AOP3D's Ultimate Elden Ring Starter Guide Part 2: Stormveil Castle, Godrick, and the Road to Liurnia

🏰 1. Stormveil Castle: How to Get In Without Getting Flattened

Stormveil sits on the cliffs northwest of Stormhill. You'll arrive at the castle gate — where a sentry named Gatekeeper Gostoc offers you two options: charge the main gate, or sneak around the side. The honest Wizard's advice? Take the side path.

• The main gate: a straight shot through a courtyard packed with soldiers, ballistae, and enough projectiles to qualify as a weather event. Possible, but painful.
• The side path (recommended): follow the cliff ledge around the castle's edge. It's quieter, loots better, and drops you into the castle's courtyard area with the element of surprise.
• Bring a leveled weapon: aim for rune level 25–35 and a weapon at +3 or +4 before the castle's boss. If you're below that, go farm a bit more of Limgrave first.
• Grab the grace at the rampart tower: the Rampart Tower site of grace is your launch pad — and yes, one of those giant war hawks with blades strapped to its feet is waiting. Sprint past it if you must.

Explore the castle methodically: the cellar, the rooftops, and the chapel all hide upgrade materials and useful gear. Take your time — rushing through Stormveil is how you donate runes to the scenery.

⚔️ 2. Godrick the Grafted: Your First Real Boss Test

Godrick waits at the end of the castle — a many-armed demigod who grafts dragon parts onto himself. He's the first real skill check of the game, and he teaches you Elden Ring's golden rule: roll INTO attacks, not away from them.

• Phase 1: Godrick uses delayed axe swings with awkward pauses designed to catch panic-rollers. Wait for the swing to actually start, then dodge toward his side or behind him and punish.
• Phase 2 (at ~50% health): he grafts a dragon head onto his stump and starts spewing fire. Sprint to his side during the fire-breath and hit him — the flames only cover the cone in front of him.
• Bring help: summon a Spirit Ash (the Spirit Jellyfish from Roderika at Stormhill Shack is a fantastic distraction — she soaks hits and poisons him) or use an NPC/co-op summon sign outside the fog gate.
• After he falls: claim his Great Rune (you'll activate it later at the Divine Tower of Limgrave), grab the Remembrance, and stroll out the back of the castle — Liurnia of the Lakes is waiting.

Pro tip: if Godrick is melting your health bar in three hits, you probably need more Vigor. Levels 25–40 in Vigor early is never wasted.

🔨 3. Weapon Upgrades: Smithing Stones Are the Real Level-Up

New players dump runes into stats and forget that upgrading a weapon is often a bigger power spike. A +6 weapon with modest stats out-damages a +0 weapon with great stats, every time.

• Regular vs. Somber: normal weapons use regular Smithing Stones (up to +25); special "unique" weapons use Somber Smithing Stones (up to +10). Don't mix them up at the anvil.
• Smithing Master Hewg at the Roundtable Hold upgrades your weapons — visit him between dungeon runs.
• Upgrade your Spirit Ashes too: Roderika at the Roundtable Hold strengthens ashes using Grave Glovewort. A tanky upgraded summon trivializes half the game's roadblocks.

📊 4. Stats and Builds: The No-Regrets Starter Plan

Stats in Elden Ring follow weapon scaling — a letter grade (S through E) that tells you which stat feeds which weapon. Check your weapon's scaling grades before pumping stats.

• Vigor first: 30–40 Vigor by mid-game. Dead players deal zero damage. This is the single biggest beginner mistake — fix it and everything gets easier.
• Feed your weapon's best grade: strength weapon with B scaling in Strength? Level Strength. Dexterity rapier? Dexterity. Keep it simple: pick one damage stat early.
• Endurance matters: enough for medium-roll (under 70% equip load) plus a few extra swings. Fat-rolling is a death sentence.
• Don't sweat bad choices: later in Liurnia you can respec with a Larval Tear at Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. Experiment freely — nothing is permanent.
• Flasks: grab Golden Seeds at minor Erdtrees to add flask charges and Sacred Tears at churches to make them heal more. Both are free power.

🌊 5. The Road to Liurnia: Your Post-Godrick Checklist

Beyond Stormveil's back gate, the lakes and magic towers of Liurnia open up. Here's your checklist before diving into the Academy of Raya Lucaria:

• ✅ Get the Academy Glintstone Key: a sleeping Glintstone Dragon named Smarag guards it on an island behind the Academy — grab it from the corpse and run. You don't have to fight him (yet).
• ✅ Activate Godrick's Great Rune: carry it to the Divine Tower of Limgrave (reached through a teleporter portal in Stormveil's back area) and climb to the top.
• ✅ Talk to everyone at Roundtable Hold: new merchants, upgrade NPCs, and quest lines open up after your first Great Rune.
• ✅ Stock up on flasks: sweep Liurnia's churches and minor Erdtrees for Sacred Tears and Golden Seeds before the Academy's gauntlet.
• ✅ Save Raya Lucaria for when your weapon is +5/+6: the Academy's sorcerers hit hard — upgraded gear and a few more Vigor points make it smooth.

The Wizard's bottom line: Stormveil and Godrick are the game's first real filter. Clear them with a +3 weapon, 30+ Vigor, and an upgraded Spirit Ash, and the rest of the Lands Between starts to feel like an adventure instead of a punishment. Liurnia awaits, Tarnished — go claim it.