Ashes of War aren’t universal solutions to every conflict in Elden Ring, though. Many of them are only applicable to certain types of weapons, and some of their effects may not be as effective, depending on which enemies they’re used for. Nevertheless, some of Elden Ring’s Ashes of War are much better than others, and knowing of their existence early on in the game can help new players a lot.
Updated August 7, 2022 by Maciej Grzymkowski: Elden Ring may have lost the majority of its concurrent player base as is the case with most single-player RPG experiences after a few months from release, but that doesn’t mean FromSoftware has abandoned its most successful game to date.
The developers continue to release new updates to the title, and the recent patches (1.04 and 1.05 specifically) have changed quite a few things when it comes to Ashes of War. This article has been updated to include the Ashes that improved the most after the most recent updates.
13 Storm Blade
Best for: STR builds
Especially useful for strength-focused builds, the Storm Blade Ash of War is favored by players reliant on melee weapons precisely because it allows them to carry out devastating ranged attacks at a very low FP cost.
This Ash of War can be purchased from Knight Bernahl at the Warmaster’s Shack. Alternatively, players can obtain the Storm Blade by killing and looting the Grave Warden at Limgrave’s Murkwater Catacombs. It works on swords only, except for colossal weapons and twin blades.
12 Mighty Shot
Best for: ranged DEX builds
Mighty Shot is actually the default skill on the Longbow in Elden Ring, but it can be applied to other bows in the form of an Ash of War. When used, it releases a shot that is much more powerful than the regular arrow hit.
Although it may not be as flashy as some of the other Ashes of War mentioned below, Mighty Shot is an absolute must-own for ranged builds. Particularly useful when trying to stealthily take down larger groups of enemies, it is also helpful when taking bosses on from a distance. It can be looted from a Teardrop Scarab in Limgrave, east of the Weeping Peninsula.
11 Hoarfrost Stomp
Best for: great for most builds
The Hoarfrost Stomp Ash of War is one of the most powerful skills that can be found very early in the game. Dropped by a Teardrop Scarab in Liurnia of the Lakes (just southeast of Carnia Manor), Hoarfrost Stomp can deal some hefty AoE damage while only costing 10 FP to use.
The skill emits a trail of freezing mist on the ground in front of the player, dealing loads of damage to any and all enemies that fall into its area of effect. Due to its low FP cost and frost-dealing qualities, players can use it in quick succession to inflict Frostbite to greatly weaken mobs.
10 Sacred Blade
Best for: STR/FTH builds
This Ash of War is a multilayered one. It fires off a golden blade projectile when activated, which deals quite a bit of damage and is a great skill to use for players who want to open up a fight with a bit of an advantage.
However, the projectile is only surface-level stuff. Players with STR/FTH builds will appreciate this Ash of War greatly, as it adds Faith scaling to the weapon it is used on. Finally, it also buffs the weapon with 85 Holy damage for 20 seconds. It can be used on all melee armaments, except for claws, fists, and whips.
9 Lion’s Claw
Best for: STR builds
While using an Intelligence or Faith-focused build is probably the easiest way to blast through Elden Ring and reach one of its endings, FromSoftware definitely makes it worthwhile for players to try out a Strength-based build at least once by continuing to buff Ashes of War that gel really well with strength-based, melee-focused play styles.
Lion’s Claw is one of such Ashes. It slams foes into the ground, taking away a good chunk of their health and stunning them for a brief moment. It was a powerful Ash of War ever since release day, but players often complained about how slow it was. That all changed with the rollout of Patch 1.04, which radically increased the speed of this Ash. In the right hands, this skill can get incredibly overpowered.
8 Carian Greatsword
Best for: STR/INT builds
One great thing about the Carian Greatsword Ash of War is that it can be obtained very easily, provided that one has the runes to get it. It can be found in Sorcerer Rogier’s inventory at Stormveil Castle or the Roundtable Hold after beating Godrick. This Ash of War costs 2,500 runes.
Instead of casting a projectile, a devastating move, or AoE damage, the Carian Greatsword skill simply transforms the user’s sword into a magical blade that deals a lot more DPS and can be charged for even more damage. Players who don’t like the fuss and time consumption of certain Ashes of War will love this one. It can be applied to all swords, with the exclusion of colossal weapons.
