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Elden Ring DLC: All missable content in Shadow of the Erdtree

needle knight leda those who follow miquella

The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is rife with missable content and items associated with NPC questlines.

FromSoftware games have some memorable NPCs, but it’s not uncommon for a player to simply not meet them during a playthrough. Whether it’s Big Hat Logan stuck in a cage in a hidden area of a labyrinth in Dark Souls 1 or Boc the Seamster spending eternity as a tree, it’s easy to simply never see a major NPC. This isn’t to mention others like that one easily killable spider in Bloodborne that just so happened to be Patches.

Shadow of the Erdtree brings things to another level, though. Not only is there loads of missable content but there’s also high stakes attached to this, with loads of once-per-game cycle items tied up in this. For those who find the game to be too hard, there are also many summonable NPCs who can help with stiff boss fights. Because of that, it’s worthwhile to do a roundup of all the missable content in the Elden Ring DLC, what’s on offer, and how to get as much as possible out of each run.

How missable content works in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

There are a few different story moments in the DLC that advance questlines, and threaten to make content missable.

Unlike the base game, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree has questlines that are synchronized around the gameplay progression. As the player visits new places and encounters new bosses, NPC questlines advance. The base game did things very differently, allowing players just to leave a character like Millicent alone and then do her entire globe-trotting questline at once.

There are a few major moments that advance the questlines of one or more NPCs. The list includes:

  • Defeating Rellana, Twin Moon Knight
  • Reaching Shadow Keep and receiving the “somewhere a great rune has been broken” alert
  • Reaching Messmer the Impaler’s boss fight
  • Burning the Sealing Tree at the Church of the Bud
  • Fighting Needle Knight Leda and the Followers of Miquella

Players need to fulfill certain conditions across different questlines, or they risk missing certain content.

Alongside this are the Iris of Occultation and Iris of Grace items. Two NPCs have questlines that end with the player having an opportunity to give them just one of these items, with each iris giving a different reward. Each player only has the chance to hand over one of these items, with the other being unavailable in that game cycle.

All missable items in the Elden Ring DLC

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s missable content includes numerous unique weapons and items. 

Gifting Hornsent some Scorpion Stew

Hornsent Grandam gives the player an infinite supply of Scorpion Stew, if they complete her questline. If the player talks with Hornsent with Scorpion Stew in their inventory, before the “great rune has broken” alert, the player can give the stew to him for three Furnace Visages. This helps the player get a quick cheese victory over the troublesome Furnace Golems.

needle knight leda elden ring dlc boss

Needle Knight Leda invasions result in many of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s missable items

After the “great rune has broken” alert, Needle Knight Leda will attempt to kill two members of her party; Hornsent and Ansbach. This results in invasion and summon signs appearing in specific locations. Players can either help Leda kill them or defend the character from Leda. 

The player doesn’t have to participate in these invasions but if they advance too far, the summon signs will disappear. In particular, if the player reaches the Messmer boss fight, the player won’t be able to take part in the fight between Leda and Hornsent.

Here are the missable items attached to this questline, and how to get them:

  • Lacerating Crossed-Tree talisman
    • Help Leda defeat Hornsent
  • Retaliatory Crossed-Tree talisman
    • Help Leda defeat Ansbach
  • Ash of War: Swift Slash
    • Defend Hornsent from Leda
  • Ansbach’s Longbow
    • Attack or defend Ansbach during Leda’s invasion
  • Furious Blade of Ansbach incantation
    • Defend Ansbach from Leda and finish his questline
  • Obsidian Lamina scythe
    • Defend Ansbach from Leda and finish his questline

Redmane Freyja’s missable items

Redmane Freyja will gift the player the unique Golden Lion Shield weapon if they advance her questline. This is potentially the most easily missable piece of content in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. The player has to talk with her by the Storehouse, Seventh Floor site of grace. Then from there, they have to speak with Ansbach, receive the Letter for Freyja item, and bring it back to her.

Ansbach may leave this item for multiple reasons including receiving the Secret Rite Scroll or killing him. If the player doesn’t receive the Letter for Freyja before then, this shield is missable and Freyja’s questline will end. To avoid missing this item, do not give Ansbach the Secret Rite Scroll until after receiving the Letter for Freyja item.

Thiollier’s questline and items

Most of Thiollier’s questline is missable a few different ways before even truly starting it.

elden ring dlc thiollier

Thiollier is one of the harder-to-find NPCs, tucked into a corner by the Pillar Path Cross site of grace southeast of Castle Ensis. Players need to talk with him, bring him an item from Moore, and then talk to him again after Miquella’s rune breaks. After he says he will head south in search of Saint Trina, his questline begins in earnest. This sounds easy but is troublesome due to how easy it is to become enemies with Moore.

If the player meets with Trina before doing this, or advances to the fight with Leda and the Followers of Miquella, his questline is missed. His questline can also be ended prematurely by talking with Trina and “imbibing nectar” before he reaches her. Players should hold off on imbibing nectar until Thiollier reaches Trina. His questline runs all the way to the end of the Elden Ring DLC, and his items and gear are potentially missable depending on where things go awry.

The major missable item players can receive from him is the Saint Trina’s Smile talisman, which boosts attack power when an enemy nearby falls asleep.

Iris of Occultation and Iris of Grace uses

There are two NPCs that the player encounters on their deathbed, and the player can choose to use either an Iris of Occultation or Iris of Grace on them. The player can only use one of these items on each NPC. Worse, these might be completely missable for players, as Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree only offers two of each of the irises each playthrough. These items can also be used as Rune Arcs by careless players.

Swordhand Of Night Jolan

Regardless, players are forced to choose between one item or the other from each of the NPCs. Only one of these items can be obtained in each game cycle, making half of them missable regardless.

Fire Knight Queelign will give either the Queelign’s Greatsword weapon or his own Spirit Ash. The former is received for giving him an Iris of Occultation, while the latter is received for giving him an Iris of Grace.

Swordhand of Night Jolan does the same after completing Count Ymir’s questline. Similar to Queelign, giving her the Iris of Grace will net the player a Spirit Ash for summoning her, while giving her the Iris of Occultation will give the player her weapon.

Written by Steven Rondina X Twitter Logo

Steven Rondina has been playing video games since he was a toddler and appreciates every genre out there. He has earned the platinum trophy in every Soulsborne game, is regularly Master Ball-ranked on the competitive Pokemon ladder, and has spent thousands of hours missing shots on Dust 2. His work has previously been featured by Bleacher Report and The Washington Post, and he was an Assistant Editor at WIN.gg. You can follow him on Twitter / X at @srondina.

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