You can collect the Silver Grooved armor and shield on an existing Elden Ring character. The set is sold by a Nomadic Merchant near Bellum Church in northern Liurnia, while the Idus Sword is reported as a separate corpse pickup northwest of the Liurnia Lake Shore Site of Grace. Because published guides disagree about the rune prices, check the merchant’s current inventory in your game instead of relying on a fixed total.
The equipment belongs to the Idus Knight content added with the Tarnished Pack. A Dexterity setup works best when you treat the set as protection rather than as a complete build: pair it with a weapon whose live-game requirements and scaling suit your attributes, keep your equip load within the roll tier you want, and decide deliberately whether to use the shield or two-hand the sword.
What is the Silver Grooved set, and how does it relate to Idus Knight?
The Silver Grooved set is the armor-and-shield equipment associated with the Idus Knight, a new selectable starting class in Patch 1.17. Bandai Namco’s official Patch 1.17 notes, dated August 27, 2026, state that Idus Knight equipment can be bought from merchants or found in the Lands Between. That rule is important for anyone continuing an existing save: you do not need to restart your character just to obtain the gear.
Starting as Idus Knight and acquiring Idus equipment later are separate choices. A new character can select the class during character creation, while an established Tarnished can travel to the relevant locations and collect the items in the world. The official notes establish the broad acquisition rule, but they do not name the merchant, give a route, or publish item prices; those details come from secondary guides and should be treated as location guidance rather than official map text.
Do I need the Tarnished Pack to obtain the gear?
Yes. The Idus Knight class and its associated equipment are part of the Tarnished Pack content supported by Patch 1.17. The patch notes identify PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam as target platforms, with the pack scheduled for August 28, 2026.
| Platform | How the content is sold | Published price or inclusion |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 4/5 | Tarnished Pack purchased separately | $4.99 standard price in Bandai Namco Entertainment America’s 2026 announcement; local prices may vary |
| Xbox One/Series X|S | Tarnished Pack purchased separately | $4.99 standard price in Bandai Namco Entertainment America’s 2026 announcement; local prices may vary |
| Steam | Tarnished Pack purchased separately | $4.99 standard price in Bandai Namco Entertainment America’s 2026 announcement; local prices may vary |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Tarnished Edition includes the base game and Tarnished Pack content | Included with that edition rather than described as the same separate purchase |
Bandai Namco’s Tarnished Edition announcement covers the Nintendo Switch 2 release, while its Community Quests announcement gives the $4.99 standard Tarnished Pack price. The dollar amount is the DLC price, not the in-game rune cost of the armor or shield. Storefront taxes, currency conversion, and regional pricing can change what you pay.
Where do I find the Silver Grooved armor and shield?
For an existing character, current guides place the Nomadic Merchant with the Silver Grooved armor and shield near Bellum Church in northern Liurnia. The official patch notes do not provide this route, so use the following as guide-reported directions and confirm the camp visually on your map.
- Reach northern Liurnia. Travel to the Bellum Church Site of Grace or use Bellum Church itself as your landmark.
- Search the nearby slope. Guides describe following the slope close to the church toward a merchant camp. The exact approach can be easier to recognize from the merchant’s fire and campsite than from a single compass heading.
- Speak with the Nomadic Merchant. Open the shop inventory and look for the four Silver Grooved armor pieces and the associated shield. Items are individual purchases, so you can buy only the pieces that fit your equipment plan.
- Confirm the live prices before spending runes. Reported totals conflict substantially, and the official sources do not settle the discrepancy. If you are short on runes, record the prices shown in your own inventory before deciding whether to buy the complete set.
All Things How describes Bellum Church as the landmark and the nearby slope as the route to the camp. PC Gamer also discusses the merchant-based acquisition. Neither source is an official map citation, so a changed route, a different terrain view, or a version-specific placement is possible.
What if the merchant is not where the guide says?
- Make sure the Tarnished Pack is installed and enabled on the same platform account as your game.
- Confirm that you are in northern Liurnia and using Bellum Church, not a similarly named church or a different Site of Grace.
- Search around the slope and campsite rather than standing only at the church doorway; the reported merchant location is nearby, not inside the church.
