Elden Ring: 15 Best Ashes Of War & Locations [Top Picks]
After having spent over 750 hours experimenting, I have listed the top 15 best Elden Ring Ashes of War for you to dominate battles.
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One of the biggest changes that FromSoftware has introduced in Elden Ring that I didn’t see in the previous Souls games is the Ashes of War. Ashes of War are simple and easy to use that you can use to upgrade your weapons. There are a total of 91 Ashes of War in Elden Ring. Today, I am going to write down an Elden Ring best Ash of War guide to help you get started.
- Why Trust Us: Daniyal has spent more than 750 hours in Elden Ring, making his guides trustworthy!
My Picks And Comparison For Best Ashes of War In Elden Ring
Here’s a quick look at the best Ashes of War picks for your playthrough. The table also includes the builds each of these Ashes of War is suited with:
| Ashes Of War | Best For | Suitable Build | Effect | Useable on? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Blade | The Best Ash Of War For Holy Dmg Buff | Faith Based Builds | Grants affinity and skills to an armament | Melee Armaments (except whips, fists, and claws) |
| Bloody Slash | The Best Ash Of War For Bleed Infusion | Tank Builds | It can deal a lot of damage to opponents but also drains HP and FP of user. | Swords (except for collosal weapons) |
| Barricade Shield | The Best Ash Of War Against Heavy Attacks | All | It can protect you against powerful attacks which can not be blocked easily. | All Shields |
| Carian Greatsword | The Best Melee Skill For Int Builds | Mage Builds | It transforms your sword into magical greatsword which drains a lot of your enemy's health with each hit. | All Swords (Except for Collosal Weapons) |
| Lightning Ram | The Best Skill For Sustained Lightning DPS | Faith and Dex Builds | Ability to perform series of rolls in forward direction and deal ton of damage if opponent comes in your way. | All Melee Armaments |
| Storm Blade | The Best Early-Game Skill For Str Builds | Melee and Dex Build | Launches a whirlwind like attack that causes damage and knocks enemies back. | All Swords (Except for Collosal Weapons and Twinblades) |
| Quickstep | The Best Substitute Of Rolling In Elden Ring | Melee Builds | It allows you to take a quickstep and attack enemies from behind. | All Melee Armaments |
| Loretta’s Slash | The Best Magic Skill For Closing Distances | INT Builds | Launches player into air and then performing a powerful magic strike that deals a lot of damage | Polearms and Twinblades |
| Mighty Shot | The Best Skill For Sniper Builds | Range Builds | Charges up a powerful shot and shoots it towards your opponent dealing high ampunt of damage while breaking defense. | Light bows and Long Bows |
| Thunderbolt | The Best Ash Of War For High Lightning Dmg | Faith & Melee Build | Call down a lightning on your enemy dealing great amount of damage. | All Melee Armaments |
| Gravitas | The Best Magic Ash Of War For Crowd Control | Melee Builds | Create a gravity well on the ground which will deal damage to enemies caught in it and pull them towards you. | All Melee Armaments (Except Small armaments and Whips) |
| Seppuku | The Best Ash Of War For Bleed Buff | Dex/Bleed Builds | Allows you to perform a high damage dealing attack at the cost of HP | Swords and polearms capable of thursting (Except small and collosal Weapons) |
| The Glintblade Phalanx | The Best Magic Skill For Stagger Dmg | Melee Builds | Allows you to summon glintblades which automatically attacks your opponents for decent damage while staggering them. | Swords and polearms capable of thursting (Except collosal Weapons) |
| Hoarfrost Stomp | The Best Ash Of War For Cold Builds | Int and Dex Builds | Allows you to perform a stomp, sending out a wave dealing massive damage. It interrupts and prevents your opponents from performing attack. | All melee armaments |
| Bloodhound’s Step | The Best Ash Of War For Evasion | Dex Builds | It allows you to become invisible for a short amount of time while having high speed. | All melee Armaments |
I have also mentioned what Ashes of War are, how you can use them, and how you can duplicate them. It’s time to get to the Elden Ring best Ashes of War list in detail now.
1. Sacred Blade
The Sacred Blade is the first Ash of War that I would like to mention. It scales primarily with Faith, thus making it an ideal choice for pure Faith-based builds. Furthermore, this Ash of War can also grant an affinity to your weapon, providing it with the Holy Affinity. The Sacred Blade can work with all melee weapons, except for small arms and whips.
