10 Things To Do Before Shadow Of The Erdtree (2024)

Elden Ring took the world by storm when it first came out. It launched a new era of community discovery as players fought through the open-world souls game, uncovering hidden dungeons, taking down bosses, and mastering the most secret of spells. Shadow of the Erdtree adds plenty of new content to the already jam-packed base game.

Before you jump into the DLC, there are a few requirements that need to be checked off. Otherwise, you won’t be able to access the new areas. There are also a few things that are recommended for a fuller experience. Here are ten things to do before Shadow of the Erdtree.

1 Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood

A Hard To Find Boss

One of the most important things to do before tackling the DLC is to defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood. You will not be able to access any of the DLC areas until you have done so.

He is considered one of the hardest optional bosses, so there's a good chance you haven’t already tackled him. In fact, It’s considered one of the rarer achievements for players to have completed. Mohg is not the only boss you need to take down.

2 Defeat Starscourge Radahn

Do It For The Story

While all eyes are on Mohg, you also need to defeat Starscourge Radahn. This is a requirement not only to access the DLC but also if you want the full experience of the plot. This is due to Miquella’s hand being the one exposed and ready to take you into new territory.

One of the greatest Elden Ring mysteries is why Malenia was fighting Radahn. Seeing as Malenia is the Blade of Miquella, there are some breadcrumbs that might lead to answers once you play the DLC.

3 Level Up

Rise To Meet The Challenge

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Elden Ring is a massive game, so it’s understandable if you haven’t made it all the way through yet. However, expect to have a tough time standing up to enemies in Shadow of the Erdtree if your level isn’t high enough.

Seeing as this is post-game DLC, consider leveling up between levels 100 and 150. This should give you the stats you need to not get instantly wiped out by any enemies you might encounter. However, try not to go above 150 unless necessary. Going over might have some unwanted effects.

4 Consider Respecing Your Stats

Shuffle Your Stats

Because Shadow of the Erdrtee adds so many new weapons and spells to the game, you might want to consider respecing your character’s stats. This will make it easier to use any of the new weapons in the DLC if one catches your eye but doesn’t fall in line with your build.

You can respec your stats by collecting Larval Tears. Once collected, you can speak with Rennala at the Raya Lucaria Grand Library to perform an action called “Rebirth.” This will allow you to play around with your stats and move them around to fit your needs.

5 Start A New Character

Avoid New Game Plus

Starting a new character might seem excessive when you can respec your stats. However, there are a few reasons to do so. For starters, playing PvP can become harder if you’re over level 150 since there are fewer matches to be made. That's yet another reason to stick between 100 and 150.

If you’ve hit new game plus and want to run through Erdtree in a basic playthrough, you want to make sure you have a character that isn’t already in it. The DLC is already hard enough, and new game plus will only make it even more difficult for a first-time enjoyer.

6 Upgrade Your Flask

Get More Healing Done

One of the most important yet optional things to do before tackling any DLC content is to upgrade your Flask. There is no point leveling up if your healing barely does anything. So collect as many remaining Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears as possible.

Golden Seeds allow you to use your flash more often. Sacred Tears will make it so your Flask can hear more HP in a single use. If you use a magic build, you will also want to allocate a few of your additional Flasks to refill your FP.

7 Collect Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones

Max Out Your Weapons

Some items in Elden Ring are limited but are required to fully upgrade your arsenal. There are 13 Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones Scattered around the world, which can be used to upgrade weapons to rank 25. There are also eight Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones for special armaments.

While Shadow of the Erdtree is sure to add a few more of these items to the game, collecting them from the main game will let you upgrade any new weapon you find to its limit.

8 Improve Your Item Discovery Stats

Find Every DLC Item

Item Discovery may not be the stat you focus on the most when trying to create the most powerful build. However, if you want to get the best drops in Shadow of the Erdtree, finding ways to boost Item Discovery will help you get those drops faster and more frequently.

An Arcane build will already have a boosted Item Discovery stat, but if you’re not running magic, consider using items. This includes the Silver Scarab Talasmin and cooking up a Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot using a recipe found in the Smoldering Church.

9 Get Necessary Items Faster

Skip The Elden Ring Grind

Killing enemies for their drops is one way to get items in Elden Ring. However, if you want to skip the grind every time you want to upgrade a new weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree, then you want to find every Bell Bearing before proceeding further.

Bell Bearings aren’t always easy to find, but they are worth hunting for. They will expand the Twin Maiden Husk shop, which gives you access to easy Smithing Stones. There are 16 total Bell Bearings in the Lands Between.

10 Research Shadow Of The Erdtree

Knowledge Is Power

While not something you can do in the game, looking ahead by researching the DLC’s content can help you decide what kind of build you want to use when tackling. This knowledge will let you preemptively build your character stats, arrange Talismans that will boost your skills, and save your best Smithing Stones for your weapons of choice.

Of course, some players enjoy jumping into the new content blind to avoid spoilers. However, this optional step can give you a massive heads-up and more control over your experience.