By: The Lands Between Chronicle
Since the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware has been meticulously tuning the experience. Just when players thought they had mastered the art of rune farming, the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Update v1.16 dropped—and with it, a seismic shift in what the community now calls the "Rune Top."
If you are a Tarnished seeking to reach max level (713) or simply want to purchase every Smithing Stone in the game, you need to understand v1.16. This article breaks down every change, the new best rune acquisition strategies, and why this patch has redefined the endgame economy. elden ring shadow of the erdtree update v1 16rune top
By: Veteran Tarnished Tactics
Published: Post v1.16 Patch Analysis
Since the launch of Shadow of the Erdtree, the Elden Ring community has been on a relentless hunt for efficiency. With every patch, FromSoftware subtly tweaks enemy behavior, item drops, and—most importantly—Rune acquisition. The arrival of Update v1.16 has officially shaken up the meta. The old “Bird Farm” at Mohgwyn’s Palace? Obsolete. The “Sacred Relic Sword Albinauric genocide?” Still decent, but no longer the king. Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Update v1
There is a new champion. After extensive testing (and dying… a lot), we have identified the definitive Shadow of the Erdtree v1.16 Rune Top—the single highest Rune-per-hour location in the entire game.
If you are level 150+ and struggling with Commander Gaius or Promised Consort Radahn, or simply want to max out your stats for New Game Plus 7, this guide is for you. it overhauled enemy rune values
Data were collected from community testing (patch notes v1.16, player reports, speedrun forums). “Top” is defined as highest runes per minute (RPM) for a mid-to-late game build (Level 120–200) without glitches.
First, let’s define the keyword. "Rune Top" refers to the top-tier, most efficient rune farming method available in the current patch. Historically, this involved the bird-dropping exploit at Moghwyn’s Palace or the Albinauric genocide wave using the Sacred Relic Sword.
However, Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Update v1.16 did not simply nerf old spots; it overhauled enemy rune values, Spirit Ash scaling, and introduced new late-game enemies in the Realm of Shadow that now yield the highest runes-per-hour ratio in the game’s history.