Similar Read: Elden Ring Village Of The Albinaurics Guide
- Why I Chose This: Sacred Blade provides the best dmg output among Holy dmg Ashes of War.
To get your hands on the Sacred Blade Ashes of War, you will need to go North of the Third Church of Maria and look around for Teardrop Scarabs. For those who don’t know, a Teardrop Scarab is a creature in the Elden Ring that drops unique items when taken down. The only downside is that they disappear instantly if you fail to take them down quickly. Therefore, you will need to be quick after you encounter one.
- Deals significant damage against undead enemies.
- After casting the skill, infuses weapon with holy dmg for 40s.
- The range of the projectile may cause problems.
- Stance dmg of the Ash is comparatively lower.
2. Bloody Slash
This is easily one of the most powerful Ashes of War in the Elden Ring. It can let you deliver a powerful attack on your opponent that can drain a lot of their health in a single hit. However, each use also takes away a little of your HP and FP points. But considering that you get the chance to perform a devastating blow that can help you take down tough opponents quickly, it’s worth getting.
- Why I Chose This: Bloody Slash is acquired very early and is the best bleed infusion Ash of War for Early-game.
To get your hands on the Bloody Slash in Elden Ring, you must make your way to Fort Haight. This location can be found in Limgrave. It is the very fort Kenneth Haight will tell you about after you talk to him.
Fort Haight is swarming with enemies, so make sure you are properly equipped before going there. There, you will encounter a Knight called Beast Crest Heater. He is a powerful enemy who will use the Bloody Slash against you. But after you take him down, you can pick up the Bloody Slash Ash of War from his corpse.
For NG+ only, you can switch to Rivers of Blood’s Corspe Piler skill for much better overall utility.
- Has very low FP cost and so is spammable.
- Can be infused with almost any weapon to suit a bleed build.
- Needs to be used carefully as it consumes your HP on use.
- Doesn’t scale with weapon AR but only with its level and Arcane.
3. Barricade Shield
In Elden Ring, defending yourself from attacks is equally important as attacking your opponent in combat. If you don’t follow a balance between the two, you won’t be able to go far in the game. Thankfully, the game lets you use shields that can defend you greatly against powerful attacks. And if you’re someone who is using a shield, or is planning to use one, then you should get the Barricade Shield Ash of War without wasting a single second.
- Why I Chose This: The Barricade Sield Ash of War can reinforce the shield to tank the hardest of hits.
To get your hands on the Barricade Shield Ash of War in Elden Ring, you will need to go to Weeping Peninsula at nighttime and defeat the Night’s Cavalry. The boss uses heavy weapons but is not that difficult to take down. After you eliminate him, you can pick up the Barricade Shield from its corpse. You can also get this Ash of War by taking down the Bloodhound Kniht Darriwil, who can be found in Forlon Hound Evergaol.
- Very handy in battling elites or bosses if you prefer shielding over dodging.
- Halves the stamina required to block an attack.
- The duration of the Ash is rather low (10s).
- Does not have a prominent effect on greatshields.
4. Carian Greatsword
If you want an Ash of War in Elden Ring that can transform your weapon into something extremely powerful, then you need to get the Carian Greatsword Ash of War. With this attached to your weapon, you’ll feel as if you’re carrying something mighty in your hands.
- Why I Chose This: Carian Gretsword deals a lot of Magic dmg in front of you and can be charged to increase the impact.
To get the Carian Greatsword Ash of War, you will need to purchase it from Sorcerer Rogier at Stormviel Castle for 2,500 Runes. He can also be found at the Roundtable Hold. If you don’t have Runes to spend, then I suggest you to get it from Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold in exchange for Rogier’s Bell Bearing.
An almost similar Ash to Carian greatsword is Carian Grandeur. If you are an Int build and are looking for more damage and range then Carian Grandeur is your pick.
- Can deal huge dmg in Intelligence builds.
- Has substantial range and stagger dmg.
- Can be easily evaded so only applicable in PvE.
- Requires charging for full potential and can be interrupted.
