Elden Ring: Which Places Should You Unlock With Stonesword Keys?
It's easy to fall in love with the combat in "Elden Ring." There are so many interesting enemy types to battle and challenging bosses to face, not to mention the variety of versatile fighting styles that comes with the various character classes, but the exploration is what really sets it apart from other action RPGs. The Lands Between are vast and hold a variety of secrets for players to uncover as they quest to become the Elden Lord. There are whole areas that players can miss if they don't know where to look for them, but there is also some pretty valuable loot hiding out there. And certain pieces of weapons and armor can only be retrieved by those who have a special kind of key.
Stonesword Keys are incredibly valuable items. Eventually, the player will be able to buy them for 2,000-5,000 runes from various merchants in the game, but they are hard to find and fairly expensive, so it is wise to save the ones you do get for something good. Each one can be used to break a single Imp Statue Seal so that the player may loot the bounty within. Not all of the Imp Statues contain items of equal value, however. Here are the Imp Statues that grant players the best loot.
Fringfolk Hero's Grave in Limgrave
The first location players should seek out actually requires two Stonesword Keys, but it is available very early on. The first Imp Statue can be found in the Stranded Graveyard tutorial area right at the beginning of the game. That doesn't necessarily mean that they should go there right away, however, as several of the creatures within are quite strong.
Players will be able to find the Imp near the Stranded Graveyard Site of Grace. Once inside, they will have to navigate a maze of challenges in order to reach the end. Their reward? A boss fight against the Ulcerated Tree Spirit. This fight can be challenging, but the reward is a Golden Seed and the ashes of the Banished Knight Oleg. This is a useful spot, as it will net the player an extra potion and a powerful early game spirit summon.
There is also a hidden area players can jump down to near the beginning of the bridge, where they can find the Erdtree's Favor talisman and recover one of their spent Stonesword Keys — meaning all this loot may actually only lose the player a single key.
Underground Cavern in Summonwater Village
Players who explore the border between Limgrave and Caelid near Stormhill are sure to come across the charming ruins of the flooded Summonwater Village. Here, a quest is given by D, Hunter of the Dead: Players are asked to find and kill the boss known as Tibia Mariner, after which they'll be able to access the Imp Statue just beyond the village.
Players shouldn't let that battle dissuade them, as this is actually one of the easier boss fights in the game. The Mariner can be easily beaten while mounted. Simply ride up, get a few hits in, and ride away before it can strike back.
Once the Mariner is out of the way, the player can access the statue and unlock the Underground Cavern just southeast of the village. This contains the Green Turtle Talisman, which raises stamina recovery speed. That means more weapon swings, dodges and sprinting, which can really come in handy during prolonged battle. The Green Turtle is a useful early game talisman for any class, but is especially good for Dexterity-focused builds.
Courtyard Cellar Room and Rampart Tower Room in Stormveil Castle
There are two Imp Statues worth unlocking in Stormveil Castle. The first is useful for spellcasters and is located in a cellar that players can access from the main courtyard just southeast of the Liftside Chamber Site of Grace. Inside, they will find the Godskin Prayerbook, which can grant access to the Black Flame and Black Flame Blade incantations when given to Brother Corhyn or Miriel, as well as the Godslayer's Seal which enhances magical ability and scales with Faith and Strength. It also grants passive bonuses to Godslayer incantations, making the Black Flame incantations even more powerful.
The second statue in Stormveil Castle is the better choice for melee combatants. This one is located just east of the Rampart Tower Site of Grace. Inside this statue, players will find an Iron Whetblade, which grants an affinity upgrade to a weapon and is the main prize of this particular statue. There is also the Misércorde Dagger (a Str/Dex weapon) and the medium-sized Hawk Crest Wooden Shield. Not all of these pieces will be useful for every build, but any of these tools would make fine additions to a player's arsenal if they've the stats required to use them.
Chest Room in Night's Sacred Ground
This Imp Statue is one of the easiest to open and has one of the better rewards. Night's Sacred Ground is located near the Hollowhorn Grounds in Nokron, Eternal City. Players can find it by jumping down from the ruins near the Ancestral Woods Site of Grace. Since the area is quite small, this Imp Statue is easy to find.
Once it is open, players will find the Mimic Tear Ashes. This is easily one of the more powerful Spirit Ashes in the game, as it actually scales with the player. The Mimic Tear will copy the shape of the player summoning it, utilizing duplicates of the same weapons and armor, spells and incantations, and even equipped consumables. This phantom deals slightly less damage and has slightly more HP, but is an otherwise functional copy of the player that can assist in battle. Needless to say, this makes the Mimic Tear a useful tool for the entire game. It can serve as both an ally and a distraction that grows in power as the character does.
Sealed Room in Elphael
You're going to want two Stonesword Keys for this area, but seeking it out is well worth it for any magic users who like high-risk, high-reward combat. To find this Imp Statue, players will need to go to Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree, the giant castle that constitutes the second part of the Miquella's Haligtree dungeon. This area is only accessible after defeating the boss, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree, so it's definitely one of the harder ones to get to.
The reward for fighting your way through a late-game dungeon, felling a deadly boss, and spending two precious Stonesword Keys is Marika's Soreseal. This talisman gives a +5 boost to Mind, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane — at the expense of a 15% increase to all damage taken. Even with the one drawback, this is a massive boon to any casting class, as it essentially adds 20 levels worth of bonuses to a character. It's unfortunate that this item can only be unlocked so late in the game, but there is no denying its power.