Introduction
Runes are the lifeblood of progression in Elden Ring. Whether you need to level up for a tough boss, purchase smithing stones, or fund your shopping spree at every merchant in the Lands Between, efficient rune farming saves hours of grinding. This guide covers the best farming locations from early game to endgame, including the legendary Mohgwyn Palace Bird Farm that yields 40,000+ runes every 15 seconds.
Early Game Farms (Level 1-40)
Gatefront Ruins (Limgrave)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Clear | ~1,200 |
| Time per Clear | 2 minutes |
| Runes per Hour | ~36,000 |
| Risk | Very Low |
Method: The Godrick Soldiers at Gatefront Ruins (directly north of Church of Elleh) are the easiest early farm. There are 10 soldiers + 1 Knight. Clear them on Torrent with charged heavy attacks. The Knight drops ~400 runes alone. Rest at the Gatefront Grace and repeat.
Best strategy: Equip the Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot (craft with 3x Rowa Fruit + 1x Four-Toed Fowl Foot + 1x Gold Firefly) for +30% runes for 3 minutes. One foot covers 2-3 clears.
Troll Caravan (Limgrave, Stormhill)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Troll | 1,000 each |
| Trolls per Clear | 5 |
| Time per Clear | 3 minutes |
| Runes per Hour | ~100,000 |
Location: Southeast of Warmaster's Shack, Stormhill. Five trolls wander near a destroyed caravan. Trolls are slow and take bonus damage from bleed. Kill all 5 on Torrent, rest at Warmaster's Shack, repeat.
Farum Greatbridge Dragon (Caelid)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Kill | 3,480 |
| Time per Kill | 3-5 minutes |
| Special | Repeatable via Grace reload (doesn't despawn) |
Location: Farum Greatbridge, Caelid. The Elder Dragon Greyoll is a massive immobile dragon surrounded by 5 smaller dragons. Attack Greyoll's tail (she doesn't fight back). When she's near death, sprint to the Farum Greatbridge Grace and rest BEFORE she fully dies. If timed correctly, she respawns and you get the runes. With Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot: 4,524 runes per cycle, ~60 seconds per cycle (if you've already killed the smaller dragons).
Mid Game Farms (Level 40-100)
Vulgar Militia (Dragonbarrow, Caelid)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Militia | 1,094 each |
| Militia in Area | 25+ |
| Time per Clear | 3-5 minutes |
| Runes per Hour | ~400,000 |
Location: Farum Greatbridge Grace, south of Bestial Sanctum. The small Vulgar Militia enemies roam the fields. They have low HP (~450) but hit hard — kill them before they attack. Use ranged or Torrent hit-and-run. Each drops 1,094 runes (1,422 with Gold Scarab).
Bestial Sanctum Guardians
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Guardian | 1,094-1,314 each |
| Guardians in Area | 12-15 |
| Time per Clear | 3 minutes |
| Runes per Hour | ~300,000 |
Method: The Black Blade Kindred outside Bestial Sanctum is too strong at this level, but the Guardians (skinny robed men) behind the sanctum are easy. Sneak up and backstab them one by one. They're deaf — you can walk up behind them without stealth.
War-Dead Catacombs Cleanup (Radahn Arena)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Clear | ~15,000-25,000 |
| Method | AFK — let enemies fight each other |
After defeating Radahn, enter the War-Dead Catacombs (northern cliff of the Wailing Dunes). Inside, Redmane and Cleanrot soldiers fight each other continuously. Stand at the entrance, let them kill each other, collect runes. Rest at the Grace and repeat. No combat required on your part — the Radahn soldiers eventually win most fights, and you collect free runes.
Raya Lucaria Academy: Magic Sphere Trap
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Kill | 2,058 |
| Time per Kill | 30 seconds |
| Runes per Hour | ~250,000 |
Location: Schoolhouse Classroom Grace, Raya Lucaria. Run out the door, turn right, kill the two sorcerers on the balcony. Then wait for the giant magic sphere trap to roll past. The sphere kills the sorcerers if positioned correctly, and you get the runes. Extremely low effort.
Late Game Farms (Level 100+)
Mohgwyn Palace: Albinauric Massacre (The Best Farm)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Clear | 40,000-50,000 |
| Time per Clear | 15-20 seconds |
| Runes per Hour | 10,000,000+ |
Location: Palace Approach Ledge-Road Grace, Mohgwyn Palace.
