If you are looking for the best (Top) way to farm runes to hit the new Scadutree Fragment soft caps or level up, the DLC has a specific "Golden Spot."
The Bird Farm (NG+ Recommended):
The DLC "Furnace Golem" Farm:
The High Road Cross Farm:
Update v1.16 (released September 2024) fixed several exploits (e.g., the Rolling Rotten Stray duplication glitch) but intentionally preserved high-yield PvE farms. The term “Rune top” refers to the maximum Runes farmable per unit time using legitimate mechanics. This paper evaluates three top methods post-v1.16.
To celebrate the update, try this build optimized for the new patch:
Are you ready to step back into the Land of Shadow? The Erdtree awaits. elden ring shadow of the erdtree update v1 16rune top
Farming rates were tested on NG+0 (base difficulty) with the following gear:
Each method was run for 10 cycles, averaging Runes/minute.
The update addresses a rare but immersion-breaking bug where environmental shadows would flicker in the Abyssal Woods. This area is arguably the most atmospheric in the DLC, designed to invoke pure dread. With the fix, the lighting engine now works as intended—plunging you into near-total darkness where your torch is your only lifeline against the terrifying Fire Knights. If you are looking for the best (Top)
To achieve the Rune Top (over 500,000 runes every 90 seconds), follow this exact method:
Setup:
The Loop: