Top 10 best Incantations in Elden Ring DLC: Shadow of the Erdtree

The best incantations found in Elden Ring: SotE.

Game Guide by Nine_toes on Jun 30, 2024

With 28 new incantations introduced in this expansion, there's a lot to explore. In this article, we’ve rounded up the 10 best offensive incantations you need to try. While there are some pretty cool support incantations, like a far heal you can chuck at people, we’re focusing on the offensive ones in this list. These incantations pack a punch and are definitely worth trying for mage builds. Here are the top 10 offensive incantations found only in the Land of Shadow.

Multilayered Ring of Light

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, DLC, Top 10, Best, Incantations, Screenshots, Multilayered Ring of Light

First up is the Multilayered Ring of Light, or as I like to call it, the Discus of Death. This incantation is all about area denial. You can toss it out fast or slow, and it just hangs around, dealing damage to any enemies that get too close. The real selling point here is the range. It’s insane! You can hit enemies from so far away, it’s almost unfair. Just watch it fly and nail those baddies. This is one of those spells you want in your arsenal for both range and area control.

Fire Serpent

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, DLC, Top 10, Best, Incantations, Screenshots, Fire Serpent Next, we have Fire Serpent. Now, this spell doesn’t have the best range—it’s actually pretty short. But what it lacks in range, it makes up for with incredible tracking. You can cast it while stutter-stepping, making it great for hitting moving targets. I think this one’s going to be super popular in PvP. It’s also fantastic for mounted combat, as it tracks so well you can snipe enemies while keeping your horse safe. This spell might not reach far, but it’s efficient, quick to cast, and packs a punch.

Golden Arcs

Golden Arcs is like a smaller version of the Giant Golden Arcs. It does a bit less damage per hit but consumes half the amount of FP and has a faster projectile travel speed. While enemies are more likely to dodge this one due to its less horizontal spread, it still deals 15 stance damage, which is more than the Giant Golden Arc's 12.

The ability to spam this fast projectile while dealing 15 stance damage is pretty insane. Holy damage in the DLC is quite good due to various buffs, debuffs, and seals that boost these spells. If you haven’t already, give Golden Arc a try and constantly spam the uncharged attack for great results.

Knight’s Lightning Spear

What’s better than a Lightning Spear? More Lightning Spears! Knight’s Lightning Spear is just that—an upgraded Lightning Spear that lets you charge up to six additional spears. It’s a long-range nuke that deals serious damage. The downside? It’s pretty expensive in terms of FP, so you’ll need good FP restoration to use it frequently. But when you do, it’s devastating. Perfect for sniping enemies or hitting multiple targets in a line.

Bayle's Tyranny

Bayle's Tyranny is a high-damage AoE spell that can be boosted by the Talisman of Dread for amazing damage. However, it doesn't get boosted by the Royal Medallion, which is a downside. The AoE itself is not very large, so you have to be standing right next to an enemy to use it effectively. The long animation time means you're likely to get hit while casting it.

Despite its flaws, it's one of the only Arcane-based AoE spells that affects the entire player area, making it useful in situations with multiple enemies around you. However, the AoE explosion sometimes misses on slight inclines, which is annoying. If you have points spec’d into Faith, you might find better options, but Bayle's Tyranny is unique for arcane builds.

Bayle's Flame Lightning

Bayle's Flame Lightning is more consistent than Bayle's Tyranny. It lunges further, knocks enemies back, and has a quicker recovery animation, so you don't get hit as much. While Bael's Tyranny is unique and works with the Talisman of Dread, Bael's Flame Lightning is directly outclassed by Dragonmaw. Dragonmaw is faster, consumes 10 less FP, and has higher stance damage.

Despite this, Bayle's Flame Lightning is unique because it doesn't require faith, making it a good option for builds without much faith. If you have to choose between Bayle's Flame Lightning and Dragonmaw, Dragonmaw is generally the better option, but Bayle's Flame Lightning is still valuable for certain builds.

Light of Miquella

Moving into boss spell territory with Light of Miquella, this is basically a holy tactical nuke. You cast it, and it creates a light that nukes enemies, followed by additional lights that target other foes. It’s incredibly powerful and fantastic for taking down bosses. The only downside is that it gobbles up FP, so it’s best used as a finishing move or in critical situations. But when you need to deal massive damage, this is the spell to use.

Messmer’s Orb

Now, let’s talk about Messmer’s Orb. This is one of the coolest spells I’ve ever seen in a Souls game. When you cast it, you jump up in the air and summon a massive orb that deals huge damage. You can use the environment to your advantage to avoid getting staggered while casting it. It’s a bit tricky to pull off, but when you do, it’s absolutely devastating. Plus, it just looks awesome.

Pest-Threads Spears

Pest-Threads Spears is like the regular Pest Threads but better in every single way, except for the requirements and FP cost. The regular Pest Threads track aggressively and can hit larger enemies multiple times, which is great for melting those big bosses. However, it doesn't perform well against smaller targets, dealing bad damage and not staggering enemies.

Pest-Threads Spears, on the other hand, has aggressive tracking, deals more damage, and actually staggers enemies. You can fully charge it for even more aggressive tracking, damage, and stagger. It takes everything that was bad about Pest Threads and makes it better. It still has a quick casting animation and goes just as far, but it hits harder and melts large bosses quicker. You can even use it on horseback, making boss fights a complete joke. If you have a bit of faith in your build, Pest-Threads Spears is a must-have.

Roar of Rugalea

Finally, we have Roar of Rugalea. This is a bear-themed incantation that lets you unleash a quick stun AoE or a charged stun AoE. The quick cast is great for knocking enemies on their butts, while the charged version deals respectable damage and has a big roar at the end. It’s perfect for clearing out groups of enemies or dealing with tough foes. Plus, who doesn’t want to unleash their inner bear?