From the moment you set foot in the Shadow Realm in the newElden RingDLC,Shadow of the Erdtree, one thing will become very clear. This DLC is basically the size of most full-fledged releases. Which naturally means that you’ll be spending hours upon hours exploring new areas if you want to see everything that Miyazaki has laid out for you.
But just as you open those doors to The First Step in Limgrave. As you stare up at the Scadutree for the first time, the sheer scale of the land stretching out before you may be intimidating and daunting.
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The burning question at the forefront of your mind will be, ‘Where do I even begin?’ This is a question that I want to answer for you today by not only showing you where to go first, but also laying out the best order to see every single major area of the game. So open your map and put down some markers as I act as your tour guide through the Shadow Realm.
12Belurat Tower Settlement
Main Boss Of The Area
Divine Beast Dancing Lion
Cool Items To Seek Out
Dried Bouquet,Crusade Insignia
We begin with the legacy dungeon the game will subtly nudge you towards from the moment you enter the DLC viaMohgwyn PalaceYou can mess around in Gravesite Plain and beat some tough bosses like theBlackgaol Knightand theGhostflame Dragon, but ultimately, you’ll want to work toward Belurat, as this is where you will find one of the mandatory bosses needed to complete the DLC campaign.
This area is a quintessentially gothic and beautiful setting where you’ll encounter minor hurdles, like the first encounter withFire Knight Queelign, amongst other things. But the real test in this area isDivine Beast Dancing Lion, which is a tricky fight against a ferocious lion enemy that boasts strong lightning and frost attacks. It’s a tough area, but one I feel sets the tone for the DLC and prepares you for what’s to come, so be sure to head here first.
11Cerulean Coast
Ghostflame Dragon or Dancer of Ranah
Great Grave Glovewort
It might seem like the map only allows you to head onward toward Castle Ensis at this point, but some hidden pathways will allow you to access interesting new areas, and one that’s immediately available is the Cerulean Coast. This area can be accessed by heading down the path near the Runied Lava Forge Intake and then exploring the lower area until you find a secret cave guarded by Miranda Sprouts. This will take you along the Ellac Riverbed and allow you to access the Cerulean Coast.
This area has some interesting lesser bosses like Demi-God Queen Marriga, another Ghostflame Dragon, and some excellent early-game items. Plus, it’s so pretty and blue that as soon as you see it shimmering before you, you won’t be able to do anything but explore every nook and cranny of this beautiful area. But just some tips. Don’t bother exploring the Finger Ruins of Rhia until you’ve met Count Ymir, and don’t go into the Stone Coffin Fissure until later, because it can be a pretty unforgiving place early on.
10Castle Ensis
Rellana, Twin Moon Knight
Milady,Carian Sorcery Sword
After you complete Belurat and see the Cerulean Coast, your options are still a little limited, as the map’s design prevents you from going off in any direction you like, as the Ellac River keeps you penned in a little. So, the next natural area for most players will be Castle Ensis. This is a legacy dungeon area that acts as a nod to Raya Lucaria Academy, as you’ll find a lot of magic-based enemies here, including the iconic Burger King Glintstone enemies.
Elden Ring: How to Beat Rellana Twin Moon Knight in Shadow of the Erdtree
Double The Blades, Double The Trouble.
This area has some cool items to grab likeMilady, and theCarian Sorcery Swordbut the real star of the show here is Rellana, Twin Moon Knight. This is easily one of the coolest fights withinElden Ringas a whole and serves as a natural step up in difficulty to theDivine Beast Dancing LionThere are still plenty of harder tests to come, but Rellana is a great way to prepare for them early on.
9Ruah Base
Rugalea The Great Red Bear
Roar of RugaleaCrimson Amber Medallion +3Two-Handed Sword Talisman
After you complete the Castle Ensis area, you may be tempted to head over to Shadow Keep, but there are some non-legacy dungeon areas that I feel provide a lot of great side content that helps you grow stronger and become more prepared for the steeper challengesShadow of the Erdtreehas to offer.
So, I would urge players to head north of the Moorth Ruins until they see a secret passage guarded by Miranda Sprouts, and follow that cave to the other side, where you will emerge into the lower region of the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.
This lower area will allow you to battle against formidable foes like one of the Death Knights, andRugalea, The Great Red Bear. Plus, this area gives you access to some great early-game items, such as theTwo-Handed Sword Talismanhidden within the Temple Town Ruins, and theTaylew the Golem SmithSpirit Ash located inTaylew’s Ruined Forge.
This isn’t a very testing area, but it’s still worth exploring. If you don’t do it early, it will trivialize it later on, so it is best to carve out some time after Castle Ensis for this area.
8Shadow Keep
Golden Hippopotamus
Talisman of Lord’s Bestowal
When you have seen all that the Lower region of Rauh has to offer, it’s time to head to Shadow Keep, and when I say Shadow Keep, I mean specifically the region accessed through the front door. Immediately, you’ll have to endure the fight against the Golden Hippopotamus. From there, you’ll have to navigate an area filled with Black Knights and various other tough enemies.
Elden Ring: How to beat the Golden Hippopotamus in Shadow of the Erdtree
I Like ‘Em Big, I Like ‘Em Chunky
There are great things to be found in this area, such as theTalisman of Lord’s Bestowal, and the"Domain of Dragons" Painting. But the real reason to go through this area is to find a coffin down to the Shadow Keep Watering Hole, which will allow you to drop down to a new area where you’ll find the Ruins of Unte and the Darklight Catacombs.
You can also access the Specimen Storeroom via this path, but I would suggest leaving that area untouched until you explore the Church District and come to that area from another angle.
