Elden Ring: All Great Runes & How To Get Them [Fully Explained]
Take a look at all the Great Runes ranked from best to worst and how to obtain and activate them in Elden Ring.
Elden Ring’s Great Runes allows players to grant several buffs to themselves. However, some of these buffs will be more powerful than others. Furthermore, they hold great importance in the main campaign of Elden Ring as you will be required to use them to enter Leyndell, The Royal Capital.
- Players will be able to obtain 8 of the Great Runes to make use of different buffs in Elden Ring. Here are some options you can consider:
- Godrick’s Great Rune: Allows the player to get five additional levels in each stat.
- Radahn’s Great Rune: Improves stamina and FP by sacrificing some of the players’ health.
- Malenia’s Great Rune: Grant the players with the Lifesteal ability. However, it will only last for five seconds.
- Mohg’s Great Rune and Rykard’s Great Rune are good options for players just starting in Elden Ring.
- Most of these Runes are only obtained after defeating certain bosses.
- Author’s Note: After going through Elden Ring for several weeks on Xbox, I feel confident going into the topic with thorough experience.
Best Great Runes In Elden Ring
The following table entails all Great Runes in Elden Ring:
| Great Rune | Effect | Obtained | BEST FOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malenia’s Great Rune | Attacks recover HP after damage is taken | Dropped by Malenia, Blade of Miquella | Recovering Lost HP |
| Godrick’s Great Rune | Raises all attributes by +5 | Dropped by Godrick the grafted | Early-Game Play |
| Radahn’s Great Rune | Raises maximum HP, FP and Stamina | Dropped by General Radahn | All-Roundedness |
| Morgott’s Great Rune | Greatly raises maximum HP | Dropped by Margot, the Omen King | Raising Maximum HP |
| Rykard’s Great Rune | Restores 80 HP plus 7% of your total HP upon defeating enemies | Dropped by Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy | Alternative Healing |
| Mohg’s Great Rune | Grants a blessing of blood to phantoms | Dropped by Mohg Lord of Blood | Invasion |
| Phantom Great Rune | Give blessing of blood to enemies in invaded world | During an invasion | Unlocking PvP Elements |
| Great Rune Of The Unborn | Used to perfect rebirth | Dropped by Queen Rennala | Customizing Builds |
1. Malenia’s Great Rune
- Why I Chose This: This Great Rune’s exceptional healing ability makes it a great offense-based Rune that encourages you to be aggressive.
Great Rune’s perk: Recovers health when attacked, a handy life-steal ability in combat, which lasts a brief 5 seconds.
One of the most powerful bosses to defeat is Malenia, who will also drop arguably one of the strongest Great Runes in Elden Ring. Well-timed counters aid in the optimal use of the Great Rune, ensuring recovery of lost HP against enemies.
The amount of health restored correlates with the damage dealt to the enemies. Although, players face a 30% debuff on their Crimson Tears flask.
How To Get
The Great Rune can be acquired by fighting Malenia in Miquella’s Halligtree, located in the Halligtree Roots.
- After successfully defeating her, obtain the Great Rune drop from her.
- To use it, go to the Divine Bridge through Way Gate.
- After that, activate the Great Rune at the Isolated Divine Tower.
- Top-tier healing factor.
- Incredibly strong against bosses.
- More damage means more recovery.
- Challenging to get.
- Extreme late-game item.
2. Godrick’s Great Rune
- Why I Chose This: Godrick’s Great Rune’s ability to boost all your stats incrementally lets you test a lot of builds in the early-game phase, which is a great way for you to decide how you want to progress further.
It can be utilized with any build as it is extremely potent and strong. After using the Great Rune, you can add five levels to each stat in the game. Ultimately, you will get a +40 increase in your player level just by using the Great Rune.
Many players prefer using the Godrick Great Rune as it is way more powerful than the end-game Great Runes you will obtain from the more high-level bosses. Compared to the boosts given by Radahn and Morgott, this Great Rune performs significantly better.
How To Get
To get the Great Rune, players must defeat Godrick, the first Shardbearer fight, in Limgrave.
- Go to the Limgrave Tower Bridge and enter Stormveil Castle.
- Defeat Godrick the Grafted at the end of the castle to get the Great Rune.
- Make your way to the Divine Bridge of Limgrave to restore the rune’s power.
- Raises all attributes incrementally.
- Easy to get.
- Versatile.
- Feel underpowered after the mid-game phase.
- Lacks game-changing abilities.
3. Radahn’s Great Rune
- Why I Chose This: If you are one of the players with builds focusing highly on stamina and health as well as FP, then Radahn’s Great Rune is the best for you.
Players will be able to get a 15% increase in their FP, stamina, and HP with Radahn’s Great Rune. It can be obtained early in the game compared to other Great Runes like Malenia or Mohg Great Rune.
With the increased stamina and FP, you will also be able to increase your attack power, which can benefit you in the end game.
How To Get
Players will be able to obtain the Great Rune by visiting Caelid.
- Make your way to the Redmane Castle and wait for Radahn’s festival.
- After that, defeat Radahn, one of the game’s hardest bosses.
- You can obtain the Great Rune as a drop by defeating the boss successfully.
- To activate the Great Rune, visit the Divine Tower Of Caelid.
- Versatile and reliable.
- Increases mobility and Attack Power.
- Not as important to Magic or Faith users.
4. Morgott’s Great Rune
- Why I Chose This: If you are a player who uses Rune Arcs a lot, then Morgott’s Great Rune is the best for you.
