A solo Elden Ring player is setting an example of how to pull off the perfect invasion – and damn if they aren’t just the hero we need in Soulslike games.
Elden Ring, like other games in the Soulsbourne series, is tough at best. Add in invasions – where players can infiltrate your game and kill you while you’re distracted fighting AI enemies – and Elden Ring can go from creepy to a quick ‘no!’ very fast. So seeing this Redditor take pity on newcomers to the game warmed my old gray heart.
u/Vera Korradin (opens in new tab) shared his wholesome approach to Elden Ring raids on the game’s subreddit. The post title says it all: “Invading to kill high level summons… Yes! Invading to kill genuinely new people who might ruin your first Elden Ring experience… No! As invaders we can be idiots, it’s ours work, but never push people away.”
They follow up their priceless PSA with a video showing how events played out for them when invading this exact setting.
invading_to_kill_high_level_summons_yes_invading from r/Eldenring
Doing it right
The gameplay video shows them defeating the summon, at which point the invader turns his back and runs. But the kind-hearted Redditor (after much gesturing) convinces them to come back and presents them with a Hero’s Rune. The text overlay says:
“Most invasions have a high level summon and fighting them is the fun part. [Elden Ring] experience.
“Invaders can be idiots. But we don’t want to avoid anyone. [Elden Ring].”
And then VeraKorradin appears in a cloud of fairy dust and drizzle. The metaphorical ones. But it’s really what her output deserves to be accompanied.
I’m not a hardcore Souls player by any means; games are hard work that I know full well I won’t be able to. But damn, it’s always irritating when you’re just trying to survive and some idiot has jumped in with something to prove he shows up.
Sure, it’s all part of the game, but as VeraKorradin in the video points out, you don’t have to spoil someone else’s good time. And they’re not the only ones (not) fighting the good fight. Some commentators are also giving newer players a break.
“As invaders, we can make a choice,” says u/Snoo61755 (opens in new tab). “It’s just part of the game, but sometimes you can tell if someone is going to be particularly harmed, or it’s not a match in the first place. I don’t want raids to be riddled with ‘honor codes’ or anything, but it’s nice recognize when someone is going through a difficult time.”
I absolutely hated invasions in Dark Souls 3. ‘Hi, hello, welcome. Clearly I’m over it and just trying to have fun for one night. His character seems to have taken a victory lap at every cosplay convention that takes place; mine looks like it fell into a pile of dirty laundry and rolled around wearing whatever got stuck. I’m clearly not down for any of it.’
In the absence of heroes like those on Reddit, I turned to my secret weapon: time. Time to whip out a white branch and blend in perfectly with my surroundings. Time to watch you run aimlessly until that rock-hard determination becomes slack. Until it’s time for you to leave empty-handed and find someone else to terrorize for a sense of validation.
If you’re petty enough to decide to beat up a lowly, dusty undead like me, I can make time to return the favor.
I don’t know where all the healthy players were back then, but I’m glad they’re at full strength for Elden Ring. Even if I stay out of this one.