boosts your damage against Those Who Live in Death like skeletons - excellent for exploring underground regions.

 

- **Rune of the Unborn:** Discovered in Deeproot Depths, this mysterious Rune boosts your Poise, allowing you to withstand more hits without staggering - ideal for tanks and heavy weapons.

 

Seeking out these hidden legendary Runes across the Lands Between provides even more options to amplify your strengths.

 

Finding Great Runes

 

Great Runes are rewarded after defeating certain major bosses. Here's an in-depth look at where to find them:

 

-         Main Story Great Runes

 

The six Great Runes from the primary Shardbearer bosses are obtained by progressing through the game's Legacy Dungeons - the large, intricate dungeons at the heart of the Lands Between:

 

- **Stormveil Castle** - Defeat Godrick the Grafted after exploring Stormveil Castle to obtain the **Rune of Godrick** which raises all attributes.

 

- **Raya Lucaria Academy** - Explore the sprawling magic university and defeat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon to gain the **Rune of Rennala** for FP restoration and respecs.

 

- **Redmane Castle** - In northeast Caelid, defeating the legendary Starscourge Radahn in Redmane Castle earns you the vital **Rune of Radahn** for a big HP, FP, and stamina boost.

 

- **Volcano Manor** - Hidden within Mt. Gelmir, Rykard Lord of Blasphemy guards the **Rune of Rykard** which powers up your attacks for a damage bonus.

 

- **Leyndell, Royal Capital** - The fortified capital is ruled by Morgott whose **Rune of Morgott** improves flask restoration speed, obtained after his defeat.

 

- **Haligtree** - At the peak of the treacherous Haligtree, Malenia and her **Rune of Malenia** which heals you over time await those who survive the harrowing journey.

 

Each of these Legacy Dungeon bosses poses a serious challenge, but overcoming them grants you their Great Runes' powers.

 

-         Optional Great Runes

 

The two optional Great Runes require diving into the Lands Between's hidden underground regions:

 

- **Nokron, Eternal City** - Deep under Limgrave, the subterranean city of Nokron holds Fortissax and the **Rune of the Death Prince** which boosts damage against undead foes.

 

- **Deeproot Depths** - Accessible after clearing the Lake of Rot, these ominous depths below Leyndell contain the **Rune of the Unborn** to raise your Poise from a secret underground boss.

 

Venturing into these buried ruins and cities tests your mettle but allows you to uncover more of the world's secrets and powerful Runes.

 

Activating Great Runes

 

Once you have a Great Rune item, you need to activate its power at a Divine Tower before equipping it. Divine Towers are ancient stone towers that house dormant Great Runes.

 

-         Using Rune Arcs

 

To activate a Great Rune's effects, you first need to visit its corresponding Divine Tower and lay claim to its power by interacting with the Rune marking.

 

After claiming a Rune, you then need to use a Rune Arc to temporarily awaken its blessing. Rune Arcs are special consumable items that can be crafted with Rune Fragments collected from rats and crabs throughout the world.

 

Activating a Rune's blessing with an Arc lasts until you die. So use Runes Arcs judiciously since they are limited.

 

-         Unlimited Rune Arcs

 

After first activating a Great Rune at its Tower, resting at a Site of Grace creates a summon sign that you can use to be summoned for co-op. If you place your summon sign and successfully help another player defeat a boss, you'll be rewarded with an unlimited use Rune Arc!

 

This unlimited Rune Arc can be used indefinitely to keep reactivating that Great Rune's effects without requiring regular Rune Arcs. So it's highly useful to unlock unlimited Arcs when you rely heavily on a certain Rune.

 

To unlock an unlimited Arc:

 

- Activate a Great Rune at its Tower

- Rest at a Site of Grace to create a gold summon sign

- Place your sign and be summoned to co-op to beat a boss

- Receive unlimited use Rune Arc for that Rune as a reward

 

With this method, you can maintain a Rune's powers indefinitely, which is otherwise difficult relying on limited regular Rune Arcs alone.

