Description: Where to obtain Death's Poker, when to use Sleep Pots, how to break stance, and how to make Shadow of the Erdtree easier. A practical location-action-benefit guide that separates safe advice from risky speedrun skips.
The featured all-remembrances run beat 26 base-game and DLC bosses in 3:09:46 of in-game time (3:40:39 real time). That takes exceptional execution. But the best lesson for a regular playthrough is preparation: put the boss to sleep, break its stance and use the right damage type. In a good setup, the boss barely gets to start its speech.
Equipment, supplies and exploration
| Where and when | What to do | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Caelid at night | Defeat the Death Rite Bird near Aeonia Swamp for Death's Poker; the cliff trick is optional | A powerful greatsword |
| After obtaining it | Use Ghostflame Ignition followed by light attack for lingering fire or heavy attack for an explosion | Magic damage plus frost |
| Western Liurnia | Buy available Somber Smithing Stones from Iji and upgrade your weapon | Strong damage early |
| Early Limgrave | Find Fevor's Cookbook [1]; craft Sleep Pots from Cracked Pots, Mushrooms and Trina's Lilies | Shut down Godskin enemies |
| Meeting Alexander | A speedrun may kill him for a 10% skill boost, but completing the quest yields 15% later | Preserve quest and stronger reward |
| Raya Lucaria waterwheel | Obtain Phantom Spear Ash of War from a scarab and equip a compatible armament | Long-range stance pressure |
| Nokron, Eternal City | Collect and upgrade Greatshield Soldier Ashes | Summoned shieldbearers distract enemies |
| Eastern Liurnia Minor Erdtree | Defeat the avatar and obtain Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear | Buff Death's Poker's magic skill damage |
| Iji and Rogier | Buy Carian Filigreed Crest when available and equip appropriate Rogier armor | Lower skill FP cost and improve matching magic skills |
| Ordina, Consecrated Snowfield | Wear the Black Knife Armor chestpiece | Quieter footsteps |
| Rot swamps | Use Quickstep and bring rot cures and healing | Spend less time in harmful terrain |
| Exploration routes | Touch Graces, lure enemies with kukri and shoot distant scarabs with a bow | Avoid unnecessary fights |
Base-game bosses: a small trick goes a long way
| Boss | What to do and when | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Godskin Noble and Duo | Throw Sleep Pots; buff, heal or charge attacks while a target sleeps. Put one duo member to sleep | Much less two-on-one pressure |
| Rennala phase one | Shoot the three golden-glowing students with a bow | Drop the boss faster |
| Rennala phase two | Approach early and punish openings with Ghostflame Ignition | Less time dodging spells |
| Mimic Tear | Attack while the copy is materializing | Take the initiative |
| Loretta and Red Wolf | Attack after their combos; knives can sometimes bait a response | More reliable hits |
| Valiant Gargoyles | Focus on killing the first gargoyle quickly | Reduce two-boss overlap |
| Fia's Champions and Gideon | Summon Greatshield Soldiers and attack while they draw attention | Safer humanoid battles |
| Morgott and Radagon | Use Square Off on a straight sword or charged attacks for stance damage | Critical-hit openings |
| Commander Niall | Clear the summoned soldiers first with wide attacks | Simplify the fight |
| Fire Giant and Maliketh | Learn where long boss moves finish and punish their recovery | Safer damage |
| Malenia | Use frost or stagger in phase one; dodge the big phase-two opener before retaliating | Reduce risky trades |
| Rykard | Pick up and use Serpent-Hunter at the boss arena entrance | More practical than the run's specialized setup |
Shadow of the Erdtree: upgrades first
| Where and when | What to do | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Entering the Realm of Shadow | Gather Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ash; apply blessings at Grace | Improve damage, defense, summons and Torrent |
| Scorched Ruins | Explore the upper level for Blade of Mercy | Temporary attack boost after critical hits |
| Shadow Keep Church District | Cross rooftops to the lever and drain the water | Open lower routes |
| Bonny Village and Back Gate | Get the O Mother gesture and perform it before the statue | Reveal hidden passage |
| Cathedral of Manus Metyr | Follow Ymir's quest and sound the bells in Finger Ruins | Reach Metyr |
| Rellana | Learn her parryable attacks and chain parries once comfortable | Interrupt dangerous combos |
| Messmer | Meet conditions for available NPC support | Split boss attention |
| Scadutree Avatar | Aim at the head and switch to fire, such as Blasphemous Blade | Exploit its weakness |
| Jagged Peak and Bayle | Obtain Igon's Cookbook [1], craft Dragon Communion Harpoons and throw in safe windows | Extra anti-dragon damage |
| Leda's group | Prepare NPC alliances through preceding quests | Reduce group-fight pressure |
| Promised Consort Radahn | Prioritize survival and counter only during practiced parry or stance-break windows | More reliable final attempt |
Speedrun ideas you do not have to copy
| Speedrun choice | Normal-play alternative | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Lure the Death Rite Bird off a cliff | Fight it normally | The lure depends on favorable enemy behavior |
| Kill Alexander early | Consider finishing his quest | Immediate +10% costs the later +15% |
| Death-camera skips and fragile ledges | Use regular routes | Falls and patch differences can ruin a run |
| Save-quit at boss death repeatedly | Play normally | Mainly saves counted speedrun time |
| Memorize exact attack counts | Learn the principle instead | Stats, upgrades and boss behavior change |
The most impressive skill is not an acrobatic shortcut. It is setting up fights so the enemy has fewer chances to hurt you. Let the speedrunner pray that a bird falls off a cliff. You can bring Sleep Pots, upgrades and the correct weapon—and save the praying for later.
References (5)
Checked October 25, 2026. Official patch 1.17.2 was released October 20, 2026. Exact hit counts and unusual skips from the older run may differ on current builds.
