One of the best things about Elden Ring is the freedom it gives the players to build their characters and play the game exactly the way they want to. Whether it is pursuing a pure melee build and relying solely on one's skills to get past bosses, or investing skill points into intelligence and faith to make things a little easier with sorceries or incantations, there is no right or wrong way to go about progression in this game.

Regardless of the preferred path, the start of the game can be very intimidating for newcomers. Merchants encountered early on can help level out the playing field by a significant margin. They hold certain items that players should buy at the very start of their adventure to help themselves fend off the hordes of increasingly tough mobs and bosses of Elden Ring.

Updated Feb 2, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: Success in Elden Ring tends to build on itself – when you eventually beat a boss, and when you successfully build up enough Runes to level up, the game gets easier. The same thing goes for your equipment and gear. The best Elden Ring gear isn't necessarily the best you can find at the end of the game, it's what carries you the furthest, and having good items early on can mean the difference in languishing in Limgrave or living it up in Liurnia. This guide to the best items to get first has been updated to provide more precise details on where to find each of these consumables and gear, to help you successfully clear the early game of Elden Ring faster and help drive you into the mid and late game.

11 Torch

There are a lot of dungeons and caves in Elden Ring, and many of them are dark. Completely dark. In order to comfortably explore them, a torch (or another illuminating instrument) is an absolute necessity. Technically, they can be looted from killed enemies sometimes, but it's much easier (and time-efficient) to simply buy one from a merchant.

They're cheap, and unlike in other FromSoftware titles, they don't run out. Later on you can get a Lantern that functions as a non-weapon source of light, but the Torch is more effective at lighting large areas.

Where To Get The Torch in Elden Ring

Kale, the very first merchant found in the game (he can be found at a campfire in the Church of Elleh) sells torches for a reasonable price of 200 runes. Players should take him up on this offer to be able to head into the unknown comforted by the fact that they can illuminate their surroundings whenever they need to.

10 Crafting Kit

Crafting has been an inseparable part of the vast majority of open-world RPGs released in recent years. Elden Ring is no exception. Although one might argue that players can get by without ever really crafting anything, there is a real benefit to whipping up consumables and ammo on the go.

In Elden Ring, players can craft consumables that temporarily boost their stats or various types of projectiles, amongst many other things. Collect the Crafting Kit near the beginning of the game and keep an eye out for various Cookbooks to unlock new recipes for it.

Where To Get The Crafting Kit in Elden Ring

The crafting kit that enables all this can be purchased from Kale for a very generous price of only 50 runes.

9 Cookbooks

A crafting kit is of no use without recipes for the many items that can be created. The crafting system in Elden Ring makes use of "cookbooks," which contain information on how to create specific things the player doesn't have access to at the start of the game.

Having at least a few of them in the inventory can make a huge difference, and the ones sold by Kale at the Church of Elleh should be considered essential in the early stages of Elden Ring. These can be found almost anywhere, so keep an eye out.

Where To Get Cookbooks in Elden Ring

These cookbooks can be found in chests, dungeons, or even dropped by fallen enemies. A lot of them can also simply be purchased from merchants scattered across the Lands Between.

8 Larval Tears

Larval Tears are one of Elden Ring's essential items, especially for players who want to frequently respec their characters and try out different builds over the course of a single playthrough. Each respec with Rennala the Academy of Raya Lucaria costs one Larval Tear.

These are limited in the game, though, so don't go changing your stats around just whenever you feel like it. Use Larval Tears only when you want to make major adjustments to your build, or swap to a new one for more than just a single boss – it's painful to run out at the end of the game.

Where To Get Larval Tears in Elden Ring

While the vast majority of these limited items are found throughout the open world, Tarnished who find themselves in desperate need of respeccing can also buy them from merchants.

Altogether, there are only two Larval Tears sold by traders in Elden Ring. The first is sold by Pidia, who can be found in the Three Sisters sub-area of Liurnia of the Lakes. The other one is carried by the Nomadic Merchant in Siofra River, meaning that players wishing to buy it need to venture into the Underground to do so. A single Larval Tear will set the Tarnished back by a sizable sum of 3,000 runes.

7 Cracked Pots

Throwables can be a huge aid, especially when facing formidable foes that are much safer to be tackled from a distance when you don't have ranged options. Plus, they can inflict status effects and deal damage over a wide area, depending on the type. Most can be crafted with the use of Cracked Pots.

The most basic throwable item is the Fire Pot, obtainable by mixing a Smoldering Butterfly with a Mushroom in a Cracked Pot. Underleveled characters wishing to take up some of the more challenging early-game enemies should get their hands on these items as soon as possible.

Where To Get Cracked Pots in Elden Ring

They are fairly common to come across in the open world as loot from enemies, but the very first pots players will come across will likely be the ones sold by Kale for 300 runes.

