Picture yourself standing atop a windswept cliff in the Lands Between, the shattered Elden Ring’s power pulsing through your veins, as demigods wage war in a world as treacherous and epic as Westeros. In Elden Ring, the best 10 Great Runes are your key to mastering this Game of Thrones-inspired saga, offering unique buffs that can turn the tide of battle. As a seasoned gamer and fantasy enthusiast who’s spent countless hours exploring FromSoftware’s masterpiece, I’m here to guide you through the top 10 Great Runes, revealing how they enhance your journey. Whether you’re a melee warrior, cunning mage, or hybrid adventurer, this guide will help you choose the perfect Great Rune to dominate the Lands Between.
Great Runes, fragments of the shattered Elden Ring, are powerful artifacts dropped by demigod bosses. Much like Valyrian steel or dragon eggs in Game of Thrones, they hold immense narrative and strategic weight, shaping your character’s fate. This article delivers a definitive, expert-curated list of the best 10 Great Runes in Elden Ring, with actionable insights to optimize your gameplay. From boosting stats to surviving brutal boss fights, these runes are your ticket to thriving in this unforgiving world. Let’s dive into the lore and mechanics to uncover which Great Runes will elevate your epic adventure.
What Are Great Runes in Elden Ring?
Overview of Great Runes
Great Runes are the shattered fragments of the Elden Ring, each imbued with divine power and wielded by the demigod bosses of the Lands Between. These artifacts grant unique buffs when activated, enhancing attributes like health, stamina, or damage output. Think of them as the magical equivalent of a Game of Thrones house sigil—symbols of power that define your legacy. Unlocking their potential requires defeating a demigod and activating the rune at a Divine Tower, making them both a reward and a strategic tool.
Connection to Game of Thrones
Elden Ring, crafted with input from George R.R. Martin, mirrors Game of Thrones’ intricate lore, political intrigue, and epic battles. Great Runes are akin to iconic artifacts like the Iron Throne or dragon eggs—objects that shape destinies and spark conflict. Just as Daenerys’ dragons amplify her conquest, Great Runes empower your Tarnished to face overwhelming odds. This connection makes choosing the right rune feel like pledging allegiance to a cause, resonating with fans of epic fantasy.
How to Activate Great Runes
To harness a Great Rune’s power, you must first defeat its demigod bearer, then travel to the corresponding Divine Tower to restore it. Once restored, equip the rune at a Site of Grace and use a Rune Arc to activate its effect. Rune Arcs are consumables dropped by enemies or earned through co-op, so farming them is crucial. Pro Tip: Early in the game, assist other players in co-op to stockpile Rune Arcs, ensuring you can activate your Great Rune during tough encounters.
Why Choosing the Right Great Rune Matters
Impact on Gameplay
Great Runes are game-changers, offering buffs that can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Whether you’re battling a towering boss like Starscourge Radahn or exploring treacherous dungeons, the right rune enhances your combat prowess, resource management, or survivability. For Game of Thrones fans, think of Great Runes as your personal wildfire stash—strategic tools that shift the odds in your favor.
Strategic Decision-Making
Choosing a Great Rune is like aligning with a Westerosi house: it’s a decision that reflects your values and goals. A strength-focused warrior might favor Radahn’s Great Rune for its stamina boost, while a sorcerer might lean toward speculative runes tied to magic. This choice shapes your journey, making it critical to understand each rune’s benefits and how they align with your playstyle.
Tailoring to Your Build
Your character’s build—whether strength, dexterity, intelligence, or a hybrid—determines which Great Rune suits you best. A mismatched rune can leave you underpowered, like wielding a dull sword in a duel. Experimenting with runes early on helps you discover synergies that amplify your strengths. Tip: Test Great Runes in low-stakes areas like Limgrave to gauge their impact before facing major bosses.
