Elden Ring is a tough game from the start. This guide is designed to help you get started properly and explore the game’s first enemy patrolled area, Gatefront Ruins, without dying too much.

Enter Limgrave

After you’ve created your character and watched the synopsis, you’ll arrive at a Chapel of Anticipation. Next, read the note and you can get the multiplayer item, Tarnished’s Wizened Finger, on the dead maiden.

Then we opened the front door and walked down the path to the courtyard. Here we’ll find Grafted Scion Boss, which you probably won’t be able to beat. But don’t worry, you’ll be respawning in this Stranded Graveyard soon.

Then, you just have to go up the stairs and through the door, and activate Site of Grace in the next room. We could then take the elevator down to the ground and into Limgrave. It’s also the first continent you’ll explore in Lands Between.

To Church Ruins

Activate the nearby Site of Grace and speak to White Mask Varre for more information. We then head to Church Ruins in the background while avoiding Leyndell Knight, who is patrolling the area.

Outside the front door of Church of Elleh, you’ll find a Golden Rune [2] on the ground. Inside you’ll find a Grace and a Smithing Table with Smithing Stone [1]. This Smithing Table allows you to upgrade your weapons and shields by 3 levels.

In the next area, you’ll need to kill a couple of isolated soldiers and harvest Elden Ring Runes. I suggest you can use stealth to kill them. When their backs are turned to each other, crouch down and sneak up on them. When directly behind them, press R1 or RB to stab them from behind.

If they spot you, try using a jump attack and quickly lower their health. There are two other guys with their backs to the path, so killing them all should be easy. Then turn over the hill and you’ll see Gatefront Ruins.

Collect Items

This area has some good items to enhance your character, but it’s patrolled around by a few tough enemies. The best strategy is to avoid being overwhelmed by taking on enemies one-on-one.

When the first opponent changes position and starts walking towards you, you can block it with your shield first. Then immediately press R2 or RT to Guard Counter. Enemies in the area are easily stunned, then you can move up to them and hit R1 or RB for crit damage.

We continue to the next opening on the right or east side of the Ruins. When the guard facing this opening is alone, we can get into his line of sight and lure him out, killing him with Guard Counter and crit damage. Then do the same with the patrolling guard and his wolf.

From inside the camp, we need to sneak up on this guard with our backs to them. And it’s important not to alert Armored Knight, who is patrolling the streets in the distance. In the beginning, you want to avoid fighting this Knight on foot.

Ash Of War: Storm Stomp & Whetstone Knife

Go down the stairs behind this guard and there’s a chest that contains Ash of War: Storm Stomp and Whetstone Knife. Next time you’re at Site of Grace, you can equip your weapon with this good starting Ash of War.

Go back up the stairs, wait for Knight to go west, then sneak across the road behind him. Hold the circle or X button to run while crouching. Then we moved to the right side of the wagon and crouched behind the steering wheel. After the enemy walks away, sneak up on this guy for a stealth kill.

Flails

Opening the chest on the back of this wagon will give you Flails, a magnificent weapon for Dexterity Builds.

Lordsworn’s Greatsword

Sneak along the north wall to the next gap, wait for this enemy to turn around, and do a stealth kill. Continue west and round another carriage. On the corner ahead, wait for the guards patrolling the street to turn and walk away, then sneak and kill them. Opening the chest on the wagon here yields Lordsworn’s Greatsword, a great starting weapon for building up your strength.

Ruin Fragments

Notably, the corpse in this area holds three Ruin Fragments for crafting. You can go in the middle of the road, wait for the guards patrolling the street to go left, and make sure the armored knight is facing right. Then sneak in and kill the guy secretly by the fire.

Ending

Now you can safely grab West Limgrave Map and sneak away before Armored Knight returns. Afterwards, you can rest at Site of Grace next to Gatefront Ruins. There you’ll meet Melina and be able to level up and set Ash of War Storm Stomp on the weapon. She also gives you Spectral Steed Whistle, which lets you summon Torrents.

Taking advantage of the night, you need to use the map to return to this Church of Elleh Site of Grace. There you will meet a witch who will give you Spirit Calling Bell and Lone Wolf Ashes.

After this, you’ll be better able to deal with all the bosses in the game. Riding torrents also makes fighting in the wild much easier. But you have to avoid letting enemies attack the torrent, or he might disappear.

Of course, there are other ways to accomplish Gatefront Ruins more directly, but I feel like the secret method I’ve outlined will make things easier. I sincerely hope you find this little guide useful. Have a great day!