6 Rune Arcs

While it is technically possible to beat Elden Ring without using any Rune Arcs, it would be a very limiting undertaking, considering that these items are necessary to unleash the power of the Great Runes dropped by shardbearing bosses in the game.

The buffs granted by the Great Runes range from improving attributes all the way to raising stamina, FP, and HP. Only consuming a Rune Arc can activate any equipped Great Rune. To keep these runes active after dying, players have to consume another arc, so it's a good idea to keep a few of them in the inventory at all times.

Where To Get Rune Arcs in Elden Ring

Rune Arcs are much easier to find in the overworld than Larval Tears or Celestial Dews, but that alone won't be of much aid to Tarnished who are in immediate need of activating a Great Rune without any such arcs in their inventory. ​​​​​​​

There are also a combined number of Rune Arcs sold by five merchants in various regions. Each Rune Arc costs 4,000 runes, except for those sold for 8,000 a piece by the Hermit Merchant in Mountaintops of the Giants. Players who want to get as many as possible at once should head to the Twin Maiden Husks in Roundtable Hold, as they hold a total of five arcs.

5 Stonesword Keys

Many Elden Ring players were quite confused about the Stonesword Keys and their intended use. In the inventory screen, they show up as "key items," but the game doesn't do a great job of clarifying how they can unlock areas in the world. It is revealed early on that these keys unlock areas that are blocked off by an impenetrable cloud of white fog.

This fog is removed by placing a Stonesword Key inside an imp statue, usually located in the vicinity of a blocked-off entrance. Players should buy these keys wherever possible, as it is incredibly annoying to be unable to explore an area due to the lack of easily obtainable items.

Where To Get Stonesword Keys in Elden Ring

Stonesword Keys are sold by a huge variety of merchants throughout the Lands Between, but they can also be found as loot in the world, from chests, and a variety of other sources. Three can be purchased from the Twin Maiden Husks for 4,000 Runes each.

4 Arrows

Arrows can be crafted in Elden Ring, but this process is rather resource-intensive. Those lucky enough to get their hands on a bow in the early stages of their playthrough should stock up on arrows by purchasing them from a merchant whenever they come across one.

Players who prefer to handle enemy encounters from a distance are perfectly aware of how quickly their quiver gets depleted, so spending a couple of runes here and there to make sure they don't run out right ahead of a tough fight is recommended.

Where To Get Arrows in Elden Ring

Most shopkeepers in the game hold arrows of some kind, and many versions can easily be Crafted by the player, too. Just keep an eye out for materials, cookbooks, and merchants to virtually never run out.

3 Crimson Amber Medallion

This medallion can be selected as one of the starting keepsakes during character creation in Elden Ring. Equipping this medallion raises the wearer's HP by 6-8%, which can prove to be the difference between life and death in the unforgiving world of the Lands Between.

It is also one of the cheapest medallions carried by in-game merchants and can be purchased for a meager price of 1,500 runes. It will likely be replaced further into the game by more effective Talisamns (like the Erdtree's Favor, which improves more than just HP). But at the start, with so few options, it's really not a bad placeholder.

Where To Get Crimson Amber Medallion in Elden Ring

Thankfully, Tarnished who opted to receive a different item at the start of their adventure can easily buy the Crimson Amber Medallion from the Nomadic Merchant located near the Castle Morne Rampant Site of Grace in the Weeping Peninsula.

2 Chain Armor Set Early Game Armor

The Chain armor set sold by Kale in the Church of Elleh may not seem like much, but it can actually be beneficial, especially for players pursuing melee builds.

While it may not be too reliable when facing the more formidable foes after getting past Stormveil Castle, it is a pretty significant upgrade over the starting gear of most character classes, helpful when exploring the Limgrave region.

Where To Get Early Game Armor in Elden Ring

Each piece of the set costs 1000 runes except for Chain Armor, which is sold for 1500 runes. This means that for the fair price of 4500 runes, players can clad themselves in a fairly basic, but solid armor set that is sure to let them take more hits during combat.

1 Ash Of War: No Skill

This Ash of War is surprisingly useful, for being found so early and for seemingly taking power away from the player. The No Skill Ash of War serves to remove the skill assigned to any given piece of armament. This might seem like a downgrade, but it allows players to experiment with their setup and assign their primary weapon's skill as their Weapon Skill, not their left-handed one, for example.

It is especially useful for shield-wielding players who wish to make their sword-and-shield combat more versatile. Put No Skill on a shield, and you will be able to use your Weapon's Ash of War while wielding both. Put it on one weapon in a Dual Wield build, and the other's will become your default Ash of War.

Where To Get Ash Of War: No Skill in Elden Ring

This useful Ash of War can be purchased at the Warmaster's Shack from Knight Bernahl for just 600 runes.