5. Lightning Ram
Out of all the Ashes of War in Elden Ring, this is easily one of the most fun to use. The Lighting Ram Ash of War in Elden Ring is perfect for those who are looking for a way to dodge enemy attacks but deal damage to their targets in the process. It can be used on all Melee armaments.
- Why I Chose This: Lightning Ram can stun-lock most foes while also dealing tons of consistent DPS to the enemy.
To get your hands on this Ash of War, you must take down a Teardrop Scarab that can be found at Atlus Plateau. This is located south of Sainted Hero’s Grave.
- Can deal a lot of dmg in rapid successions and so very powerful in late game builds.
- Prevents damage from above-torso attacks.
- Getting stuck in rolling animations makes susceptible to damage.
- Increases Dex scaling but lowers base dmg and Str scaling.
6. Storm Blade
There can be times in Elden Ring when you’re surrounded by a group of enemies that will keep attacking you and prevent you from attacking back. Or, you might engage in combat against a powerful foe who might not let you get back on your feet. This is where the Storm Blade Ash of War comes in, as it can let you create a distance between you and the enemies.
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- Why I Chose This: Strom Blade will be your ideal choice if you are carrying a Str build and want to obliterate your enemies at a safe distance.
To get your hands on the Storm Blade Ash of War in Elden Ring, you will need to visit the Murkwater Catacombs that can be found in Limgrave. There, you will encounter a Boss called Grave Warden, and he will drop the Storm Blade after you eliminate him. You can also purchase it from Knight Bernahl at the Warmaster’s Shack for 1,800 Runes.
- Possesses great range with a low FP cost.
- Is a very good early-game Ash for decent dmg and melee builds.
- The wind slash does not build the status effect present on the weapon.
- Skill dmg is independent of weapon’s base dmg and only scales with user’s level.
7. Quickstep
Quick movement in Elden Ring can help you get a step ahead in combat, and the Quickstep Ash of War is here to help you with that. In the game, you can take your enemy down quickly if you manage to get behind them. This way, you can attack them without worrying about them blocking. Quickstep lets you exactly do that, and it can be used on all Melee armaments.
- Why I Chose This: Quickstep possesses more i-frames than your normal dodge and is very helpful in dodging attacks and circling opponents.
The game lets you dodge attacks by performing a roll. However, I discovered that while rolling, you can easily get attacked by the enemy. Furthermore, it’s not quick and you can’t use it to instantly get behind your target. As for the Quickstep, it lets you dodge attacks quickly, something thanks to which you can also circle your target and wait for the right moment to strike them from behind.
The Quickstep Ash of War in Elden Ring is not difficult to get as you can purchase it from the Knight Bernahl at the Warmaster’s Shack for 800 Runes.
- Very useful to dodge attacks or close distances.
- Has greater i-frames than normal dodge (15).
- Does not provide any benefit other than dodging or circling enemies.
- Distance covered by the step is comparatively lower.
8. Loretta’s Slash
By using Loretta’s Slash Ash of War, you can perform a powerful magical strike that will deal a great amount of damage. It will first launch you in the air before you perform the strike. The attack is useful for times when you’re fighting against a powerful foe. Although it might seem slow, it is a great attack that can help you in multiple situations.
- Why I Chose This: Loretta’s Slash has great distance-closing capability and deals decent dmg in Int builds.
To get your hands on this fantastic Ash of War, you must first go to Caria Manor and look around for the Royal Knight Loretta. He is a powerful Boss who is not easy to take down. Therefore, make sure you are properly equipped before going there. Otherwise, you’ll just waste your time. After taking him down, Loretta’s Slash Ash of War will appear beside its corpse.
- Has exeptional range and stagger dmg.
- Deals a ton of dmg in high Int builds.
- Exclusive for weapons like halberds, etc, only.
- Adds Int scaling at the cost of lowering base dmg and Str, Dex scalings.
9. Mighty Shot
If you’re an archer who likes to take down their targets from a great distance, I have something for you. Bows in Elden Ring are something that can help you stay at a safe distance while taking down your target. They are one of the best-ranged weapons in the Elden Ring, and you can trust them in multiple situations. However, Bows are mostly useful against regular enemies since they can’t deal much damage with each hit. But with the Mighty Shot, things are different.
- Why I Chose This: Mighty Shot provides great buff to both the range and dmg of the arrow and can be affixed to almost any bow.
