750+ Hours In: Best Dragon Incantations In Elden Ring

After having spent more than 750 hours in the Lands Between, here are some of the most powerful Elden Ring Dragon Incantations I found to conquer battles easily.

By Daniyal Sultan Malik

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June 18, 2023

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Delve into the art of the best Elden Ring Dragon Communion and Dragon Cult Incantations, where you’ll master the ability to harness the raw power of dragons, including breath and lightning attacks, to enhance your character and strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. I’ve listed below how you can get these spells and use them in your game. Discover where to find them, what you need to do, and how they work.

Key Takeaways

Dragon incantations in the Elden Ring help you use the power of dragons.
There are two types of incantations: Dragon Communion and Dragon Cult Incantations.
Dragon Communion Incantations offer unique abilities and transformations, while Dragon Cult Incantations focus on lightning-based attacks.
To acquire Dragon Incantations, you will need a special in-game currency Dragon Hearts.

Author’s Note: With more than dozens of hours of experience in Elden Ring, I feel more than obliged to provide you with hands-on experience on the topic below.

My Picks For The Best Dragon Incantations

Here is an overview & comparison of all the Dragon Incantations in Elden Ring;

No.	Name	Type	Best For	Effect	Damage Type	Stamina Cost	FP Cost	Faith Req.	Arcane Req.	Special Attributes
1	Agheel’s Flame	Dragon Communion	The Best Early-Game DPS Incantation	Creates huge flame	Fire	60	36	23	15	Castable in air, strong against shields, high poise
2	Rotten Breath	Dragon Communion	The Longest Ranged Scarlet-Rot Incantation	Conjure cloud of rot and decay	Physical	48	36	15	12	Wide area, long wind-up time
3	Borealis's Mist	Dragon Communion	The Best Dragon Magic For Frost Builds	Frost-based incantation	Magic	60	48	23	15	Castable in air, build frostbite status
4	Ekzykes's Decay	Dragon Communion	The Best Incantation For Rot Builds	Upgrade of Rotten Breath	Physical	60	48	23	15	Castable in air, Scarlet Rot status effect
8	Lightning Spear	Dragon Cult	The Highest-Range Lightning Incantation	Conjure lightning spear	Lightning	28	18	17	0	Accurate, range increases when charged
9	Death Lightning	Dragon Cult	The Best Death Blight Dragon Cult Incatation	Summon storm of lightning attacks	Lightning	32	28	47	0	Huge area of effect, drains enemy HP
10	Frozen Lightning Spear	Dragon Cult	The Best Frostbite Dragon Cult Incantation	Ice lightning that leaves a trail	Lightning	45	29	34	0	Conical AoE, inflicts Frostbite
11	Honed Bolt	Dragon Cult	The Fastest Dragon Cult Incantation	Conjure bolts of lightning to strike nearby foes	Lightning	29	12	24	0	Fast cast speed, chain casting, no projectile travel time

Dragon Incantations play a crucial role in mage builds, using Faith and Arcane for casting and offering tactical benefits during battles. Like in earlier Souls games, these incantations deliver physical and magical damage and Area of Effect damage. There are a total of 26 Dragon Incantations, split into two categories:

Dragon Communion: Dragon Communion depends on both Faith and Arcane
Dragon Cult Incantations: Dragon Cult relies solely on Faith

Best Dragon Communion Incantations

Elden Ring’s Dragon Communion Incantations are magical spells that let you wield dragon power, offering unique abilities and transformations. They have a mixed reputation, with some finding them underwhelming and others considering them strong options for Faith builds. I think they can be quite effective in proper situations.

Here are some top Dragon Communion Incantations for you:

1. Agheel’s Flame

Agheels Flame Dragon Communion Incantation Elden Ring — Agheels Flame – {image credits – eXputer}

The Best Early-Game DPS Incantation.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
36	1	Allows you to Spew flame breath of Agheel on your opponent from above	Faith: 23 Arcane: 15	Strong against shields, castable in air, and high poise

Agheel’s Flame is a powerful Dragon Communion Incantation. It creates a huge flame, damaging enemies and looking cool. It is similar to DragonFire but deals more damage. This incantation can also be cast in the air.

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It needs 36 FP, 23 Faith, 0 Intelligence, and 15 Arcane to use.
You must defeat Flying Dragon Agheel in Limgrave’s Dragon-Burnt Ruins to get it.
Trade two Dragon Hearts at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid to get the spell.
Good for characters with high Faith and Arcane stats.
Excellent against shielded and high-poise enemies because of the flames coming from above.
The spell can be used early, offering a powerful fire attack option.
Can help you avoid ground-based attacks by casting it while jumping.

If you are low on FP and stats, then I suggest going for the Dragonfire incantation. Deals lower damage but also requires lower stats and stamina.

Deals significant HP and Poise damage.
Can be cast while jumping.

