It is with a heavy heart that I inform you, that no matter how much preparation or grinding you’ve done in Elden Ring, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion will still crush you like a worm and sprinkle salt on your carcass before teabagging it. It is as though you are playing Elden Ring for the first time once more, in a maidenless state. However, there is hope in the form of understanding how the Shadow of the Erdtree level scaling works.
Shadow of the Erdtree Has Its Own Power Progression
This progression system takes the form of the Shadow Realm Blessing which you can access at the Sites of Grace for the Shadow Realm (DLC area). The Shadow Realm Blessing can be divided into two segments:
- Scadutree Blessing (upgraded using Scadutree Fragments) – increases the damage you deal and decreases the damage you take.
- Revered Spirit Ash Blessing (upgraded using Revered Spirit Ash) – increases the damage of summoned spirits and Torrent.
You upgrade your Shadow Realm Blessings as you would your Flasks. You have to find Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes to upgrade them, and the amount needed increases in increments after every upgrade (1, 2, then 3, etc.).
Prioritize Scadutree Blessing & Scadutree Fragments
Of the two Shadow Realm Blessings, the Scadutree Blessing and Scadutree Fragments are more important since they will make you stronger all around. Thus, you should treat the Scadutree Blessing as the power progression curve in Elden Ring.
More Scadutree Fragments means more power for your character, and these are significant bonuses per level of the Scadutree Blessing; they’re not negligible. I even recommend finding as many Scadutree Fragments as you can and upgrading your Scadutree Blessing before fighting bosses.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Power is Tied to Exploration Now
Whereas before (in the main game), you could just grind to level 200+ and trivialize most of the game, now, you have to work for it horizontally in Shadow of the Erdtree. Shadow of the Erdtree‘s level scaling rewards exploration much better since your power depends on the Scadutree Blessing.
Still, that isn’t to say your Rune Level and character stats don’t matter. Vigor, for example, still plays a good role in keeping you alive and letting you afford mistakes during combat. Likewise, Endurance, Mind, and your primary damage stat also contribute to your overall comfort and effectiveness during combat.
To get the most out of your Scadutree Blessing, however, I recommend the following thresholds for your stats:
- Vigor 60+ (80 is ideal), do prioritize Vigor as it still matters despite the new Shadow of the Erdtree level scaling.
- Primary damage stat (Str/Dex/Int/Fai/Arc) should be at 80 (any higher has diminishing returns)
- All the other stats are up to you.
Disclaimer: This is no guarantee that you won’t get folded while wearing your armor in the Shadow Realm.
