You just took down Godrick the Grafted. You're shaking a little, the "LEGEND FELLED" text is still glowing on your screen, and you've got this shiny new item in your inventory. But honestly? Most players just let it sit there. They see the Elden Ring Great Rune and think it’s a passive buff that just works. It doesn't. Not even close. FromSoftware is notorious for making you work for your rewards, and these runes are the peak of that design philosophy.
Getting a Great Rune is only step one. It’s like buying a luxury car but forgetting to buy the keys. Or the gas. You have to find a specific Divine Tower, climb to the top, interact with two massive fingers (classic FromSoft), and then—only then—is the rune actually "restored." But even then, you aren't getting those extra HP bars or stat boosts yet. You need Rune Arcs.
The game doesn't hold your hand. It barely even points you in the right direction.
The Divine Tower Problem: Where to Actually Go
Every major shardbearer has a corresponding tower. Some are easy to find. Others? Absolute nightmares. For Godrick, it’s a straight shot across the bridge from Stormveil, dodging three massive golems that want to turn you into a pancake. But try finding the tower for Malenia or Morgott. It’s a trek.
Let’s talk about Radahn. You kill the biggest guy in the game, a literal cosmic force, and his tower is a vertical platforming puzzle in Caelid. You have to drop down onto tiny ledges, fight off bats, and hope the camera doesn't freak out. It’s frustrating. But the payoff? Radahn’s Great Rune is arguably the best all-around buff in the game because it raises HP, FP, and Stamina all at once. It’s a massive safety net.
Then there’s Rykard. His tower is tucked away behind a fake wall in a cave. If you aren't hitting every suspicious-looking brick, you're going to miss it. This is why the Elden Ring Great Rune system feels so opaque to new players. You do the hard work of killing the boss, but the game demands you solve a geography riddle before you get the prize.
Why Rune Arcs Change Everything
You’ve restored the rune. You’ve equipped it at a Site of Grace. You still don't see your stats moving. That’s because you haven't popped a Rune Arc. These items are the "Humanity" or "Embers" of this game.
When you use one, you activate the power of your equipped Great Rune. It stays active until you die. In a game where you die a lot, this creates a weird psychological tension. Do you use your limited Rune Arcs on a boss fight you’ve already lost ten times? Or do you save them for "the big one"?
Honestly, most people hoard them. They finish the game with 40 Rune Arcs in their inventory because they were too scared to waste them. Don't be that person. Use them. If you run out, go help someone beat a boss in co-op or kill a host as an invader. That’s the real economy of the game.
Breaking Down the Runes: Which One Actually Matters?
Not all runes are created equal. Some are game-changers, while others are... niche, to put it politely.
Godrick’s Great Rune is the early-game king. It adds +5 to every single attribute. That’s 40 free levels. For a low-level character, that is an insane power spike. It lets you use weapons you don't have the stats for and gives you a much-needed boost to your survivability. But as you hit the level 120+ range, +5 to a stat you’ve already soft-capped doesn't feel as impactful.
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Morgott’s Great Rune is the choice for the late game. It gives you a massive 25% boost to your HP. In the Mountaintops of the Giants or the Consecrated Snowfield, where enemies can two-shot you even at 60 Vigor, that extra health is the difference between life and death.
Mohg’s Great Rune is the weirdest one. It’s built for PvP and bleed builds. If you’re a solo PvE player, it’s basically useless. But if you’re invading? It gives a "Phantom Great Rune" to your summoned monsters. If they kill a player, you get healed. It’s specific. It’s cruel. It’s Mohg.
The Malenia Letdown
We have to talk about Malenia’s Great Rune. You fight the hardest boss in the game, perhaps in the history of the genre, and you get a rune that... mimics the "Rally" mechanic from Bloodborne. When you take damage, you have a small window to hit back and recover that HP.
In theory, it sounds cool. In practice? It nerfs your Crimson Flask healing by about 30%. For most Elden Ring players, who play defensively and rely on those flasks, this is a death sentence. It requires a completely different playstyle. It’s an expert-level tool that most casual players will find actively harmful.
The Lore You’re Probably Missing
There is a reason these runes are broken. The Elden Ring was shattered. Each piece—each Elden Ring Great Rune—is a fragment of the literal laws of reality. When you hold Morgott’s rune, you aren't just holding a buff; you’re holding a piece of the "Anchor Ring."
