Learning how to start Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree can be tricky if you’re still on your first playthrough. Elden Ring was already one of the best soulslike games, and its lengthy additional campaign - which launched in June 2024 - makes it even better with brutal boss fights, breathtaking new areas, and no shortage of fantastic new weapon types to try out.
There’s just one problem. In true From Software fashion, it’s not immediately clear how to start the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. While certainly not as cryptic as what we had to do in Dark Souls to get to its Artorias of the Abyss expansion, there are nonetheless some hoops we need to jump through in Elden Ring in order to access the Shadow Realm.
The process of getting to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC mainly requires the player to defeat a number of bosses, and it’s recommended that you have a character build between Levels 100-150 given the drastic increase in enemy health and difficulty throughout the expansion. Read on to learn how to start the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC campaign.
Tools and requirements
- A PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, or PC
- A physical or digital copy of Elden Ring
- Shadow of the Erdtree DLC purchased and downloaded from your store of choice
Steps for how to start Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC
- Defeat Starscourge Radahn at Redmane Castle
- Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn Palace
- Touch the cocoon in Mohg’s boss arena after defeating him
Step by step guide
1. Defeat Starscourge Radahn
Defeating General Radahn is usually not required in order to complete Elden Ring’s base game. But you will need to topple the towering terror to start the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
Radahn’s boss fight can be accessed by heading to Redmane Castle in Caelid, off to the east side of the map. If you come to this location and instead find a boss fight against a Misbegotten Warrior and a Crucible Knight, then there are some more steps you’ll need to complete in order to begin the Radahn Festival.
The activation of the festival is what allows us to challenge Starscourge Radahn in the first place. To get started here, you’ll first need to progress to any Site of Grace in the Altus Plateau area up north. Alternatively, following Ranni the Witch’s questline, finding Blaidd in Siofra River and speaking to him about Radahn will be enough to begin the Radahn Festival.
If you’re a first-time Elden Ring player, you may find the battle against Starscourge Radahn to be a pretty tough one. His massive twin swords hit hard, and his gravity-based spells can catch you off guard at range. If that wasn’t bad enough, halfway through the fight, he’ll launch himself into the air before crashing down on the arena, killing you instantly should he land this attack against you.
You don’t need to go it alone, however. Radahn’s arena is littered with NPC summon signs of other characters participating in the Radahn Festival. These can be summoned in order to aid you in battle and distract the boss too. Should they fall, they can also be re-summoned, unlike summons in any other boss fight. Lastly, Radahn’s arena is so large that you can make use of your Spectral Steed Torrent in order to get around faster and, potentially, have an easier time dodging the boss’ attacks.
With Radahn defeated, you’re now ready to progress the game further and make your way to Mohg. And while the order in which you defeat both bosses doesn’t matter, we recommend taking down Radahn first as Mohg is the significantly harder fight and you’re expected to fight him late in the game.
2. Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood
Starscourge Radahn is a decently hard fight for Elden Ring’s mid-game. But Mohg is on another level, often considered one of the game’s toughest bosses - especially so in New Game Plus runs where the health and attack power of enemies increases.
To kill Mohg, you’ll first need to know how to get to him. He resides in Mohgwyn Palace, an elusive underground location. The easiest way to get here is to complete White Mask Varré’s questline. He’s the first NPC you’ll come across at the start of the game, waiting right by The First Step site of grace. You’ll encounter him again, later, outside the Rose Church in Liurnia of the Lakes.
Here, he’ll give you an item known as the Lord of Blood’s Favor. Simply take this over to the Church of Inhibition near the Frenzied Flame Village and use it on the corpse of a maiden there. Return to Varré with the bloodied Favor and he’ll then give you the Pureblood Knight’s Vessel. Use this item in your inventory to be instantly teleported to Mohgwyn Palace where you can take on Mohg, Lord of Blood.
Mohg is an exceptionally tough boss, but thankfully, there are some things you can do to make the boss fight much more manageable. Firstly, you can complete Yura’s questline to earn the Purifying Crystal Tear. When applied to your Flask of Wondrous Physick, it’ll protect you against Mohg’s most damaging attack.
If that’s not enough, you can also pick up Mohg’s Shackle, which is found in the Subterranean Shunning Grounds beneath Leyndell, the Royal Capital. This item will bind Mohg in place for a few seconds. You can only use it a few times per fight, but it can help you dish out some free damage while he’s stunned.
3. Examine the cocoon in Mohg’s boss arena
After you’ve beaten Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, you’ll need to rest at the site of grace that appears in Mohg’s arena. In actuality, any site of grace in the game will do, but this one is the closest to our next step. You’ll see that a new NPC, Needle Knight Leda, has spawned in. Speak to her, then examine the cocoon at the far end of Mohg’s boss arena to be transported to the realm of shadow, and therefore the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. Enjoy!
As mentioned, it’s recommended that you enter the DLC with a decently built character in that 100-150 level range. We recommend entering with at least 50 Vigor to boost up your health, as even the most basic of DLC enemies can hit hard. If you’ve defeated Rennala at Raya Lucaria Academy, you can always head back to her and spend a Larval Tear in order to respec to make doubly sure you’re going in with the stats you prefer. We also recommend fully upgrading your weapons of choice to ensure you’re not leaving any attack power on the table.
FAQs
What stats should I have for Shadow of the Erdtree?
With tons of new weapons to earn in the DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree is very friendly towards any kind of Elden Ring build you might have. That said, we highly recommend entering the DLC with at least 50-60 Vigor. Enemies hit significantly harder in the DLC areas, so you’re going to need a lot of health.
What other preparations should I make for Shadow of the Erdtree?
As mentioned above, we recommend entering the DLC with fully upgraded weapons for your build. You should also take the time to increase the number of Flasks of Crimson and Cerulean Tears for health and magic replenishment. Search for Golden Seeds in the base game to increase the number you can carry, as well as Sacred Tears to improve their effectiveness.
Final thoughts
You now have all the knowledge you need on how to start the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. While defeating two tough bosses seems like a strict requirement, think of it as a rite of passage; if you’re able to defeat both Radahn and Mohg, you stand a chance at tackling the DLC’s tougher challenges.
