TL;DR
- Complete Castle Ensis first to unlock the Monk’s Missive and required emote
- Challenge Dryleaf Dane at Moorth Ruins using the ‘May the Best Win’ gesture
- Defeat Dane to obtain his hat and the Dryleaf Arts martial arts weapon
- Navigate to the hidden Recluses River area through specific underground passages
- Follow the river downstream to find the complete armor set at a Gravebird shrine
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Mastering unarmed combat in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree presents a unique challenge that becomes significantly more immersive with appropriate attire. While you can certainly pummel adversaries using fists and feet alone, doing so while encumbered by heavy plate armor creates a thematic disconnect. The Dryleaf Dane set provides the perfect martial artist aesthetic to complement your bare-handed fighting style. This comprehensive guide details the precise steps to acquire this specialized armor collection.
The complete Dryleaf Dane attire is located within the concealed Recluses River region, but your journey properly begins by confronting Dryleaf Dane personally at Moorth Ruins. This sequential approach ensures you obtain both the combat techniques and matching gear for a complete martial arts build.
The map above illustrates the critical waypoints necessary to collect all Dryleaf Dane-themed equipment pieces.
Before encountering Dryleaf Dane, you must complete specific preparatory steps outlined in our unarmed combat style guide. Here’s an expanded breakdown:
Pro Tip: Castle Ensis typically requires 30-45 minutes to complete for most players, while the subsequent journey to Moorth Ruins adds another 10-15 minutes of travel time. Ensure your character is at least level 90-100 with upgraded weapons before attempting this sequence.
Confronting Dryleaf Dane demands careful preparation and tactical awareness. This NPC utilizes the very martial arts techniques you seek to master, making him a formidable opponent for unprepared players.
Combat Strategy: Dryleaf Dane employs rapid, close-quarters combos that can quickly break your posture. Maintain medium distance to bait his attack patterns, then punish his recovery frames. Parrying proves highly effective against his flurry attacks, while spells and projectiles allow safer engagement for magic-focused builds.
Common Mistakes: Many players fail by attempting to trade blows directly or underestimating his aggression. His multi-hit combos can stunlock unprepared warriors, so ensure your endurance and poise stats provide adequate defense.
Victory rewards you with the distinctive Dane’s Hat, which provides minor dexterity and endurance bonuses perfect for martial arts builds. More importantly, you receive Dryleaf Arts, transforming your bare-handed attacks into a systematic combat style with unique ash of war capabilities.
Once you possess the monk’s distinctive headpiece, the natural question becomes locating the remainder of the Dryleaf Dane ensemble. Acquiring the complete set necessitates reaching Recluses River, a deliberately hidden underground region with specific access requirements. We provide comprehensive navigation details in our dedicated Recluses River/Abyssal Woods guide.
Access Methods: The primary entrance involves descending through the Cathedral of Manus, then navigating a series of illusory walls and hidden passages. Alternative access exists through the Bonny Village cave system, though this route presents additional environmental hazards.
Navigation Challenge: Recluses River features limited visibility, aggressive wildlife, and confusing topography that can easily disorient travelers. Bringing illuminating items like lanterns or light spells significantly eases navigation through this dimly lit subterranean landscape.
Presuming you’ve successfully reached this concealed area, proceed downstream along the riverbank, remaining vigilant for the shrine populated by Gravebirds. This location houses the crucial Dryleaf Seal alongside the remainder of the armor set.
You’ll also discover a poignant message from Dane stating: “I shall find my center under the cascading waters.” This lore fragment hints at the character’s philosophical journey while providing subtle environmental storytelling.
Gravebird Threat: These avian adversaries attack in groups and can inflict bleed buildup. Consider using area-of-effect attacks or ranged options to manage them efficiently before looting the area.
Set Bonuses: When worn together, the complete Dryleaf Dane ensemble enhances your dodge capabilities and reduces stamina consumption for martial arts attacks, creating synergistic benefits for dedicated unarmed combat specialists.
Action Checklist
- Complete Castle Ensis and collect Monk’s Missive from Highroad Cross
- Acquire ‘May the Best Win’ emote from the same location
- Travel to Moorth Ruins and use the emote facing Dryleaf Dane
- Defeat Dryleaf Dane in combat to obtain his hat and Dryleaf Arts
- Navigate to Recluses River through Cathedral of Manus or Bonny Village
- Follow river downstream to Gravebird shrine to collect complete armor set
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » How To Get Dryleaf Dane Set In Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree Complete guide to obtaining the Dryleaf Dane martial arts armor set and mastering unarmed combat in Elden Ring DLC