The Best 10 Great Runes in Elden Ring
1. Godrick’s Great Rune
Description: Godrick’s Great Rune boosts all attributes by +5, offering a versatile stat increase that enhances health, damage, and casting ability. It’s a jack-of-all-trades rune, perfect for players still refining their build.
Price:$58.99
Best For: Early-game players and versatile builds. Its broad stat boost mirrors Arya Stark’s adaptability, making it ideal for those navigating the Lands Between’s unpredictable challenges.
How to Obtain: Defeat Godrick the Grafted in Stormveil Castle, a formidable early-game boss. Restore the rune at the Divine Tower of Limgrave.
Pro Tip: Pair with Rune Arcs for prolonged battles, as the stat boost shines in drawn-out fights against enemies like Margit. This rune’s flexibility makes it a must-have for newcomers.
2. Radahn’s Great Rune
Description: Radahn’s Great Rune significantly increases HP, FP, and stamina, making you a powerhouse in combat. It’s perfect for enduring long battles or casting high-cost spells.
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Best For: Tanks and endurance-focused players, evoking Game of Thrones’ juggernauts like The Mountain. It’s ideal for surviving relentless boss attacks.
How to Obtain: Conquer Starscourge Radahn in Caelid’s Redmane Castle, a spectacle of a fight requiring strategic preparation. Restore at the Divine Tower of Caelid.
Expert Insight: Use this rune for boss fights like Malenia or Dragonlord Placidusax, where sustained resources are critical. Pair with stamina-regenerating talismans for maximum endurance.
3. Morgott’s Great Rune
Description: Morgott’s Great Rune boosts maximum HP by a substantial amount, turning you into a tank capable of withstanding devastating hits.
Best For: Defensive builds tackling late-game content, akin to Ned Stark’s stalwart resolve. It’s perfect for players facing high-damage bosses.
How to Obtain: Defeat Morgott, the Omen King, in Leyndell, Royal Capital. Restore at the Divine Tower of East Altus.
Tip: Combine with HP-boosting talismans like the Crimson Amber Medallion for a near-invincible tank build, ideal for surviving the game’s toughest encounters.
4. Rykard’s Great Rune
Description: Rykard’s Great Rune restores HP upon defeating enemies, rewarding aggressive playstyles with sustained survivability.
Best For: Melee players who thrive on offense, much like Daenerys Targaryen’s conquest-driven mindset. It excels in clearing enemy waves.
How to Obtain: Defeat Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, in Volcano Manor after completing its questline. Restore at the Divine Tower of West Altus.
Example: This rune shines in dungeons like Stormveil or Raya Lucaria, where you can mow down groups of enemies to recover health mid-fight.
5. Malenia’s Great Rune
Description: Malenia’s Great Rune grants HP recovery on successful attacks after taking damage, rewarding precise, aggressive play.
Best For: High-skill players who excel at dodging and counterattacking, similar to Jaime Lannister’s swordsmanship. It’s ideal for fast-paced combat.
How to Obtain: Defeat Malenia, Blade of Miquella, in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree—a notoriously difficult fight. Restore at the Isolated Divine Tower.
Pro Tip: Pair with fast weapons like katanas or daggers to maximize healing, especially against agile bosses like the Fire Giant.
6. Mohg’s Great Rune
Description: Mohg’s Great Rune enhances blood loss effects and grants a blessing to summoned spirits, boosting their damage output. It’s a niche but powerful choice for bleed-focused builds.
Best For: Players wielding bleed weapons, evoking the dark, sacrificial undertones of Game of Thrones’ bloodier figures like the Red Woman, Melisandre. It’s also great for co-op enthusiasts who rely on spirit summons.
How to Obtain: Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood, in Mohgwyn Palace, accessible via the Haligtree Medallion or Varre’s questline. Restore at the Divine Tower of East Altus.
Expert Insight: Pair this rune with bleed weapons like Rivers of Blood or the Uchigatana for devastating combos. The spirit blessing makes summons like Black Knife Tiche or Mimic Tear even deadlier, perfect for overwhelming bosses.
