Elden Ring Has Always Had An Easy Mode; It’s Called Bleed And Frost

Elden Ring is the latest addition to the Soulsborne catalog, a franchise renowned in the gaming community.  It marks Miyazaki and FromSoftware’s most significant launch to date, both in revenue and scale.

The game features the company’s trademark difficulty but it is not a problem for fans to find easy modes in these games. Whether you have explored every nook and cranny of Elden Ring or are yet to embark on it, fellow Tarnished, I may have discovered the game’s easy mode. 

Why Bleed Or Frost?

In my experience after finishing Elden Ring, it felt like a true successor of Dark Souls. Elden Ring caters to most FromSoft fans, whether Bloodborne, Sekiro, or Dark Souls. It takes and improves several mechanics from previous Soulsborne titles and is a sensational experience.

Status effects are the many improvements over previous titles that are back and feel stronger and viable to the user. During my first playthrough Hemorrhage or Blood Loss (Bleed in Soulsborne titles) and Frostbite (let’s call it Frost) status effects felt the most powerful. Bleed does damage in the percentage of max HP and Frost deals damage in the percentage of max HP and increases absorption of inflicted enemies by 20%.

These effects prove most effective against all types of enemies. As the status effects accumulate, the resulting damage is likely to evoke a sense of satisfaction. Power stancing is the final piece to set our build’s gears in motion.

Power Stancing Is Back In Full Swing

Dark Souls 2 might not be the most loved installment in the Soulsborne games but it had one feature that is unanimously loved by the community called Power Stance. You need to dual-wield weapons of the same type i.e., Straight Sword, Twinblades, to unlock a powerful damage-dealing move.

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For faster Bleed and Frost buildup, power stancing is the best tool to use. Through it, the unique attacks enable the rapid succession of inflicting status effects, resulting in significant damage to enemies. It’s essential to recognize that the Bleed-Frost build relies heavily on power stancing.

While power stancing, equip Frostbite on one weapon and Blood Loss on the other, for maximum damage output. There are various ways to inflict these status effects on your enemies by using skills, spells, armaments, etc. Assign the Blood Affinity to one weapon and Cold to the other, for this build.

Spirit Ashes Will Be There For You

If you got the gist of the game, shredding your enemies will not be a problem, at this point. However, you can make the game easier by utilizing Spirit Ashes or the Mimic Tear. It’s important to note that not every Spirit Ash is reliable (except for the Mimic), and locating the perfect companion may require effort and time.

Spirit Ashes, such as the extremely capable Spirit Jellyfish, play a critical role in defining the balance between difficulty levels in the game. Engaging without summons presents a formidable challenge, as it directs the boss’s full attention towards you, and without any distractions, the boss shows anything but mercy.

Conversely, summoning Spirit Ashes diverts the boss’s focus toward your summons, creating an opportunity for you to either attack aggressively or heal.

Pairing Your Favorite Weapons With The Right Talismans

There are a variety of talismans I’ve discovered in my first playthrough, some boosted my damage while some improved my stats. Whether you are spamming the jumping strong attack or just the normal strong attack, there are talismans that you would not want to miss.

I used the following talismans during my run; Winged Sword Insignia, Claw Talisman, Radagon’s Soreseal, and Green Turtle Talisman. You do not have to stick with these talismans, depending on your playstyle and build, the talisman choice will vary.

For instance, if you are running a dual-greatsword build, you might want to consider Great-Jar’s Arsenal and Lord of Blood’s Exultation for better results. Other talismans worth considering are Erd Tree’s Favor and Millicent’s Prosthesis. Feel free to check out our expert guide on best Bleed weapons in the game.

Elden Ring is an expansive game, and after more than 100 hours of gameplay, I am sure I missed several items. I might’ve increased my damage output up a notch. I recommend experimenting with different weapons, talismans, and affinities. Perhaps you will discover a superior build to the one I used for my playthrough.