Elden Ring is a massive game, so chances are good that it’ll take more than one playthrough to see everything. Seeing as how starting new game plus in Elden Ring is as easy as resting at the Roundtable of Lost Grace and selecting the “Begin Journey 2” option, it can be tempting to do so without making any preparations. Don’t do that. There are certain things that can only be done with most of the map accessible and most of the stores unlocked. If one wants to start new game plus on the best possible footing, there are a few steps that should be taken first.
Step 1: Square Up
In a game as massive as Elden Ring, it’s easy to miss a few bosses. Since many of them have valuable unique drops, it’s worth it to go out there and get them felled before moving onto new game plus. High-priority targets should include Erdtree Avatars, Deathbirds, Night’s Cavalry and the Bell Bearing Hunters. Dragons, evergaol dwellers and NPC Invaders are all important too of course, but those are all best covered in another guide. Out of of those though,Black Knife Tiche and the Mimic Tearshould be the top priorities.
Erdtree Avatars drop crystal tears for the flask of Wondrous Physic, which can grant the player various unique buffs upon consumption. Since there are so many potential builds and situations in Elden Ring, it’s worthwhile to get as my tears as possible before starting a new run. There are seven avatars in total and they can be found in the following locations:
Five Putrid Avatars can also be encountered in Caelid, Haligtree and Consecrated Snowfield as well. Expect to get crystal tears from those seen in Caelid and Consecrated Snowfield.
Deathbirds (and Death Rite Birds) are worth taking-out for two reasons: they’re too ugly to be left alive, and they give all sorts of interesting loot. Some drop weapons, others drop shields, while still others drop talismans and other stuff. It’s worth hunting down all eight monstrously hideous birds, but encountering them often depends on the time of day.
Deathbirds:
Death Rite Birds:
Night’s Cavalry appear depending on the time of day too, but they’re always seen at night. All of them either drop their signature armor/weapons or valuableAshes of Warlike the Bloodhounds Step. The final two Night’s Cavalry encountered in Consecrated Snowfield even leave an extra Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for players who manage to defeat them. The ten Night’s Cavalry can be found in the following spots:
As for Bell Bearing Hunters, there are four in total, they all appear at night, and they’re all inexplicably tough. As with all the previously-mentioned boss enemies, though, the rewards are often worth it. Each hunter awards a special bell bearing upon its defeat, enabling players to gain easy access to high-level materials and more. Track them down at the following locations and bring that A-game; they’ll punish anything and everything less.
Step 2: Clean Up
Once all the remaining high-priority bosses have been dealt with, players may want to consider channeling their efforts into sniffing out any remaining dungeons. While this may seem easier said than done, there are a couple of ways to hone-in on their locations.
The first of these is the Guide Statues. These statues resembling a creepy old woman can be found all over The Lands Between and they always point to a dungeon. If one is encountered, ensure to approach and check it. If there’s a button prompt, hit it and follow the ghostly trail of light that emerges; it’ll surely lead to a nearby dungeon. If no button prompt appears, then one can (usually) rest assured that they’ve already cleared the area’s most important hidden spot. Aside from the statues, it’s usually just good to just be extra thorough and look for hidden drops or not-so-obvious dips in a cliffside. Unexplained concentrations of enemies are also a good indicator.
Step 3: Stock Up
Okay, so now that most of the bosses have been defeated and most of the dungeons have been found and looted, the only thing left to do is spend all those extra runes at the Twin Maiden Husks Shop in Roundtable Hold. All bell bearings (and the items they unlock) are lost upon starting new game plus, so it’s best to buy up as many rare consumables, materials and smithing stones as possible before starting that next run. New game plus is all about playing around with new weapons and such, and it’s much easier to do that with a well-stocked inventory. Don’t worry about banking runes, there will beplenty more of themin the next run. The best thing to do now is spend ‘em!
Also, make sure to also find all the Walking Mausoleums and duplicate any Rememberances one might have on hand. In general, secret bosses Rememberances should take priority since they’re more difficult to seek out, but then it’s more about what one does and doesn’t want to do in their next playthrough. Don’t want to beat a boss again but do want all their stuff? Duplicate. Going to fight ‘em again? Maybe don’t duplicate. In case it’s needed, here’s a list of Walking Mausoleum locations, just remember that only the ones with bells are able to duplicate major boss rememberances.
Having completed each of these steps, the time to start new game plus will have arrived. After clearing all available bosses, acquiring all available gear/spells/incantations and stocking up on rare items, The Tarnished should be all set for another, hopefully much smoother,journey through The Lands Between.One more tip: go and immediately wreck Grafted Scion, Tree Sentinel, Flying Dragon Agheel and Margit the Fell Omen. Paying them back in full for all the early game pain suffered at their hands is beyond satisfying.
