Great Runes in Elden Ring are Key Items dropped by shard bearer bosses whose powers can be unlocked at Divine Towers and then activated with Rune Arcs to strengthen the player until death. That is why this guide will show you the best Great Runes in Elden Ring.
There are 8 total Great Runes that you can collect during your adventures in the Lands Between. Each of them serves a different purpose. While you might prefer one over the other, there is no doubt that some of the Great Runes are clearly better than the rest. With that said, let’s dive right in and get started.
Godrick’s Great Rune
Starting with the first Great Rune that you will get in Elden Ring – Godrick’s Great Rune. As the name suggests, this can be obtained by defeating Godrick the Grafted in Stormveil Castle. The boss itself is easy since this is one of the starting bosses in the game.
This Great Rune allows you to gain a +5 bonus to all attributes. While it might not sound like a big deal on paper, this makes a lot of difference. In the long run, you will get tons of free levels just by equipping this Great Rune as it levels up all your stats.
Even during the early game, you will notice that your character is significantly stronger with this Rune equipped. To activate it, you must go to the Divine Tower of Limgrave. After teleporting to the tower, activate the Site of Grace and go right on the stairs. Climb the stairs and you will see a symbol in the middle of two fingers. Go to this symbol and interact with it to restore Godrick’s Great Rune.
You will see a prompt that says “GREAT RUNE RESTORED“. Also, you will be given Godrick’s Great Rune as well which you can see in your inventory.
Morgott’s Great Rune
Like the Great Rune mentioned below, Morgott’s Great Rune is extremely useful since it offers a hefty amount of HP to the player. When you activate it, your character will gain a whopping 25% increase in their total HP. This is a massive buff as you will gain tons of HP, and it can be the difference between life and death.
Plus, at this stage of the game, you will already have a hefty amount of HP depending on the build you are going for. So, increasing it further will give you an HP bar that is almost as big as the bosses.
Radahn’s Great Rune
Moving on to a boss that is near and dear to me in Elden Ring – General Radahn. His Great Rune is extremely useful for players that want to increase their core stats. After you activate it, this Great Rune increases your total Health, Stamina, and FP by 15%.
If you are going for a build where you cannot level up stats like Vigor and Endurance (like the Astrologer build), then this Great Rune will help you out a lot. This makes the game a bit easier as you essentially gain free level-ups in these stats. Plus, you can focus on other stats without any worries which is a great thing.
Malenia’s Great Rune
Ah, Malenia, how much I was satisfied after finally defeating you. If you have fought her, you will know how difficult the entire fight is. While her moves are telegraphed, she can be a bit erratic and hit like a truck. So, after you finally defeat her, you will get her Great Rune.
Just getting her Great Rune is an achievement in itself and should be praised. However, the Rune itself is quite strong as well. Like Malenia, you will gain the power of healing yourself after hitting the enemy. While it is not nearly as strong as her passive, you can still heal a lot if you play aggressively.
So, if you plan to hit the enemy a lot without backing off, this Rune will help you out. Even if you get hit during your fight, you can regain that HP within a few hits whereas your opponent will only lose HP.
With that said though, I must warn you that your HP flask will get a 30% nerf while the Great Rune is active. This can be a make-or-break deal in the late game since enemies are so strong that you need every bit of HP you can get. If you are willing to nerf your flask, you can use this Rune and carry on.
Mohg’s Great Rune
Mohg’s Great Rune offers the same great damage boost and health increase as the Phantom Great Rune, but in solo play. When you summon your Spirit Ashes, you will gain the ‘blessing of blood,’ which gives you a 10% heal for every enemy killed, as well as a damage buff for your spirit when blood loss is inflicted on an enemy.
This is an extremely strong Rune that can allow you and your Spirit Ashes to shred through enemies. Keep in mind that this Rune excels against groups of enemies rather than a boss fight. Since you will be 1-on-1 against a boss, this Rune won’t be nearly as useful in that.
Rykard’s Great Rune
Rykard is an extremely difficult boss that you face at the end of the Volcano Manor. He has two phases and can deal tons of damage during both of them. While he gives you an awesome weapon upon defeat, his Great Rune isn’t what you might expect.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a useful Rune but it won’t do you much justice during boss fights. This Great Rune offers a passive ability that is more suited to running through areas prior to a boss rather than the boss itself. You gain 7% bonus HP for defeating enemies.
During a boss fight, you will either fight 1 on 1 or 1 on 2, it doesn’t make sense to have this equipped. However, before getting to a boss, you can slay enemies that you find and raise your overall HP for the fight. Since it is extremely situational, it is ranked lower on this list.
Great Rune Of The Unborn
The Great Rune of the Unborn is a good Rune but unfortunately, it doesn’t matter a lot in your first playthrough. This Rune allows players to respec their character and put points into other stats. If you suddenly dislike your build or want to try out another build, this is a great Rune for that.
However, during your initial playthrough, most players will want to complete the entire game before wanting to test anything else. Plus, when you get it, you will not use it for at least another 5-10 hours since you won’t have enough points to change your build anyways.
So, while it is an amazing Rune, it doesn’t make sense to get it this early in the game. To obtain it, you must defeat Rennala Queen of the Full Moon. Overall, this boss is extremely easy as she can get staggered without any issues during phase 2.
Phantom Great Rune
Finally, let’s talk about another Rune that is dropped after defeating Mohg. The Phantom Great Rune can be unlocked after you defeat the Lord of Blood and activate his Rune. When you use his Rune and invade other players, your allies during online play gain a damage boost after dealing the bleeding effect. You also gain a health boost every time your allies defeat an enemy.
While this sounds like a big deal, it is extremely situational and only works in online play. So, if you are someone that likes to play solo, this Rune will be useless for you.
Conclusion
And there you have it; those are all the best Great Runes in Elden Ring. While all of them are great, some of the Runes are more useful and will grant you better stats. So, make sure that you experiment with them and see which ones suit your build and playstyle most.
Which Great Rune is your favorite? Do you agree with our list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
