If you have ever looked at a rune cost and quietly laughed before going back to being under levelled, this guide is for you. Elden Ring still rewards patience, curiosity, and the occasional morally questionable genocide of local wildlife. These farming spots remain reliable in 2026 across patches and balance tweaks, and they work whether you are brand new or deep into New Game Plus.
Early Game Rune Farming
Gatefront Ruins
This is where many players accidentally learn what farming even is. It is efficient, close to a Site of Grace, and forgiving if you mess up.
Focus points
- Soldiers give steady runes without elite resistance
- Easy backstab chains for new builds
- Resets quickly and teaches enemy patterns early
You will not get rich here, but you will stop being broke.
Bestial Sanctum Black Blade Kindred Route
If you grab the teleport from Third Church of Marika, Dragonbarrow opens far earlier than it should. The enemies hit like trucks, but stealth kills pay well.
Focus points
- High rune yield for early characters
- Works best with backstabs or ranged cheese
- Excellent risk to reward ratio if you stay patient
This spot feels illegal the first time you do it. That is part of the charm.
Mid Game Rune Farming
Greyoll the Sleeping Dragon
Still one of the most infamous rune injections in the game. Greyoll remains passive, generous, and very much exploitable.
Focus points
- Massive one time rune payout
- Scales with Gold Pickled Fowl Foot
- Ideal for pushing early builds into comfort territory
It is less farming and more organised mugging, but no judgement here.
Altus Plateau Soldier Camps
Once you reach Altus, rune density quietly spikes. The camps around the plateau are compact, predictable, and efficient.
Focus points
- Good balance of safety and payout
- Scales well into mid game levels
- Useful for testing new weapons
This is where builds start to feel real instead of theoretical.
Late Game Rune Farming
Palace Approach Ledge Road
Yes, it is still the king. Yes, it still works. The Albinaurics remain tragically farmable, and the bird still runs off the cliff like it owes you money.
Focus points
- Extremely high runes per minute
- Works with melee, magic, and ranged builds
- Near instant resets at the Site of Grace
If you only farm one place in the entire game, this is it. Everything else is just flavour.
Haligtree Prayer Room Route
For players who want runes with a side of stress. Enemies here are aggressive, tanky, and rewarding.
Focus points
- High rune drops per enemy
- Great for endgame build testing
- Demands focus and positioning
You will earn every rune here, and you will probably die doing it. Fair trade.
Rune Farming Tips That Still Matter in 2026
- Always stack Gold Pickled Fowl Foot before big clears
- Equip rune boosting talismans when possible
- Short routes beat long ones every time
- If it feels slow, it probably is
Efficiency matters more than raw numbers.
Is Farming Still Worth It?
Short answer, yes. Long answer, absolutely yes, especially if you want to experiment with builds without committing to a full respec every five minutes. Elden Ring rewards exploration, but it also quietly respects players who optimise their time. Farming is not cheating, it is time management with a sword.
