Elden Ring offers numerous methods to inflict harm, with the most apparent being the diverse array of distinctive weapons. While the collection of axes, swords, and twinblades alone is potent, what if you desire to increase the impact of your weapons? This is where weapon buffs come into play. They are available in various forms, such as consumable items and Ashes of War, and can accomplish more than simply harming your adversaries by frequently providing exceptional effects.
It is important to mention that this article will disregard buffs that are exclusive to a particular weapon, as this would quickly transform into a list of particularly powerful weapons. Therefore, we will focus on the most potent choices that can be applied to a variety of weapons.
1. Ash Of War: Royal Knight’s Resolve
For those who aim to eliminate their targets with a single blow, Royal Knight's Resolve is the preferred Weapon Skill. Although it only enhances the next successful attack, it elevates the damage output by a staggering 80 percent. When utilized with a strong weapon like the Giant-Crusher, Royal Knight's Resolve can instantly slay weaker foes and swiftly damage bosses. The only drawback is that acquiring it can be challenging.
To get this Ash of War, players need to venture into the concealed region of Volcano Manor, go beyond the location where Rya is located, and fight through a group of Man-Serpents.
2. Bloodflame Blade
Bloodflame Blade is possibly the most visually appealing weapon buff in Elden Ring as it imbues your weapon with dark red flames for a duration of 60 seconds. Since it is an Incantation, some stats need to be invested to cast it. However, the prerequisites of only 12 Faith and 10 Arcane are remarkably low, making it compatible with a variety of builds.
Similar to Black Flame Blade, Bloodflame Blade endows your weapon with Fire damage that corresponds to your Faith. Additionally, it provides a comparable but more widely applicable debuff by causing 40 Bleed buildup over two seconds. This effect accumulates, turning even low-Arcane fast-attacking weapons into bleeding machines. What's even better is that you can acquire Bloodflame Blade before facing any boss as it can be obtained from a Teardrop Scarab located to the northwest of the Rose Church in Liurnia of the Lakes.
3. Ash Of War: Cragblade
Cragblade is a very straightforward Weapon Skill that provides a fifteen percent increase in your weapon's attack power and ten percent increase in its poise damage when activated. The buff remains active for a minute, eliminating the need to cast it frequently, except for lengthy battles. It's essentially just a weapon upgrade that enhances your stats, without any flashy effects. Nevertheless, it appears that if a skill can provide enough stats, it can make a significant difference.
The only downside to Cragblade is that the appearance of rocks on your weapon might be unsightly for some, although it depends on personal preferences. You can obtain it from a Teardrop Scarab located west of the Impassable Greatbridge Site of Grace in Caelid.
4. Ash Of War: Flaming Strike
Flaming Strike Weapon Skill is an engaging ability that initiates an arc of fire followed by a fiery, thrusting sweep attack that enhances your weapon with 90 Fire damage for a duration of 40 seconds. Not only is it enjoyable to use, but it also inflicts significant damage.
Moreover, Flaming Strike is particularly effective in Player versus Player combat due to its quickness, high damage output, and the fact that both the initial arc and the sweep cover a broad area. It can be obtained from a Teardrop Scarab found in the graveyard located on the cliffs south of Redmane Castle.
5. Ash Of War: War Cry/Braggart’s Roar/Barbaric Roar
Barbaric Roar, Braggart’s Roar, and War Cry are similar Weapon Skills that have minor variations. Barbaric Roar, which is acquired from a Teardrop Scarab in Ravine-Veiled Village of Liurnia of the Lakes, and War Cry, which can be bought from Knight Bernahl, are almost identical in function. Both increase your damage output and grant a unique move set to your heavy attacks for 40 seconds.
Braggart’s Roar, on the other hand, is the most distinctive. While it shares animation with War Cry, it trades some of the attack boost for 10% damage negation, faster stamina recovery speed, and an additional 20 seconds of duration. You can obtain it by acquiring the Iron Ball weapon dropped by Blackguard Big Boggart. All three Weapon Skills' damage can be amplified by the Roar Talisman and the passive boost provided by the Highland Axe, allowing them to deal exceptional damage. Your choice among the three will mainly depend on personal preference.
