It’s hard to believe FromSoftware’s smash-hit RPGElden Ringlaunched over a year ago, but since its release in February 2022, the game has received glowing praise from critics and fans alike, smashed sales records around the world, and won multiple Game Of The Year accolades, including its claim to the top honorat the 2022 Game Awards. With a game this popular, players have experimented withevery weapon, spell, and gear combinationimaginable, and have compiled the most potent character builds the game has to offer.
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While those builds - aka. theElden Ringmeta - has been established for a while now, the game itself is packed to the brim with gear and weapons that fly under the radar. Yet no element ofElden Ring’sgameplay is more overlooked thanthe variety of Ashes of Warthat are available. These weapon abilities, which can be interchanged at will for the most part, can change everything about how a weapon is used in combat. Many Ashes of War have risen to the top of the food chain, but many more have gone underused, and players who are looking to change up their playstyle might enjoy experimenting with these lesser-known options.
8Assassin’s Gambit
Because it doesn’t directly deal damage of any kind, Assassin’s Gambit has been relegated to the “utilitarian” category of Ashes of War; abilities that are only effective in certain specific situations. This is doing it an injustice. Assassin’s Gambit has the same relative function as the Concealing Veil talisman and the Unseen Form Sorcery but is more effective than both of them.
Assassin’s Gambit will turn the player invisible to enemies, and conceal the sounds of their movement. These effects last far longer than they do with Unseen Form, and the player doesn’t need to be crouched for the effect to be activated as they do with Concealing Veil. Assassin’s Gambit is the most versatile of the three options and can be applied to any sword or dagger in the game.
Assassin’s Gambit is sold for 6,500 Runes by Knight Bernahl in Volcano Manor.
7Waves Of Darkness
The majority of the Ashes of WarinElden Ringare one- or two-hit attacks and often leave the player vulnerable while they are being cast. Waves of Darkness bucks both of these trends, sending out three waves of dark damage (surprise) and granting a follow-up sweep attack from hitting the right trigger.
For heavy weapon users, there aren’t many AoE Ashes of War that can be worked into a standard attack combo as easily as Waves of Darkness. The three waves travel out in all directions, hitting any enemy that gets close to the player and offering protection while the cast is in progress. It costs very little FP to use, and it does solid damage for the cost.
Waves of Darkness can be purchased from Enia in exchange for Remembrance of the Naturalborn, acquired by defeating Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.
6Ice Spear
Sometimes, simplicity can be a beautiful thing. The Ice Spear Ash of War is the poster child for that mindset. It’s a low-cost, high-damage attack that launches a spear of ice at the targeted enemy. It has solid range, will stagger enemies after a couple of hits, and will rapidly build up the Frostbite status effect, which only adds to its overall strength.
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Even when attached to a standard build, Ice Spear will deal a lot of damage. The more players optimize their builds to deal Magic and/or Cold damage, the stronger this Ash of War becomes. Just stick it on a spear or polearm, throw on the Spellblade gear set, and watch as even the toughest enemies in the game melt under the icy barrage.
Ice Spear can be found by defeating the Knight’s Cavalry near the Gate Town Bridge in Eastern Liurnia.
5Spectral Lance
For players who prefer to stagger their enemies and deal their damage once they’ve become vulnerable, look no further than Spectral Lance. While it doesn’t deal a ton of damage, just three hits from this Ash of War will stagger most enemies (excluding bosses), and four hits will knock them flat on their backs.
The beauty of this Ash of War isn’t just its ability to stagger, although that is its main perk. Spectral Lance has absurd range, able to hit enemies beyond even the player’s lock-on range. Combined with the stagger effect, a few hits can reliablyknock enemies off a nearby ledge. It also has a hilariously low FP cost, just to make it even more viable.
Spectral Lance is dropped by a Teardrop Scarab near the Church of the Cuckoo grace in Raya Lucaria Academy.
4Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker
Players might remember facing off against this attack when Hoarah Loux slams the ground, sending out a shockwave in all directions. Despite not being overly difficult to dodge, it somehow manages to catch even the most prepared Tarnished off guard once or twice. Once Hoarah Loux is defeated, players can make use of this ability for themselves.
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As far as AoE abilities go, there are few that can more effectively control a group of enemies than Earthshaker. The shout that precedes the shockwave can even stagger lesser enemies that wander too close. It’s also very easy to synergize this Ash of War with any elements that are equipped with the same weapon, which only furthers its devastation
Hoarax Loux’s Earthshaker can be purchased from Enia in exchange for Remembrance of Hoarah Loux, acquired by defeating Godfrey, First Elden Lord.
3Storm Assault
Not every Ash of War looks flashy. Many of them don’t look like much at all. That definitely can not be said about Storm Assault, which may be the most dramatic Ash of War in the whole game. A whirlwind surrounds the player as they leap into the air, spinning their weapon around before slamming back into the ground in an explosion of wind.
The whirlwind that surrounds the initial jump will stagger enemies that get too close, and the subsequent slam - which deals a ton of damage to any enemy caught directly beneath it - will also damage any enemies in the vicinity. The leap into the air will also dodge incoming attacks while the player is in the air, and it’s arguably the most “anime” ability thatElden Ringhas on offer.
Storm Assault is dropped by a Teardrop Scarab found beneath the ramparts in Stormveil Castle.
2Prayerful Strike
As any players using Faith builds know: efficiency is the name of the game. Maximizing damage, healing, and getting it all done in as few spell casts and attacks as possible to conserve FP is the best way to extend the span between deaths. Prayerful Strike is designed for exactly this style of play, and players can track it down early in their playthrough if theymake their way to Leyndell.
This Ash of War serves two purposes: it deals Faith damage via a slam attack, and when it connects, it heals both the player and any nearby allies. It’s especially useful against those pesky Revenants who move with insane speed and deal insane damage to match, yet are stunned by healing magic, but the ability to heal without using a Flask of Crimson Tears while simultaneously dealing damage is hard to beat in any situation.
Prayerful Strike is dropped by an invisible Teardrop Scarab found beneath the western entrance to Leyndell, Royal Capital.
1Vow Of The Indomitable
For most players, the only way to avoid enemy attacks is by rolling or jumping. These two options will serve them well enough, and most players will beat the game with just those two actions. There is a third option though, called Vow of the Indomitable.
This Ash of War can be equipped to any shield in the game, and when activated, grants the player temporary invincibility. Essentially, activating Vow of the Indomitable when an enemy is attacking will cause their attack to pass harmlessly through the player. It can be tough to get out of the habit of rolling to avoid damage, but this Ash of War can actually be more reliable than the roll, with its extremely generous activation window and the lack of movement required for it to be effective. Players can just stand in place and watch as the enemy swings away in futility.
Vow of the Indomitable is dropped by a Teardrop Scarab in the poisonous swamp area in the southeast of Liurnia of the Lakes.
Elden Ringis available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