7Abyssal Woods
Midra, Lord of the Frenzied Flame
Nanaya’s TorchMadding Hand
Because you now have access to the Darklight Catacombs, I would urge you to explore this area and defeatJori, Edler Inquisitor.As this will grant you access to the Abyssal Woods, a dark, ominous, and annoying area of this DLC.
This is by far the most agitating and unenjoyable part of the DLC campaign, as you cannot explore atop Torrent, and you’ll be forced to use stealth to get through large portions of this area. Not to mention, there is hardly anything worth finding in the woods itself, so going off the beaten track is pointless.
Elden Ring: How to Beat Midra, Lord of the Frenzied Flame in Shadow of the Erdtree
This fight is Madness, Madness I Tell You!
However, Midra’s Manse, the legacy dungeon of this region, makes up for the rest of the area’s shortcomings. Providing an area ruled by the Frenzied Flame, with secret passages to uncover, nifty items to collect, and a cinematic and intense battle with Midra, Lord of the Frenzied Flame, to cap it all off. Because of the stealth-based aspects of this area, it’s best just to get it out of the way as soon as you’re able to, but we assure you, Midra’s fight makes all the skulking around worth it.
6Church District/Scadutree Base
Scadutree Avatar
Mantle of Thorns
After you endure the Abyssal Woods, you’ll want to head to the Moorth Ruins and descend, beginning your path toward Shadow Keep’s Church District. The path will lead you through Bonny Village, around the Cathedral of Manus Metyr, and past Rabbath’s Rise before you get there, so feel free to stop and explore as you go. But you’ll eventually get to the flooded Church District, and you’ll need to do some expert platforming to explore the area, and find the lever used to drain the district.
Elden Ring: How to Beat the Scadutree Avatar in Shadow of the Erdtree
Turn This Decrepit Tree To Mulch!
After this, you’ll be able to explore the lower region of this area and find a pathway that leads down to the giant Scadutree’s base. Which is the home of one of my personal favorite bosses in the DLC, the Scadutree Avatar. This is a tough three-stage fight that requires precise dodging and focused attacks on their weak point, but by this point in your DLC campaign, you’ll be more than ready for this challenge.
5Stone Coffin Fissure
Putrescent Knight
St. Trina’s SmileVelvet Sword of St. Trina
After you drain the Church District, you’ll then be able to access the Specimen Storehouse, and effectively have a clear run at the DLC’s end-game content. However, there are still some key areas you have yet to discover, so now is the time to seek those out. I would begin with the Cerulean Coast’s Legacy Dunegon, the Stone Coffin Fissure.
This is an area where you’ll encounter undead enemies aplenty, have to dodge laser attacks from Stone caterpillar enemies, and will have to platform with care to avoid becoming a puddle on the floor below.
The main area is a challenge, to say the least, and eventually, you will come to what seems like a dead end with a sheer drop below. But those who are brave and take the plunge will uncover the area’s boss arena, and will face off against the Putrescent Knight, a terrifying cleaver-wielding undead knight on horseback that stands in the way of you and the cave that houses St Trina. This area is key tofinishing Thiollier’s questline, so if that’s important to you, it’s best to take this on before your assault on Enir Llim.
4Jagged Peak
Bayle The Dread
Igon’s Set
Strictly speaking, you’re able to head to Jagged Peak before you even set foot in Belurat, as this area is immediately accessible through Dragon’s Pit, and in truth, there are some perks to exploring this area early on.
You’ll be able to gain some runes by fighting the three Jagged Peak Drakes. You’ll be able to take on Ancient Dragon Senessax as well, and you’ll be able to get your hands onIgon’s SetHowever, the reason why I would suggest leaving this until a little later on, is because of the brutal boss fight that awaits you at the summit.
Elden Ring: How to Beat the Jagged Peak Drake in Shadow of the Erdtree
Before You Head Up The Mountain, Slay This Big Boy.
Bayle The Dread is a truly formidable boss, and for my money, the hardest boss in the game aside from Radahn at the DLC’s close. They have immunity to just about every elemental attack; they move around the arena at pace, giving you very few windows to attack, and they hit like a tonne of bricks.
Even with a whole bunch ofScadutree Fragmentlocated, you’ll still have a really tough time taking them down, especially if you are a melee user, so I would suggest leaving them until much later in the DLC.
3Specimen Storehouse
Messmer The Impaler
Pearldrake Talisman +3Fire Knight Hilde
Now comes the final gauntlet leading to the DLC’s final boss. You may have dipped in and out of the Specimen Storehouse by this point, but now is the time to really attack it head-on and get to the top of this area where a true test of your ability awaits.
Within this area, you’ll have to deal with quite a few Messmer Flame mages, and you’ll also have to navigate the seven floors of this area to try and find a lever that will lower the statue in the middle of the room that will grant you access to the upper region of the Ancient Ruins of Ruah, and the area’s main attraction, Messmer.
Elden Ring: How to Beat Messmer The Impaler in Shadow of the Erdtree
Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death.
While you can technically avoid him and simply push on to the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, this would be foolish as you’ll needMessmer’s Kindlingto burn the Sealing Tree, which grants you access to Enir Llim, so you’ll want to make the time now to work out how to best them.
Alongside this amazing fight, the area plays host to loads of excellent items like thePearldrake Talisman +3, variousScadutree FragmentandRevered Spirit Ash, and the Spirit Ash,Fire Knight Hilde, to name but a few. It’s, in my opinion, the most fun and well-designed area of the whole DLC, which makes it a great way to begin your final assault.