7 Seppuku
Best for: ARC builds
This is perhaps one of the coolest Ashes of War in all of Elden Ring. Inspired by a Samurai honorable suicide ritual, this Ash has the player character stab themselves in the stomach, covering their blade in blood. It doesn’t cost too much HP, and the buff is more than worth it.
After the self-piercing animation, the blade will have increased attack power and ability to inflict blood loss on enemies for 60 seconds. A minute is a long time on the battlefield in Elden Ring, and it can surely be enough to quickly clear out an area.
6 Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker
Best for: STR builds
Players only get to obtain Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker quite late in the game, since it can only be received from Hoarah Loux’s Remembrance dropped by Godfrey, the Elden Lord, upon defeat. That makes this Ash a great choice for a New Game+ playthrough for Strength builds specifically, as it is one of the few Ashes of War that works with colossal weapons.
Similarly to the Lion’s Claw Ash of War, Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker was a skill that frustrated many players because it was quite strong on paper but too slow to use as a main Ash of War. With the arrival of Patch 1.04 (which coincidentally also improved Lion’s Claw), the Earthshaker was sped up significantly. The first blow has a much shorter preceding animation, and the second one arrives almost immediately afterward, which is a game changer in terms of the efficiency of this Ash.
5 The Glintblade Phalanx
Best for: INT builds
As one of the best Ashes of War for Sorcerer builds, this skill requires a decent Intelligence level of 22 for players to be able to use it. This Ash of War is most easily obtainable by speaking to Sorcerer Rogier in Roundtable Hold after defeating Godrick the Grafted.
The Glintblade Phalanx creates an arch of magic blades over the caster’s head. These blades automatically attack nearby enemies, dealing a great deal of damage. They are also extremely effective when fighting a single enemy and trying to swiftly break their stance.
4 Thunderbolt
Best for: DEX builds
The Thunderbolt is another skill that doesn’t require too much FP to use but is very effective against nearly all kinds of foes. It is also extremely versatile: it can be used on all melee weapons with no exceptions.
This Ash of War can be looted from a Teardrop Beetle in Leyndell, meaning that it will only be accessible to players who are relatively highly leveled and have already obtained at least two Great Runes. The skill is well worth the wait, though, as it allows players to unleash deadly bolts of lightning in rapid succession for a measly 10 focus points.
3 Gravitas
Best for: INT builds
This particular Ash of War isn’t powerful because of the damage it deals, but rather due to its sheer usefulness on the battlefield. Many enemies, particularly wild beasts, deal a lot of damage by lashing or jumping onto the player from a distance.
Gravitas creates a “gravity well” that pulls all nearby enemies towards the player. This takes away the advantage of distance away from enemies, as well as granting players the window of opportunity to deal a great deal of damage to numerous enemies at once. This Ash of War can be looted off of the Slender Wayfarer near the Seaside Ruins Site of Grace in Limgrave.
2 Carian Grandeur
Best for: STR/INT builds
Before the release of Patch 1.04, the Carian Grandeur Ash of War was snubbed by most players in favor of its higher-damage-dealing relative, the Carian Greatsword. However, after the arrival of that update in April, the tables have turned somewhat on the Carian Ashes of War.
Carian Grandeur’s attack speed and charging rate have been significantly increased, and although it still deals less damage than the Greatsword Ash, it is a lot more convenient to use in close-quarters combat thanks to its quicker recharge times. STR/INT builds were already at an advantage compared to others, but with this Carian Grandeur buff, they can blast through hordes of enemies even faster.
1 Bloody Slash
Best for: DEX and ARC builds
While there are quite a few skills and Ashes of War that deal a lot more damage than Bloody Slash, not many of them come at such a low cost and high speed of use.
Aside from granting the Blood affinity to the weapon it is applied to, Bloody Slash is a powerful move that takes away a good chunk of the enemy’s health. As far as early game Ashes of War go, this might just be the very best one. It can one-shot most of the mobs found along the way, as well as break the stance of many bosses with a single hit.
More: Elden Ring: Crafting Items You Should Always Have Ready