 

Equipping Great Runes

 

Once their powers are unlocked at Towers, here is how to equip your Great Runes:

 

-         Equip Menu

 

Access your Equipment Menu at Sites of Grace and select the Talisman section. Here you can slot Great Runes into your two specialized Rune slots - the Primary and Secondary slot.

 

Equip your most important, powerful Rune into the Primary Slot. A secondary supporting Rune can go into the Secondary slot.

 

-         Talisman Pouch

 

To be able to equip any Great Runes, you need a Talisman Pouch equipped. This is a special talisman that enables your two Great Rune slots.

 

The basic Talisman Pouch found at the Roundtable Hold has two Great Rune slots. As you progress, you can expand the pouch size with additional Talismans like the Great-Jar Arsenal to unlock more slots.

 

Having an expanded Talisman Pouch allows equipping multiple Great Runes to combine their powers. But the basic pouch's two slots are enough to benefit from one Primary and one Secondary Rune.

 

Great Rune Levels

 

Great Runes can be strengthened up to a max level of +10 by repeatedly activating them with Rune Arcs. This boosts their effects.

 

-         Improving Great Runes

 

While a Rune is equipped, use a Rune Arc at a Site of Grace. This will increment that Rune's level steadily, enhancing its effect up to a max of +10.

 

Each time you activate a Great Rune, check its level and Finger Icon on the HUD to verify it increased. Repeating this process of using Runes Arcs while the Rune is equipped power ups the Rune.

 

-         Maximum Level

 

It takes approximately 10 uses of Rune Arcs on an equipped Great Rune to max out its level at +10. This substantially boosts the Rune's unique effect - increasing its FP restore, stat boosts, HP regen, etc.

 

So it's highly advantageous to invest your limited Rune Arcs to fully strengthen your most important Runes first. A max level Rune of +10 makes a major difference in power.

 

Stacking Great Runes

 

You can amplify your strengths enormously by equipping two Great Runes simultaneously to combine their effects.

 

-         Primary and Secondary Slots 

 

The key is to equip complementary Runes in your Primary and Secondary slots that play to your build's strengths and shore up weaknesses:

 

For example, pair:

 

- Rune of Radahn (Primary) for HP/stamina boost + Rune of Malenia (Secondary) for constant HP regen

 

- Rune of Godrick (Primary) for stat boost + Rune of Rennala (Secondary) for FP restore

 

Think about stat bonuses, damage boosts, or recovery effects that work well together to make yourself nearly unstoppable!

 

-         Combination Effects

 

With two Runes equipped, activating a Rune Arc triggers both their bonuses simultaneously. So you can enjoy the combined results:

 

- Radahn + Malenia Runes stack for a massive HP pool and constant gradual regen even during combat.

 

- Godrick + Rennala Runes raise all your stats while giving you limitless casts of your powerful spells.

 

- Rykard + Radahn improve attacking power and equip load allowing you to wield heavy weapons relentlessly.

 

Mix and match Runes that cover your weaknesses and complement your playstyle. The combinations are extremely fun and powerful!

 

Strategies and Tips

 

Here are some key suggestions for using your Great Runes effectively:

 

-         Choosing Runes

 

- Evaluate your build and playstyle. Equip the Runes that directly enhance your strengths.

 

- Swap out your equipped Runes depending on the situation. You can switch them at Sites of Grace.

 

- Boost your core stats like Vigor/HP first before damage. Survival must come before damage output.

 

-         Managing Runes

 

- Save limited Rune Arcs until you unlock each Rune's unlimited use version.

 

- Prioritize investing arcs into maxing your most important Rune to +10 first before others.

 

- Having a surplus of Runes Arcs allows you to freely re-activate Runes anytime.

 

-         Activating Runes

 

- Activate your Runes before major dungeons/bosses for the advantage.

 

- Kindle Sites of Grace to carry an extra flask charge for more healing.

 

- Pop a Rune Arc as soon as you respawn after death so it's active ASAP.

 

-         Co-op for Unlimited Arcs

 

- Rush to unlock each Rune's unlimited Arc as soon as possible.

 

- Drop your summon sign and help other players defeat bosses to bank unlimited Arcs.

 

- Store surplus unlimited Arcs in your chest to essentially "stockpile" Rune activations.

