Navigating the world of Elden Ring often comes down to how smartly you spend your hard-earned runes. While leveling up and purchasing upgrades at Sites of Grace is straightforward, interacting with Merchant NPCs opens up even more opportunities. Below are 23 valuable rune types and tips on how to use them effectively when dealing with the various traders scattered across the Lands Between.
Early-Game Runes (1–7)
Standard Runes: The basic currency you collect from defeated enemies. Spend them at Twin Maiden Husks for early consumables.
Minor Golden Runes: Grant you 5,000 runes when consumed. Ideal for covering small purchases from the Nomadic Merchant.
Golden Runes: Worth 10,000 runes each. Stock up before seeking Map Fragments from Kale in the church.
Smithing Stone Fragments: Though not runes, you can trade 150 at Hewg’s Shack for Ancient Smithing Stone Shards—invest your runes here for weapon upgrades.
Stonesword Key: Use a handful of runes to purchase more from the Twin Maiden Husks once you’ve broken a few in the world.
Crafting Materials: Certain merchants will accept a mix of runes and materials in bulk trades—check Patches’ wares.
Rune Arcs: These consumables multiply rune gains by 30% for five minutes. Buying a few from Gideon Ofnir can accelerate your build if you’re looking to buy elden ring runes ps5 via in-game stores.
Mid-Game Runes (8–15)
Great Runes (Fragmented): Collected from main bosses. While you can’t buy or sell these, trading with Enia at the Roundtable Hold reveals unique Spirit Ashes in exchange for runes.
Great Runes (Full): Once restored, these can be traded with the Twin Maiden Husks for special talismans—invest a chunk of runes wisely.
Ashes of War: Husks sell duplications of common Ashes of War. Use runes to expand your combat repertoire.
Colosseum Tokens: Earned by dueling, but you can also purchase a small supply from the Colosseum Merchant in exchange for runes to gamble on new weapons.
Memory Stones: traded with Twin Maiden Husks for extra spell slots; these cost 1,000 runes each.
Sacred Tears: Husks charge runes for these—ensure you have at least 15,000 runes before each visit.
Golden Seed: Each seed costs 1,000 runes from Twin Maiden Husks. Prioritize these early for extra Flask uses.
Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot: Inflicts deadly Scarlet Rot. Patches sells these for runes; keep several when heading into Caelid.
Late-Game Runes (16–23)
Erdtree’s Favor Talismans: Twin Maiden Husks price these at 50,000 runes. A worthy investment for increased health and stamina.
Bolt of Gransax: Not sold directly, but merchants sometimes trade rare spear Ashes for substantial rune amounts.
Black Knifeprint Ashes: Sold by the Colosseum Merchant for 30,000 runes—great for stealthy approaches.
Ritual Pots: Husks charge runes for each; necessary for Cleansing Chapel runs.
Radiant Lifegem: These high-healing consumables cost 5,000 runes apiece from Nomadic Merchants in remote camps.
Starlight Shards: Certain Magnolia Flowers can be exchanged for runes at specific merchants to craft these powerful spell catalysts.
Erdtree’s Blessing: The ultimate healing consumable, costing 50,000 runes; keep at least one for final boss encounters.
Golden Rune (Rare Variant): Occasionally available from Twin Maiden Husks at a premium; use them only if you plan to Buy Elden Ring items PS5 quickly or restock rare materials.
With these 23 rune types in mind, you’ll not only survive but thrive while trading with Elden Ring’s diverse merchants. From boosting your healing flasks to enhancing weapons and spells, every merchant interaction can feel like a strategic move on the battlefield. So next time you return to a trusted trader, spend your runes wisely—and remember, a well-timed investment can be the difference between defeat and glory in the Lands Between.
