It's no secret that combat in Elden Ring can get really hard, really quickly. Oftentimes, standing a chance against some of the game's most powerful foes requires taking a step back and leveling up a bit before facing them again. Applying Ashes of War to armaments grants access to some incredibly powerful attacks that can turn the tides of battle around.
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Reaching Elden Ring's most challenging boss requires passing through a number of truly difficult areas beforehand, so here's a step-by-step guide.
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 January 4, 2025 by Erik Petrovich: In Elden Ring, item descriptions can be found on every item in the game, from consumables to key items to weapons and armor pieces, of course. One place many players don't realize has item descriptions are Ashes of War – including Ashes of War that are only available as the default skill on specific weapons. Though each of these best Elden Ring Ash of War weapon skills' item descriptions mostly describe the actions players will take when cast, some also reveal more details about the origins of the skill, or the history of its creator or previous wielder. This guide to the best Ashes of War in Elden Ring has been updated to include these descriptions, which shed light on the specific actions for each Ash of War and reveal some information about each weapon skills' place in the lore.
17 Savage Lion's Claw
A Better Version Of An Already Strong Ash of War
Skill of the particularly brave, even among the Redmanes.
Somersault forwards, striking foes.
An additional strike may be performed with an additional input.
|
Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
All Axes, Hammers, and Swords (small weapons and thrusting weapons excempt) |
Heavy |
The Savage Lion's Claw is arguably the best Elden Ring DLC Ash of War because it is essentially a stronger version of Lion's Claw, one of the base game's best weapon skills. It is faster, deals more damage, has a follow-up, and costs the same amount of FP to execute.
This Ash of War can be put onto just about any weapon in the game, except small weapons like Fists, Beast Claws, and Daggers – but it's especially strong on Great Hammers and Colossal Weapons for the sheer amount of Poise damage it's capable of.
Savage Lion's Claw Location
To get the Savage Lion's Claw, find the Three-Path Cross Site of Grace just north of the starting point for the Elden Ring DLC, then head north while hugging the cliffside wall to the west. You should find the Savage Lion's Claw Ash of War on the ground in a small camp about a 20 seconds' ride north of the cave that leads to Belurat.
16 Palm Blast
Dryleaf Arts Only – But Well Worth The Second Weapon Slot
Skill of the spiritual seekers known as the Dryleaf Sect.
Imbues hand with energy before using a palm strike to unleash an explosive blast.
The already formidable power and impact can be bolstered by charging the attack.
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Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
Unique to the Dryleaf Arts weapon type, but can be altered |
Quality |
Palm Blast is one of the best DLC Ashes of War because, like Savage Lion's Claw, it doesn't cost a lot, deals a ton of damage, and is capable of breaking all but the most stalwart enemy's Stagger meter, interrupting attacks or outright breaking their Poise.
The one downside is that you have to charge up the attack before it reaches full effectiveness. But when timed well, if you can hit an enemy with a full charge of this skill, and follow up with a Heavy Attack, you're all but guaranteed a Critical Hit. To take advantage of this Poise-breaking skill, consider equipping a Colossal Weapon (or something that can do a lot of damage in one hit) to take advantage of the regular Critical Hits you will be able to get.
Palm Blast Location
To be able to use the Palm Blast Ash of War, you must equip the Dryleaf Arts weapon, as this Ash of War cannot be used with any other weapon type and comes as the default skill on these weapons. However, the trade-off here is negligible, as Dryleaf Arts don't weigh much and you can easily swap to it when needed instead of changing your whole build.
15 Storm Blade
Rapid Mid-Range Attacks For Melee Builds
Lost skill of Stormveil.
Surround armament with shearing storm winds that can be fired forward.
Can be fired in rapid succession.
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Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
All Swords except colossal weapons & Twinblades |
Quality |
Especially useful for strength-focused builds, the 
Ash of War: Storm Blade 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 is one of the best Ashes of War Elden Ring players can get because it grants access to a fast ranged attack to traditionally melee-only builds. Strength builds in particular can benefit from this, though it performs best when scaling off of both Strength and Dexterity with its default Quality affinity.
Storm Blade Location
To get Ash of War: Storm Blade, Elden Ring players should head to the Warmaster's Shack in Stormhill, Limgrave. Follow the path leading towards Stormveil's entrance, then head eastward into the forest before the path winds back to Margit's boss room. In the Warmaster's Shack, or at his secondary location within Volcano Manor, Knight Bernahl sells Storm Blade for 1800 Runes.
14 Mighty Shot
Arguably The Best Ranged Ash of War
Archery skill performed from a stance.
Ready the bow, then pull the bowstring to its limit to enhance the power of the shot, penetrating the enemy's guard.
|
Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
Light and Medium Bows |
Standard |
Ash of War: 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.
Mighty Shot Location
To get Ash of War: Mighty Shot, Elden Ring players must find a Scarab in the Weeping Peninsula. From the Castle Morne Ramparts Site of Lost Grace, ride Torrent northwest along the path until you see the Scarab. Mighty Shot is very commonly the default Ash of War on most Bows, though it can't be transferred without the actual Ash of War: Mighty Shot "item".
