Great Runes are one of the most powerful rewards you can earn inElden Ring. Dropped by major demigod bosses, these mystical items offer significant gameplay advantages when properly activated and equipped. However, simply obtaining a Great Rune is not enough. Many players find themselves confused about how to activate and use these runes, especially when the game offers little direct guidance. If you’ve beaten a boss like Godrick or Rennala and want to take full advantage of their power, understanding how to equip a Great Rune is essential to making the most of your build.
What Are Great Runes?
Great Runes are key items tied to the lore of the Lands Between. Each one is the remnant of a powerful demigod and holds a portion of the Elden Ring’s shattered power. When equipped and activated, Great Runes provide game-changing buffs to your character. Some boost all attributes, others restore health on kills, or increase stamina recovery. These runes are not passive most of them must be activated with a consumable item called a Rune Arc to take effect.
How Great Runes Work
- You can only equip one Great Rune at a time.
- To gain their effect, you must first restore the rune’s power.
- Once restored, you must equip the rune at a Site of Grace.
- You must then use a Rune Arc to activate the rune’s effect during gameplay.
Understanding these steps and the differences between each Great Rune will help you plan your strategy and maximize your build’s potential.
Step 1: Obtain a Great Rune
The first requirement is to defeat one of the game’s major demigod bosses. These are usually located at the end of legacy dungeons and are critical milestones in the story. Upon defeating them, you’ll automatically receive their Great Rune.
Examples of Demigods and Their Runes:
- Godrick the Grafted Godrick’s Great Rune: Found in Stormveil Castle
- Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon No Great Rune (Grants Rebirth instead)
- Radahn Radahn’s Great Rune: Found in Redmane Castle
- Morgott, the Omen King Morgott’s Great Rune: Found in Leyndell, Royal Capital
Not all demigod bosses drop usable Great Runes. Rennala, for example, grants a unique ability called Rebirth for respeccing, but not a traditional Great Rune. Once you have a true Great Rune, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Restore the Great Rune’s Power
Newly obtained Great Runes are dormant and must be restored before you can use them. To do this, you’ll need to travel to a specific Divine Tower associated with the rune. These towers are located throughout the Lands Between and are usually accessible after defeating the related boss.
How to Restore a Great Rune:
- Locate the Divine Tower that corresponds to your rune.
- Access the tower often requires defeating mini-bosses or solving a navigation puzzle.
- Reach the top of the tower and interact with the glowing rune symbol.
Examples of Divine Tower Locations:
- Divine Tower of Limgrave: Used to restore Godrick’s Great Rune. Reach it via the bridge east of Stormveil Castle.
- Divine Tower of Caelid: Used to restore Radahn’s Great Rune. Located in northern Caelid, behind some powerful enemies.
- Divine Tower of East Altus: Restores Morgott’s Great Rune. Accessed after progressing through Leyndell, the Royal Capital.
Once restored, the Great Rune becomes active in your inventory, and you can now equip it at a grace point.
Step 3: Equip the Great Rune at a Site of Grace
With the Great Rune restored, travel to any Site of Grace and rest. From the menu, select the option Great Runes. This will open a list of any runes you’ve restored and allow you to choose which one to equip.
Important Notes:
- You can only equip one Great Rune at a time.
- You can switch Great Runes freely at any Site of Grace.
- Equipping a Great Rune alone does not grant its effects.
This step is often overlooked by players who think the rune activates automatically. Make sure to visit a grace point after restoring the rune to properly equip it.
Step 4: Use a Rune Arc to Activate the Great Rune
After equipping the rune, you still need to activate it using aRune Arc. This is a rare consumable item found in the world, dropped by enemies, or purchased from certain merchants.
Using a Rune Arc:
- Go to your inventory and use a Rune Arc.
- Your currently equipped Great Rune’s effects will now become active.
- The buff lasts until you die once you fall in battle, you must use another Rune Arc to reactivate it.
Tips for Managing Rune Arcs:
- Use Rune Arcs sparingly for tough boss fights or PvP encounters.
- Farm Rune Arcs by defeating invading NPC phantoms or by helping players in co-op mode as a Furled Finger.
- Some merchants, such as Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, sell Rune Arcs in limited quantities.
Keeping a stash of Rune Arcs can make a major difference in harder zones, especially as enemy difficulty scales up toward the endgame.
Overview of Notable Great Rune Effects
Each Great Rune offers a unique bonus. Choosing the right one can enhance your build dramatically depending on your playstyle.
- Godrick’s Great Rune: Raises all attributes by +5 when active. Very useful for all builds.
- Radahn’s Great Rune: Increases maximum HP, FP, and stamina.
- Morgott’s Great Rune: Greatly increases HP. Best used by tank or melee builds.
- Rykard’s Great Rune: Restores HP when defeating enemies. Excellent for crowd control situations.
- Mohg’s Great Rune: Grants a blood blessing on summoned allies niche but powerful in specific builds.
Choose your Great Rune based on the challenges ahead and the stats your build relies on most. You can experiment freely by switching runes at grace points and using Rune Arcs accordingly.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Forgetting to Restore the Rune
Many players beat a demigod and assume the Great Rune is immediately usable. Always remember to visit the correct Divine Tower before expecting to activate the rune’s effects.
Not Using a Rune Arc
Another common error is equipping the rune but never activating it. Unless you use a Rune Arc, the Great Rune will provide no benefits, even if equipped.
Dying and Not Reapplying
After death, your Rune Arc buff disappears. Always remember to use another one before tough fights if you want the benefits again.
Equipping and activating a Great Rune inElden Ringinvolves more than just defeating a boss. You must restore the rune’s power at a Divine Tower, equip it at a Site of Grace, and use a Rune Arc to activate its effects. These steps, while simple, are easy to miss especially with the game’s minimal guidance. Once properly activated, Great Runes offer massive buffs that can enhance every aspect of your build, from health and stamina to attribute boosts and life restoration. Mastering the use of Great Runes gives you a critical edge in your journey to become Elden Lord.