- Reload the area if the merchant or inventory fails to appear, then check your game version and downloadable-content installation.
These checks address the most likely practical causes without assuming that a boss fight, quest flag, or hidden trigger is required. The published location reports do not establish such a prerequisite.
Where is the Idus Sword?
The Idus Sword is reported as a separate pickup, not part of the Bellum Church merchant purchase. A NerdsChalk guide places it on a corpse northwest of the Liurnia Lake Shore Site of Grace.
- Travel to the Liurnia Lake Shore Site of Grace.
- Move northwest from the grace and look for a corpse in the surrounding terrain.
- Loot the corpse to obtain the sword.
- Watch for Wraiths in the area. Their presence is a hazard reported by the guide, not evidence of a required boss encounter or quest.
If the corpse is empty, first verify that you are searching northwest from the correct Liurnia Lake Shore grace and that the Tarnished Pack content is active. The available location report does not establish a separate quest chain, boss requirement, or merchant purchase for the sword.
How much does the Silver Grooved set cost?
No reliable, single rune total has been established by the available sources. Several guides disagree, and one source contradicts itself. Treat every published figure as a lead, then use the live merchant screen in your version as the authority.
| Source | Reported figure | What the report actually establishes |
|---|---|---|
| All Things How | 1,000 / 1,500 / 1,000 / 1,500 / 2,000 runes for the four armor pieces and shield; 7,000 total | An itemized list and matching total, but not an official price record |
| Sportsrant | 7,000 runes for five items | A total with limited line-item detail |
| NerdsChalk | Listed prices add to 6,000 runes; accompanying prose says 13,500 | An internally inconsistent report that cannot establish a dependable total |
The differences could reflect guide errors, version changes, or incorrect transcription. Do not budget around 7,000, 6,000, or 13,500 as a guaranteed price. Open the merchant inventory in the applicable game version, note each item’s current price, and buy the pieces in priority order if your rune supply is limited.
Which pieces should I buy first?
For a Dexterity character, prioritize the pieces that keep your desired protection while preserving the equip load needed for your preferred roll and stamina rhythm. A complete set is not mandatory for the Idus Knight theme. You can mix the armor with lighter pieces, purchase the shield only if you intend to block, or postpone the least useful slot until you have confirmed the prices and tested the weight.
How should I build a Dexterity-focused Idus Knight?
The official patch notes do not prescribe a build, and they do not publish the Idus Sword’s requirements, scaling, weight, or damage values. Secondary coverage characterizes Idus Knight as Dexterity-oriented, but current weapon data should be checked in the live game before you commit levels. Build around how the weapon and armor behave in your version, not around an unverified spreadsheet number.
Set your attribute priorities
- Dexterity: Make this the main offensive investment if the Idus Sword or your chosen replacement gains useful Dexterity scaling. Confirm the scaling letter and minimum requirements on the in-game status screen.
- Vigor: Raise survivability before chasing marginal damage. A mobile melee character still has to survive mistakes, especially while learning the sword’s reach and recovery.
- Endurance: Use it to support stamina, armor weight, and shield use. Stop adding weight when it pushes you out of the roll tier you actually want.
- Mind: Add only as much as your skill, weapon art, or other resource-consuming tools require. A purely physical, close-range setup generally has less reason to prioritize it than a skill-heavy one.
- Strength and other attributes: Meet the weapon’s verified minimum requirements, then avoid scattering levels unless a specific backup weapon or spell justifies the investment.
Choose between shield use and two-handing
The Silver Grooved shield gives you a defensive option, but carrying it changes weight and stamina demands. Use it when you value guarded approaches, safer scouting, or a controlled counterattack. Two-handing the Idus Sword removes the shield’s weight and changes your spacing and damage pattern; it is a better fit when you rely on rolls, active repositioning, and punish windows rather than blocking.
There is no universally correct choice. Test both configurations against ordinary enemies before committing to a final armor mix. If the shield causes a heavier roll or leaves too little stamina for repeated attacks, either lighten the armor, increase Endurance, or two-hand the sword.