13 Sacred Blade
Handy Extra Holy Damage For Applicable Weapon Types
Grants armament's attacks holy essence and fires off a golden blade projectile.
The armament retains its holy essence for awhile.
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Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
All melee weapons except Whips, Fists, & Claws |
Sacred |
Ash of War: Sacred Blade 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.
Elden Ring: How to Get and Use Ash of War: Mighty Shot
Players can enhance Mighty Shot in Elden Ring by using Ashes of War, and here is how to do it.
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.
Sacred Blade Location
To get Ash of War: Sacred Blade, Elden Ring players must head to the Third Church of Marika. Mount Torrent and head northwest from this Site of Grace until you pass a small nearby pond. Defeat the Scarab that appears near this pond to get Sacred Blade.
12 Lion's Claw
A Rapid Strike From The Air, Like A Stormveil Lion
Skill of the Redmanes, who fought alongside the General Radahn.
Somersault forwards, striking foes.
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Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
Axes, Hammers, & Swords |
Heavy |
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.
Ash of War: 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.
Lion's Claw Location
To get Ash of War: Lion's Claw, Elden Ring players must defeat the Lion Guardian in Fort Gael. This Lion Guardian his right in the middle of the Fort, which itself is located on top of the western cliffs of Caelid.
11 Hoarfrost Stomp
Once Super Overpowered, Now Just Regular Overpowered
Stomp to spread a trail of freezing mist on the ground.
The mist applies the frost status effect.
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Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
All melee weapons |
Cold |
The Hoarfrost Stomp Ash of War is one of the most powerful skills that can be found very early in the game. 
Ash of War: Hoarfrost Stomp can deal some hefty AoE damage and build significant Frostbite at the same time, for just 10 FP.
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.
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Hoarfrost Stomp Location
To get Ash of War: Hoarfrost Stomp, Elden Ring players must look for a Scarab near Caria Manor. After beating Caria Manor, head immediately right from the manor's rear exit towards the Three Sisters, then head south. You should end up on the east side of the Manor, where you should look for a pond that the Scarab sits in.
10 Waves of Darkness
Magic Waves Of Energy Radiate Outward Three Times
Plunge armament into the ground to release three waves of darkness.
Follow up with a strong attack to swing the armament in a sweeping strike.
|
Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
Great Axes, Great Hammers, Great Spears, & Colossal weapons |
Magic |
Ash of War: Waves of Darkness is a situationally useful Ash of War, but in those situations, it's ridiculously good. Just like in the boss fight against the Astel, this Ash of War lets players slam their weapon into the ground and emit three fast waves of damage.
It's all but unavoidable, though it is better against large groups of enemies than in a 1v1 fight. Use this Ash of War for AoE situations, but swap to something faster and less interruptible during a faster-paced boss fight.
Waves of Darkness Location
To get Ash of War: Waves of Darkness, Elden Ring players must defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, and trade its Remembrance with Enia at Roundtable Hold. Astel is found towards the end of the Lake of Rot, as part of Ranni's questline.
9 Bloodhound's Step
Dashing Around At The Speed Of Sound
Skill that allows the user to become temporarily invisible while dodging at high speed.
Moves faster and travels farther than a regular quickstep.
This skill can be used to circle around lock-on targets.
|
Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
All melee weapons |
Keen |
Ash of War: Bloodhound's Step is one of the most useful weapon skills in Elden Ring because it allows even high-weight players to move around the battlefield effortlessly and efficiently. When using Bloodhound Step, the Tarnished will dodge to the side about as far as a Light Roll, and do it with more i-frames than a normal dodge – in all ways it's an improved version of the basic Quickstep Ash of War.
Though less powerful than it once was towards Elden Ring's launch, it's still essentially a better dodge, one that lets players go further, avoid damage easier and be ready to attack sooner.
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Bloodhound's Step Location
To get Ash of War: Bloodhound's Step, Elden Ring players must defeat the Night's Cavalry open-world boss in the Dragonbarrow, just outside of Lenne's Rise on its eastern side. It's also the default Ash of War on the Bloodhound Claws weapon.
8 Carian Greatsword
Enormous Magic Blade That Gets Bigger When Charged
Transform blade into a magical greatsword and swing it down.
Can be charged to increase its power.
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Applicable Weapon Types |
Default Affinity |
|---|---|
|
All swords, except Colossal swords |
Magic |
Ash of War: Carian Greatsword is an exceptional Ash of War for battlemage-type characters. The Carian Greatsword skill transforms the user's sword into a magical blade that deals a ton of damage and can be charged to increase both its damage and size.
Players who don't like the fuss and time consumption of certain Ashes of War will love this one, as it's an endgame-appropriate Ash of War that can be found very early in the game. It can be applied to all swords, excluding Colossal weapons.
Carian Greatsword Location
To get Ash of War: Carian Greatsword, Elden Ring players must find Sorcerer Rogier in Stormveil Castle and purchase it from him for 2,500 Runes. It can also be found in his inventory when he returns to Roundtable Hold after Godrick is defeated.