If you want to increase your maximum health, this is the best Great Rune to use. Morgott’s Great Rune offers a 25% increase in the player’s health, which, combined with other Great Runes, can allow you to obtain high-level stats without putting in much effort.
Any health bonuses you obtain from equipment or spells will apply when using the Great Rune. Using the Great Rune will also increase your vigor; therefore, you can avoid getting single-shotted by the enemy bosses.
How To Get
The players will be able to obtain the Great Rune by defeating Morgott, the Omen King.
- For that, make your way towards Leyndell, The Royal Capital.
- After obtaining the Great Rune, head to the Capital Outskirts, accessible through the Forbidden Lands elevator.
- Then, activate the Great Rune by visiting the Divine Tower Of East Altus.
- Significantly raises HP.
- Great for PvP and PvE.
- Noticeable benefit in endurance fights.
- No offensive buffs.
5. Rykard’s Great Rune
- Why I Chose This: Although not as efficient against bosses or other invaders, Rykard’s Great Rune is still incredibly viable and a strong placeholder until you beat Malenia and get her Great Rune.
The only reason it did not make it to the top of the list is that it can only be useful in certain situations. Using the Rykard Great Rune, players can use a passive ability to boost their health whenever they defeat an enemy.
This is handy if you are running low on resources and lack healing items. By using it, you can restore a total of 185 HP. Furthermore, if you want to farm enemies to get rewards like XP and legendary items, you should consider using the Great Rune, as you can maintain your health as you clear through enemies.
I highly recommend using Rykard Great Rune with a Blasphemous Blade to get the most health out of your enemies.
How To Get
Players can obtain the Great Rune of Rykard by going to Mount Gelmir.
- Fight the powerful boss, Rykard, known as the Lord Of Blasphemy.
- After defeating the boss, go to the Divine Tower Of Altus to activate the Great Rune.
- Access the tower by going through the sealed tunnel.
- Ideal against hordes of enemies.
- Strong regeneration rate.
- Gets overshadowed by Malenia’s Great Rune.
- Can’t be triggered against bosses.
6. Mohg’s Great Rune
- Why I Chose This: For players that love farming Rune Arcs and generally facing opponents in Elden Ring’s multiplayer side, Mohg’s Great Rune can give you a significant edge.
This is mostly a PvP item, and by using the Great Rune, players will be able to summon spirit ashes that will have a blood buff. Additionally, even during invasions, players can use a Rune Arc alongside Mohg’s Rune to get a bleed buff.
Every time a summon kills an enemy close to the player, the player’s HP will be restored. The Rune is capable of restoring around 10% of HP. Furthermore, when used near them, the players will get a buff in their attacks for 20 seconds. It works like a Lifesteal Rune, and the players can summon legendary spirit ashes or spirit ashes to help them in combat.
- Huge Blood Loss buildup.
- Can be applied to Spirit Ashes.
- Amazingly strong for PvP.
- Not useful in PvE.
How To Get
Players can obtain the Great Rune of Mohg after defeating Mohg, Lord of Blood, at Mohgwyn Palace.
- Go to the Divine Tower of East Altus by chugging through the Capital Outskirts to the Forbidden Lands.
- Encounter fallen twins and then access the divine tower to activate the Great Rune.
7. Phantom Great Rune
- Why I Chose This: Unlike the other runes I’ve mentioned so far, this Great Rune gives you a necessary feature, opening another door to farm items and challenge opponents.
Using the Phantom Great Rune, players can go to another player’s world and challenge them. In the online mode, you challenge other players by using Phantom Great Rune and visiting their world. This rune is only effective for PvP and does not work in PvE mode.
How To Get
Players will be able to obtain the Great Rune by defeating Mohg, the Lord of Blood.
- Make your way to the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum.
- Go to the divine tower of East Altus to activate the Rune.
- Unlocks a crucial PvP element.
- Gateway to farm more runes and items.
- Not useful in PvE.
- Doesn’t provide any offensive or defensive buffs.
8. Great Rune Of The Unborn
- Why I Chose This: Having to respec is a crucial aspect in most RPG titles, but it’s not used by everyone, putting this Great Rune at the bottom of my list.
The Great Rune Of The Unborn is considered entirely useless because it won’t reward the players with much. It works very differently than the other Runes, as you won’t need to activate it or equip it to use it. By using the Rune, you will be able to access the Respec Mechanic and rebirth. You will also be required to use larval tears, scarce in Elden Ring.
How To Get
Players must fight Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, to obtain the rune. To get to her, players must go to the Raya Lucaria Academy.
- Unlocks respec.
- Allows build-customization.
- Easy to get.
- Doesn’t provide any offensive or defensive buffs.
- No use in PvP.
- Lacks versatility.
- Limited usability.
My Thoughts On The Best Great Runes
While the aforementioned Great Runes are good, they are not the best. Based on my experience after going through Elden Ring for roughly 60 hours, the best one is arguably Godrick’s Great Rune, as you get it pretty early in Elden Ring, and it increases each stat level by 5.
With this, I conclude my detailed guide on Elden Ring: Best Great Runes. While you are at it, don’t forget to check out the detailed guide on Morning Star and celestial dew locations in Elden Ring.
I have also formulated a detailed guide on some of the best strength weapons in Elden Ring that you can check out. You can also check out some of the best AOE weapons to help you defeat bosses and get the Great Runes. Don’t forget to check out our guides on some of the best axes and bows to help you defeat the strongest of enemies.
- Elden Ring Best Swords
- BEST Hammers In Elden Ring
- Elden Ring: Poison Mist
- Elden Ring: Church Of Repose
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