Current Events > I'm at level 60 in Elden Ring and am still getting my ass kicked a lot.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Is this normal or do I just suck? The latter I'm sure. I've done some cheesing and got the Bloodhounds Fang sword that's +6 and I still feel I'm just lightly chipping away at bosses and tougher enemies. I tried going in mostly blind and I'm worried I did my character wrong or something.

Southernfatman posted...

Is this normal or do I just suck?

Yes to both

Can't imagine not playing this game with a "broken" build using magic spam/mimic tear

Rock Sling vs Everything

Are you using summons? I genuinely feel like you're not playing the game as intended if you avoid them, the game tries hard to direct them towards you.

Otherwise, make sure you have enough vigor to not get one shot, and try different directions if you're hitting a wall. The "intended" progression through areas is not intuitive imo. It's very easy to go somewhere you aren't ready for.

Git gud

The game with the bloodhounds fang is complete cheese until the end game

Up until around where you're probably at, a nice bleed weapon really does the trick for most bosses. Kinda around the halfway mark I switched to like pure magic. You should have a decent bow too. Lots of crafting material for fire arrows or whatever everywhere you go.

As the other poster said, you want your vitality/vigor to be basically soft capped if you're in the later stages of Elden Ring

Happy hunting

Level vigor regularly as you play.
Zones do not scale to your level, they are locked.
Use summons if you want, they help.
Weapon level and infusion matters WAY more than damaging stats until you hit 40 or up in a stat with A scaling.

My breakpoints for vigor are:
Limgrave: 15-20
Liurnia: 20-25
Caelid south: 20-30
Plateau: 30-35
Capitol: 35-40
Mountaintop: 40-45

Any vigor higher than that is whatever. I usually stop at 40 personally.

*high fives*

just level up ur weapon some more. what the max for that weapon +25 or +10? if +10 max it should already be good at +6 and idk why you are dying a lot. if +25 max then you need to get it much higher dude

Use Rennala to rebirth as a mage

Rock Sling kills every boss and use the Mimic Tear to distract them. Bow & Arrow to save ammo. Keep the Bloodhound Fang for melee. It's easy mode.

The last couple of bosses were basically two shotting me even though I was like in the level 200s

I use summons, but have trouble where they can't be used.

I've been using the Bloodhound's Fang, a kite shield on and off and am decked out in Godrick Knight armor. Here's my stats:

Vigor - 22 (Guessing this is the problem)
Mind - 12
Endurance - 23
Strength - 30
Dexterity - 27
Int - 9
Faith - 8
Arcane - 8

Just to note besides the very little I've read I have absolutely know idea what I'm doing or where I'm suppose to go. I've just been exploring and killing stuff and dying. Been having fun with it though so *shrug*.

I think a big problem is me not being able to get timing right for various things like parrying and dodging. I think I'm starting to show my age where I'm not as quick as I used to be.

Level your weapons. +6 is early game not mid game

Southernfatman posted...

Vigor - 22

Mother of god...

play on easy

22 is way too low

You want double that

Quality build is anus in this game. The best thing about that weapon is the bleed.

Get vigor to 60 before anything else. Other stats are mostly useless, except to meet minimum requirements for equipping

Alight, I'll concentrate on vigor. I haven't done much story wise. Been mostly screwing around in Limgrave while doing some scary adventuring to other parts of the map.

Again, I don't know what I'm doing.

Southernfatman posted...

Alight, I'll concentrate on vigor. I haven't done much story wise. Been mostly screwing around in Limgrave while doing some scary adventuring to other parts of the map.

Again, I don't know what I'm doing.

Google some good spots to grind early level. Your vitality should be a focus until at least 40. Try and look up where to find the sword of night and flame too.

Vigor being leveled over 40 is pointless because of the healing amount you get from maxing the Crimson Flask. It actually makes more sense to dump into Strength after you reach 40 because it raises your damage AND gives increased defense.

wanderingshade posted...

Vigor being leveled over 40 is pointless because of the healing amount you get from maxing the Crimson Flask. It actually makes more sense to dump into Strength after you reach 40 because it raises your damage AND gives increased defense.

I agree with this and if you havent been using combat items at all, maybe try adding them to your arsenal more. Itll mean crafting, sometimes, but stillcoating your sword thereby exploiting a weakness can make shit go more smoothly sometimes. Im an amateur, but this stuff helped me.

Southernfatman posted...

I think a big problem is me not being able to get timing right for various things like parrying and dodging. I think I'm starting to show my age where I'm not as quick as I used to be.

Oh this reminds me, make sure you're at "medium" equip load.

If you're at heavy either take off armor or up your endurance.

The game punishes you for being over equipped and I don't think it's obvious for new players.

wanderingshade posted...

Vigor being leveled over 40 is pointless because of the healing amount you get from maxing the Crimson Flask. It actually makes more sense to dump into Strength after you reach 40 because it raises your damage AND gives increased defense.

Nah, I disagree with that. I have 54 vigor or something and there are still certain attacks that will nearly oneshot me. Better to drink two flasks to fill up than to save one and just be dead.

That said, I think 22 vigor is fine if TC is still just in Limgrave.

pegusus123456 posted...

Nah, I disagree with that. I have 54 vigor or something and there are still certain attacks that will nearly oneshot me. Better to drink two flasks to fill up than to save one and just be dead.

