Upgrading items in Elden Ring can feel overwhelming at first, especially when you’re navigating a massive open world filled with secrets, danger, and countless materials. As someone who’s spent over 200 hours across multiple characters, I’ve tested nearly every upgrade strategy possible. In this guide, I’ll walk you through 5 step-by-step methods to upgrade Elden Ring items efficiently—without wasting time or resources. Whether you’re a seasoned Tarnished or just beginning your journey, these methods will help you progress faster and stronger.

1. Prioritize the Right Weapons Early
2. Step-by-step:

Identify your build (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, etc.).

Stick to one or two main weapons suited to your stats.

Avoid spreading upgrade resources across multiple weapons early on.

Personal Insight:

During my first playthrough, I kept upgrading every new weapon I found. That left me with underwhelming gear and not enough Smithing Stones when I finally found a weapon that truly fit my playstyle. Now, I always test new weapons without investing materials until I’m sure it suits my build.

1. Farm Smithing Stones Efficiently
2. Step-by-step:

Unlock the Twin Maiden Husks Bell Bearings to buy basic Smithing Stones.

Farm early-game areas like Limgrave Tunnels for lower-tier stones.

Progress to Altus Plateau and Mountaintops of the Giants for higher-tier stones.

Tip:

Bell Bearings can be found throughout the world and are key to accessing an unlimited supply of upgrade materials. This eliminates the risk of wasting limited resources.

1. Use Ashes of War Strategically
2. Step-by-step:

Collect different Ashes of War from NPCs, bosses, and treasure chests.

Apply Ashes that enhance your weapon based on your build (e.g., Keen for Dex builds).

Test various effects in battle before committing with upgrades.

Personal Insight:

On my Dexterity build, equipping a Keen Ash of War on my Uchigatana and upgrading it made a huge difference in damage output—especially in PvP. Experimentation here can seriously boost your combat effectiveness.

1. Don’t Forget Somber Weapons
2. Step-by-step:

Recognize which weapons use Somber Smithing Stones (usually special or boss weapons).

These weapons upgrade in fewer steps (max level +10), making them easier to maintain.

Hunt down Somber Stone Bell Bearings to buy the stones safely.

Trust Factor:

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1. Reinforce Shields, Staffs, and Seals Too
2. Step-by-step:

Identify your secondary tools: shields for tanks, staffs for mages, seals for faith builds.

Upgrade them just like weapons—they scale with damage reduction or spell power.

Focus on the one that best matches your playstyle.

Personal Insight:

I once ignored my Glintstone Staff upgrades and couldn’t understand why my spells felt weak. Once I invested in its upgrades, I noticed a drastic increase in both damage and casting speed.

Final Thoughts

Upgrading Elden Ring items is essential to surviving the game’s brutal world, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Stick to your build, farm efficiently, and invest wisely. And if you’re short on time or just want a head start, remember: you can buy Elden Ring items no scam through trusted services like U4GM. From my experience, it’s one of the most dependable ways to gear up without risking your game progress or account safety.

Mastering upgrades in Elden Ring transforms the experience—it’s the difference between struggling through bosses and slicing through them with confidence. Follow these methods, and you’ll be one step closer to becoming Elden Lord.

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