ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition Things to Do First: Torrent

The Lands Between throws you into the open world with almost no direction, so knowing the ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition things to do first separates a smooth opening from hours of aimless wandering. Your first session should focus on three pillars: securing Torrent for mobility, grabbing the Crafting Kit for consumables, and unlocking fast travel through Sites of Grace. These early decisions shape your entire Limgrave experience, so let's map out the exact sequence that veteran players recommend. For more detail, see our full beginner guide, covered in our related guide.

The Best Order to Complete Your First Hour in Limgrave

The opening hours of ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition follow a logical progression that the game never explicitly teaches you. According to the official Bandai Namco page for the Tarnished Edition, the ideal sequence starts with the tutorial cave, then moves to the Church of Elleh for the Crafting Kit, followed by meeting Melina at the Gatefront Ruins to obtain Torrent. This order matters because each step unlocks tools that make the next step significantly easier.

Step-by-Step Opening Sequence

The community has refined this route through thousands of playthroughs, and the consensus order looks like this: after securing the Spectral Steed Whistle from Melina at the Gatefront Site of Grace, you'll want to immediately detour to the Third Church of Marika to grab the Flask of Wondrous Physick, then head south to Weeping Peninsula to farm Smithing Stones [1] and [2] from the miners in Morne Tunnel—this lets you hit +3 on your main weapon before even attempting Margit, whose 40% damage negation and delayed attacks punish under-leveled players who skipped Limgrave's optional dungeons like Murkwater Cave for the Bloody Slash ash of war.

• Complete the tutorial cave — This teaches you the basics of combat, dodging, and jumping. You can skip it, but the Uchigatana class reward for the Samurai is worth grabbing if you want a strong starting weapon.

• Reach the Church of Elleh — Merchant Kale sells the Crafting Kit for 300 runes. This unlocks the ability to craft Furlcalling Finger Remedies, Throwing Daggers, and most importantly, Warming Stones that heal you over time.

• Head to Gatefront Ruins — Rest at the Site of Grace here, and Melina will appear to offer you the spectral steed. This is the answer to how to get a horse in ELDEN RING: simply rest at the Gatefront Grace after leaving the tutorial area.

• Grab the Limgrave West map fragment — Ride Torrent south to the Agheel Lake South area and find the map pillar. This reveals the entire western half of Limgrave, making navigation dramatically easier.

• Clear the Weeping Peninsula — This southern region is scaled for early-game players and offers Golden Seeds, Sacred Tears, and the Grafted Blade Greatsword from the boss at Castle Morne.

This route ensures you have Torrent, the map, and crafting before you ever face a serious boss. The Weeping Peninsula in particular is a hidden gem for early progression because its difficulty curve matches a level 10-20 character, which means you can farm runes and upgrade materials without the frustration of fighting Margit prematurely.

How to Get a Horse and Unlock Fast Travel

The question of how to get a horse in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition is one of the most searched early-game topics, and the answer is refreshingly simple once you know where to go. Melina appears at the Gatefront Ruins Site of Grace, which is located just north of the starting area along the main road. Rest at this Grace, trigger the cutscene, and she will grant you the Spectral Steed Whistle alongside the ability to level up using runes.

Torrent's Movement Advantages

Torrent is not just a faster way to get around; he fundamentally changes how you approach combat and exploration. His double-jump lets you bypass entire enemy gauntlets in Limgrave, and the ability to summon him mid-fight—even while sprinting—gives you a panic-button escape when a Tree Sentinel or a pack of Demi-Humans closes in. Since Torrent's stamina regenerates quickly when dismounted, you can weave in and out of combat, baiting attacks, then sprinting away to heal before re-engaging. This hit-and-run rhythm is especially critical for early-game bosses like Margit, the Fell Omen, where staying mounted for the entire fight is a trap—his sweeping attacks will knock you off, leaving you vulnerable to a follow-up strike. Instead, use Torrent purely for repositioning and retreat, then fight on foot to maximize your i-frames.