Match the armor to your movement plan
Think of the Silver Grooved pieces as a set of defensive trade-offs, not a mandatory uniform. Wear the full set if its weight and protection suit your current attributes. If it slows your movement, replace one or more pieces with lighter armor while keeping the visual identity you want. Conversely, if you are comfortable with the load and prefer more protection, retain the heavier pieces and adjust your attack rhythm around slower stamina recovery.
Use the Idus Sword as a starting point, not a promise of best-in-slot performance
After picking up the sword, inspect its requirements, scaling, damage type, skill, and moveset in your current version. A Dexterity build benefits from a weapon that rewards your actual attack patterns: reach for open-field spacing, quick recovery for hit-and-run play, or a stronger skill if you are willing to spend more resource. If the Idus Sword does not fit your hand, keep a second Dexterity-compatible weapon available rather than forcing every encounter around one moveset.
Build differently for a fresh character and an existing save
A fresh Idus Knight can use the class as an opening template and then shape attributes as equipment becomes available. An existing character should avoid respecing solely because the armor has a Dexterity theme. Check your current attributes, weapon requirements, flask setup, and equip load first; the set can be integrated into an established build without replacing its entire identity.
What are the main mistakes to avoid?
- Assuming the price is settled: Published totals conflict, so verify the merchant inventory in your version.
- Looking for the sword at Bellum Church: The reported sword location is a separate corpse northwest of Liurnia Lake Shore.
- Treating guide route details as official map data: Bellum Church and the nearby slope come from secondary reports, while the patch notes only confirm merchant or world acquisition in general.
- Quoting unverified weapon statistics: Requirements and scaling should be read from the live item screen because available coverage does not agree on authoritative values.
- Buying every piece before testing weight: Try the movement and stamina behavior first, then fill out the set as your rune budget allows.
- Confusing DLC cost with rune cost: The publisher’s $4.99 figure is the standard 2026 Tarnished Pack price in the United States announcement, not an in-game item price.
What is the practical route from a new purchase to a working build?
- Install or enable the Tarnished Pack on PlayStation, Xbox, or Steam, or confirm that your Nintendo Switch 2 copy is the Tarnished Edition.
- Take an existing character to Bellum Church in northern Liurnia and locate the nearby Nomadic Merchant camp described by current guides.
- Record the prices shown for the four armor pieces and shield before buying.
- Travel to Liurnia Lake Shore, search northwest for the reported corpse, and collect the Idus Sword while watching for Wraiths.
- Inspect the sword’s current requirements and scaling, then set Dexterity as your main damage attribute only if the live item data supports that choice.
- Equip the armor and shield, test your roll and stamina behavior, and lighten the load or adjust Endurance if the setup interferes with your preferred movement.
- Choose shield use or two-handing based on the encounters you are actually facing, not on the class label alone.
Is the Silver Grooved set worth collecting?
It is worth collecting if you want the Idus Knight appearance, the associated shield, or a Dexterity-oriented sword to test on an existing character. The set is accessible without restarting, but its value depends on your equip-load tolerance and on whether the Idus Sword’s live moveset and scaling suit you. Because neither the official notes nor the conflicting guides establish definitive armor statistics or a dependable rune total, make the decision from the inventory and item screens in your own version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy only one Silver Grooved armor piece?
Yes. The reported merchant inventory treats the armor and shield as separate listings, so you can purchase individual pieces instead of committing to a full set. This is useful when one slot would push your equip load beyond the movement tier you want.
Does the $4.99 price include the in-game runes needed for the gear?
No. The $4.99 figure is the standard United States price Bandai Namco published for the Tarnished Pack in 2026. Runes for the merchant’s items are earned and spent inside the game, and their exact total should be read from the current inventory.
Is the Idus Sword guaranteed to be in the merchant’s shop?
The available location report treats it as a separate corpse pickup northwest of Liurnia Lake Shore, not as one of the Bellum Church merchant listings. If you do not see it, recheck the direction from the correct Site of Grace and confirm the downloadable content is active.
Should a high-level character respec just to use this equipment?
Not automatically. First inspect the sword’s current requirements and scaling, then compare its moveset with your existing weapon. A character can wear the armor or use the shield while keeping a different primary weapon if that better matches the established attributes and equip load.