Levels, weapon upgrades and most shop items all cost runes, so sooner or later every Tarnished needs a good rune farm. This guide picks the farms that are actually worth your time at each stage of the game, gives the runes you can expect per loop, and shows how to stack rune boosts so every kill pays more.
| Best overall farm | Palace Approach Ledge-Road, Mohgwyn Palace (about 11,000 runes per bird) |
| Best early farm | Lenne’s Rise rolling balls, Dragonbarrow (1,952 runes per ball) |
| Best mid-game farm | Broken Statues near the Across the Roots grace, Deeproot Depths |
| Biggest one-time payout | Elder Dragon Greyoll, 50,000 runes plus 3,470 per lesser dragon |
| Rune boost talisman | Golden Scarab, +20% runes |
| Rune boost consumable | Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot, +30% runes for 3 minutes |
Rune farms at a glance
| Stage | Farm | Method | Runes (no boosts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early | Elder Dragon Greyoll, Fort Faroth grace | One-time kill | 50,000 + 3,470 per lesser dragon |
| Early to mid | Lenne’s Rise, Dragonbarrow | Dodge two rolling balls off the ledge | 1,952 per ball |
| Mid | Across the Roots, Deeproot Depths | Kill the line of Broken Statues | About 3,300 to 3,500 per statue |
| Late | Palace Approach Ledge-Road, Mohgwyn Palace | Knock the giant bird off the cliff | About 11,000 per bird |
Early game: Elder Dragon Greyoll
Greyoll lies in Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow at the eastern edge of Caelid, close to the Fort Faroth Site of Grace. She is not a repeat farm, because she never respawns, but one kill gives 50,000 runes and each of the lesser dragons around her adds 3,470 more. That is enough for many levels right at the start of a run.
- Reach Fort Faroth and rest at its grace.
- Approach Greyoll from the side of her tail, where the lesser dragons are less likely to join in.
- Use a bleed or frostbite weapon: both deal damage based on a share of her health, which matters a lot against her large HP pool at a low level.
- Keep hitting until she falls; she also drops Dragon Hearts for the Cathedral of Dragon Communion.
Early to mid game: Lenne’s Rise rolling balls
On the path that runs under the bridge southwest of Lenne’s Rise in Dragonbarrow, a giant ball rolls toward you to push you off the ledge. Stand near the edge, roll to the side at the last moment and let it fall. Each ball that drops gives 1,952 runes, there is no combat, and a full loop takes well under a minute.
Mid game: Deeproot Depths Broken Statues
Travel to the Across the Roots Site of Grace in Deeproot Depths, then run back along the roots and destroy the Broken Statues before they can fire at you. Each one drops roughly 3,300 to 3,500 runes. Watch your footing: the roots are narrow and a fall resets the loop.
Late game: the Mohgwyn Palace bird
The most famous farm in the game. From the Palace Approach Ledge-Road grace, a giant bird patrols the cliff edge. Hit it with an arrow or a thrown item and it charges off the cliff and dies, giving around 11,000 runes without boosts. The slope below is also lined with Albinaurics if you want more per loop.
- Route 1: follow White Mask Varré’s questline until he gives you the Pureblood Knight’s Medal, which teleports you straight to the palace.
- Route 2: use the waygate northwest of the Yelough Anix Ruins in the Consecrated Snowfield, after beating the Sanguine Noble guarding it.
- Mohgwyn Palace is also home to Mohg, Lord of Blood, so you can farm here while you prepare for that fight.
How to boost rune gains
- Golden Scarab (+20%): a talisman dropped by the Cleanrot Knight pair in the Abandoned Cave, east of the Smoldering Wall grace in Caelid. Grab it before you start any serious farming.
- Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot (+30% for 3 minutes): pop one at the start of a farming session. The two boosts stack multiplicatively for about 56% more runes in total.
- Sacrificial Twig: not a boost, but it saves your runes if you die. Carry one before a risky trip with a big unspent pile.
- New Game+: enemies give more runes in each new cycle, so every farm here pays better on later playthroughs.
Tips
- Spend runes often. Anything you carry is lost if you die twice before picking it up.
- Use the runes on what a build actually needs first: plan your level targets with the build planner or pick a ready-made spread such as the Bleed Arcane build.
- Many upgrade items cost runes too. Pair farming with our Smithing Stone Bell Bearing locations so you can buy stones instead of hunting for them.
FAQ
What is the best rune farm in Elden Ring?
The bird at the Palace Approach Ledge-Road grace in Mohgwyn Palace: around 11,000 runes per kill with a very short loop, and more with the Golden Scarab and a Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot.
Can I farm Elder Dragon Greyoll?
No. Greyoll does not respawn, so her runes are a one-time bonus per playthrough. She returns in New Game+ with a bigger payout.
Do the Golden Scarab and Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot stack?
Yes. The boosts multiply together, giving about 56% more runes while both are active.
Once you have the runes, turn them into power with the Golden Seed and Sacred Tear locations and the Larval Tear locations for a respec. Source: rune values and locations checked against Fextralife’s Elden Ring wiki and a second guide site.
Further reading: Runes and Golden Scarab on the Fextralife Elden Ring wiki.