To get your hands on this Ash of War, you must take down a Teardrop Scarab that can be found on the way from Limgrave to Weeping Peninsula. But if you manage to get your hands on the Longbow before this, you’ll already have it, as the Mighty Shot Ash of War is the default Ash of War for the Longbow.
- Increases the dmg and status build-up of the shot by 75%.
- Boosts the range of the arrow and saves ammo due to increased dmg.
- The stance before shooting decreases stamina regen by 80%.
- A bow-specific skill, not for other weapon types.
10. Thunderbolt
Ever wanted to become Thor in Elden Ring? Well, now, you can. With the Thunderbolt in your arsenal, you can perform a powerful attack that can deal much damage.
- Why I Chose This: Thunderbolt has exeptional ST dmg and can be spammed, making it a very powerful lightning Ash of War.
By using the Thunderbolt Ash of War in Elden Ring, you can call down a bolt of Lightning on your enemy that will drain a lot of their health. The best part about it is that it can be used in rapid succession, meaning you can take down a powerful foe by using it. Furthermore, the Thunderbolt Ash of War can be used on all Melee armaments.
To get your hands on this Ash of War, you must take down a Teardrop Scarab in Leyndell, Royal Capital.
If you are looking for a more melee-focused lightning Ash, then I recommend checking out the Lightning Slash Ash of war. It has the same FP cost and favours melee builds.
- Deals substantial lightning damage, valuable against dragons.
- Doesn’t require additional stat investment as the dmg scales off Dex.
- Has comparatively lower posture damage.
- Switches the weapon to lightning affinity, which can reduce stat scaling.
11. Gravitas
Gravitas is one of the best Ashes of War because of how it helps you. If you have a pure Melee base build, then I recommend you to get the Gravitas Ash of War. This is because you can get the enemies within your range by using this. It can be used on all Melee armaments but not on the small ones.
- Why I Chose This: Gravitas can be affixed to almost every melee weapon and effectively pull foes towards you, leaving them vulnerable to dmg.
To get your hands on Gravitas Ash of War in Elden Ring, you must take down a Slender Wayfarer. This enemy uses this Ash of War, and you can pick it up from its corpse after you take it down.
To both gather enemies as well as blast them away, you can use the Starcaller Cry Ash of war instead.
- Can gather enemies in a large AoE.
- Deals substantial posture damage, perfect for farming weaker enemies.
- Doesn’t deal enough HP damage for effective crowd control.
- Can be parried if performed without any FP.
12. Seppuku
Another fantastic Ash of War in my Elden Ring Ash of War guide is Seppuku. Just like the Bloody Slash Ash of War, this one also lets you perform a powerful attack at the cost of your HP. However, it will not drain a lot of your health, so you won’t have to worry about getting a great disadvantage against your opponent.
After using Seppuku, your character will stab himself and soak the weapon in his blood. This will increase the attack power of your weapon, something that will let you deal more damage with each attack.
- Why I Chose This: Seppuku greatly enhances your ability to proc Bleed and adds additional dmg to your weapon.
Unfortunately, Seppuku is also an Ash of War that you can acquire in the late game. However, it will prove to be extremely useful against the enemies you’ll be facing at that time. To get it, you must go to the Freezing Lake site of grace and take down an invisible Scarab. This one can be found at the edge of the lake.
- Provides a dmg and status build-up buff for 60s.
- Applies blood affinity to the weapon which is useful in bleed builds.
- Causes a portion of player’s HP to be reduced so has to be used carefully.
- Obtained in essentialy the end-game area.
13. The Glintblade Phalanx
- Why I Chose This: Glintblade Phalanx can effectively stagger most foes and bosses while also dealing considerable dmg.
Using the Glintblade Phalanx, you can summon glintblades above your head that automatically attack your targets. Each blade deals a decent amount of damage with each hit, but that isn’t what makes the Ash of War extremely powerful. Along with dealing damage, the glintblade will stagger your enemy and make them get on their knees, after which you can take them down with a single Critical strike.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get your hands on the Glintblade Phalanx Ash of War early on in the game as you’ll first need to take down Godrick the Grafted. He can be found in Stormveil Castle and after you defeat him, you will need to go to the Roundtable Hold. There, talk to Sorcerer Rogier to receive the Rogier’s Rapier. The Glintblade Phalanx Ash of War will be attached to this weapon. However, it can be removed and attached to whichever weapon you prefer.