Morgott was the "Veiled Monarch." He stayed loyal to an Order that hated him because he was Omen-born. His rune sits at the center of the ring. It’s why it gives health; it represents the core stability of the Erdtree. Contrast that with Rykard’s rune. It’s covered in "pitted thorns" and grants health on kills. It reflects his descent into gluttony and his desire to consume the very gods.
These aren't just icons in a menu. They are character studies.
Farming Rune Arcs Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re struggling with a boss and keep burning through Rune Arcs, you need a steady supply. You can buy a few from Twin Maiden Husks or various nomadic merchants, but they are expensive and limited.
- Co-op is your best friend. Put down your golden sign at the "Near/Far" pools. Helping a host clear a dungeon or beat a boss guarantees a Rune Arc. It’s also a great way to practice boss patterns without the risk of losing your own runes.
- Rat hunting. It sounds stupid, but rats have a tiny chance to drop Rune Arcs. If you have high Discovery (use the Silver Scarab or Silver-Pickled Fowl Foot), you can farm them in the Earthbore Cave in the Weeping Peninsula.
- Invasions. If you’re confident in your build, invading and killing a host is the fastest way to stock up. Just be prepared for 3-vs-1 fights.
The Missing Link: The Great Rune of the Unborn
Rennala’s Great Rune is the only one you don't have to "activate" at a tower. You don't even "equip" it. It just exists. This rune allows for "Perfect Rebirth."
Basically, it’s your respec tool. Without it, you’re stuck with whatever stats you picked ten hours ago. The fact that it doesn't require a Rune Arc to function is a huge mercy from the developers. It’s also a hint about Rennala’s state—she isn't a "shardbearer" in the traditional sense. She’s holding an egg given to her by Radagon, and that egg contains the rune. It’s a borrowed power, which is why it behaves differently from the others.
Common Misconceptions That Get You Killed
I see people online all the time complaining that their Great Rune "disappeared." It didn't. You just died.
Whenever you see a golden glow around your character's icon in the top left, that means the rune is active. If that icon is greyed out, you’re playing at base stats. In the endgame, playing without a Rune Arc is basically playing on hard mode.
Also, remember that Great Runes do not carry over into New Game Plus. You keep the memories of the bosses, but you have to go out and collect the runes and activate the towers all over again. It’s a bummer, but it keeps the progression loop intact.
How to Optimize Your Great Rune Usage
To actually get the most out of your Elden Ring Great Rune, you need to match it to your current goal. Don't just "set it and forget it."
If you’re exploring a new area and just want to survive the mobs, Godrick’s is fine, but Radahn’s is better for the stamina boost. If you’re hitting a wall against a boss like Maliketh or Godfrey, switch to Morgott’s. That massive health pool can be the difference between surviving a grab attack with 10 HP or seeing the "YOU DIED" screen for the 50th time.
If you’re running a glass cannon mage build, you might think you don't need health. You’re wrong. You need it more than anyone. One stray arrow in the Haligtree will end your run. Use Radahn’s rune to give yourself enough FP to cast your big spells (like Comet Azur) while also bumping your HP out of the "one-shot" zone.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
- Check your inventory. If you have a "Remembrance" but no Great Rune, you might have missed a shardbearer. Go back and check the major Legacy Dungeons like Volcano Manor or Leyndell.
- Locate your Divine Towers. Open your map. Look for the isolated, massive structures in the water or on cliffsides. Most have a visible bridge connecting them to the main landmass.
- Farm 5-10 Rune Arcs. Spend an hour doing co-op at a boss you know well (Margit or Rennala are usually fast pops). Having a buffer of arcs will make you less "afraid" to use them.
- Activate Godrick’s Rune immediately. If you’re under level 60, this is the single biggest advantage you can give yourself. It basically grants you 40 free levels for the price of one Rune Arc.
- Equip the Rune at a Site of Grace. Remember: Restoring it at a tower is not enough. You must manually select the "Great Runes" menu option at a bonfire to slot it in.
Stop ignoring those glowing icons. The Great Runes are the literal soul of the game's mechanics, and using them properly turns a frustrating slog into a power fantasy. Go to those towers, climb those stairs, and take what’s yours.