When starting out in Elden Ring, collecting runes efficiently can mean the difference between a painful grind and a smooth power curve. Early levels demand smart routing and tactical farming—especially if you want to upgrade weapons, level up quickly, or even experiment with new builds. Below is a curated list of 19 rune farming spots that are especially useful in the early game, with some tips from seasoned Tarnished on how to get the most out of each area.

1. Gatefront Ruins (Limgrave)

A classic early-game spot. The soldiers here are slow and predictable, perfect for farming in the opening hours. Plus, it’s close to a Site of Grace.

2. Agheel Lake North

North of the lake lies a camp of soldiers vulnerable to backstabs. If you're cautious, you can chain them for a decent rune payout with minimal risk.

3. Warmaster's Shack Area

Roam the nearby roads at night and you might spot the Bell Bearing Hunter—but even before that, the regular enemies drop solid runes and are good training targets.

4. Third Church of Marika to Mistwood

The road between these two zones features wolves and demi-humans. Fast, but manageable, especially with summons.

5. Waypoint Ruins Cellar

After defeating the sorceress Sellen’s guardian, you'll unlock a vendor. The area itself is useful for farming the toxic plant enemies for both runes and crafting materials.

6. East Limgrave Bridge

Soldiers guarding the bridge are a great rune source. Mount up and run hit-and-run tactics for fast clears.

7. Stormhill Troll Patrol

The giant trolls pulling carriages give large rune drops early on. Ambush them solo to avoid group fights.

8. South of the Dragon-Burnt Ruins

Avoid the dragon and focus on the flame-chucking enemies nearby. They're fragile and clustered, perfect for AoE builds.

9. Castle Morne Ramparts

The Misbegotten enemies here can be deadly, but they also drop a hefty chunk of runes. Great for those who’ve already leveled a bit.

10. Ruined Highway North

Skeletons here can be farmed quickly. Learn their resurrection pattern and you'll rack up runes in short time.

11. Summonwater Village

The ghostly enemies here are not too tough and drop a fair amount of runes. Also a good place to test holy weapons.

12. Lone Wolf Farming at Mistwood

Summon your spirit wolves and let them help you clear nearby camps. It's efficient and low effort.

13. Gaol Cave Edge

While the cave itself is high-risk, enemies along its border can be picked off for a steady rune supply.

14. Liurnia Highway South

Once you move into Liurnia, this highway offers enemies that are just challenging enough to make the runes worth your time.

15. Carian Study Hall Approach

Mages in this area hit hard but drop better runes. Kite carefully or use ranged attacks to stay safe.

16. Weeping Peninsula South Road

Low-tier mobs flood the roadside. Quick ride-throughs with sweeping attacks yield solid runes with minimal effort.

17. East Weeping Peninsula Ruins

Demi-human camps scattered across the map offer clusters of weak foes. Good rune-to-risk ratio.

18. Bestial Sanctum Warp Spot (Caelid early access)

Accessible via a portal from northeast Limgrave. If you're careful, you can farm the cloaked enemies here for massive rune gains very early. Just don’t aggro the Black Blade Kindred.

19. Roundtable Hold’s Twin Maiden Husks

Once you’ve made some rune profit, this is the place to spend them wisely. If you're considering resource shortcuts, many players buy Elden Ring runes online after a tough farming session, or check the best place to buy Elden Ring items to stay ahead in their builds.

Mastering the early game in Elden Ring is all about efficiency—fighting smarter, not harder. These 19 farming zones can provide you with a stable foundation of runes to upgrade weapons, level your character, and prepare for the brutal challenges ahead. While grinding is part of the Soulsborne tradition, it’s also completely fair to look for legitimate ways to speed up progression. Whether you’re taking the slow path or checking out options to buy Elden Ring runes online, it’s your journey—and every rune counts.