• Double jump — Torrent can leap across gaps and onto rooftops that are otherwise unreachable, opening up vertical exploration routes.

• Infinite stamina while sprinting — You can outrun almost any enemy in the open world, which is invaluable when you accidentally aggro a Tree Sentinel or Runebear.

• Mounted combat — Certain bosses and field enemies are easier to fight while riding, especially when you need to create distance to heal.

• Spirit Spring launch — Riding Torrent into a Spirit Spring (the glowing wind tunnels) launches you high into the air, granting access to elevated areas like the Divine Tower of Limgrave.

Fast travel works differently in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition compared to other FromSoftware titles. You can only teleport between Sites of Grace that you have already activated, and you cannot fast travel while in combat or inside dungeons. This means your first priority should be activating as many Graces as possible, especially the ones near key landmarks like Stormhill Shack, Warmaster's Shack, and the Third Church of Marika.

The Third Church of Marika deserves special attention because it contains a Sacred Tear that upgrades your flasks, plus a teleporter that sends you to the Bestial Sanctum in Caelid. While Caelid is dangerous at low levels, you can grab the Dectus Medallion half nearby and a powerful talisman before teleporting back.

How to Block and Parry: Combat Fundamentals

Understanding how to block and parry in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition is critical because the game's combat rewards defensive play as much as aggressive offense. Every shield in the game has a guard boost stat that determines how much stamina you lose when blocking, and a parry window that varies by shield type. Small shields have the most generous parry frames, while greatshields cannot parry at all but offer superior damage negation.

Shield Types and Their Roles

The Buckler is the best choice for learning how to parry because its Parry skill has a wider active window than standard small shields. You can purchase one from Gostoc at Stormveil Castle for 1,500 runes, or find the Buckler in the Church of Elleh area if you explore carefully. Practice your timing on the Godrick Soldiers around Gatefront Ruins, since their slow, telegraphed attacks are perfect for learning the rhythm.

Blocking Strategies for Beginners

Blocking is more forgiving than parrying, but it requires stamina management. When you hold L1 with a medium shield like the Brass Shield, each hit you absorb chips away at your green bar, and if it depletes, you get guard-broken and staggered for a critical hit. The core principle is to lower your shield between enemy combos to let stamina recover, rather than holding it up constantly. For early-game bosses like Margit, the Fell Omen, this means blocking his overhead slam, then releasing L1 to regen before his follow-up thrust. This is why community guides consistently emphasize upgrading your shield's stability with ashes of war or choosing a greatshield if you prefer a passive playstyle, as it reduces stamina damage per block significantly.

• Hold block while strafing — You can move while blocking, which lets you circle enemies and bait attacks without taking damage.

• Guard counter after a successful block — Press the heavy attack button immediately after blocking a hit to perform a Guard Counter, which deals significant poise damage and often staggers enemies.

• Watch your stamina bar — When your stamina depletes while blocking, you enter a guard break state that leaves you vulnerable for several seconds.

• Upgrade your shield — Shields can be upgraded at the Anvil in Roundtable Hold, which increases both their guard boost and damage reduction percentages.

The Brass Shield is widely considered the best early-game medium shield because it offers an 87% physical damage reduction with a reasonable weight of 5.5. You can farm it from the Godrick Soldiers who carry it around the Gatefront Ruins, and it will carry you through the entire first region.

Early Game Priorities: Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears

While the main quest pushes you toward Stormveil Castle, the smartest ELDEN RING things to do first involve upgrading your healing capacity before facing Margit. Golden Seeds increase your flask charges, while Sacred Tears increase the amount of health and FP each flask restores. Both are finite resources that you can collect in the open world before fighting any major boss.

Golden Seed Locations in Limgrave

• Stormhill — One seed is found near the Stormhill Shack on a corpse hanging from a tree branch.

