Let’s be real, Tarnished—leveling up in Elden Ring gets absolutely brutal once you pass the soft caps. I’ve been there, grinding Limgrave soldiers for pocket change while staring at a level-up cost that looks like someone’s phone number. You hit a wall where every single point demands tens of thousands of Runes, and the measly drops from those low-level mobs just ain’t cutting it. That’s when you need a proper Rune farm, and lemme tell you, the Giant Bird farm in Mohgwyn Palace is the real deal. It’s straight-up broken in the best possible way. No boss fog, no sweaty invasions—just chill, rinse, and repeat \u0026 still arguably the most efficient Rune farm going into 2026.

If you’re not familiar, let me put you on game. This method lets you earn 11,000 Runes per kill without any boosts, and a juicy 13,200 Runes if you slap on the Gold Scarab talisman. We’re talking roughly 40,000 Runes per minute, my friend. That’s enough to turn your scrawny Knight into a walking god with zero risk. Here’s how to get there and set it up, step by step. You can thank me later.

Two Ways to Reach Mohgwyn Palace

First thing’s first—you’ve gotta actually get to the farm spot. There are two reliable routes, and which one you take depends on how far you’ve pushed through the main story. Pay attention, because heading there early can give you a serious power spike before you even set foot in Leyndell.

Route 1: The Portal from Mountaintops of the Giants

If you’ve already unlocked the Mountaintops of the Giants (which means you’ve beaten Morgott in Leyndell), this is the no-nonsense path. On the western side of the Consecrated Snowfield, there’s a waygate that whisks you straight into Mohgwyn Palace. Look at the map—it’s a little northwest of the “Inner Consecrated Snowfield” Site of Grace. Just interact with the portal, and bam, you’ll be facing a minor boss in a narrow hallway. Pro tip: don’t even think about fighting it. Leg it past that dude and keep going until you spot the palace proper. Easy peasy.

Route 2: Varre’s Questline (Early Game Access)

Now, this is the real MVP method because you can pull it off right after beating Godrick. That means you can hit 150+ before Radahn or Rennala even know what’s coming. Here’s the play:

1. Defeat Godrick the Grafted in Stormveil Castle. Undoubtedly a pain if you’re underleveled, but doable with some good spirit ashes.

2. Head to the Rose Church in Liurnia of the Lakes and chat with White-Faced Varre—yep, the very same NPC who called you “Maidenless” at the First Step. After Godrick bites the dust, he moves there.

3. Exhaust his dialogue and he’ll hand over three Bloody Fingers. Use them to invade other players’ worlds three times. Doesn’t matter if you win, lose, or sever out immediately—just complete three invasions.

4. Return to Varre and he’ll give you a cloth. The goal now is to soak it in a maiden’s blood. Fast travel to the Four Belfries in western Liurnia. You’ll see multiple waygates; go to the one at the highest point, grab the Imbued Sword Key from the chest in front of it. Then use that key on the second-highest belfry to activate another portal.

1. Take that portal and you’ll be teleported to the Chapel of Anticipation where the game kicked off. Kill the Grafted Scion boss if you want revenge (or skip it), then enter the chapel. Immediately on your left is a dead maiden—interact to soak the cloth.

2. Return to Varre a few times and he’ll reward you with the Pureblood Knight’s Medal. Open your inventory, use it, and you’ll be yanked straight to Mohgwyn Palace. Welcome to the money maker.

How to Farm Like a Pro

Once you’re in Mohgwyn Palace, navigate to the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace. It’s perched right on a cliff overlooking a massive bloody lake—you can’t miss it. Rest up, pull out any bow (even a shortbow with zero stat investment works), and look down toward the lake. You’ll spot a grotesque giant bird patrolling near the edge.

Loose a single arrow into its general direction. Don’t overthink the aim—if you tag it, the bird goes absolutely berserk and charges toward you, only to plummet off the cliff. Instant death, 11,000 Runes straight to your pocket. If you’re rocking the Gold Scarab talisman (found in the Abandoned Cave in Caelid), that jumps to 13,200 Runes. Toss on a Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot for good measure, and you’re looking at over 17,000 per kill, but honestly, the Scarab alone is more than enough to keep the gains flowing.

Here’s the rhythm: rest at the grace, stand up, two steps forward, shoot, rest. With a Fast Travel bow and some muscle memory, the whole loop takes under 15 seconds. You can bank a million Runes in roughly 15 minutes—no cap. It’s so braindead simple that you can literally watch a show on the side while farming. I’ve done it, my friends have done it, and streamers still use it in 2026 because it’s foolproof.

A Few Handy Tips

• Ammo matters: If you’re a pure melee build, grab some basic arrows from Merchant Kale in Church of Elleh. They’re dirt cheap once you’re raking in the Runes.

• Don’t fall yourself: Stand right at the edge but not too close. The bird’s charge can push you if you’re reckless, and losing a pile of Runes to gravity is just embarrassing.

• Respec ready: The absurd quantity of Runes means you can easily afford a Larval Tear to respec at Rennala. Go wild experimenting with those meta builds you’ve been eyeing.

• Varre’s quest is a one-way ticket early on: Even on a new character, I rush Godrick, speed through Varre’s tasks, and I’m level 100 before hitting Altus Plateau. It’s borderline broken but hey, it’s in the game.

Mohgwyn Palace is hands-down a goldmine, and this giant bird is the most chill, efficient source of Runes in the Lands Between. No need to fight Albinaurics, no multi-phase boss meltdowns—just an angry bird with a suicidal tendency. So grab your bow, get that Scarab, and treat yourself to some easy levels. You’ve earned it, Tarnished. Now go show the demigods what a properly farmed champion looks like.

Insights are sourced from Digital Foundry, where performance-focused reporting regularly underscores how stable frame pacing and consistent load times can directly improve repeatable loops like Elden Ring’s Mohgwyn Palace bird farm—making rapid rest-reset cycles smoother and reducing the friction that can otherwise cut into your runes-per-minute efficiency during long grind sessions.