Elden Ring’s open world is both beautiful and brutal, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the game’s high-risk rune farming zones. Whether you're after a quick rune boost for leveling or trying to stockpile for smithing stones and gear upgrades, the danger is often just as high as the reward. If you’ve found yourself losing runes faster than you can collect them, these 18 tips will help you survive and thrive.

1. Know When to Run

It’s tempting to fight everything in sight, but some enemies just aren’t worth the trouble. When farming runes in dangerous areas, prioritize survival over pride. Retreating is often the smartest choice.

2. Use the Right Gear

Before entering a tough farming spot, double-check your equipment. Consider gear that boosts stamina regen, rune acquisition, or provides elemental resistances. Items like the Gold Scarab Talisman can make a big difference.

3. Mind the Time of Day

Some enemies and patrols change based on the time of day. Night can bring out tougher variants or new minibosses. Unless you’re prepared, stick to farming during daylight.

4. Set a Rune Loss Threshold

Know your limits. Set a personal cap—say, 50,000 runes—and return to a Site of Grace to bank them before pushing further. It’s better to level up in increments than lose everything to a random ambush.

5. Leverage Spirit Ashes

Don’t forget your Spirit Ashes. They’re not just for bosses. Summoning spirits during tough farming runs can keep aggro off you and buy time to escape or heal.

6. Scout Before You Farm

Use binoculars or sneak into areas before committing to a full run. Identifying enemy patterns and possible escape routes gives you a big advantage.

7. Use Stealth Strategically

Even high-level enemies can be avoided or ambushed using crouch-walking. Taking out a few enemies quietly before the fight breaks out can make or break a farming attempt.

8. Always Have a Backup Weapon

Durability isn’t a factor in Elden Ring, but situational effectiveness is. Equip weapons with different damage types to adapt quickly when enemies resist your main build.

9. Don’t Underestimate Status Effects

Bleed, frost, and poison can wear down even tanky enemies. When farming in zones with enemies that are vulnerable to these, status-inflicting weapons or spells can dramatically improve efficiency.

10. Watch for Invaders

Some high-risk zones also trigger NPC invaders. These scripted encounters can ruin a farming run if you’re already low on flasks or FP. Be prepared.

11. Use Torrent Wisely

In open areas, staying mounted gives you speed and maneuverability. Dismount only when absolutely necessary or in tight quarters where Torrent’s size becomes a liability.

12. Stay Near Sites of Grace

Choose farming spots with Sites of Grace nearby or hidden teleporters that let you reset quickly. It shortens the recovery time after death and speeds up rune banking.

13. Stack Rune Boosting Items

Use Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot and the Gold Scarab together for maximum rune yield. It’s worth the item investment, especially in areas where enemies drop thousands of runes each.

14. Watch Your Surroundings

Many deaths during farming aren’t from enemies—they’re from falls, traps, or mobs you didn’t see. Always keep the camera moving and scan your surroundings frequently.

15. Farm Smart, Not Hard

Consider your rune-per-minute efficiency. Sometimes a slightly easier zone with a smoother kill rhythm ends up giving you more runes than an ultra-high-risk area where you constantly die.

16. Co-op Farming Works

Summoning a friend or helping others defeat bosses through co-op can be a surprisingly effective and safe way to gather runes, all while collecting Elden Ring items for sale in the process.

17. Keep a Cheap Rune Stash

It’s smart to keep a few thousand runes in consumable form—Rune Arcs, Golden Runes, etc. These can be used in emergencies, and you can often find cheap Elden Ring runes from other players if you're really in a bind.

18. Mix Up Your Builds

If one build keeps getting you killed, switch things up. Hybrid builds that include some ranged options or status-inflicting spells often fare better in the most dangerous zones.

High-risk farming zones in Elden Ring offer some of the best rune yields in the game, but they come with serious challenges. By preparing properly, choosing the right time and place, and learning from your deaths (there will be many), you can turn these danger zones into goldmines. Whether you're looking to level up quickly or stockpile Elden Ring items for sale and trade, mastering these zones will give you the upper hand.