Free-for-alls are available inElden Ringvia the Combat Ordeal game mode, which lets players face off against multiple other foes at once in an everyone-for-themselves PvP moce. Combat Ordeal can be accessed by visiting The Limgrave Colosseum, or alternatively The Caelid Colosseum, where all three arena game modes are available.
Combat Ordeals can feature up to six players, who all have five minutes to score as many kills as possible. Each player has access to one Flask of Crimson Tears and one Flash of Cerulean Tears per life. This might not sound like a lot, but with how chaotic this mode is, only the bestElden Ringplayers will stay alive long enough to lament over a lack of restoration. It’s fast and brutal, so here are some tips that players might find handy.
6Bring Ranged Abilities
Having access to at least one ranged ability, no matter how powerful, is super useful when entering the Colosseum for Combat Ordeal. If an enemy is low and all others are advancing on them to secure the kill, a projectile will likely reach them first. The spell in question doesn’t have to deal much damage, just enough to finish them off.
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Ranged abilities come in many forms inElden Ring, from spells, incantations, and Ashes of War toa variety of bowsand crossbows. On top of this, certain melee weapons have longer ranges than others and might just make the difference. Halberds, for example, can be devastating in free-for-alls.
5Utilize Speed
With up to five opponents, it is important to be quick in Combat Ordeal. Defensively, there will be many spells to dodge and attacks to run away from, sotaking a heavy loadoutis sure to result in repeated deaths.
In terms of offense, having access to mobility can be one of the deciding factors in securing free-for-all victories. This is because it doesn’t matter how much damage a player does; rather, it is how many kills they secure that counts. Being able to dash, leap, or just run faster toward an enemy on low health, can secure kills that other players are too slow to reach.
4Use General Resistances
Due to the nature of a free-for-all, it is impossible to predict what forms of damage to expect in a given match. If a player is up against five opponents, then that is potentially five different damage types or even more if individuals are mixing and matching. Either way, using armor or Talismans that only reduce specific types of damage is suboptimal.
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Instead, opt for generalist defensives that will offer a smaller amount of resistance, but for a wider spread of damage. A great example would be the Pearldrake Talisman, which reduces incoming Magic, Fire, Lighting,and Holy damage.
3Find Weak Opponents
In Combat Ordeal, it doesn’t matter who players kill, as long as they get the most kills. Therefore, an easy tactic to win more free-for-alls is to identify weaker opponents and keep killing them. With matchmakingbased primarily on level, it is likely in a game of six players to come across a difference in skill.
Using the same logic, players can also spot more skilled players who will be harder to kill and avoid wasting their time. The only caveat to this is if they themselves are preying on the weak, in which case a turf war might break out. In an ideal situation, there would be two evenly-matched opponents dueling it out.
2Use Spirit Ashes
Unique to PvP inElden Ring,Spirit Ashes can be deployed in any of the arena modes taking place in The Caelid Colosseum. This means that in a six-player Combat Ordeal on this map, there are potentially six Spirit Ashes fighting alongside their Tarnished, making for pure chaos.
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To take advantage of this chaos, players should be sure to choosethe best Spirit Ashesfor dealing with multiple enemies. They should also make sure to upgrade their Spirit Ashes as much as possible with Grave or Ghost Gloveworts. These upgrades will enable Spirit Ashes to deal more damage and survive longer.
1Bring The Right Abilities
Abilities and attacks that deal multiple instances of damage can be immensely valuable in Combat Ordeal, especially in free-for-all. If a spell has constant or regular ticks of damage, then that spell gives the player a higher chance of securing kills. Examples include any attack that can cause an enemy to burn or bleed, as well as incantations like Swarm of Flies. It doesn’t matter if these spells have low damage. The important thing is they keep dealing damage on top of a player’s normal attacks.
Other types of spells that are great for free-for-alls are those that deal Area of Effect damage. Considering how chaotic fights can get it, is very easy to hit multiple enemies at once with these spells. Positioning will be key for big breaths of flame or immense projectiles, asspells of this powerusually have long cast times. With five hostile Tarnished running around, staying still for too long is just asking for a crit in the back.
Elden Ringis available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
