If there’s one thing many FromSoftware fans can agree on right now, it’s that Shadow of the Erdtree is massive, beautiful, and difficult. It seems the threats in the Land of Shadow are proving to be a significant challenge for even experienced Elden Ring players, and this may become an issue for the expansion.
However, this doesn’t mean you need to invest hours into grinding for Runes. With the adequate number of levels, all you may need is a few items and resource farming to ensure your build can take on anything and everything this new realm offers.
Balanced Builds Can Shine in Shadow of the Erdtree
FromSoftware titles, except for Sekiro, offer players a lot of freedom when arming their characters. Elden Ring offers the most flexibility, as you can have some truly niche builds to help you work through all your challenges with just a few hits. However, this may not work out in the expansion.
Shadow of the Erdtree has been made for late-game players, a fact that Hidetaka Miyazaki confirmed previously. Those above level 80 should be able to hold their own, but even then Steam reviews have dived due to the difficulty of the expansion. But for those considering putting down the controller, there is a way to get back on top of the food chain!
Redditor Artano_Arendae has some advice for those just entering the Land of Shadow or those who find it difficult to exist there. Two of the main points are that enemies hit like a truck, and it’s important to buff your character by exploring the world and finding items to improve your stats and those your spirit summons.
The other way to effectively manage threats is to make your building more versatile. Invest points into less targeted stats such as Intelligence or Faith, expand your arsenal to include ranged and magic attacks, and practice with various weapon types for more consistent damage numbers.
Use the significant number of cookbooks you find around the world to craft items to help in your fights. The key is to be adaptable rather than fixed to a particular build.
Elden Ring Players Can Use Other Methods to Manage the Difficulty
While the most organic way to get better at the game would be through practice and experimentation, not everyone has that kind of time on hand. For those who would rather tone down the difficulty, a mod now allows for Shadow of the Erdtree to become easier. As it’s a mod, only Steam players can access this method.
With several new bosses, enemies, and locations, Shadow of the Erdtree is proving itself to be not only difficult but a substantial expansion. Even though Miyazaki stated the map is akin to the size of Limgrave, FromSoftware has not skimped on the content when designing this DLC.
The expansion has received overwhelmingly positive reviews at launch, and it seems only the difficulty of the expansion is hampering that rating on Steam. But, given that almost all FromSoftware expansions have been difficult, it’s up to the player to “git gud.”
What build are you using in the Land of Shadow? Let us know in the comments below!
