Elden Ring has many powerful and helpful Ashes of War, but some are more powerful than others. Deciding which Ash of War to use will be dependent on a player’s play style and build. But they all are meant to assist the Tarnished in their quest.
Ashes of Wars are a new addition to Soulsborne games. They not only aid the players but help with diversifying the gameplay and builds. For example, a strength build may use a magic Ash of War, or a magic build may use an armament that heals the player. Despite their power, some Ashes of War are limited to the type of armaments they can be applied to. The armament also needs to have an available skill slot, so some of Elden Ring’s weirdest weapons may not be applicable.
Because of the variety of play styles and the different amounts of Ashes of War, not everyone will agree on which one is the most powerful. And depending on how many times someone has replayed Elden Ring, they may not have been able to try out all of the Ashes of War. Despite the differing views, here are six powerful Ashes of War.
#6 Bloodhound Step Is A Powerful Ash of War In Elden Ring
The Bloodhound Step is a useful Ash of War in Elden Ring that can be found fairly early in the game. It allows characters to become invisible while dodging at high speeds. It moves faster and farther than a normal quickstep or even rolling. Bloodhound Step is useful for players trying to circle their targets or making sure they get out of the way of a large AOE attack.
Maybe not the most annoying Ash of War for PVP, like the Carian Retaliation instakill bug in Elden Ring, it can be annoying for PVP players. However, the best part of Bloodhound Step is it can be applied to any melee armament. And the low FP cost makes it a valuable skill to try out. To get this Ash of War, the Tarnished must defeat the Nights Cavalry located on the bridge near Lenne’s Rise in Dragonbarrow.
#5 Why Black Flame Tornado Is One Of Elden Ring's Best Ashes of War
Black Flame Tornado is dropped by the Godskin Duo boss in the Dragon Temple area of Crumbling Farum Azula. This Ash of War can be applied to twinblades, spears, great spears, halberds, and reapers, as long as they allow skill replacement. A charged attack will have the player character spin their weapon around themselves to create a fire tornado. Each hit deals fire damage and applies the black flame debuff to enemies. Unlike the red square debuff in Elden Ring that players remove themselves, the black flame debuff will only last 2 seconds. When the charge is over, the player will slam their weapon on the ground. For an uncharged attack, the player will do a short windup, then slam their armament to the ground creating a small AOE around the player.
Farum Azula is an end-game area, so if the Black Flame Tornado sounds interesting, it is possible to encounter this skill earlier in the game. It is the default skill for the Godskin Peeler, a dex-based weapon that can be buffed with magic. To retrieve the Godskin Peeler, players must head to the Windmill Village in the Altus Plateau and defeat the optional boss Godskin Apostle.
#4 Elden Ring's Phantom Slash Is A Great Ash of War
Phantom Slash has a simple move-set. The initial attack is a lung forward that closes the distance between the player and the target. The follow-up attack is a strike downwards. But the phantom amplifies this skill. When the player uses this skill, a phantom of the character appears and attacks the player. So, when the initial lunge forward is triggered, the phantom attacks first and the character follows it. The phantom is the best part of this Ash of War in Elden Ring because not only do they use the player character’s weapon, but any buffs the player applies to their weapon are also used by the phantom.
This Ash of War can be tricky to use because sometimes the phantom or player can miss their target. The player can be interrupted during the move set, but the phantom cannot be interrupted. Phantom Slash is dropped by the Night’s Cavalry in Elden Ring. Players can go northeast of the Forbidden Lands site of grace to encounter the boss. This can be applied to twinblades, spears, halberds, and reapers.
#3 Prayerful Strike Can Be Applied To Axes & Hammers In Elden Ring
Prayerful Strike is a great Ash of War for any paladin build. When used, the player raises their armament, then slams it onto the ground. Every successful hit restores HP to the player and nearby allies. While the slam animation can take a long time, the health restoration makes it the perfect Ash of War to help a player get through a difficult area. It can also be useful for players assisting others with the many Elden Ring bosses. Prayerful Strike can only be applied to axes and hammers. It is dropped by an invisible scarab leaving footprints on the lake near the west entrance of Leyndell, Royal Capital.
#2 Prelates Charge Is A Great Charged Attack In Elden Ring
Prelates Charge is a charge attack perfect for mowing down large groups of enemies. The weapon is slammed into the ground, creating a surge of fire, and then the player character charges forward, leaving a trail of flames in their wake. The flames continue to damage any enemies that were not killed in the initial charge.
This Ash of War is found beyond the Grand Lift of Rold in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Players can search the Fire Monk camp that lies outside the Guardian’s Garrison for a scarab hanging in a tree. Prelates Charge can only be used on large and colossal axes and hammers, so this may be better for a strength build character. Prelates Charge is also the default skill for Prelate’s Inferno Cozier. To get the weapon, defeat the Fire Prelate inside Fort Laiedd on the western edge of Mt. Gelmir. Seethewater Terminus is the closest site of grace.
#1 Gravitas Is Elden Ring's Most Powerful Ashes of War
Gravitas is a powerful armament that is found early in the game. It can be looted from a Lesser Alabaster Lord that prowls a small beach on the south edge of Limgrave. The Alabaster Lord is not an optional boss in Limgrave, but he can be challenging to a low-level character. The closest site of grace is the Seaside Ruins.
When used, the player character will thrust their armament into the ground, and an AOE will appear around them. This AOE not only damages enemies but pulls them closer to the player. Gravitas can be applied to all Elden Ring melee armaments except whips and small armaments.