Co-op and PvP in Elden Ring are integral aspects of the game, allowing players to team up to tackle difficult challenges or engage in thrilling duels and invasions. The system builds on mechanics from previous Souls games but introduces new elements that fit into the vast open world of Elden Ring. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you understand and master co-op and PvP.
Basics of Co-op and PvP
Furlcalling Finger Remedy:
•To engage in co-op or PvP, players need to use a Furlcalling Finger Remedy. This item reveals summoning signs left by other players. If you see a gold sign, it’s a player looking to join you in co-op; if it’s red, it’s a player looking for a duel (PvP).
•You can craft Furlcalling Finger Remedies using Erdleaf Flowers or find them scattered throughout the world. They are essential for interacting with the game’s multiplayer features.
Summoning and Signs:
•Gold Summon Signs: Placed by players using a Tarnished’s Furled Finger. Summoning a player with a gold sign will call them into your world as a cooperator to help you with exploration, boss fights, or difficult areas.
•Red Summon Signs: Created by using a Duelist’s Furled Finger. Summoning a red sign invites the player into your world for a PvP duel. Red summon signs are meant for honorable 1v1 combat.
•Blue Summon Signs: Players can join the Blue Sentinel or Hunter covenants. They are automatically summoned to help protect other players from invaders, which means their blue signs may not always be visible.
Invasions:
•Invasions are a central part of the PvP experience. Using a Bloody Finger or Recusant Finger, you can invade another player’s world to engage them in combat. Players can invade even if there are no other players around, but it’s more common to invade hosts who have summoned co-op partners.
•Furlcalling Finger Remedy is required to be active for invasions to happen. Players in co-op mode (with at least one summoned ally) are more likely to be invaded.
How to Engage in Co-op
Setting Up for Co-op:
•Tarnished’s Furled Finger: Use this item to place a gold summon sign. Other players can then see this sign and summon you into their world. You will be brought in as a cooperator, and your goal is to assist the host in defeating enemies or bosses.
•Furlcalling Finger Remedy: Use this to see summon signs. Once activated, gold signs will appear on the ground where other players have placed them, allowing you to bring allies into your world.
Finger Severer:
•If you need to return to your own world or dismiss a summoned co-op partner, use the Finger Severer. This will remove you or others from the current multiplayer session.
Multiplayer Password:
•Using a multiplayer password ensures that only players using the same password can see each other’s summon signs. This is especially useful for playing with friends. Go to the Multiplayer menu, set a password, and share it with your friends so you can easily join each other’s games.
•Group Passwords: Group passwords allow you to prioritize summon signs and messages from specific players or groups. This can help you connect more easily with community members or friends.
Co-op Restrictions:
•In co-op mode, the host of the world (the person who uses the Furlcalling Finger Remedy) will have control over the gameplay. For example, only the host can interact with Sites of Grace, open certain doors, or trigger boss fights. Co-op partners cannot pick up items from the world but can help with combat.
•Players can only summon cooperators in areas where bosses have not yet been defeated. Once a boss is defeated, that area will no longer allow summoning.
Tips for Effective Co-op 
Coordinate Before Boss Fights:
•Communication is key, especially during boss fights. If you’re playing with friends, consider using voice chat via Discord or other platforms to coordinate your attacks, healings, and strategies.
•Bow and Emote: Since there’s no in-game voice chat, use gestures to communicate simple messages. Bowing, pointing, or gesturing can indicate when you’re ready to engage in a fight or need to heal.
Help Players with Boss Fights:
•Placing your summon sign near a Site of Grace before a boss arena is a great way to help others with difficult boss fights. It’s also an excellent way to practice boss mechanics and earn runes, as you’ll gain a reward if you successfully assist in defeating the boss.
Healing in Co-op:
•Healing with Flasks of Crimson Tears only affects the host. To heal yourself and allies, use healing spells or items like the Urn of Grace. Healing spells that affect an area are great for keeping your whole team alive.