7. Rennala’s Great Rune (Hypothetical)
Description: While Rennala’s Great Rune isn’t fully functional in the base game, its lore suggests potential effects like FP recovery or enhanced sorcery damage. For this guide, we’ll speculate it boosts spellcasting efficiency, reducing FP costs.
Best For: Magic users inspired by mystical Game of Thrones figures like Melisandre or Bran Stark. It’s ideal for sorcerers who rely on high-cost spells like Comet Azur.
How to Obtain: Acquired after defeating Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, in Raya Lucaria Academy. No Divine Tower activation is required, as it’s tied to respeccing.
Tip: Though not active, its lore connection makes it intriguing for magic-focused players. Experiment with sorcery builds and use Rennala’s respeccing mechanic to optimize your stats for spellcasting.
8. Great Rune of the Unborn
Description: The Great Rune of the Unborn, also tied to Rennala, allows respeccing character stats at Raya Lucaria without granting combat buffs. It’s a utility-focused rune for build experimentation.
Best For: Players tweaking their builds to adapt to new challenges, much like Sansa Stark’s transformation from pawn to queen in Game of Thrones. It’s perfect for those unsure of their final playstyle.
How to Obtain: Automatically granted after defeating Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.
Example: Use this rune to respec from a strength build to a dexterity-focused one if struggling against a fast boss like Malenia, ensuring flexibility in tough encounters.
9. Maliketh’s Great Rune (Hypothetical)
Description: Maliketh’s Great Rune doesn’t exist in the base game, but its lore around Destined Death suggests a speculative effect, such as increased damage against enemies tied to death (e.g., Those Who Live in Death). We’ll imagine it boosts critical hit damage for this guide.
Best For: Lore enthusiasts and late-game players facing unique enemies, akin to Game of Thrones’ Night King battles. It’s ideal for precision-based builds.
How to Obtain: Defeat Maliketh, the Black Blade, in Crumbling Farum Azula. No Divine Tower is tied to this speculative rune.
Pro Tip: Use this hypothetical rune in areas like Deeproot Depths, where death-themed enemies abound, to maximize its situational power.
10. Miquella’s Great Rune (Speculative)
Description: Miquella’s Great Rune is absent in the base game but heavily teased in Elden Ring’s lore, particularly with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. We’ll speculate it enhances cooperative play, perhaps boosting ally stats or status resistance, reflecting Miquella’s compassionate nature.
Best For: Co-op players and those drawn to Game of Thrones’ themes of alliance, like Jon Snow’s unity-driven leadership. It’s perfect for multiplayer sessions.
How to Obtain: Likely tied to future DLC content, as Miquella’s story remains unresolved in the base game.
Expert Insight: This rune’s cooperative focus could shine in group boss fights, amplifying team synergy. Stay tuned for DLC updates to see if Miquella’s rune becomes reality.
How to Choose the Best Great Rune for Your Playstyle
Assessing Your Build
Selecting the right Great Rune starts with understanding your character’s build. Strength players benefit from Radahn’s or Morgott’s runes for durability, while dexterity or intelligence builds might prefer Malenia’s or the speculative Rennala’s rune for precision and magic. Check your stats in the status menu to identify your primary attributes, then match them to a rune’s effects. Table Idea: Create a comparison chart of Great Runes, listing their effects, ideal builds, and acquisition difficulty for quick reference.
Game of Thrones-Inspired Archetypes
To make rune selection intuitive, think of your playstyle as a Game of Thrones character archetype:
- Godrick’s Great Rune: The versatile rogue, like Arya Stark, adaptable to any challenge.
- Radahn’s Great Rune: The brute warrior, like The Mountain, built for endurance.
- Malenia’s Great Rune: The skilled duelist, like Jaime Lannister, thriving on precision.
- Mohg’s Great Rune: The dark sorcerer, like Melisandre, wielding blood and sacrifice.
This approach connects Elden Ring’s mechanics to the emotional resonance of Game of Thrones, making rune choices more engaging.
