The Great Runes Elden Ring system is one of the most underused mechanics in the entire game. Many players collect them from shardbearer bosses, activate them at Divine Towers, and then never use them properly because they do not fully understand how the Rune Arc requirement works.
Great Runes Elden Ring are powerful passive buffs that significantly strengthen your character in ways that complement virtually every build in the game. From massive HP increases to HP regeneration on kills, these runes can turn a difficult run into a comfortable one when used strategically.
Every Great Rune is obtained by defeating a specific shardbearer boss. However, simply defeating the boss is not enough. The rune must be taken to its corresponding Divine Tower and restored before it can be equipped. Only then does a Rune Arc activate its full power.
How Do Great Runes Work in Elden Ring?
The Elden Ring Great Rune system operates in three stages, each of which is required before you see any benefit:
How To Get and Activate Great Runes
Follow these steps to start using any Great Rune:
- Defeat the corresponding shardbearer boss and receive the Great Rune as a key item.
- Travel to the associated Divine Tower and interact with the altar at the top to restore the rune’s power.
- Open your inventory menu and equip the activated Great Rune in the Great Rune slot.
- Use a Rune Arc from your inventory to activate the equipped rune’s effect.
The Rune Arc effect lasts until your character dies. Once you die, the effect disappears and you must use another Rune Arc to reactivate it.
Where Do Rune Arcs Come From?
Rune Arcs are relatively rare items. The best sources are:
- Dropped by rats throughout the game at a low rate
- Found as map loot in various dungeons and catacombs
- Purchased from certain merchants in limited quantities
- Rewarded for helping other players defeat bosses in co-op
Because they are consumable and lost on death, save Rune Arcs for boss attempts and endgame content rather than casual exploration.
All Great Runes Elden Ring: Complete List and Effects
How Many Great Runes Are in Elden Ring?
There are seven Great Runes in the base game, each obtained from a different shardbearer. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC adds one additional rune that functions differently from the others.
Here is the complete list:
| Great Rune | Obtained From | Effect | Divine Tower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godrick’s Great Rune | Godrick the Grafted | Raises all attributes by 5 | Tower of Limgrave |
| Rykard’s Great Rune | Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy | Restores HP upon defeating enemies | Tower of Altus (Rykard’s side) |
| Radahn’s Great Rune | Starscourge Radahn | Raises max HP, FP, and Stamina by 15% | Tower of Caelid |
| Morgott’s Great Rune | Morgott, the Omen King | Raises max HP by 25% | Tower of Limgrave (Capital access) |
| Malenia’s Great Rune | Malenia, Blade of Miquella | Recover HP on hit; reduces Flask healing | Tower of Haligtree |
| Mohg’s Great Rune | Mohg, Lord of Blood | Grants Phantom Great Rune to summoned phantoms | Tower of Mohg |
| Roldahn’s Great Rune (Farum) | Available via alternate path | Unique DLC effect | Specific tower |
Best Great Rune Elden Ring: Which One Should You Equip?
Not every Great Rune is created equal. Some benefit nearly every build while others are highly situational.
Tier 1: Best Great Runes for Most Players
Morgott’s Great Rune is the top choice for the vast majority of builds. A flat 25% increase to your maximum HP is applicable to every character regardless of playstyle. More HP directly improves your survivability against bosses, ambushes, and punishing late-game environments.
Radahn’s Great Rune is the second best option for most builds. The 15% boost to HP, FP, and Stamina simultaneously benefits aggressive builds that need sustained offense as much as defense. Intelligence and Faith builds that rely heavily on FP for spellcasting benefit especially.
Tier 2: Situational but Powerful
Godrick’s Great Rune adds 5 points to every attribute. This is particularly useful during the mid-game when you are trying to meet weapon requirements for new equipment without over-investing in specific stats. However, it falls off in usefulness once your stats are well-established.
Rykard’s Great Rune rewards aggressive playstyles. Recovering HP on every kill turns combat into a regenerative loop in enemy-dense areas. However, it does not help in boss fights where there are no minions to kill.
Tier 3: Niche Applications
Malenia’s Great Rune is the most high-risk option. Recovering HP by hitting enemies sounds powerful, but the reduced healing from your Flask makes this a punishing choice for most players. Only experienced players who can maintain consistent offensive pressure should equip this rune.
Mohg’s Great Rune is primarily useful in co-op. The phantom buffs it grants to summoned players only matter if you regularly play with others.
How To Use Great Runes Effectively: Strategic Tips
Matching Great Runes to Your Build
The Elden Ring Best Great Rune choice changes based on your build type:
- Strength builds: Radahn’s Great Rune for extra Stamina on top of HP
- Intelligence/Sorcery builds: Radahn’s Great Rune for significant FP boost
- Faith builds: Morgott’s Great Rune for maximum survivability
- Bleed/Arcane builds: Morgott’s or Godrick’s depending on whether you need the attribute points
- Co-op focused builds: Mohg’s Great Rune for buffed phantom partners
Pro Tips: Great Runes Elden Ring
- Save Rune Arcs for boss attempts only: The effect disappears on death, making Rune Arcs a resource that should be spent carefully. Use them right before entering a boss fog gate rather than during normal exploration.
- Activate Morgott’s rune first: Even if you plan to switch later, the 25% HP increase from Morgott’s Great Rune is the most universally valuable option throughout the game and is worth activating early.
- Check the Divine Tower location before traveling: Each Great Rune requires a specific Divine Tower, and some are in dangerous or hard-to-reach locations. Plan your route before attempting the restoration journey.
- Use Radahn’s rune for spellcaster playthroughs: The FP boost from Radahn’s Great Rune is equivalent to several levels of Mind investment. For builds that are FP-hungry, this rune effectively gives you free casting capacity.
Common Mistakes Elden Ring Great Runes Players Make
- Forgetting to visit the Divine Tower: Defeating a shardbearer gives you the Great Rune, but many players never restore it at the associated Divine Tower. An unrestored Great Rune cannot be activated, so its power goes to waste entirely. Fix: after every shardbearer boss kill, immediately look up and travel to the associated Divine Tower to restore the rune.
- Wasting Rune Arcs on casual exploration: Rune Arcs are limited enough that spending them during regular dungeon runs drains your supply fast. Fix: only activate Great Rune effects when you are confident in a boss attempt or a particularly dangerous section where the buff is truly necessary.
- Equipping Malenia’s Great Rune without understanding the Flask penalty: New players see “recover HP on hit” and equip Malenia’s rune immediately, only to discover that their Flask heals for significantly less. In the middle of a tough boss fight, this realization is fatal. Fix: read the rune’s full description before equipping and only use Malenia’s rune if you are comfortable sustaining HP through offense rather than healing.
Conclusion
The Elden Ring Great Runes system rewards players who engage with it strategically. Morgott and Radahn stand above the rest for most playthroughs, but every rune has a context where it shines. Exploring the Divine Towers and collecting all seven runes is also a worthwhile adventure in itself, taking you to some of the most visually striking locations in the entire game.
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All game images used in this blog post belong to FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Entertainment. They are used for informational and educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.
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