In From Software's newest title, Elden Ring, players will find themselves going up against some of the hardest bosses in From Software's history. After repeated attempts and failures it might be time to level up a bit. Unless a player enjoys seeing the text "YOU DIED" over and over again, it is crucial for players to start farming some Runes to achieve greater power. Acquiring runes can be quite a challenge, however, depending on where the player is in the game.
Thankfully there are areas in each region that contain great farming spots to get the most amount of runes without all the hassle. Some of these great farming spots lie within Elden Ring's later region, the Altus Plateau. This area tends to be the most challenging area players will have faced at this point (aside from Caelid).
Updated September 10, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: When it comes to Altus Plateau farming locations there are only a select few that are worth the player's time. The Albinauric slaughterhouse of Mohgwyn Palace is hard to match, but there are a few good Altus Plateau Rune farm spots that aren't half bad either. Before attempting to farm runes Elden Ring players should acquire one (or both) of the game's most useful Rune-acquisition-increasing items. The Gold Scarab, a talisman, provides a decent boost, while the 
Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot provides a stronger boost to Rune gain over a short time period. These are not hard items to find, provided you know the way to the Abandoned Cave of Caelid and didn't kill Patches.
7 First Things First: Get The Gold Scarab And Gold-Pickled Fowl Feet
Before heading to the Altus Plateau to get started on establishing an Altus Plateau rune farm of your very own, try to stock up on Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot items and acquire the Gold Scarab talisman. The Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot can be crafted or purchased from some vendors (such as Patches), and increases Rune gain by 30% for three minutes.
The Gold Scarab talisman provides 20% boost to Rune acquisition, but there's no time limit, unlike the Gold-Pickled Fowl Foot. This talisman is found in an out-of-the-way dungeon in Caelid. Starting from the Smouldering Wall Site of Grace, head east and look into the canyon to eventually find a walkable set of branches leading to a cave in the wall. This is the Abandoned Cave, and after defeating two Cleanrot Knights inside, you will be rewarded the Gold Scarab.
It's definitely worth the material cost and time spent if you plan on rune farming Altus Plateau spots, and it's even better if you get the Gold Scarab talisman too as they stack. Both stacked together boosts Rune acquisition by a whopping 50% total, enough to grant an extra run's worth of Runes after two outings in your chosen Altus Plateau Rune farm.
6 Leyndell, Royal Capital - The Most Balanced Route
When players reach the beautiful city of Leyndell, they will notice that the bosses are turned up a notch. Three of the main bosses fought in this area are not to be underestimated, especially the latter of the three, Morgott. So, players may find themselves needing a few extra levels. Lucky for them, the city of Leyndell actually hosts the first farming path. When players reach the "East Capital Rampart" Grace, they can continue on the path and will come across a variety of different enemies.
These enemies include Envoys, Pages, a sitting Gargoyle, and Perfumers. Once the player gets to a room with two Perfumers and a Page, they can teleport to the first bonfire and run it again. This path will net them around 13,395 souls. Keep in mind, players who have acquired the Gold Scarab will have accrued 20% more runes than that. This route provides the best balance of safety and profit.
5 Road Of Iniquity Side Path - The Longest Route
When players reach the northern part of the Altus Plateau they will come across a bridge with the "Road of Iniquity Side Path" Grace beneath it. They can follow the road west for a plethora of easy enemies to kill. The path really feels like it goes on forever and all the enemies are generally easy to kill. There are regular foot soldiers, giants who aren't too aggressive, and a Mad Pumpkin Head.
This path will net the player as many souls as they have the patience to travel along it looking for enemies to slay. If the player were to stop at the Writheblood Ruins (where the Bloody Helice is located) they will have netted around 14,512 runes. This path provides the greatest profit, but if the player takes on more than they can handle it might mean their demise.
4 Windmill Village - The Safest Route
The Windmill Village lies on the most northern part of the Altus Plateau. Players will come across a village full of Midsommar-esque ladies who are dancing with glee. This area is somewhat reminiscent of Hemwick Charnel Lane in Bloodborne, but the mood of the area is much more cheerful. This route will take you through multiple groups of these women along with a couple of dogs. Be careful not to get overwhelmed by attacking the whole group.
Also, be wary of going too far up the village unless you are ready to fight the Godskin Apostle mini boss at the top. Players can clear this village of celebrating women for a rune amount of around 8,000 runes. While this area does not provide the most amount of runes, it is arguably the safest route. The women in this village are not hard to kill and some of them will not even attack the player.
3 Shaded Castle - The Most Dangerous Route
The Shaded Castle lies in the central north area of the Altus Plateau. It is filled with rotten corpse enemies, Perfumers, and bell ringing enemies that players can farm for around 9,797 runes. The enemies are not too hard to slay once players know how to fight them. The real threat that is posed by this route is the poison swamp in the middle of the castle. As long as players are careful, they can avoid the annoying poison.
The route is rather straightforward considering the player will just be clearing the castle. Towards the upper levels of the castle, Cleanrot Knights can be found. Each drop a considerable amount of runes, but they can be tricky to fell. Once the player reaches the boss door, they can restart the route.
2 Prison Town - The Most Lucrative Route
The next farming spot is located in the northwestern part of the Altus Plateau. Getting to this town requires players to access the Volcano Manor. Once there, players can find an illusory wall in the drawing room that will lead them to this town. The town is home to new serpent enemies that can pose quite a threat. With very strange attacks and a good amount of damage, they can inflict players will certainly need to be careful in this area.
Thankfully, the danger is worth it because this route provides the player with 23,659 runes! This amount might very well be worth the trial. Once players reach the portal to the Audience Pathway, they can restart the route.
1 Old Altus Tunnel - The Shortest Route
The final area is a dungeon in the central western part of the region. The Old Altus Tunnel is a dungeon filled with dogs, miners, and knights. Clearing this dungeon will provide the player with just under 15,000 runes and the Great Club hammer.
Afterwards, players can restart the dungeon and kill the regular enemies for a total just under 6,000 runes. While this route is not the most lucrative in terms of numbers, it is the fastest of the routes. If the players can reliably take out the Leyndell Knights they will be able to pile on a bunch of runes.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S.