Elden Ring: 10 Criminally Underrated Ashes Of War For PvP (2024)

One major aspect of the Elden Ring experience is PvP combat. Invasions and Colosseum duels are unlocked as the Tarnished explores the Lands Between, and so are the many different Ashes of War. These special moves can be equipped to or with the many armaments available in the game, allowing the player to customize their weapon with a unique attack or buff.

When engaging other players in PvP, it's important to have an effective Ash of War that can take an opponent by surprise, deal heavy damage, or add strong buffs and movesets. This has led to several Ashes becoming popular within the Elden Ring community, but there are plenty of rarely-seen moves with the potential to compete in PvP. These are the most underrated Ashes of War in Elden Ring when it comes to PvP combat.

10 Square Off

Simple And Effective

• Dropped by a Scarab in Siofra River

Some may overlook Square Off, as it can only be applied to straight swords, but this Ash of War is highly effective thanks to its quick execution and impressive stance/guard-breaking abilities. It also features both a light and heavy version of its attack.

The player waits in the Square Off stance before unleashing either a piercing heavy attack or a quick upward slash. The heavy attack has the player rushing forward to deliver the blow, making it perfect for roll-catching fleeing foes, and the upward light slash is quick and can often break the guard of blocking enemies.

9 Kick

Perfect For Guard Breaking

• Sold by Knight Bernahl at the Warmaster's Shack in Limgrave

The Kick isn't going to deal much damage, but it's a swift move that can take an opponent by surprise and open their guard for an easy critical attack or flurry. The Kick is also the default Ash of War when unarmed, so players can quickly swap out right-hand armament and deliver this move.

Invasions near high ledges are excellent opportunities to use gravity without the Intelligence level requirement. When on level ground, the best use of the Kick Ash of War is to create distance when enemies get too close or to guard-break shield users. It's a difficult move to land, but when it does, it can set up a devastating follow-up attack.

8 Stamp (Upward Cut)

Send Them Flying

• Sold by Knight Bernahl at the Warmaster's Shack in Limgrave

Both versions of the Stamp Ash of War are deadly in the right hands, but the Upward Cut may have an advantage. The attack involves a forward step into a lethal arching slash, dealing damage both in front and behind the player. It can be applied to many different weapon types, and it scales with Strength.

The initial forward movement provides a great deal of hyper-armor, meaning it can only be interrupted by death itself, and the slash can be slightly delayed to make it more unpredictable. It's useful for dealing with multiple enemies, as its arc can catch anyone trying to sneak in for a critical backstab.

7 Spinning Weapon

Stun-Locking

• Sold by Rogier in Stormveil Castle or Roundtable Hold

Spinning Weapon makes the area in front of the caster a very dangerous place to be. Usable on most small and medium weapons, including sorcerer's staffs, this Ash of War rapidly spins the equipped armament, dealing a lot of damage quickly.

It activates pretty quickly and can stun-lock Tarnished who aren't careful, being particularly harmful in more confined spaces against single opponents. Spinning Weapon works very well for sorcerer builds, as it provides a powerful melee attack to go alongside their ranged spells, making melee builds think twice about closing the distance.

6 Vacuum Slice

Dangerous Ranged Attack

• Found in the ruins at Deeproot Depths

Vacuum Slice, used by the infamous Valiant Gargoyle bosses, creates a vertical projectile from the player's choice of slashing weapon. It's a great tool for catching enemies off guard if they start a fight believing they'll be safe at a distance.

Attacking with this Ash of War head-on can be dodged relatively easily, but when timed correctly, it's highly effective at roll-catching after a previous attack, or punishing an enemy stuck in a longer animation. It's a solid option for Strength builds in need of a ranged attack to go with their melee setups.

5 Wild Strikes

Versatile Repeated Attack

• Dropped by a Scarab on the path to Stormveil Castle

Wild Strikes is an Ash of War with practical uses in many situations. The initial 'wild strikes' can be used continuously on their own, racking up a solid amount of damage on anyone unfortunate enough to be caught by them. They can also be followed up by unique light and heavy attacks.

It's great for invaders that have been cornered by a host and their summons, as it is activated quickly and has a wide swing, able to hit anyone in a 180-degree radius. The user can then deliver a faster short-ranged slash or a slower sweeping attack. Wild Strikes scales best with Strength, and can be used with any affinity.

4 Spectral Lance

Strike With Precision

• Dropped by a Scarab at Raya Lucaria Academy

Spectral Lance is similar to Vacuum Slice in that it provides a ranged option for melee builds, only this time, it's for users' piercing weapons instead of their slashing weapons. Spears, great spears, and halberds are already long-range melee weapons, but they can reach further when they're thrown.

This Ash of War transforms the user's weapon into a javelin, launching it forward for heavy damage. It's great for punishing opponents who create distance to try and heal with their flask, and since it's quite rare to see, it can take foes by surprise when used at the right moment.

3 Vow Of The Indomitable

Be Completely Unfazed

• Dropped by a Scarab in the poisonous swamp area of Liurnia

This Ash of War completely negates damage for a moment by giving the user 30 i-frames. For comparison, dodging with a medium weight ratio only gives 13 i-frames. In the right hands, Vow of the Indomitable can make an opponent's best attacks completely redundant. This Ash of War can be applied to most shields in the game.

One slight drawback is the demanding cost of 20 FP, so it can't completely replace rolling unless the player dedicates a large amount of skill points to the Mind stat, but it has a lot of potential uses in PvP. Its relative rarity is also an advantage, taking players by surprise when encountering it.

2 Raptor Of The Mists

Perfect Counter Attack

• Given after helping Bloody Finger Hunter Yara at Raya Lucaria Academy

If activated right before an enemy attack lands, this Ash of War makes the player vanish and reappear in the air, allowing for a plunging attack. It quickly places the player above their opponent while they're recovering from their previous attack, making a successful hit very likely.

It works best against heavy-weapon users, and pairs well with equipment that boosts jumping attack damage, such as the Claw Talisman and Raptor's Black Feather's attire. Like the Vow of the Indomitable Ash, Raptor of the Mists offers an alternative to roll-dodging, but this time with a great opportunity to counterattack.

1 Storm Assault

Stun And Destroy

• Dropped by a Scarab in Stormveil Castle

Activating this Ash of War creates a storm on the ground, launching the player into the air and staggering anyone in their vicinity, before plunging back into the ground for devastating damage. Storm Assault's initial attack activates very quickly and lasts for a long time, so it's very good at catching unprepared enemies.

The plunging attack does massive damage, and affects a wide area, too. This attack can be punished if used carelessly, as it has a long recovery animation to make up for its overall power. It can be equipped to polearms, heavy thrusting swords, and twin blades.

Elden Ring

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

From Software

Genre(s)

RPG , Action

See at Bandai Namco Store