•Be mindful of how many healing flasks you have when joining as a co-op partner. You’ll receive a reduced number compared to what you have in your own world.
Beware of Invasions:
•When playing co-op, your group is more likely to be invaded. Be prepared to fight off invaders while progressing through areas. Summoned blue Sentinels can help if you’re part of certain covenants.
•Stay Together: Splitting up during an invasion can make it easier for invaders to pick off members of your group. Stick together to deal with the threat more effectively.
How to Engage in PvP
Invasions:
•Use a Bloody Finger to invade another player’s world. When you invade, your goal is to eliminate the host, while they and their co-op partners will try to defend themselves. Winning an invasion rewards you with runes and items.
•Recusant Finger: Works similarly to the Bloody Finger but allows you to invade multiple times without returning to your world after one invasion.
Dueling:
•Use a Duelist’s Furled Finger to place a red summon sign on the ground, inviting other players to summon you for a 1v1 duel. Duels are generally considered to be more honorable forms of PvP, where players expect each other to fight without healing and with agreed-upon rules.
•Honor Rules: While not enforced by the game, the PvP community often has unspoken rules about dueling. Generally, players bow to each other at the beginning of the duel, do not use healing items (unless explicitly agreed upon), and avoid spamming certain overpowered abilities.
Defending Hosts:
•Blue Sentinels and Hunters: Players who join these covenants can be automatically summoned to help defend hosts who are being invaded. This is a great way to engage in PvP without having to invade others directly.
Tips for Effective PvP
Learn to Read Opponent Movements:
•PvP is all about anticipating your opponent’s actions. Learn how other players use popular weapons, spells, and abilities, and practice dodging and countering them. The more you understand your opponent’s patterns, the better you’ll be at avoiding attacks and landing your own.
•Footwork: Positioning is crucial in PvP. Move unpredictably to avoid spells, projectiles, and attacks. Bait your opponent into making mistakes and punish them when they do.
Build Versatility:
•PvP builds often differ from PvE builds. Consider creating a setup that allows for quick bursts of damage, status effects, or fast attacks. Bleed and frostbite are popular choices because they can quickly overwhelm opponents.
•Don’t Rely on Just One Weapon: Being able to switch weapons quickly can throw off your opponent. For example, you can use a fast weapon to stagger your opponent and switch to a heavy weapon for a big follow-up hit.
Watch for Healing:
•In invasions, be prepared for players to heal using flasks. While duels usually have rules against healing, invaders need to be ready for hosts and co-op partners to try to recover during combat. Use aggression to prevent them from healing, or bait them into healing so you can punish them.
•Consider using healing counter tools like Bloodhound Step to quickly close the gap when they attempt to heal.
Practice Timing and Parrying:
•Parrying in PvP can be difficult, but mastering it allows you to punish overly aggressive opponents. Practice the timing against enemies in PvE before trying to use it in PvP scenarios. You can also learn to predict when players will attack and sidestep or roll through it.
Key Items for Co-op and PvP
•Tarnished’s Furled Finger: Allows you to place a summon sign to be summoned as a co-op partner.
•Duelist’s Furled Finger: Allows you to place a red summon sign for PvP dueling.
•Bloody Finger: Used to invade other players’ worlds for PvP.
•Blue Cipher Ring: Automatically summons you as a protector for other players being invaded, if you’re part of the Blue Sentinels or Hunter covenants.
•Furlcalling Finger Remedy: Reveals summoning signs so you can join or summon players for co-op and PvP.
Conclusion
Co-op and PvP in Elden Ring offer players diverse ways to interact, from helping each other overcome difficult bosses to engaging in thrilling duels and invasions. Mastering the multiplayer systems can greatly enhance your experience, whether you're aiming to assist fellow Tarnished or test your skills against other players. Be prepared, stay patient, and enjoy the unique challenges that come with co-op and PvP in the vast world of Elden Ring.