Is interpreted pretty easily as there is a delay in casting.
Has a lower spread and costs a lot of FP.

2. Rotten Breath

Rotten Breath Dragon Communion Incantation Elden Ring — Rotten Breath – {image credits – eXputer}

The Longest Ranged Scarlet-Rot Incantation.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
36	1	You can Channel dragon to spew scarlet rot breath.	Faith: 15 Arcane: 12	Wide area, long wind-up time

Rotten Breath is another great Dragon Communion Incantation. The spell allows the caster to conjure a cloud of rot and decay, dealing standard physical damage.

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It has a Stamina Cost of 48 and an FP Cost of 36.
Rotten Breath requires 15 Faith and 12 Arcane to cast.
Like other generic Breath incantations, Rotten Breath has a long wind-up time of 2 seconds.
It covers a wide area and can occasionally ricochet from walls and non-destructible objects.
The duration can be extended to breathe again, and you can swivel your character while casting to spew in different directions.
It takes around 5 seconds to complete the full cast, including the initial wind-up.

Builds up Scarlet Rot very quickly and easily.
Requires very low stats so, can be used early on.

Cannot be cast in the air so is interrupted easily.
The rot application has been nerfed considerably.

3. Borealis’s Mist

Borealis's Mist Dragon Communion Incantation Elden Ring — Borealis’s Mist – {image credits – eXputer}

The Best Dragon Magic For Frost Builds.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
48	1	It allows you to spew icy breath of Borealis on your opponents from above.	Faith: 23 Arcane: 15	Castable in air, builds frostbite status

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Potent frost-based Dragon Communion incantation and inflicts Magic damage and frostbite.
Costs: 60 Stamina, 48 FP. Requires 23 Faith and 15 Arcane.
Upgraded Dragonice, offering enhanced damage, AoE, and jump casting.
How to unlock: Defeat Borealis the Freezing Fog in Mountaintop of the Giants.

After defeating Borealis the Freezing Fog, you can purchase the spell at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid for two Dragon Hearts. If you enjoy Dragonice and seek a more powerful frosty dragon breath spell, then I recommend you to use Borealis’s Mist. This incantation allows for greater range and damage, making it a valuable asset in battle.

Inflicts frostbite very frequently.
Has a longer range than Dragonice and deals 18% increased damage.

Has substantial FP cost and restricted spread.
Acquisition requirements are met in a very end-game area.

4. Ekzykes’s Decay

Ekzykes’s Decay Dragon Communion Incantation Elden Ring — Ekzykes’s Decay – {image credits – eXputer}

The Best Incantation For Rot Builds.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
48	1	This incantation allows you to spew scarlet rot breath of Ekzykes from above on their enemies.	Faith: 23 Arcane: 15	Castable in air, Scarlet Rot status effect

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Ekzykes’s Decay is a powerful Communion Incantation in Elden Ring, an upgrade of Rotten Breath.
The spell deals increased Physical damage and inflict the Scarlet Rot status effect.
It has a Stamina Cost of 60 and an FP Cost of 48.
Ekzykes’s Decay requires 23 Faith and 15 Arcane to cast.
Unlike Rotten Breath, Ekzykes’s Decay can be cast while jumping but not on horseback.
To unlock Ekzykes’s Decay, you must defeat Decaying Ekzykes, found in Caelid.
You can purchase the spell at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion for 2 Dragon Hearts.

Although the FP cost is high, the incantation effectively deals damage over a wide area and against late-game bosses like the Godskin Duo. You will notice a significant difference in difficulty when using Ekzykes’s Decay compared to Rotten Breath.

The longer range makes it effective for Rot build-up at a safe distance.
Requires low stats and uses only 1 slot.

Cannot be used on horseback.
Cannot ricochet from walls and non-destructible objects, unlike Rotten Breath.

Best Dragon Cult Incantations

Elden Ring’s Dragon Cult Incantations feature powerful Lightning-based spells ideal for Faith builds. You can obtain them from NPCs like Brother Corhyn and Miriel, Pastor of Vows. Unlike Dragon Communion Incantations, they don’t have transform properties that rely on Faith, not Arcane. Enhance them with the Gravel Stone Seal for better damage.

Here are some top Dragon Cult Incantations:

1. Lightning Spear

Lightning Spear Dragon Cult Incantation Elden Ring — Lightning Spear – {image credits – eXputer}

The Highest-Range Lightning Incantation.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
18	1	Hurls lightning spear before the caster	Faith: 17 Arcane: 0	Accurate, range increases when charged

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Lightning Spear, a potent Dragon Cult Incantation in Elden Ring, inflicts massive Lightning damage with impressive accuracy, even against swift enemies.
Charging it enhances damage, range, and poise damage.
The Godfrey Icon boosts the charged spell, offering versatility and power.
Though charged casting may miss more often, it deals AoE damage, ensuring damage on dodging targets.
Accessible to a wide player range with low character stats and FP requirements—17 Faith and 18 FP per cast.
You can acquire it by defeating the Leyndell Knight and returning the Dragon Cult Prayerbook to Brother Corhyn at the Roundtable Hold.

