Elden Ring: How to start Shadow Of The Erdtree
Want to know how to start the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC in Elden Ring? Elden Ring is already a gigantic open-world masterpiece, but FromSoftware has expanded it ever further with their Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC. Featuring a brand new map that's smaller but far more densely packed than the original, the expansion is packed with new bosses, weapon types, and more.
But how do you access the new map and begin the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC? As you might have expected, it will take a fair bit of playing through the base game before you can reach the Land Of Shadow. Follow this guide to learn exactly how to start Shadow Of The Erdtree, along with a roundup of useful guides to get you started in the Elden Ring DLC.
How to start Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC
To start the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC, you must first defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord Of Blood. Once you've defeated these two bosses, go to the throne at Mohgwyn's Palace, and you'll see a new character standing next to the cocoon. Speak to her, and she'll introduce herself as Needle Knight Leda, a follower of Miquella. She instructs you to interact with the withered arm in the cocoon to begin the DLC.
Touching the withered arm will transport you to the Land Of Shadow, the new map in which the Elden Ring DLC is set. You can move in and out of the Land Of Shadow at will afterward, but to unlock the new DLC map, you need to reach and interact with the arm in the cocoon.
To reiterate, here are the steps you must complete to start Shadow Of The Erdtree:
Defeat Starscourge Radahn.
Defeat Mohg, Lord Of Blood.
Touch the withered arm in the Cocoon in Mohgwyn Palace.
1. Defeat Starscourge Radahn
Starscourge Radahn is the major boss of Caelid, the Rot-infested region to the east of Limgrave. To defeat him, you must wait until the Radahn Festival is active, then travel to Redmane Castle in the southeast corner of Caelid and activate the portal on the beach.
There are three ways to start the Radahn Festival:
Reach any Altus Plateau Site Of Grace, OR
Progress Ranni's quest until you mention Radahn to Blaidd in Siofra River, OR
Progress Ranni's quest until you mention Witch-Hunter Jerren to Iji.
Caelid is a tricky region, and we'd recommend you complete Limgrave and Liurnia (and possibly the Altus Plateau) first. For full details, check out our Elden Ring area order guide.
2. Defeat Mohg, Lord Of Blood
The other boss you must defeat to activate the DLC is Mohg, Lord Of Blood. He can be found inside Mohgwyn Palace, an underground region which can only be accessed in two ways:
Use the teleporter in the west of the Consecrated Snowfield, OR
Use the Pureblood Knight's Medal given at the end of White Mask Varré's quest.
The second method allows you to get to Mohgwyn Palace far quicker. However, Mohgwyn Palace is a very tough endgame area, so if you use the Pureblood Knight's Medal to get there quickly, you may find yourself leveled and unprepared to take on Mohg himself.
If you need some help dealing with Mohg, check out our Elden Ring Mohg, Lord Of Blood boss fight guide.
3. Touch the withered arm in Mohgwyn Palace
Once you've defeated Mohg in his throne room, you simply need to interact with the withered arm poking out of the bloody cocoon on Mohg's throne. This arm belongs to the demigod Miquella, brother of the infamous boss Malenia, Hand Of Miquella.
Michelle is a very mysterious figure who is central to the lore and story of the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC, so it makes sense that he is your gateway into the Land Of Shadow.
If you can't interact with the withered arm, then simply fast-travel to the nearby Site Of Grace again to reload the area, and you should find a character standing next to the arm. Speak to her, and she'll introduce herself as Needle Knight Leda, one of the key NPC characters of the DLC. She'll instruct you to touch the withered arm to transport yourself to the Land Of Shadow.
How to prepare for the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC
If you are capable of defeating Mohg, Lord Of Blood, then you likely are already at the right level of power for beginning your journey into the Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC. The entire map should be a similar level of difficulty to late-game areas in the base game, such as Miquella's Haligtree and Crumbling Farum Azula.
When you enter the Land of Shadow, your preparation with Elden Ring runes and Elden Ring items will play a huge role in how smoothly your journey goes. The difficulty level will be high, but with the right equipment and resources, you can conquer whatever awaits in the shadows!