With Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC right around the corner, it's time to dust off your Tarnished in preparation and reacquaint yourself with the Lands Between. If you've been away from the game for a while and are planning to jump in with an existing character, I'll explain how to get to the lands of shadow.

Alternatively, if you're starting from scratch with a new character, I'll explain all the steps you need to progress through in order to get to the Shadow of the Erdtree area as quickly as possible. This includes the bosses you'll need to kill to unlock it and a few tips on defeating them if you're having a tough time. Either way, here's how to start the Elden Ring DLC.

How to access the Elden Ring DLC

Here are the steps required to access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and both are bosses you need to defeat. They are: 

• Starscourge Radahn in Caelid
• Mohg, Lord of Blood in Mohgwyn’s Palace

As both Radahn and Mohg are optional bosses, it's worth checking to make sure you've defeated both of them on the character with which you want to play the DLC. 

Once both bosses are taken care of, you can interact with Miquella's hand that hangs out of his cocoon in Mohg's boss room. 

If you've installed the DLC, this is how you'll access the Shadow of the Erdtree and get transported to the lands of shadow when it launches. To be clear, that's the boss room at the Mohgwyn's Palace, not the one beneath Leyndell.

Shadow of the Erdtree recommended level

If you're starting a new character and want to rush straight for the Shadow of the Erdtree, just bear in mind that the recommended level is between 120 – 150. That said, there's nothing stopping you from entering the DLC at a lower level as there is a separate power system to make you stronger. Equally, if you're determined to start fresh, there are a few things you can do to make it easier. 

Of course, if this is your first playthrough, it's best to take your time and explore at your own pace—this is more geared towards those who have already played through the main story but want a fresh character for the new adventure.

The fastest route is as follows:

• Work through Stormveil Castle and kill Godrick. You could rush straight to Liurnia, avoiding the castle and using the shortcut to the east, but getting a Great Rune makes the next step possible.
• Head to the Roundtable Hold and speak to Enia in the room with the fingers.
• Either work your way through Caria Manor in the northwest and start Ranni’s quest or take the shortcut to Altus in the northeast. Both have bosses you need to defeat, though Altus has an NPC summon that can help you, so the latter may be easier.
• The Radahn festival should now be underway, so head to Caelid to kill Radahn—details are below.
• Head to Rose Church and talk to Varre and progress his quest until he gives you the Pureblood Knight’s Medal item. 
• Teleport to the Dynasty Mausoleum and Kill Mohg.

If you're having a tough time with Loretta at Caria Manor or Magma Wyrm Makar on the way to Altus, you can do the Varre step after you've spoken to Enia. This will give you access to the Dynasty Mausoleum and the best rune-farming spot in the game.

You'll need to progress Ranni's quest to the point where the Radahn Festival starts, so the Altus route is definitely quicker here. 

Radahn and Mohg

As mentioned above, you need to beat two bosses to access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, but both of them are pretty tough if you don't know what you're up against, so here are a few pointers to help get you get ready for the DLC a little faster. 

How to find and defeat Radahn 

Starscourge Radahn is actually part of Ranni's questline, though progressing it isn't required to fight him. The Radahn festival needs to be active at his location in Redmane Castle in the southeast corner of Caelid, and this can be triggered either by resting at a grace in Altus Plateau or following Ranni's quest to the point where the festival is mentioned by Blaidd. 

If you don't do either of those steps and head straight there, you'll find the castle populated. The courtyard that usually houses Blaidd and Alexander is replaced by a boss fight against a Crucible Knight and a Misbegotten. This boss drops the legendary weapon, the Ruins Greatsword, but let's not get sidetracked.

Here are a few tips to beat Radahn:

• Stay on Torrent. This fight is easier on horseback if you summon the NPCs to help you fight.
• If you want to fight him one-on-one on foot, roll towards him during most of his attacks. It feels counterintuitive but you’ll miss most of his flailing this way.
• Look out for his big flaming comet attack when he reaches half-health. He’ll disappear so mount up on Torrent and start running—if you look up, you’ll see the direction he’s coming from.
• Radahn is susceptible to Scarlet Rot, so using the Rotten Breath incantation or rot grease can help out in this fight.
• Keep resummoning the NPCs as they die. It might take a few moments for the signs to appear, and they will show up in different places, so it’s worth dashing around on Torrent to keep an eye out for them.

Once you've beaten him, rest at the site of grace, take a breather, and prepare yourself for the next hurdle. 

How to find and defeat Mohg 

There are two Mohgs in the game and the one you want is located at Mohgwyn's Palace. You can get to this area pretty early on in the game by completing Varre's quest, which starts at Rose Church in Liurnia, and once there, you can farm up some runes to increase your level if needed.

Additionally, you can get a Purifying Crystal Tear for your Flask of Wondrous Physick from Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger, an NPC invader found at the Second Church of Marika in Altus Plateau. This helps you survive Mohg's big bleed attack. You can also shackle him like you can with Margit, but the item is found beneath Leyndell in the Subterranean Shunning Grounds, in the area with the big lobsters and the entrance to the catacombs there.

Here are some general tips to beat Mohg:

• You can only use Mohg’s Shackle in the first phase, so make sure you use it before he transitions at around half-health.
• If you have the Purifying Crystal Tear in your flask, use it after he puts the third “ring” on you and before the phase transition.
• If you don’t have the Crystal Tear, you’ll need to heal through the attack. Heal right after Mohg starts chanting “Nihil”—he chants three times so be ready to use your regular flask after each one if necessary.
• Fire resistance will help improve overall survivability, as will physical damage reduction items or talismans.
• Mohg can be affected by rot, so Rotten breath or weapon grease can be good for this fight.
• He’s much more aggressive in the second phase, but staying close to him can help you avoid some of the Bloodflame attacks. Just be ready to move out and heal when your bleed build-up gets too high. 
• Using a spirit ash is a solid idea to help split Mohg’s aggro. This gives you a little breathing room to get some damage in while he’s otherwise occupied.

Once you've beaten Mohg, rest at the site of grace. Assuming you've already dispatched Radahn—and once the DLC has launched—an NPC will appear. Speak to her and she'll urge you to “touch the withered arm”. Interact with Miquella's hand to start the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, and follow them into the realm of shadow.