8 Must-Have Items Before Starting Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (2024)

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree is just around the corner and we all need to start preparing for it! From all the rumors, and FromSoftware’s past record, we can expect the Shadow of the Erdtree to be extremely difficult. Fortunately, there are a plethora of items, spells, incantations, talismans, and weapons in the base game, which can be of great help to you in the DLC. To help you out, we decided to go through them all. So keep reading as we talk about the best items you should have before starting Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree!

1. Lantern

The Lantern is the most underrated item in Elden Ring. This little item helped me massively in the base game while navigating the really dark dungeons or locations. Having a bit of light around you is always helpful, especially when it doesn’t need to be equipped to one of your main slots and helps passively.

You can purchase the Lantern from the Isolated Merchant, west of Weeping Peninsula. There will be a sight of grace next to the merchant, named “Isolated Merchant Sight of Grace.” So go ahead and get this handy item before Erdtree drops!

2. Crepus’s Vial Talisman

Crepus’s Vial may not ring the bell for any players but it is one of the best Elden Ring talismans. This talisman eliminates all sounds made by the wearer during movement. This naturally makes it perfect for stealth or avoiding enemy encounters. I often used this talisman in the base game to avoid enemy detection in very clustered enemy locations, while looking for items or other important things in the area.

This item may not make you invisible, like the Unseen Form spell but it will surely help you avoid enemy detection fairly easily. You can obtain Crepus’s vial by completing the second assassination mission assigned by Tanith in the Volcanic Manor.

3. Unseen Form

The Unseen Form is one of the Sorcery Spells in Elden Ring and it can make the user invisible, making it another great option for Stealth scenarios. This spell is extremely useful to avoid unnecessary enemy aggression, while you can peacefully search an area.

Paring this spell with the Crepus’s Vial is the ultimate stealth combo in Elden Ring. You can find this spell in Altus Plateau after completing the Mirage Rise puzzle.

4. Green Turtle Talisman

The Green Turtle Talisman is undoubtedly the most useful talisman for melee builds in Elden Ring. This little talisman increases the stamina recovery speed, making it almost essential for the heavy weapon and armor builds. From what we have seen in the Elden Ring DLC preview, the enemies and bosses are very aggressive.

Getting out of stamina while rolling will likely be instant defeat against the Realm of Shadows bosses, which is why the Green Turtle Talismans is extremely useful to carry over. You can find this talisman in the Summonwater Village, northeast of Limgrave.

5. Mimic Tear Ashes

Mimic Tear is hands down the best spirit summon in Elden Ring, and it will likely be equally effective in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. The Mimic Tear spirit summon basically takes the form of the player’s build, from weapon to talisman, allowing players to double down on enemies with the same build.

This spirit summon is particularly useful with bleed and poise-break builds. The Mimic Tear summon can be found at Night’s Sacred Ground, in Nokron the Eternal City.

6. Bloodhound Step

Bloodhound Step is an Ash of War that allows players to dodge enemy attacks quickly. Although the Ash of War is a shadow of its former glory after the nerf, it is still very useful for players who struggle to dodge enemy attacks.

Being a double-colossal sword wielder in Elden Ring, I still use the Bloodhound Step Ash of War on my Greatsword to dodge enemy attacks after being stuck in the attack animation. Bloodhound step Ash of War can be found by defeating the Night’s Cavalry boss near the Great Bridge in Caelid.

7. Larval Tear

Larval Tears are limited items in Elden Ring, which allow players to respec their stats after interacting with Rennala in the Grand Library of Raya Lucaria. There are a total of 18 Larval Tears in the base game and unless you have used all of them it’s best to keep a couple on hand for the DLC.

The Realm of Shadows will add 100+ new weapons and multiple new weapon types. This means you will have to change your build quite often if you want to try all the new weapons.

8. Crafting Kit

Last but not the least is the Crafting Kit. Elden Ring added the crafting mechanic, which was missing in the other Soulsborne games. Crafting is one of the most underutilized mechanics in Elden Ring, as most players simply decide to ignore it. However, there are really good craftable items in Elden Ring, which will allow you to cheese most bosses in the game.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC will also add many new recipes to the game, so you will need the crafting kit in order to use them. The Crafting Kit can be purchased fairly quickly from Kale the Merchant in the Church of Elleh in Limgrave. This by far is one of the best items you should get before starting the Elden Ring DLC.

And these are the best items you should get your hands on before starting Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Got more suggestions for us? Drop them in the comments below!