That said, I think 22 vigor is fine if TC is still just in Limgrave.

Okay, exactly 40 vigor isn't the best hard cap. 45 is fine.

It's just +12 flask heals 810 HP and it doesn't go any higher. 2 is 1620. 45 vigor is 1581 hp. You hit diminished health returns in vigor levels after 40. Strength gives you .5 phys defense every level from lvl 31 to 40. Then it gives you .75 physical defense from 41 to 60.

You don't really survive damage better with just 200 more HP. It actually makes more sense to try and level strength to around lvl 50 because of the defense boost. This game seems to WANT you to do that, given how much damage you take LATE game EVEN WITH the best Physical Defense ring.

pegusus123456 posted...

Nah, I disagree with that. I have 54 vigor or something and there are still certain attacks that will nearly oneshot me. Better to drink two flasks to fill up than to save one and just be dead.

That said, I think 22 vigor is fine if TC is still just in Limgrave.

I love how different experiences can be for each player.
In the builds I've used 40 or 45 vigor has never been one shot by any attack, even with one scarseal on.

meestermj posted...

I love how different experiences can be for each player.
In the builds I've used 40 or 45 vigor has never been one shot by any attack, even with one scarseal on.

In fairness, the oneshot I'm talking about is one particularly easy-to-dodge and hard hitting attack from the hardest boss in the game lol.

pegusus123456 posted...

In fairness, the oneshot I'm talking about is one particularly easy-to-dodge and hard hitting attack from the hardest boss in the game lol.

Oh you mean from the rosebud?
Fair enough.

Im lvl 495

Besides the vigor, how (bad) am I doing stats wise?

Southernfatman posted...

Besides the vigor, how (bad) am I doing stats wise?

What area are you in?
Level doesn't tell as much as where you are will.

meestermj posted...

What area are you in?
Level doesn't tell as much as where you are will.

Story wise still in the first area. I've only bothered to go to Stormveil Castle and beat Margit at the very start of it last night. Didn't progress any more yet. I've gone out and explored other areas like Liurnia of the Lakes and Caelid a bit and even got the two pendent things to activate the big lift thing to get to Atlus Plateau thanks to a little bit of research I've done. Other than that and looking up stuff locations for some somber smithing stones, I'm going in blind. I basically go exploring in unknown parts after I level up in case I die and get stuck in a bad spot to where I can't get my runes back. I'm sure I'm playing this game in a weird messed up way, but I've been having fun with it.

The game sucks

if you're using bloodhound's whatever you don't want to level dex beyond the min amount necessary, str is a lot better until you hit the soft cap which is 45 or 55? even tho the weapon has a better dex scaling rating the str one is still good and str gives you dmg reduction every level for some reason.

personally i do not like vigor but everyone else does, as long as i don't get 1-shot i'm fine, and i rarely did until very late game

silverpine posted...

if you're using bloodhound's whatever you don't want to level dex beyond the min amount necessary, str is a lot better until you hit the soft cap which is 45 or 55? even tho the weapon has a better dex scaling rating the str one is still good and str gives you dmg reduction every level for some reason.

personally i do not like vigor but everyone else does, as long as i don't get 1-shot i'm fine, and i rarely did until very late game

Is it bad to level up stats past a certain point or is it just wasting a level up?

There's a whole island to the south you're basically already completely overleveled for.

Also which way am I supposed to progress through the game in terms of regions, bosses, quests, etc.?

wanderingshade posted...

There's a whole island to the south you're basically already completely overleveled for.

The one south west of Coastal Cove? Don't even know how to get there.

becometh proficient

WesternMedia posted...

becometh proficient

How?

Have you tried fighting godrick yet? You're either gonna need to do that, or progress more in other areas to get better weapons and level those.

Ehat does your current build look like?

Your stats are perfectly fine for where you're at.
And a +6 weapon is more than enough.

I'm on my second character after first using a spellsword character. It's a bleed build and anybody not named Fallingstar Beast is getting wrecked. Especially since I got pretty good at parrying now. Eating Crucible Knights for breakfast

Lions claw is totally busted and you should use it.

Southernfatman posted...

Also which way am I supposed to progress through the game in terms of regions, bosses, quests, etc.?

The one south west of Coastal Cove? Don't even know how to get there.

Based on where you are now, beat Stormveil and then go North to finish Liurnia (either explore or if you're feeling confident head straight for the academy).

He means the peninsula across the bridge to the South. I'm assuming you've already done that, but if not it's lower level than Stormveil.

Southernfatman posted...

Also which way am I supposed to progress through the game in terms of regions, bosses, quests, etc.?

The one south west of Coastal Cove? Don't even know how to get there.

The Weeping Peninsula. It's easy enough to do that, then Stormveil, then Liurna. The road is just in the south east region of the map in Limgrave.

wanderingshade posted...

The Weeping Peninsula. It's easy enough to do that, then Stormveil, then Liurna. The road is just in the south east region of the map in Limgrave.

To add to this the ideal progression is:
Limgrave West
Limgrave East
Weeping Peninsula
Liurnia
Caelid South
Altus (plus mansion)
Capitol

After that is fairly linear.
The underground segments can be peppered in based on personal ability and threshold for frustration.