Requirements:
- Sacred Relic Sword (Elden Beast Remembrance weapon) — optimal
- OR Starscourge Greatsword (Radahn Remembrance)
- OR Blasphemous Blade (Rykard Remembrance)
- Gold Scarab talisman (+20% runes, Abandoned Cave, Caelid)
- Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot (+30% runes for 3 minutes)
Method:
- Equip Gold Scarab
- Pop a Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot
- Walk forward from the Grace to the cliff edge
- Use Wave of Gold (Sacred Relic Sword weapon art) — one cast kills 15-20 Albinaurics
- Walk forward, cast again, kill the remaining 8-10 Albinaurics
- Sprint back to Grace, rest, repeat
Numbers breakdown:
- 1 Albinauric: 2,044 runes (base)
- With Gold Scarab: 2,452 runes
- With Gold Scarab + Fowl Foot: 3,195 runes
- 25 Albinaurics: 79,875 runes per clear
- 4 clears per minute: 319,500 runes per minute = 19.1 million per hour
Mohgwyn Palace: The Bird Farm (No Combat)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Kill | 13,245 |
| Time per Kill | 10-15 seconds |
| Runes per Hour | 3,500,000+ |
Location: Same Grace (Palace Approach Ledge-Road).
Method:
- Equip a bow (any bow works)
- Look across the chasm to the lake of blood
- You'll see a giant bird patrolling back and forth
- Shoot it once from the cliff edge
- The bird will target you and run toward you — falling off the cliff
- 13,245 runes earned (with Gold Scarab + Fowl Foot)
Important: After shooting, wait until the bird runs off the cliff. If you rest too early, you won't get the runes. Wait for the rune counter to tick before resting.
Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree: Cleanrot Knight Loop
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Knight | 3,800 (6,500 with modifiers) |
| Knights per Clear | 4-5 |
| Time per Clear | 2-3 minutes |
| Runes per Hour | ~800,000 |
Location: Prayer Room Grace, Elphael. Run outside, turn left, drop down to the walkway. Follow the path past the Erdtree Avatar (skip it) to the area with 4 Cleanrot Knights. Kill them, rest, repeat. Also excellent for farming Cleanrot Knight armor (highly sought after for fashion).
Miquella's Haligtree: Scarlet Rot Pests
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Runes per Pest | 2,750 each |
| Pests per Clear | 8-10 |
| Time per Clear | 2 minutes |
| Runes per Hour | ~900,000 |
Location: Haligtree Roots Grace (right before Malenia). Exit the church, turn left. The path has 8-10 Lesser Kindred of Rot (centipede pests). They're weak to fire and bleed. Sacred Relic Sword's Wave of Gold clears the entire path in 3 casts.
Rune-Boosting Equipment
| Item | Effect | Duration | Acquisition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Scarab | +20% runes | Passive (talisman) | Abandoned Cave, Caelid (boss: Cleanrot Knights) |
| Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot | +30% runes | 3 minutes | Craft: 3 Rowa Fruit + 1 Four-Toed Fowl Foot + 1 Gold Firefly |
| Gold Firefly | Crafting material | - | Found near Minor Erdtrees, Mistwood, Weeping Peninsula ponds |
Stacking: Gold Scarab + Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot stack multiplicatively for +56% total runes (1.20 × 1.30 = 1.56).
Reaching Mohgwyn Palace Early
The fastest way to reach the Mohgwyn Palace farm at low level:
Method 1: White-Faced Varre Questline (Level 30+)
- Meet White-Faced Varre at The First Step (Limgrave)
- Speak to him again at Rose Church (Liurnia, after getting a Great Rune)
- He gives you 5 Festering Bloody Fingers
- Invade 3 other players (you don't need to win, just invade and use Finger Severer to leave)
- Return to Varre, he gives you the Lord of Blood's Favor (cloth)
- Soak it in the blood of a maiden: go to Church of Inhibition (Liurnia north), interact with the dead maiden
- OR kill Irina/Hyetta in Liurnia
- Return to Varre, receive Pureblood Knight's Medal
- Use the medal to teleport directly to Mohgwyn Palace
Method 2: Consecrated Snowfield Portal (Late Game)
In the western cliffs of the Consecrated Snowfield, there's a teleporter surrounded by Sanguine Nobles. It takes you directly to Mohgwyn Palace. This requires accessing the Consecrated Snowfield, which requires the Haligtree Secret Medallion (both halves) — a level 100+ area.
Leveling Cost Reference
| Level | Runes Required | Cumulative from 1 |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 10,827 | 270,470 |
| 75 | 17,626 | 1,050,358 |
| 100 | 26,788 | 2,754,523 |
| 125 | 40,769 | 5,867,892 |
| 150 | 63,747 | 10,919,230 |
| 175 | 100,302 | 18,779,072 |
| 200 | 155,728 | 30,661,230 |
The Mohgwyn Palace bird farm can take you from Level 1 to 150 in approximately 3 hours of focused farming.
Anti-Boredom Tips
- Podcasts / music: Farming is mindless. Put on a podcast.
- Set goals: Farm to reach the next level, then immediately go spend the runes.
- Vary locations: Rotate between the bird farm (passive, easy) and Albinauric farm (active, faster).
- Don't over-farm: The game is balanced around organic progression. Farm only what you need for gear requirements or a tough boss.
The Palace Approach Ledge-Road Grace in Mohgwyn Palace remains the undisputed king of rune farming. With the Sacred Relic Sword and the setup above, you'll generate more runes in 10 minutes than in 10 hours of normal gameplay.
