Surviving the Ultimate Challenge: Conquering New Game Plus 7 in Elden Ring

So you‘ve beaten the Elden Beast and become the Elden Lord. You‘ve seen all there is to see in the Lands Between across 80+ hours of playtime. Now what? For many Tarnished, the answer is New Game Plus 7 – the maximum difficulty setting in Elden Ring. I‘m here as a fellow Tarnished to explain everything you need to know to survive NG+7 and maybe even enjoy the brutal challenge it provides.

What Exactly is NG+7?

New Game Plus modes allow you to restart the game while keeping all your equipment, levels, spells, upgrades etc. With each NG+ playthrough the enemies get tougher, up to a maximum of NG+7. This is a way for veterans to experience the ultimate challenge after they‘ve mastered the game.

I‘m sure you‘re wondering just how much harder NG+7 really is. Well, let‘s just say even basic enemies can kill you in 1-2 hits if you‘re not careful. Bosses can wipe out 60 Vigor health bars in a single attack. Suffice to say, NG+7 turns Elden Ring into one of the toughest RPG challenges imaginable. But that‘s part of the fun!

The Road to NG+7

Before you jump into the flames of NG+7, let‘s quickly recap the enemy damage/health multipliers for each NG+ level:

As you can see, the curve gets pretty steep! By NG+3 enemies already hit twice as hard as the first playthrough. The damage nearly doubles again from NG+3 to NG+7.

I won‘t lie to you, those first few hours when you‘re under-leveled and underequipped in NG+7 can be a savage learning experience. But if you can endure the early game you‘ll quickly outscale enemies again.

Preparing for the Nightmare

To survive NG+7, preparation is key. Here are some tips:

• Max out your build – Get your weapons, spells, summons, armor, and stats optimized. You want to enter NG+7 as strong as possible. Respec if needed.

• Craft healing items – Stock up onsupport items like boiled crab, pickled foul foot, boluses, greases etc. You‘ll need them.

• Upgrade Spirit Ashes – Your spirit summons are essential distractions. Get them to +10.

• Get talismans – Damage negation talismans like Dragoncrest Greatshield are mandatory.

• Choose your paths – Considering grabbing important tools like the Spectral Steed Whistle early.

• Co-op is key – Playing co-op makes NG+7 far more manageable and fun. Don‘t be afraid to summon!

Surviving Early Game

The first few hours of NG+7 are definitely the roughest as you have no tools, spells or decent gear. Here are some tips:

• Avoid groups – Aggroing multiple enemies is a death sentence. Lure and isolate.

• Sprint past enemies – If you‘re struggling, sprinting past tough enemies can help.

• Level Vigor – Get that HP up before damage stats. Surviving hits is key.

• Get your horse – The Spectral Steed Whistle helps avoid deadly combos.

• Craft, craft, craft – Taking advantage of crafting is vital for consumables.

• Use your summons – Spirit ashes pull aggro and increase your survivability substantially.

Conquering the Bosses of NG+7

The bosses of Elden Ring are the true NG+7 nightmare. Their combos can erase your health bar before you can chug a flask. Here are tips for surviving their enhanced wrath:

• Learn boss patterns – Reading and responding to telegraphed moves is critical.

• Max out weapons – Your damage must be optimized to counteract their health.

• Use elemental/status boosts – Greases, spells, and consumables add much needed damage.

• Summon spirits – Let your Mimic or Black Knife Tiche pull aggro when needed.

• Co-op – Jolly cooperation makes bosses infinitely easier. Don‘t be ashamed to summon!

• Stay calm – Frustration is what gets you killed. Take breaks and learn from mistakes.

Some of the hardest bosses in NG+7 in my experience were Maliketh, Malenia, Godfrey/Hoarah Loux, and Radagon/Elden Beast. But with practice, they too shall fall.

The Reward

Finally beating the Elden Beast on NG+7 leads to an amazing sense of accomplishment. You‘ve conquered the hardest foe this game could throw at you through skill, preparation, and determination.

Beyond pride, NG+7 also rewards substantially more runes and rare crafting materials than prior runs. And you‘ll likely discover new secrets or questlines you missed before.

So if you crave the ultimate challenge, NG+7 awaits. Keep your skills sharp, your flasks full, and your determination high. The best of luck to you, fellow Tarnished!