Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree guide

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All the guides and walkthroughs you need to survive Shadow of the Erdtree and the Land of Shadow.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Rellana
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
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Elden Ring's massive Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is finally here and, just like the base game, there's a lot to get to grips with. This Shadow of the Erdtree guide is a collection of all of our other Shadow of the Erdtree guides that you might want to reference as you play. Check out the rest of our Shadow of the Erdtree coverage for everything else related to the expansion.

If you want a step-by-step breakdown on each of the new quests, we have those. If you're looking for all the new paintings, we've found those too. And if you just want to see the coolest armor sets in the Land of Shadow, we too are freaks for fashion.

For those still deciding whether or not to come along on the journey, you can check out our Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree review—spoiler: we gave it a 95% score which is very dang high for us. But if you're already well into the expansion, scroll down to grab the guide you need.

Beware of possible spoilers❗ We will give the names of lots of quest NPCs and some bosses down below.

Starting out in Shadow of the Erdtree

(Image credit: Tyler C. / FromSoftware)
Starting out

So you're coming back to Elden Ring for the first time in over a year, right? Here's what you'll want to know right as you get started on the new expansion.

How to access Shadow of the Erdtree: Beat these two base game bosses and find this new NPC to get your escort to the Land of Shadow.
Shadow of the Erdtree tips: Our list of hints on how to approach your early hours in the DLC.
7 early items to grab in Erdtree: Don't miss out on these helpful items when you first jump into the DLC.
Best builds: Our favourite builds for a fun-filled journey.
Scadutree fragment locations: Get acquainted with Erdtree's new levelling currency.

Map markers

Get your bearings in the Land of Shadow with these guides to the new map stones and important explorable locations.

Shadow of the Erdtree map fragments: Uncover the full Land of Shadow with all its map fragments.
Shadow of the Erdtree dungeons: Where to find all the explorable dungeons in the Land of Shadow.

Shadow of the Erdtree quests

(Image credit: From Software)
NPC quests

As with the base game, Shadow of the Erdtree has lots of mysterious folks hanging about whose requests tie into the story of the DLC. Get step by step walkthroughs on how to find and finish all their storylines.

Leda quest: Stay on track with the quest at the heart of the Erdtree expansion.
Sir Ansbach quest: Find the secret Miquella Cross locations for this former servant of Mohg.
Igon quest: Help get this poor guy back on his feet in one of Erdtree's best NPC quests.
Redmane Freyja quest: How to find Freyja and deliver a letter to her.
Hornsent quest: How to complete this quest for vengeance.
Thiollier quest: Pay homage to the saint of sleeping, St Trina.
Count Ymir quest: How to follow the Count's scavenger hunt of Ruins Map pieces.
Dryleaf Dane: Here's where to find the Monk's Missive so you can challenge Dane.
Fire Knight Queelign quest: Defeat this invader to snag the Prayer Room Key.
Hornsent Grandam quest: How to get free soup from granny.

Puzzles and more

Aside from NPC quests, there are some other tasks you'll want to tackle in the Land of Shadow. Make sure to solve riddles and pick up these collectibles along your way.

Statue riddle: What to do with the Marika statue in Shadow Keep.
Well depths key: How to open the well in the Belurat Tower Settlement.
Erdtree painting locations: Like the base game, seek out the subjects of these three massive paintings.
Erdtree sealed spiritsprings: How and where to unblock these blocked updrafts.
Stone-Sheathed Sword: How to turn this useless sword into a blade of light or dark.
Imbued Sword Key: Look for the Belfry in Scadu Altus to use this teleportation key.
Abyssal Woods location: How to get to this optional area. 

Shadow of the Erdtree gear and bosses

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)
Weapons and armor

If you plan to spend your time grinding for new gear: here's where to set your sights in the Erdtree expansion.

Best Erdtree armor: Our favorite new armor sets and how to grab them.
Best Erdtree weapons: Stat requirements and locations for our favorite new weapons, including the martial arts gloves.
Erdtree legendary weapons: Stat requirements and locations for the four new legendary blades.
Star-Lined Sword: Grab the sick new katana in the DLC.
Rakshasa's Great Katana: This new blade is a riff on everyone's favorite base game katana.
Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword: Where to find this colossal weapon.
Revered Spirit Ash locations: Level up your summons with this new collectible resource.

Maps and bosses

From open world bosses, to dungeon defenders, to the big main quest bads, here's what you need to know about the new bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree.

Shadow of the Erdtree bosses: Get locations and tips for taking down all of Erdtree's new big bads.
Furnace Golems: If you can't figure out how to take these golems down, here's how to find the Sacred Tears you'll need.
Dancing Lion boss tips: How to beat both phases of the Divine Beast.
Rellana boss tips: How to take down the dual-wielding Twin Moon Knight.
Bayle the Dread: How to defeat this brutal boss.
Scadutree Avatar: Tips for this optional boss, as well as where to find it.

Lauren Morton
Lauren Morton
Associate Editor

Lauren started writing for PC Gamer as a freelancer in 2017 while chasing the Dark Souls fashion police and accepted her role as Associate Editor in 2021, now serving as the self-appointed chief cozy games enjoyer. She originally started her career in game development and is still fascinated by how games tick in the modding and speedrunning scenes. She likes long books, longer RPGs, has strong feelings about farmlife sims, and can't stop playing co-op crafting games.

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