• Church of Elleh — A seed is located behind the church on a small hill, guarded by a few weak enemies.

• Weeping Peninsula — The Callu Baptismal Church has a seed inside, and the Tower of Return area has another near the cliff edge.

• Mistwood — The Minor Erdtree in Mistwood drops a seed when you defeat the Erdtree Avatar guarding it.

The Flask of Wondrous Physick deserves special mention because it is a unique flask that you can customize with Crystal Tears found throughout the world. You can obtain it at the Third Church of Marika by interacting with the glowing statue, and it provides a free heal or buff that recharges at every Site of Grace.

Weapon Upgrades and Spirit Ashes Preparation

Before you challenge the first major boss, you should invest in upgrading your weapon to at least +3 using Smithing Stones. The Gatefront Ruins area contains several Smithing Stone [1] deposits, and the Mistwood region has a tunnel called Limgrave Tunnels that is packed with upgrade materials. According to community data from the Elden Ring Wiki, you can find enough Smithing Stones in Limgrave to reach +3 without ever entering a dungeon.

Smithing Stone Sources

• Limgrave Tunnels — The most reliable source, with roughly 8 Smithing Stone [1] and 4 Smithing Stone [2] scattered throughout the mine.

• Merchant Kale — Sells 3 Smithing Stone [1] for 200 runes each, though his stock is limited.

• Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel — Located in Liurnia, this tunnel has Smithing Stone [2] and [3] deposits, but requires crossing the lake to reach.

The Spirit Calling Bell is another essential early item that many players miss. You receive it from Renna at the Church of Elleh at night, but only if you have Torrent and have visited the church after dark. This bell lets you summon Spirit Ashes during boss fights, and the Wandering Noble ashes you start with are surprisingly effective at drawing aggro. For a deeper look at which summons are worth upgrading, check our spirit ashes guide for the Tarnished Edition.

Recommended Early Spirit Ashes

The Jellyfish Ashes are particularly strong for early-game because the poison buildup it applies can tick for significant damage over time, especially against bosses with large health pools like Margit and Godrick. You find them on a corpse near the Stormhill Shack, and they only require 10 FP to summon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the absolute first thing I should do in ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition?

Complete the tutorial cave, then immediately head to the Church of Elleh to buy the Crafting Kit from Merchant Kale for 300 runes. After that, rest at the Gatefront Ruins Site of Grace to meet Melina and obtain Torrent. This sequence takes about 10 minutes and unlocks crafting, mounted travel, and leveling.

How do I get Torrent the horse in ELDEN RING?

Rest at the Gatefront Ruins Site of Grace, which is located north of the starting area along the main road. Melina will appear in a cutscene and grant you the Spectral Steed Whistle. Use this item to summon Torrent anywhere in the open world, though he cannot be summoned inside dungeons or boss arenas.

What level should I be before fighting Margit?

Most players recommend reaching level 20-25 with a +3 weapon before challenging Margit. Complete the Weeping Peninsula first to collect Golden Seeds, Sacred Tears, and the Grafted Blade Greatsword. Upgrade your Spirit Ashes to at least +2, and consider summoning Sorcerer Rogier's sign outside the boss arena for additional help.

Is the Weeping Peninsula worth clearing before Stormveil?

Absolutely. The Weeping Peninsula is scaled for characters around level 10-20, making it the perfect training ground before the difficulty spike at Stormveil Castle. You will find multiple Golden Seeds, a Sacred Tear, the Grafted Blade Greatsword, and the Morne Castle dungeon with valuable upgrade materials.

What is the best shield for learning to parry?

The Buckler is your best parry tool, as its Parry skill grants a wider active window than standard shields. Buy it from Gostoc at Stormveil Castle for 1,500 runes. Practice on Godrick Soldiers at Gatefront Ruins, where their slow, telegraphed swings are perfect for learning the timing before you face Margit.