Is essentially Elden Ring’s Sunlight Spear, perfect for ranged dps.
Can be paired with Stone of Gurranq to perform combo hits to the enemies.

Not much effective in PvP because of highly single target in uncharged state.
The dmg difference between charged and uncharged is not much.

2. Death Lightning

Death Lightning Dragon Cult Incantation Elden Ring — Death Lightning – {image credits – eXputer}

The Best Death Blight Dragon Cult Incatation.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
28	2	Strikes surroundings with a storm of death lightning	Faith: 47	A huge AoE attack; drains the enemy’s HP

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Death Lightning, one of the best dragon lightning incantations in Elden Ring, boasts impressive stats.
Casting it summons a deadly lightning storm, dealing massive damage and draining enemy HP.
Fueled by the ancient LichDragon Fortissax, it offers you a wide Area of Effect for maximum damage and inflicts Death Blight buildup, potentially leading to brutal enemy deaths.
Requirements: 47 Faith points and a 28 FP cost, doubling with continuous casting.
To obtain the Death Lightning you need to follow Fia’s questline to Deeproot Depths, defeat the Legendary boss Lichdragon Fortissax, and trade the Remembrance of the Lichdragon with Enia at Roundtable Hold.

Massive AoE, and inflicts Death Blight build-up.
High damage value, allowing you to one-shot enemies with buffs.

High FP cost (28) doubling with continuous casting.
Long charging time with relatively less range.

3. Frozen Lightning Spear

Frozen Lightning Spear Dragon Cult Incantation Elden Ring — Frozen Lightning Spear – {image credits – eXputer}

The Best Frostbite Dragon Cult Incantation.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
29	1	This incantation allows you to stab opponents with ice lightning spears from above.	Faith: 34	Conical AoE, inflicts Frostbite

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I consider the Frozen Lightning Spear to be one of the best dragon cult incantations in Elden Ring that deals damage and leaves a trail of lightning.
It requires 34 Faith, 0 Intelligence, and 0 Arcane, with a 29 FP cost.
The area of effect is conical, and after a short delay, marked areas are struck by the frozen lightning.
Useful for controlling the battlefield or forcing enemies to reposition.
You must defeat the Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella to obtain Frozen Lightning Spear.
You can best use Frozen Lightning Spear against large or grouped-up enemies and slow, ranged PvE fights.
Boost damage with the Gravel Stone Seal, which can be equipped off-hand while casting with the primary seal.

A good early-game alternative to Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike.
Hits multiple times, dealing frost build-up against large enemies.

It is deceptive to some extent with its short range and no chain casting.
Obtained from a rather secretive area.

4. Honed Bolt

Honed Bolt Dragon Cult Incantation Elden Ring — Honed Bolt – {image credits – eXputer}

The Fastest Dragon Cult Incantation.

FP Cost	Slots Used	Effect	Requirement	Special Attribute
12	1	You can Strike your foes with a lightning bolt from above	Faith: 24	Fast cast speed, chain casting, no projectile travel time

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Honed Bolt is one of the best Elden Ring dragon incantations that conjure lightning bolts to strike nearby foes.
Requires 24 Faith, 0 Intelligence, and 0 Arcane.
You can acquire Honed Bolt by purchasing it from Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows, after giving either of them the Dragon Cult Prayerbook.

The spell has a stamina cost of 29, deals lightning damage, and is boosted by the Gravel Stone Seal. Honed Bolt is known for its fast cast speed, chain casting capability, and lack of projectile travel time. I believe the incantation is pretty effective against multiple enemies in PvP and moving targets in PvE.

Is pretty difficult to avoid.
Deals alot of damage if used in rapid successions

Only scales with faith so not viable outside faith builds.
Comparatively shorter range than Lightning Spear.

My Take On The Best Dragon Incantations in Elden Ring

Since the Elden Ring devs never truly nerfed Scarlot Rot, the best dragon incantation, from my experience, is a tossup between Ekzyke’s Decay and Rotten Breath. One becomes more useful than the other depending on the situation, but they’re still much more powerful than the other incantations.

hours waterjuice — My Elden Ring hours (Steam ID: WaterJuice)

Simply put, I would never trust any Scarlet Rot-related item to be balanced since that status effect is arguably the toughest debuff to deal with. Because of that, Ekzyke’s Decay and Rotten Breath are top choices for both PvP and PvE. They have deceptively long-range, and their Rot buildup is underrated. As such, for a Dragon build, I’d use and recommend these two any day of the week.

In Elden Ring, dragon incantations are powerful spells that help characters harness the power of dragons. If you find the best Elden Ring dragon incantation for your playstyle, then defeating bosses is no problem.