Elden Ring: What Rune Arcs Do & How To Use Them

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One of the key consumable items in Elden Ringis the Rune Arc, and although there are a couple of uses for it the game doesn't directly indicate what they should be used for. Rune Arcs can help players defeat the tougher enemies, bosses, and minibosses in Elden Ring with a bit more ease, though not directly. While Rune Arcs do provide a small health boost and remove negative effects, they're better saved for unlocking the effects of Great Runes.

Great Runes are items that many of the major bosses drop after players beat them in Elden Ring. Although they don't do anything by themselves, each of them has a unique effect that remains inactive until players use a Rune Arc as well. Great Runes need to be equipped at a Site of Grace, and afterward, players can use a Rune Arc to activate the effects on their character. After acquiring a Great Rune, however, players must restore it in the Divine Tower that belongs to the same region as the boss that dropped the item.

Related: How to Level Up Faster in Elden Ring

Fortunately, Rune Arcs are one of the items that the Nomadic Merchant and Roundtable Hold sells, though it costs 4,000 Runes to buy one in Elden Ring. Furthermore, while Great Runes remain equipped to a player after they die, their effects wear off and another Rune Arc will need to be used in order to activate it again. Additionally, as players find more Great Runes throughout the game, they'll need to use another Rune Arc to activate the new item's effects. Since this can be a costly endeavor, newer or inexperienced players may want to save their Rune Arcs to use just before a boss fight in Elden Ring to avoid wasting one altogether.

There are also a few places where Rune Arcs can be found in the game, although the drops