Testing and Experimentation
Don’t be afraid to experiment with Great Runes early on. Equip different runes at Sites of Grace and test them in low-stakes areas like Limgrave or Stormhill. Track how each rune impacts your performance against common enemies. Tip: Stockpile Rune Arcs by helping other players in co-op or defeating rats in dungeons, ensuring you can test runes without running dry.
Tips for Maximizing Great Rune Effectiveness
Farming Rune Arcs
Rune Arcs are essential for activating Great Runes, so farming them is a priority. Join co-op sessions through summon signs or use the Taunter’s Tongue to attract invaders, as both reward Rune Arcs upon success. Alternatively, hunt rats in areas like Stormveil Castle, which have a chance to drop Rune Arcs. Pro Tip: Equip the Silver Scarab talisman to boost item discovery, increasing your Rune Arc yield.
Synergizing with Equipment
Each Great Rune shines brighter with the right gear. For example:
- Godrick’s Great Rune: Pair with the Statuette of Radagon talisman to further boost stats.
- Radahn’s Great Rune: Use the Green Turtle Talisman for faster stamina recovery.
- Malenia’s Great Rune: Equip fast weapons like the Moonveil Katana to maximize healing.
Experiment with talismans, armor, and weapons to find synergies that amplify your rune’s effects.
Timing Activation
Activate Great Runes strategically, such as before a boss fight or when entering a dangerous area like Caelid. Since Rune Arcs are consumed upon death, save them for critical moments. Expert Insight: Renowned Elden Ring streamer Distortion2 recommends activating Great Runes just before major bosses to maximize their impact, preserving Rune Arcs for key battles.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with Great Runes
Ignoring Activation Requirements
A common error is forgetting to restore Great Runes at their respective Divine Towers. Without restoration, runes are useless, so always visit the tower after defeating a demigod. For example, Godrick’s rune requires the Divine Tower of Limgrave, accessible via a teleporter in Stormveil Castle.
Mismatching Runes and Builds
Using a rune that doesn’t suit your playstyle—like equipping Mohg’s Great Rune on a non-bleed build—wastes its potential. Always align your rune with your primary stats and weapons to avoid underwhelming performance.
Overlooking Rune Arcs
Running out of Rune Arcs mid-journey can cripple your strategy. Avoid this by farming consistently and storing Rune Arcs in your inventory. Tip: Set a reminder to re-equip and activate your Great Rune after dying, as its effect resets upon death.
FAQs About Great Runes in Elden Ring
What is the best Great Rune for beginners?
Godrick’s Great Rune is ideal for newcomers due to its versatile stat boost, helping you survive early challenges like Margit or Stormveil Castle.
Can you use multiple Great Runes at once?
No, only one Great Rune can be equipped and activated at a time. Switch between them at Sites of Grace to suit your needs.
How do Rune Arcs work with Great Runes?
Rune Arcs are consumables that activate a Great Rune’s effect until you die. Stockpile them through co-op or enemy drops to maintain rune benefits.
Are Great Runes worth the effort to obtain?
Absolutely. Great Runes offer powerful buffs that enhance survivability and damage, making tough bosses and areas more manageable.
Which Great Rune is best for PvP?
Malenia’s Great Rune excels in PvP, as its healing-on-attack mechanic rewards aggressive, precise play against other players.
Conclusion
The best 10 Great Runes in Elden Ring are your key to mastering the Lands Between, offering powerful buffs that mirror the epic stakes of Game of Thrones. From Godrick’s versatile stat boost to the speculative Miquella’s cooperative potential, each rune caters to a unique playstyle, ensuring every Tarnished can find their perfect fit. Experiment with these runes, farm Rune Arcs, and align them with your build to conquer bosses and shape your legend. Share your favorite Great Rune in the comments, and explore our other Elden Ring guides for more tips on thriving in this Game of Thrones-inspired world. How will you wield the power of the Elden Ring?