 

Downsides of Great Runes

 

As incredibly powerful as Great Runes are, they do come with some disadvantages to consider:

 

-         Loss on Death

 

Dying while your activated Rune's blessing is still in effect will cause you to lose that boost until activating another Rune Arc.

 

This means you can potentially lose a major stat boost or passive heal effect right when you need it most - right after respawning.

 

Playing cautiously and defensively is key to actually benefitting from your Great Rune effects for their duration. Rushing in haphazardly can cost you their powers.

 

-         Finding Rune Arcs

 

Before unlocking unlimited use Runes Arcs, you need to rely on collecting the limited consumable version from the world.

 

Rune Arcs can be cumbersome to farm since they are relatively rare spawns as treasure or enemy drops. You'll often find yourself running low on Arcs.

 

Saving them for your best Runes and locating surplus Arcs must be a priority early on. Otherwise maintaining Rune powers can be difficult if Arcs are scarce.

 

So mastering Runes takes patience, careful planning, and diligent exploration to ensure you have enough Arcs in supply.

 

Conclusion

 

The incredible power of Great Runes is yours for the taking. Seek them out across the farthest reaches of the Lands Between, claim their blessings in Divine Towers, maximize their strength, and synergize their abilities through clever combinations.

 

Adapt your Rune loadout and strategy to counter any opponent. Rise beyond mortality by mixing the demigods' talents. With mastery of the Great Runes, you can ascend into a true Lord and fully restore the fractured Elden Ring!

 

The legacy of the Shardbearers is now in your hands. Their Runes' mythic potential awaits. Journey forth intelligently, Tarnished one, and brandish the might of the Runes wisely.

 

FAQ

 

Q: How many Great Runes are there in Elden Ring?

 

A: There are a total of 8 Great Runes obtainable in the game. 6 come from the main Shardbearer demigod bosses, while 2 optional ones can be found in hidden areas like Nokron and Deeproot Depths.

 

Q: Do Great Rune effects stack?

 

A: Yes, you can stack certain Great Rune effects by equipping 2 Runes simultaneously. For example, combining the HP boost from Radahn's Rune and the HP regen from Malenia's Rune can make you extremely tanky.

 

Q: Where can I duplicate Rune Arcs?

 

A: You can unlock the ability to duplicate Rune Arcs for a specific Great Rune by activating it at a Divine Tower, then being summoned to co-op and defeating a boss. This will grant you an unlimited use Rune Arc to keep reactivating that Rune.

 

Q: Do Great Runes work in PvP?

 

A: No, Great Rune bonuses do not apply during online PvP. Their effects are only active in your own game world when using Rune Arcs.

 

Q: Can I swap Great Runes at Sites of Grace?

 

A: Yes, you can freely change which Great Runes you have equipped by opening your Equip menu at Sites of Grace. This allows you to switch Runes to suit different situations.

 

Q: What is the best Great Rune for a Strength build?

 

A: Godrick's Great Rune is a top choice for Strength builds since it boosts all attributes, letting you raise Strength, Vigor, and Endurance together. Radahn's Rune also works well to massively expand your HP and stamina for tanking hits.

 

Q: Do I keep Great Rune levels if I consume the Rune for runes?

 

A: Unfortunately, no - consuming a Great Rune for runes resets it back to level 1. You'll have to use more Rune Arcs to re-level that Rune if you obtain it again. So only consume Great Runes that you don't plan to use further.

 

Q: Where can I find Rune Fragments to craft Rune Arcs?

 

A: The best way is to farm Rune Fragments from rats in places like Stormveil Castle. Turtles in Limgrave also have a chance of dropping them. You can also find Rune Arcs as treasure in mines and tunnels.

 

Q: Should I use Rune Arcs on lower-level Runes, or save them?

 

A: It's best to save your limited Rune Arcs until you unlock unlimited use ones from co-op. Prioritize using Arcs on your most important Great Rune to max it out first before leveling up others.

 

Q: Do Great Runes work in the overworld, or only in legacy dungeons?

 

A: Their effects apply everywhere in your game world, not just in dungeons. So Great Runes can benefit your exploration and combat throughout Lim