6. Drawstring Soporific Grease
The Drawstring Soporific Grease is an item that can cause the Sleep status effect, which is rare in Elden Ring. Although many enemies are immune to it, if it does work, it can be helpful in dealing with challenging bosses like Godskin Duo. While the item can work with many weapons, it has a particular synergy with weapons that have both Arcane scaling and the ability to be buffed, such as the Ripple Blade and Ripple Crescent Halberd. This allows the Sleep effect to scale with your Arcane stat, making it more effective. Crafting the Drawstring Soporific Grease requires Root Resin, String, and a Trina’s Lily, and you can purchase the recipe from the Isolated Merchant near the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
7. Ash Of War: Seppuku
Seppuku used to be a powerful tool in PvP until Bleed builds were toned down. This Weapon Skill involves stabbing yourself in the chest, which enhances your weapon's physical attack power and Bleed buildup. However, Seppuku's effectiveness was reduced due to the Bleed nerf, causing the amount of Bleed buildup to be reduced by over half and the damage to yourself to increase significantly.
Nevertheless, Seppuku still has some use. It is still beneficial to have the Bleed and damage buff on an Arcane weapon. However, its most valuable aspect is not the buff itself, but rather the supposed downside. When you use Seppuku, you trigger Bleed, which activates the damage buff effects of White Mask and Lord of Blood's Exultation before the fight even begins. This is especially helpful when fighting enemies that are highly resistant or immune to Bleed. To acquire Seppuku, you can obtain it from an invisible Teardrop Scarb located east of the Freezing Lake Site of Grace in the Mountaintops of the Giants.
8. Black Flame Blade
Black Flame Blade is an Incantation that requires 17 Faith to use. Upon use, it adds a Fire attack to your weapon that scales with your Faith stat. Additionally, hitting an enemy with a weapon buffed by Black Flame Blade will inflict a debuff that causes the enemy to lose health for two seconds, with the amount based on their maximum health. While the effect doesn't stack, hitting an enemy with another attack will refresh the debuff, allowing you to keep it active if you can attack quickly.
The downside of Black Flame Blade is that it only lasts for seven seconds, but its fast cast time enables you to recast the incantation, provided you have enough FP to use it again. To acquire this Incantation, you must first obtain the Godskin Prayerbook, which is locked behind an Imp Statue in Stormveil Castle. After obtaining it, you can purchase Black Flame Blade from either Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows, by giving them the Prayerbook.
9. Ash Of War: Poisonous Mist
The Weapon Skill called Poisonous Mist starts by applying Poison to your weapon, followed by a strong swing that creates a poison cloud that remains in the area for a short period. If the attack hits, it is likely to poison the enemy immediately. Even if it doesn't, most foes will remain within the poisonous cloud.
Poisonous Mist is one of the only two Ashes of War that are Poison-based and the only viable option for several weapon types. While Poison builds are not as popular as those based on Bleed, they have their own ways to increase their effectiveness, such as the Kindred of Rot’s Exultation Talisman and the Mushroom Crown. If you want to benefit from these enhancements, Poisonous Mist is your best bet. You can find it on an island located at the southwestern corner of Aeonia Swamp in Caelid.
10. Ash Of War: Sacred Blade
Sacred Blade is highly effective against Undead foes due to their vulnerability to Holy attacks. Upon activation, this Weapon Skill adds a flat 90 Holy damage to your weapon and launches a projectile that also deals Holy damage. Additionally, if you hit the target with your weapon while launching the projectile, it will cause significantly more damage.
The projectile damage scales with Faith, while the buff doesn't, which means that it can be used by non-Faith builds to add Holy damage. However, it also provides additional benefits to those who invest heavily in Faith. Sacred Blade has undergone significant improvements in a recent patch, making it more powerful than before. If you previously tried this Weapon Skill in Elden Ring but found it underwhelming, it's worth revisiting. You can obtain it from a Teardrop Scarab located to the north of the Third Church of Marika in Limgrave.
>>> Read more: 10 Tips To Lower The Difficulty And Beat Elden Ring Easily (2023)
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