When it comes to farming runes in Elden Ring, many players tend to focus on stacking as much damage as possible. The logic seems simple: the faster you kill enemies, the more runes you earn, right? But after countless hours of farming, it’s become clear that speed often outweighs raw kill damage when optimizing your rune income. Let’s break down why.
The ultimate goal of any rune farm is efficiency. In simple terms, it’s not just about killing a single enemy quickly—it’s about maximizing the number of enemies you can defeat over a set period of time. High damage weapons and heavy-hitting builds can be satisfying, but if each kill takes 10 seconds instead of 3, your rune-per-minute rate drops drastically. Think of it like a conveyor belt: a steady stream of small kills often yields better returns than a few heavy ones.
This is where mobility and attack speed shine. Fast weapons, simple combos, and builds that let you dodge through enemies with ease allow you to clear areas quickly. Personally, I’ve found that a sword-and-shield build optimized for speed consistently outperforms heavy-hitters in most rune farms, even if each hit deals half the damage. The key takeaway is that rune farming is a marathon, not a sprint. Your goal is sustained efficiency, not single-target burst.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of using your favorite PvP or boss-killing gear for farming. After all, if it obliterates tough enemies, shouldn’t it also work on mobs? Not exactly. Farming builds prioritize speed, stamina management, and AoE abilities over pure damage. You want attacks that hit multiple enemies at once, quick weapon swings, and skills that let you reposition fast.
This is also why some players opt to buy Elden Ring runes to supplement their farming efforts. If you’re short on time or want to unlock a specific build quickly, buying runes can give you a jumpstart. While some may frown upon it, it’s a perfectly valid strategy—especially when you compare it to grinding for hours with a slow setup.
Not all rune farms are created equal. The best farms are usually places with high enemy density and minimal downtime between fights. Avoid areas where enemies are tough and slow, even if the rune payout per kill is high. I’ve lost count of the times I ran to a “high-value” spot only to get frustrated by a single elite mob that killed my efficiency.
If you don’t want to grind endlessly, there are also platforms where you can get the best place to buy Elden Ring runes. These services can save you hours, letting you focus on experimenting with builds or tackling new bosses. Personally, I use these as a backup if I need a quick rune boost for upgrading gear or leveling up stats.
Let’s say you have two options:
A heavy greatsword that kills an enemy in 10 seconds but drains a lot of stamina.
A fast katana that kills an enemy in 5 seconds and barely uses stamina.
Over a 10-minute farming session, the katana will likely net you twice the runes, even though the per-hit damage is lower. The difference becomes even more noticeable when you factor in AoE attacks and mobility, allowing you to chain kills without downtime. This principle also applies to summon-heavy farms, where being able to reposition and keep your summons alive often matters more than one-shotting enemies.
A small tip from personal experience: always test different routes and weapon combos. Sometimes a slightly slower weapon with AoE or bleed effects can outperform a pure speed setup if used strategically.
Rune farming in Elden Ring isn’t about who can hit hardest; it’s about who can keep killing efficiently over time. Speed, area coverage, and stamina management usually trump raw damage, and building your farming setup around these principles can drastically reduce grind time. Whether you’re optimizing a build, experimenting with new weapons, or even supplementing your farm by choosing to buy Elden Ring runes from reliable sources, the core takeaway remains: speed matters more than brute force in most rune farms.
For anyone serious about rune farming, focus on movement, attack cadence, and quick recovery. Embrace weapons and skills that let you stay mobile and keep enemies moving, and you’ll see your rune income climb faster than any high-damage build could manage. Remember, it’s about the long game, not the single kill.