Elden Ring: 14 Items You Should Buy Immediately From Merchants

Elden Ring: 14 Items You Should Buy Immediately From Merchants

In Elden Ring, items play a crucial role in survival and progression, especially as the Lands Between offer an immense variety of challenges. While much of the gear can be found through exploration, many essential tools, consumables, and key items are available for purchase from various merchants scattered throughout the game. Knowing which items to buy right away can make the difference between life and death, especially in the early stages. Here's a list of 14 items you should prioritize when interacting with Elden Ring's merchants.

1. Lantern (Isolated Merchant in Liurnia)

One of the most useful items in the game, the Lantern frees you from holding a torch in dark areas, allowing both hands to remain free for combat or shield use. Elden Ring Runes attaches to your waist and illuminates your surroundings, making it invaluable when exploring caves, dungeons, and night-time settings. The Lantern is available from the Isolated Merchant in the western part of Liurnia of the Lakes, and it's well worth the 1,800 Runes.

2. Cracked Pots (Various Merchants)

Cracked Pots are essential crafting materials that allow you to make throwable pot items like Fire Pots or Sleep Pots. These reusable containers are a great investment as they can be refilled when you craft more pot items. Merchants like Kale in the Church of Elleh and others sell Cracked Pots, and while they may seem pricey at first, having a few on hand early on can give you a tactical advantage in battles.

3. Crafting Kit (Kale - Church of Elleh)

If you want to get the most out of the materials you collect in Elden Ring, purchasing the Crafting Kit from Kale at the Church of Elleh is essential. It allows you to craft items like arrows, healing items, and throwables on the go. This item unlocks one of the game's most flexible mechanics and is one of the first things you should buy.

4. Nomadic Warrior's Cookbook (Various Merchants)

The ability to craft useful items such as arrows, poison cures, and more depends on your crafting recipes, many of which are locked behind the purchase of the Nomadic Warrior's Cookbooks. These are sold by various merchants and offer a wide variety of recipes for different tools and consumables. They are cheap for the value they provide, especially in the early game, allowing you to keep stocked on crucial items.

5. Stonesword Key (Patches - Murkwater Cave)

This consumable unlocks fog-covered imp statues, granting access to new areas, secret rooms, and valuable loot. While you can find some Stonesword Keys throughout the game world, buying an extra one or two from merchants like Patches in Murkwater Cave ensures you won't miss out on these locked treasures. Stonesword Keys are a vital resource for exploration.

6. Festering Bloody Finger (Nomadic Merchant in Caelid)

For PvP enthusiasts, the Festering Bloody Finger allows you to invade other players' worlds. This item is sold by various merchants, and the one in Caelid is known to stock it. While not a priority for PvE players, if you're interested in engaging with Elden Ring's multiplayer invasion system, this is a must-buy early on.

7. Margit's Shackle (Patches - Murkwater Cave)

Margit's Shackle is a unique item sold by Patches in Murkwater Cave, and it's extremely helpful in the early game. This item can be used twice during your fight with Margit, the Fell Omen, to briefly bind him to the ground, making the battle significantly easier. Since Margit is one of the first major bosses you encounter, this item can make a frustrating encounter more manageable.

8. Missionary's Cookbook (Various Merchants)

In addition to the Nomadic Warrior's Cookbooks, Missionary's Cookbooks offer a different set of recipes focused more on support and healing items. These recipes allow you to craft items like Sacred Tears, which can enhance your Flask of Crimson Tears, and cure poison. Given their defensive nature, Missionary's Cookbooks are extremely useful for keeping your healing supplies plentiful.

9. Ritual Pot (Various Merchants)

Similar to Cracked Pots, Ritual Pots are a higher-tier crafting item that allows you to create more potent throwables. These include explosives that deal much higher damage or have special effects, like healing allies in multiplayer. The Ritual Pots are sold by several merchants across the Lands Between and should be a priority for players looking to maximize their crafting potential.

10. Telescope (Kale - Church of Elleh)

The Telescope is one of those items that seem trivial at first but is extremely useful for planning your routes and scouting enemies from a distance. It's available from Kale at the Church of Elleh and allows you to zoom in on distant areas. Whether you're preparing for an ambush or simply navigating tricky terrain, the Telescope can help you survey the landscape ahead.

11. Armorer's Cookbook (Various Merchants)

This set of crafting books allows you to create specific armaments and weapon coatings that can give your attacks elemental damage or special properties. The Armorer's Cookbooks are sold by different merchants, and each one unlocks a range of coatings and throwable items. These are crucial for making sure you have elemental counters for tougher enemies and bosses.

12. Finger Remedy (Various Merchants)

This multiplayer item is essential if you want to summon allies or invade other players' worlds. The Finger Remedy reveals summoning signs, which let you summon friendly phantoms for co-op play or challenge invaders. It's easy to craft but having a couple on hand can be very helpful if you're planning to engage in multiplayer activities.

13. Arrow and Bolt Fletching Crafting Kits (Various Merchants)

Having a steady supply of arrows and bolts is crucial if you're playing a ranged build. Fletching Crafting Kits allow you to craft both regular and elemental ammunition. These kits are sold by several merchants, and acquiring them early on ensures you always have enough ammo to take down enemies from a distance, especially when you're low on resources.

14. Boiled Prawn (Blackguard Big Boggart - Liurnia)

The Boiled Prawn is a consumable sold by Blackguard Big Boggart in Liurnia of the Lakes, and it temporarily boosts your physical damage negation. This buff can be a lifesaver during difficult buy Elden Ring Items encounters or when exploring areas filled with enemies. It's a small investment for a potentially game-changing buff during tough fights.

In Elden Ring, merchants offer a range of items that can significantly impact your experience. Prioritizing the right purchases can ensure you're always well-equipped for the dangers ahead. Whether it's essential crafting tools, unique consumables, or items that give you an edge in specific battles, these 14 items are must-buys for any Elden Ring player looking to survive and thrive in the Lands Between. Keep your Runes handy and make sure you don't miss these critical purchases!