Top 10 Best Ashes of War in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in Elden Ring is massive. It’s got enough content to rival any big-name game out there, and trust me, it’s all worth exploring. They’ve added 25 new Ashes of War, and we’ve sorted out the top 10 for you that is only found in The Land of Shadow. We’re talking damage, how much fun they are to play with, and, of course, the cool factor – especially for PvE fans.

Overhead Stance for Great Katanas

Now, this skill, if you're looking at it to be like the Unsheathed equivalent, is not going to be that. The stance damage is not that high—the light attack gives you 11 stance damage, and the heavy attack gives you a total of 22, which is still okay but not as good as some skills like Square Off or Unsheathed. However, this skill is not bad at all because the first light attack option gives you a quick downward chop, which doesn't seem like much, but it is a very quick swing, and you're swinging with a great katana, which is a very large weapon, resulting in good damage. The heavy attack is a series of three quick downward chops, which can get you stuck in the animation—you can't cancel or roll out of it—but it deals significant damage. The great katana also has passive bleed, so you'll be proccing status effects nicely.

Spinning Gravity Thrust

 

This skill can be equipped on all larger types of weapons capable of thrusting attacks, including colossal swords. You can put this on a big weapon like Guts' Greatsword and fly through the air, stun-lock enemies, and deal high amounts of damage. This skill can be seen as an alternative to the Dragon King's Cragblade. Although this weapon skill got nerfed, reducing its stance damage from almost 70 to less than 50, it still performs well with multi-hit talismans, stacking damage in the tornado spinning attack. While airborne, you have infinite hyper armor and won't get staggered. The downside is the longer animation and higher FP cost of 38, but the damage and stance damage make it worth it.

Flame Skewer

This fire-based skill can be equipped onto all types of weapons capable of thrusting attacks, including colossal swords. For 18 FP, it performs an animation similar to Giant Hunt but with a fire-based attack and at a faster speed. While Giant Hunt does more stance damage (36 with a colossal sword compared to Flame Skewer's 24), Flame Skewer has a follow-up fire-based AoE attack for an additional 8 FP, totaling 39 stance damage for 26 FP in a quick animation. After the first part of the skill, the weapon gains a fire buff, adding +95 fire damage for 15 seconds. This quick animation can be spammed to maintain the buff.

Swift Slash for Backhanded Blades

 

Initially lower on the list, Swift Slash for 16 FP performs a quick dashing attack with a significant lunge, dealing good damage and followed by an aftershock wave. The invisible dodge forward lacks iframes, and the aftershock wave does not proc with multi-hit talismans. However, the total damage of this uncharged skill matches a charged heavy attack of the weapon. Fully charging the skill increases its range and damage, especially when paired with the Godfrey's Icon, while still consuming only 16 FP. This attack is easy to use with minimal downsides.

Blind Spot for Backhanded Blades

 

This skill offers an instant iframe dodge into a quick poking attack, dealing piercing damage. Many enemies are weak to this damage type, and it also benefits from counter-attack damage when hitting an enemy mid-animation. The quick animation, high damage, and low FP cost of 9 make it spammable, though the stamina cost is less forgiving. This skill is easy to use and offers many advantages.

Shriek of Sorrow

 

This skill can be equipped on various weapons and provides a weapon buff for 19 FP. From testing, it grants a 12% weapon buff for 40 seconds. While Cragblade offers a 15% damage boost and lasts 60 seconds, Shriek of Sorrow increases damage based on lower health, up to 27% more damage when at less than a quarter health. Using this skill at one-shot health and then healing retains the buff. This skill is a solid alternative to Cragblade, especially for non-charged heavy attack builds.

Wing Stance for Light Great Swords

 

For 8 FP, Wing Stance offers a series of flowering attacks with the light attack input, dealing nice damage and staggering enemies quickly. The longer animation of the three-hit combo makes it less effective against larger, more mobile enemies. The heavy attack input, for only 10 FP, involves a quick lunge towards an enemy, dealing high piercing damage and 30 stance damage in a fast poking attack. The jump in the animation helps avoid attacks, making it effective for closing distance.

Palm Blast for Hand-to-Hand Weapons

 

This skill is the best for hand-to-hand weapons for several reasons. The uncharged attack deals nice damage and 10 stance damage, while the fully charged attack deals 36 stance damage, comparable to a great sword with Lion's Claw. The long animation grants infinite hyper armor, preventing stagger. Consuming only 14 FP, this skill is effective against smaller enemies, allowing for easy use and high damage.

Flame Spear

 

Equipped on weapons capable of thrusting attacks, this fire-based poking attack buffs the weapon with +95 fire damage for 40 seconds. For 19 FP, it offers a quick animation for easy buffing. The fully charged state extends the fire-based projectile's range and deals significant damage. At point-blank range, it deals 38 stance damage with larger weapons like colossal swords. The projectile deals less stance damage, but the skill's overall ease of use, high damage, and buffing capability make it deserving of the number two spot.

Carian Sovereignty

 

This skill is the best Ash of War in the game, similar to Carian Grandeur but with significant advantages. It charges up with hyper armor, allowing you to tank attacks. The first slam deals 48 stance damage, and the quick follow-up swipe deals 43 stance damage, totaling 91 stance damage in one combo. For only 26 FP, this skill can stance break bosses like Malekith or Millenia in one combo. It can be equipped on almost any sword, paired with a magic-based infusion, and used to devastating effect. This skill is so powerful that it is likely to be nerfed in the future, so it we recommend abusing the hell out of it while it lasts!

Also, check out our Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree review and other guides below:

- How To Unlock Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC
- Shadow of the Erdtree: Scadutree Fragments & Revered Spirit Ash Locations
- Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree | How to Find All Map Fragments
- Shadow of the Erdtree – Full Story and NPC Quest Guide
- Top 10 Optional Bosses in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- All Remembrance Duplication Coffin Locations in Shadow of the Erdtree
- Top 10 Best Weapons in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC
- Top 10 Best Armors in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Top 10 Talismans in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Top 10 best Incantations in Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Ranking All 14 Sorceries in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- All Helmets, Armor Pieces with Special Effects in Shadow of the Erdtree
- Elden Ring: Top 10 Best Weapons and Where to Find Them
- Elden Ring: Top 10 Best Ashes of War and Where to Find Them
- Elden Ring: Top 10 Armor Sets and Where to Find Them

And I've published my Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Review | PlayStation 5 on GamesCreed. Give it a read.