What to do first in Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree

Here are 7 tips to help you at the start of Shadow Of The Erdtree

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Trying to figure out what to do first in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree? Shadow Of The Erdtree is one of - if not the - largest FromSoftware DLC we’ve ever had. It features an entire new map to explore, populated with 10 new Remembrance Bosses, along with many more mini-bosses, legacy dungeons, weapons, armor and more.

If you’re struggling to know where to start or which region to explore first, we have a full list of top tips to help guide you below. We also have a guide to the fastest way to access the DLC if you have yet to beat the imposing Mohg in your playthrough.

• Learn the new leveling system
• Grab map fragments
• Tackle enemies in the Gravesite Plain
• Acquire new weapons and weapon types
• Steer clear of Furnace Golems, for now
• Head to Belurat, Tower Settlement
• Get stuck into the NPC questlines

Learn the new leveling system

Without collecting Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, you’re going to remain weak in the Land of Shadow. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Shadow Of The Erdtree utilises a new leveling up system to ensure that the DLC is challenging for returning players. We recommend that you start the DLC between levels 120-150 , but even if you hold back until level 170 or so, you’ll still have a tricky time until you collect Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes to level up your Tarnished. In short, Scadutree Fragments increase your Tarnished’s attack power and damage negation, and can be found via our Scadutree Fragment locations guide . Revered Spirit Ashes boost the attack power and damage negation of your Spirit Ashes and Torrent , and are scattered across the Land of Shadow.

Grab Map Fragments

Look out for these stone markers whenever you enter a new region, as they represent new Map Fragments. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

There are a total of 5 Map Fragments in the Land of Shadow that’ll uncover the fog on your map and make it much easier to chart your progress. You can find the first not far from your starting area in the Gravesite Plain; simply head directly east of your spawn point. The other pieces of the world map are more out-of-the-way, so check out our Map Fragment locations guide to get your bearings.

Tackle enemies in the Gravesite Plain

The Gravesite Plain is full of hardy enemies to keep you busy for hours, including the Blackgaol Knight. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Remember how you spent a good several hours in Limgrave, the starting region in Elden Ring ’s base game? While the Gravesite Plain is smaller, you’re still going to want to take things slow in this starting area, as there are plenty of worthy foes amongst those fields of eerie tombstones. Our Shadow Of The Erdtree boss locations guide shows several accessible bosses within your starting vicinity, from the relatively easy Logur The Beast Claw to the surprisingly tough Blackgaol Knight . The Blackgaol Knight is an especially great boss to test your might against if your Elden Ring skills are rusty. If he keeps beating you, go and collect some of those Scadutree Fragments and try again.

Acquire new weapons and weapon types

The Backhand Blade may very well serve you through the entire DLC - and it’s accessible from the very start. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

8 new Weapon types await you in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, and several of the finest weapons can be found at the very start of the game. If you’re a Katana user, seek out the Great Katana , which is located in the northern Gravesite Plain not far from a Ghostflame Dragon boss. The Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana , an even more powerful variant of this blade, is accessible in the Dragon’s Pit mini-dungeon. Milady and the Backhand Blade , two of the best weapons in Shadow Of The Erdtree , can be found in the Smouldering Ruins of the Gravesite Plain and in Castle Ensis. And if you prefer more unorthodox weapons of war, you can obtain Perfume Bottles in the camps outside of Castle Ensis. There are a whopping 103 new weapons with this DLC, we have a full list of all new weapons with their locations listed if you need some inspiration for your playthrough build .

Steer clear of Furnace Golems, for now

The secret to fighting Furnace Golems is to dodge out of the way, attack their faceplates, or just wait until you’ve acquired Hefty Furnace Pots. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

You’ll notice a lumbering Furnace Golem in the distance immediately upon entering the Shadow Realm, and you might be itching to run up and test your luck. But it’s best to hold off from tackling these behemoths at first, as they’re resistant to all forms of damage unless you manage to chip away at their legs or their faceplates. Unless you really enjoy a test of patience, come back to Furnace Golems once you progress further in the DLC and obtain Hefty Furnace Pots (the recipe of which is obtained by picking up the Greater Potentate’s Cookbook [2] from within the Run-Down Traveler’s Rest cabin in the Gravesite Plain). You can chuck these chonky explosives into the flaming braziers of Furnace Golems from an elevated position, knocking their health bars down to size rapidly. For more on locating and fighting these giants, see our guide to all Furnace Golem locations in Shadow Of The Erdtree.

Head to Belurat, Tower Settlement

Open to all Tarnished at the very start of the DLC, Belurat is a good legacy dungeon to start getting your feet back into the game. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Belurat, Tower Settlement is the first legacy dungeon you’ll likely encounter in Shadow Of The Erdtree and contains the Divine Beast Dancing Lion , the first boss we recommend you face . Located to the northeast within the Gravesite Plain, this is a great location to get your bearings and really delve into the main story of the DLC. You’ll receive additional instruction upon defeating this area’s boss which will take you to the next major region - Scadu Alus (accessible either by completing the Castle Ensis legacy dungeon or travelling to the southeast of the Castle Front Site of Grace and taking the Spiritsprings up from below the Fort Of Reprimand). You’ll also encounter a few of the DLC’s new NPCs on the way, which brings us nicely to our next tip.

Get stuck into the NPC questlines

The NPCs in the DLC are split up into Miquella’s supporters and people with their own agendas. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Don’t forget about the NPCs in Shadow Of The Erdtree. Like the base Elden Ring game, the denizens of the Land Of Shadow have complex and sometimes inter-woven quests that require some attention if you don’t want to miss out on additional weapons, armor , Talismans and more. We have a large hub guide of all NPC quests which includes the recommended order to complete them as well as all NPC locations to help you if you’re worried about missing any on your journeys. There are two major ‘points of no return’ to familiarise yourself with, otherwise, you should be somewhat free to experience these quests at your leisure.

The ’ points of no return ’ are the following. When you break Miquella’s charm some of the NPCs will move location and their quests will progress to the next steps. When you burn the Sealing Tree at the Church of the Bud after defeating Messmer and Romina , many NPCs will disappear off the map. So, make sure you have wrapped up their questlines before doing so.

Hopefully these tips have helped make your first few hours in the Shadow Realm an easier experience. For more Elden Ring tips and tricks , check out our guide to the best early weapons in Shadow Of The Erdtree to get you started. Or, if you’re further along in the DLC, see our best weapons guide that goes through the best of the bunch. If you need help with the DLC’s quests, we’ve also got guides on the Leda , Ymir , Thiollier and Moore questlines.

Elden Ring

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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