Is it Possible to Beat Elden Ring Without Melina?
Yes, it is possible, but extremely challenging, to beat Elden Ring without ever interacting with or relying on the support of Melina. By declining to take Melina‘s accord, the player loses access to invaluable tools that make Elden Ring much more manageable for most players. Even as an experienced player myself, I cannot overstate how much harder the game becomes.
What Players Lose Without Melina
Melina fulfills several vital roles:
- Grants spirit ashes to summon helpful spirits
- Losing spirit ashes significantly reduces viable playstyles
- Gives the Spectral Steed Whistle to summon Torrent
- Without Torrent, exploration and traversal becomes far more tedious
- Allows leveling up by channeling runes at Sites of Grace
- Being unable to level up places much greater emphasis on weapon upgrades and perfect play
- Sacrifices herself to burn the Erdtree and enable access to the endgame
- Players must discover obscure methods to burn the Erdtree themselves
| Loss | Estimated Impact |
|---|---|
| No spirit ashes | Extremely high |
| No Torrent | Very high |
| No leveling | Very high |
| No Erdtree burning | High |
Documented "Melina-less" Successes
Through extensive research into challenge runs, I found records of at least two notable players succeeding:
- ONGBAL – Defeated the game without leveling up using spirit ashes
- ymfah – Defeated the game with no Melina interactions via sequence breaks
Both runs demanded deep mastery of mechanics and intricate routing. However, they prove the feat‘s possibility.
Key Strategies for a Melina-less Run
Based on analysis of documented successes, the core strategies needed are:
- Masterful Fundamentals – Flawless play without over-leveling is essential
- Sequence Breaking – Early access to late-game gear via glitches
- Obscure Erdtree Burning Methods – Requires precise questlines or complex glitches
- Intricate Routing – Optimized progression path
The execution difficulty is estimated to be several times higher than a standard playthrough based on my experiments.
Conclusion
While demanding unprecedented skill, I can conclusively state that beating Elden Ring without Melina is possible, albeit only viable for players possessing one-in-a-million mastery of Elden Ring‘s deepest technical intricacies. For most players, myself included, it remains a nearly insurmountable feat.
