Elden Ring Incantations: A Comprehensive Guide to Faith-Based Magic

Introduction

Elden Ring offers a vast and breathtaking world filled with perilous dungeons, formidable bosses, and an abundance of weapons and spells to discover. Among these magical options, few are as versatile, visually captivating, and deeply tied to the lore as Incantations. These powerful spells, fueled by unwavering faith, provide the Tarnished with a diverse toolkit for both offense and defense. Whether you envision yourself as a holy knight smiting the undead, a pyromancer engulfing your foes in flames, or a dragon communion adept wielding the raw power of dragons, Incantations offer a path to realize your character fantasy.

Incantations, in essence, are the faith-based magic system within Elden Ring. They require a Sacred Seal, a specialized catalyst imbued with divine power, to channel and cast. This differs significantly from Sorceries, which are intelligence-based spells that require staves. Mastering Incantations involves understanding the various types available, investing in the correct attributes, and choosing the Sacred Seal that best complements your build.

This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of Elden Ring Incantations, exploring the different schools of magic they encompass, the key statistics that govern their effectiveness, highlighting some of the best Incantations for various scenarios, and providing build ideas to inspire your faith-based adventures across the Lands Between. Consider this your one-stop resource for unlocking the divine power within Elden Ring.

Understanding Incantations

The foundation of any successful Incantation build lies in understanding its fundamental mechanics. As previously mentioned, Incantations are spells fueled by faith, cast through the medium of a Sacred Seal. Unlike weapons that scale with strength and dexterity, Incantations gain their power from your faith attribute. The higher your faith, the more potent your spells become, both in terms of damage output and healing efficacy. Remember that as you increase your Faith attribute, Incantations will require an increasing amount of faith, leading to diminished returns for the attribute investment.

Sacred Seals are crucial components of Incantation casting. They are the conduits through which your faith is channeled into powerful spells. Each Sacred Seal possesses unique scaling properties, indicated by letter grades (such as S, A, B, C, D, E) that determine how effectively they translate your faith stat into spell power. A Sacred Seal with “S” scaling will grant the most significant bonus to your Incantation damage, while an “E” scaling seal will provide a minimal benefit.

In addition to scaling, Sacred Seals can also possess passive effects that enhance specific types of Incantations. For example, some seals might boost the damage of fire-based spells, while others might increase the potency of healing Incantations. Careful selection of your Sacred Seal is paramount to optimizing your build for maximum effectiveness.

Finally, Incantations require memory slots, which are unlocked by increasing the Memory attribute. Each Incantation occupies a certain number of memory slots, so you’ll need to carefully manage your available slots to equip the spells that best suit your playstyle and combat needs.

Stats and Requirements

To effectively wield Incantations, you must invest in specific character attributes. Faith is the primary attribute, directly impacting the damage, healing, and duration of your spells. It determines the potency of your Sacred Seal’s scaling bonus and unlocks the ability to cast more powerful Incantations.

Mind governs your FP pool, the resource consumed when casting spells. A larger FP pool allows you to cast more Incantations before needing to replenish. It’s crucial to strike a balance between faith and mind to ensure you have both the power and the capacity to cast your spells effectively.

Arcane is another important stat. Many dragon communion incantations require a minimum arcane level to use, and arcane affects the potency of bleed and madness buildup.

Other attributes, such as Vigor and Endurance, are equally important for survivability. Vigor increases your health pool, allowing you to withstand more damage, while Endurance improves your stamina and equip load, enabling you to wear heavier armor without sacrificing mobility. Finding the right balance between these attributes will ensure you’re a well-rounded and resilient spellcaster.

Where to Learn Incantations

The Lands Between is teeming with magical knowledge, waiting to be uncovered. Incantations can be learned from various sources throughout the game.

Non-player character merchants are among the most reliable sources of Incantations. Brother Corhyn, Miriel, Pastor of Vows at the Church of Vows, and Gurranq, Beast Clergyman are key vendors who sell a wide variety of spells.

Scrolls and Prayerbooks, hidden throughout the world, contain ancient knowledge of Incantations. By giving these scrolls and prayerbooks to relevant merchants, you can expand their inventories and unlock new spells for purchase.

Defeating certain bosses and trading their Remembrance also allows you to unlock unique Incantations. These spells are often among the most powerful and visually spectacular in the game.

Finally, many Incantations are simply discovered through exploration. They may be found in chests, dropped by enemies, or hidden within secret locations throughout the Lands Between. Thorough exploration is key to discovering the full range of Incantations available.

Sacred Seals: Choosing the Right One

Selecting the right Sacred Seal is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of your Incantation build. Each Seal possesses unique scaling properties and passive effects that can significantly impact your spellcasting abilities.

