Okay, so I’ve been messing around with incantations in Elden Ring again, trying to figure out what’s actually good in 2024. You know, after all the patches and stuff. It’s a jungle out there, and my initial tier list was, uh, slightly off. So, I scrapped the whole thing and started fresh. Here’s how it went down:
First, I gathered all my characters. I’ve got one of pretty much every build, because, well, I have a problem. The important ones for this were my pure Faith build, my Faith/Strength hybrid, and my Faith/Arcane dragon-breath-loving maniac.
The Testing Grounds
I picked a few key areas to test the incantations:
- Gatefront Ruins: Good for testing early-game viability and how well spells handle groups of weaker enemies.
- Limgrave Tunnels(troll): Because, well, if it can’t kill a troll at level 50, it’s probably not making the cut.
- Raya Lucaria Academy: Lots of magic-resistant enemies, a good way to see how incantations perform against something they shouldn’t be good against.
- Various Bosses:I used Margit, Godrick, and the Red Wolf of Radagon.
Round One: The Obvious Stuff
I started with the basics. Catch Flame, Lightning Spear, Black Flame, all the usual suspects. I was mainly looking at damage output, FP cost, casting speed, and how easy they were to land. Some spells I thought were good before, like Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Spear, just felt clunky now. Others, like Gurranq’s Stone, surprised me with how much stagger they did.
Round Two: The Niche Stuff
Next, I dove into the less popular incantations. Things like the crucible spells, the bloodflame stuff, and the, uh, interesting Golden Order incantations. This is where things got weird. Some of these spells are amazing in very specific situations, but completely useless otherwise. Like, Discus of Light is fantastic for annoying those pesky imps in catacombs, but try using it on a boss and you’ll get squashed.
Round Three: Dragon Communion Mayhem
Finally, I unleashed my dragon character. This was all about testing the various breath attacks, Placidusax’s Ruin, and the other dragon communion spells. Honestly, these are some of the most fun spells in the game, but they also have some of the biggest drawbacks (huge FP costs, long casting times, etc.). The sheer spectacle is worth it, though. Melt the world, burn it all.
The Results (So Far)
I compiled all my notes, spreadsheets (yes, I use spreadsheets, don’t judge), and rage-filled recordings of me getting stomped by bosses. And I do a simple rank:
S:Catch Flame, Honed Bolt, Black Flame, Bestial Sling, Stone of Gurranq, Frenzied Burst, The Flame of Frenzy, Unendurable Frenzy, Agheel’s Flame, Smarag’s Glintstone Breath, Rotten Breath, Ekzykes’s Decay.
A:Lightning Spear, Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Spear, Fortissax’s Lightning Spear, Lansseax’s Glaive, Black Blade, Golden Vow, Blessing of the Erdtree, Aspects of the Crucible: Tail, Aspects of the Crucible: Breath, Dragonclaw, Dragonmaw, Greyoll’s Roar, Glintstone Breath, Borealis’s Mist, Placidusax’s Ruin.
B:Aspects of the Crucible: Horns, Pest Threads, Bloodflame Talons, Swarm of Flies, Golden Lightning Fortification, Protection of the Erdtree, Black Flame Ritual, Scouring Black Flame, Noble Presence, Wrath of Gold, Burn O Flame!, Giantsflame Take Thee, Flame Sling, O, Flame!, Surge, O Flame!, Theodorix’s Magma, Dragonice.
It’s still a work in progress, mind you. I’m planning on doing more testing with different enemy types and maybe even some PvP (shudders). But this is a solid starting point for anyone looking to build a Faith-based character in 2024. Good luck out there, fellow Tarnished. You’ll need it.