For Intelligence builds, you can use the Glintstone Phalanx Sorcery as it can provide the same effect and is independant of the weapon scaling.
- Delivers substantial stagger damage.
- Obtaining it also gives you a +8 weapon.
- Similar effects can be obtained by the Glintstone Phalanx spell.
- The dmg scales off Int only so recquires additional investment in Int stat.
14. Hoarfrost Stomp
The Hoarfrost Stomp lets you perform a stomp that sends out a wave that deals massive damage to the targets. The wave first interrupts the enemies and prevents them from performing an attack, and it then instantly deals a great amount of damage. The best part about the frost wave is that it can take down regular enemies in a single hit. Furthermore, it can be used multiple times, meaning that you can quickly take down an entire group of enemies.
- Why I Chose This: Hoarfrost Stomp has essentialy the best frost build-up and the wave can also stun most enemies.
You must go to a small pond to get your hands on the Hoarfrost Stomp Ash of War in Elden Ring. This can be found on the northern side of the Lakes of Liurnia. Here, you will need to look around for an invisible Teardrop Scarab. After eliminating it, you can pick up the Hoarfrost Stomp from its corpse.
- Can cause Frostbite pretty frequently.
- Decent range and low FP cost.
- No stagger immunity and thus can be interupted.
- Has been nerfed considerably since release.
15. Bloodhound’s Step
The Bloodhound’s Step lets you become invisible for a short period while doing at high speed. In other words, with this Ash of War, you can move around quickly without worrying about getting hit by enemy attacks. Even if you’re stuck between a group of powerful enemies, and constantly hitting you with their attacks, they won’t be able to even scratch you for as long as you keep using this Ash of War to move around.
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- Why I Chose This: Bloudhound’s Step is an improved version of Quickstep with more i-frames and covers more distance, making it easier to get behind opponents.
To get your hands on this extremely powerful Ash of War, you must defeat one of the Night’s Calvary, who can be found at the bridge in front of the Lenne’s Rise tower. For those who don’t know, Night’s Calvary is a group of mini-bosses that spawn across the map. They ride black horses and use powerful weapons. After eliminating the one I mentioned, you can pick up the Bloodhound’s Step Ash of War from his corpse.
- Great alternative for dodging as requires very low FP and same stamina.
- Can cover huge distances and very helpful for circling enemies.
- No additional benefits other than dodge.
- Only obtained by defeating a rather difficult boss.
Why I Didn’t Go For Others
Here are some alternative Ashes of War options in Elden Ring that are worth considering. However, I haven’t included them in my top 15 list due to specific factors:
- Rain Of Arrows: A decent option, but it has a slightly shorter range compared to other Ashes of War I’ve selected above.
- Golden Vow: Using it consumes a good chunk of stamina, which can be limiting, especially for builds with low stamina reserves.
- Phantom Slash: It is a relatively expensive Ash of War, especially considering its damage output.
- Holy Ground: A viable option, but it has a long cast time and a shorter area of effect compared to other Ashes of War.
- Waves of Darkness: Despite its power, the animation for casting it is relatively slow, leaving you vulnerable to enemy attacks.
- Flames of the Redmane: While it deals high poise damage and fire damage, its effectiveness against single targets is limited.
My Tips To Use Ashes Of War
With roughly 700 hours of trying out many different builds and gear, I have discovered some general rules I like to follow to maximize flexibility in a build’s Ashes of War. For basic sword and shield combat, I suggest the shield to have an Ash of War which boosts parry windows such as Carian Retaliation or Storm Wall, but if you’re positive that your parry skills are already perfect, anything can be viable.
If you do not find yourself parrying, something that has defensive capabilities (such as Barricade) can be perfect, or an Ash of War for your weapon can be a perfect option, preferably one that inflicts a buildup as well. If you want to completely remove the hassle and just go for weapons with top-tier Ashes of War, the Reduvia or Blasphemous Blade are great picks.
This marks the end of my Elden Ring Ash of War guide. Keep in mind that there are many other Ashes of War available in the game, and you should check them out as well. This is because you might find them better or more suitable for your build than these.
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