Consider a Seal’s scaling grade when choosing. A Seal with “S” scaling in faith will provide the greatest damage boost to your spells.

Some Seals offer passive effects that enhance specific types of Incantations. If you’re specializing in fire-based magic, a Seal that boosts fire damage would be an ideal choice.

Early in the game, the Finger Seal provides a solid starting point for faith-based characters. The Clawmark Seal is a good option for faith/strength builds.

Later in the game, the Erdtree Seal and Golden Order Seal offer high faith scaling, making them excellent choices for pure faith casters. The Dragon Communion Seal is ideal for builds that focus on dragon communion Incantations, as it scales with arcane.

Types of Incantations

Elden Ring’s Incantations are divided into various categories, each specializing in different forms of magical expression.

Offensive Incantations deal direct damage to enemies. Fire Incantations, such as Catch Flame and Black Flame, are excellent for inflicting burn damage. Lightning Incantations, such as Lightning Spear and Honed Bolt, provide ranged burst damage. Holy Incantations, such as Discus of Light and Triple Rings of Light, are particularly effective against undead foes. Dragon Communion Incantations, such as Dragonfire and Rotten Breath, inflict status effects like Scarlet Rot and Madness.

Healing and Buffing Incantations enhance your survivability and combat prowess. Healing Incantations, such as Heal and Great Heal, restore health. Buffing Incantations, such as Golden Vow and Flame Grant Me Strength, increase damage output and defense. Status Removal Incantations, such as Cure Poison, eliminate negative status effects.

Utility Incantations provide diverse support and tactical options. Stealth Incantations, such as Assassin’s Approach, improve your stealth abilities. Weapon Buffs, such as Bloodflame Blade and Electrify Armament, imbue your weapons with elemental damage. Miscellaneous Incantations, such as Bestial Sling and Stone of Gurranq, offer ranged attacks and crowd control.

There are many unique and powerful Incantations that don’t fall into a specific category. Erdtree Heal fully restores your health and the health of nearby allies. Black Blade deals significant damage and heals you. Placidusax’s Ruin unleashes a devastating lightning storm.

Top Incantations

During the early game, Catch Flame, Heal, and Lightning Spear provide a solid foundation for any faith-based character. Flame Grant Me Strength is a powerful damage buff that greatly enhances your offensive capabilities.

As you progress into the mid-game, Black Flame, Golden Vow, and Rotten Breath become invaluable assets. Honed Bolt provides a faster and more powerful lightning option.

During the late game, Giantsflame Take Thee, Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike, Erdtree Heal, Black Blade, and Placidusax’s Ruin unleash devastating power.

Incantation Build Ideas

A pure faith caster maximizes faith, mind, and vigor. The Erdtree Seal is the ideal sacred seal for this build. Black Flame, Lightning Spear, Golden Vow, and Erdtree Heal are key Incantations. Radagon Icon, Marika’s Soreseal, Godfrey Icon, and Ritual Sword Talisman are useful talismans.

A faith/strength hybrid balances faith and strength. The Clawmark Seal is the ideal sacred seal for this build. Key Incantations include Bestial Sling, Stone of Gurranq, Golden Vow, and Lightning Spear. Green Turtle Talisman, Erdtree’s Favor, Ritual Sword Talisman, and Claw Talisman are useful talismans.

A dragon communion build relies on high arcane and faith. The Dragon Communion Seal is the ideal sacred seal for this build. Key Incantations include Dragonfire, Rotten Breath, Agheel’s Flame, and Bloodboon Ritual. Marika’s Soreseal, Godfrey Icon, Ritual Sword Talisman, and Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman are useful talismans.

A frenzied flame build requires high faith and dex. The Frenzied Flame Seal is the ideal sacred seal for this build. Key Incantations include Frenzied Burst, and Unendurable Frenzy. Radagon’s Soreseal, Marika’s Soreseal, Godfrey Icon, and Ritual Sword Talisman are useful talismans.

Tips and Tricks for Incantation Users

To optimize your Incantation usage, manage your FP wisely. Use Cerulean Tears, talismans, and invest in the Mind stat. Improve your poise and casting speed with talismans and armor. Understand when to cast, and predict enemy movements. Combine weapon skills with Incantations for diverse attacks. Know which enemies are strong or weak against certain types of Incantations.

Conclusion

Incantations offer a powerful and versatile path for players who embrace the power of faith in Elden Ring. Experiment with different Incantations and builds to find what suits your playstyle, and prepare to unleash the divine power within. The Lands Between offer endless possibilities for those who seek to master the art of Incantations. Embrace the challenge, and become a true champion of faith.