Magic has always been an element of FromSoftware’s fantasy worlds, but in Elden Ring it truly feels like a cornerstone of gameplay rather than a niche option. The sheer amount and variety of magic in the world is astounding compared to past Soulsborne titles.
Enchantments can make the game intimidating at first as you decide which one to grind to be best equipped for the punishing fights ahead. These enchantments are some of the most useful spells in Elden Ring, including a diverse array of utility options to suit any playstyle.
Updated on July 6, 2023 by Andrew Scariati: Elden Ring continues to receive support through balance fixes that have shaken up the best spells Elden Ring has to offer. With so many changes after The Colosseum PvP update, it’s time to memorize some new spells that will improve your already strong arsenal.
With Shadow of the Erdtree fast approaching, now is the best time to familiarize yourself with this new set of Elden Ring’s best spells.
13 Crystal torrent
If you like Comet Azur, then you might want Crystal Torrent in your back pocket as a fun alternative. It’s very similar in functionality to Comet Azur, firing a straight beam of energy forward that prohibits other movements until you’re done casting.
Fortunately, Crystal Torrent costs much less FP and only takes up one memory slot. The downside is that it does less damage, but only slightly. Despite the reduced damage, Crystal Torrent is worth the extra flexibility if you have trouble with timing or learning how to aim it properly.
12 Glintstone Icecrag
Take advantage of any advantage you can get against a boss with a terrifying health bar, and Glintstone Icecrag is an advantage that’s hard to turn down. This spell causes Frostbite, a status condition that causes the affected to take increased damage from all sources. The amount dealt has been increased from 80 to 100, making this spell even more dangerous than it used to be.
If you can hit an enemy with Frostbite and then get in a few hits before it wears off, that extra damage can save you a lot of time and stress. Without a doubt, this is extremely useful and versatile, as it can help you with almost any type of enemy.
11 Loretta’s Big Bow
If you like being an archer in Elden Ring, adding a magic bow to your arsenal isn’t such a bad idea. Loretta’s Great Bow is one of the simplest and best spells the Elden Ring has to offer. Creates a magical bow and arrow and fires as normal. This arrow alone deals great damage and shoots incredibly far with great accuracy.
The patch also reduced the FP cost of this spell from 28 to 24, making it even more viable as a reusable spell in longer battles where you want to keep your distance.
10 Stars Of Ruin
If you’re having trouble with a boss that’s hard to hit due to high movement speed or confusing patterns, then you need Stars of Ruin. It’s a homing spell that’s the perfect trick for any enemy you’re having trouble targeting; all you have to do is play and dodge and let the stars do the rest.
The FP cost of Stars of Ruin has been reduced from 38 to 32, and this has also been followed by the stamina consumption, which has dropped to 29 from the previous 33 cost. It is one of the most broken Elden Ring spells available due to its quick recovery and lower cost, making it easy to spam.
9 Search Slicer
If you’re craving a bit of close range action in your mage life, then look no further than the Carian Slicer. Elden Ring spells are capable of more than just throwing strange bubbles of energy at your enemies, as you’ll discover when you receive this spell from Miriel, aka the Turtle Pope.
Before you start slicing, make sure you get the Carian Glintstone Staff from the Carian Study Hall – it’s easily one of the best staffs in the Elden Ring. Once your build is set, enjoy powerful slashes that will chop down HP bars with every swing. This spell is great in PVE, but be aware that its effectiveness in PVP has been reduced to prevent overuse.
8 Magic Glintblade
Magic Glintblade has had a long journey to this point as it used to be too weak to really warrant use in the second half of the game. however patch 1.07 improved the damage, attack power and endurance attack power of this enchantment against warded enemies when charged.
With its newfound powers, Magic Glintblade can act as a main sorcery against most enemies, especially with its effective cost of 14 FP. The 27 Intelligence prerequisite does require some investment, but it won’t be a huge barrier. The best way to use this spell is to approach the target slowly and cast as many times as possible when entering the spell’s range.
7 Night comet
This spell is perfect for high intelligence, as the 38 Int requirement only allows those brave enough to fully invest their higher levels into the attribute. Combined with Staff of Loss, this easily becomes one of Elden Ring’s best spells, and may be the best of the Comet spells (barring a certain unique variant).
It’s easier to use than it used to be, with FP consumption reduced from 24 to 21 points per cast. In addition, the semi-invisible status of sorcery makes it impossible for NPCs to anticipate and dodge – yes, including mobile bosses like Malenia. This spell will replace the Crystal Torrent niche and serve as a bridge between this sorcery and the Azure Comet.
6 Magma Shot
Magma Shot is a basic spell to ignite fire and ignite enemies with molten hot liquid magma. Like the Carian Glintblade, the Magma Shot has also been improved through patch 1.07 which reduced his FP cost from 18 to 16 and also increased his attack power. The entry level is fairly low, requiring only 19 intelligence in addition to ten faith.
This explosive magma can burn enemies, deal fire damage, and even allow you to reset the frost build-up on any enemy hit by it. You might be wondering, “Why would you want to reset an enemy’s frost gauge?” Well, the stack reset will allow you to inflict the Frostbite effect multiple times in a row and deal massive damage. Unfortunately, repeated Frostbites will not stack their damage negation effect.
5 Rock Sling
Rock Sling easily ranks as one of the most powerful enchantments the Elden Ring has ever had, for a number of reasons. It’s simple, effective, and ready to spam you over and over again, summoning three stones and launching them at your enemies. Repeated hits will deal significant damage to most enemies.
Not only does it deal decent damage to enemies, but it can also stagger them, making this a very useful crowd control spell. Combine that with a low intelligence requirement and FP cost, and it’s something even non-mage builders will want to have up their sleeve.
4 A magical land
Terra Magica makes the most sense for anyone who wants to have fun with a magic-focused build. If you want to go on a path of blasting every enemy in the Elden Ring with spells galore, there’s no reason to miss out on Terra Magica. This spell places a sigil on the caster’s feet, greatly amplifying all magical damage.
The main downside is that the buff no longer applies when you are outside of the sigil. Being a game where you’ll be dodging a lot, it can be difficult to stay in sigil, but if you can avoid the restriction, you’ll find yourself dancing around enemies with ease.
3 Ranni’s Dark Moon
Bonus points for this sorcery for possibly being the flashiest in all of Elden Ring. Nothing beats shooting the moon at your enemies. Ranni’s Dark Moon (named after the Snow Witch from one of the game’s best endings) does a lot of damage and is even more effective after its FP cost per cast was reduced from 62 to 57.
The magical moon that this spell triggers moves a bit slowly, but if you time it right, the results speak for themselves. It deals less damage than Rennal’s Full Moon, a similar spell, but Ranni’s Dark Moon can cause Frostbite – a very powerful status effect.
2 Shard Spiral
Shard Spiral has made a name for itself as one of the most unexpected HP destroyers in the game. It could be argued that this is the best magic for bosses in Elden Ring, especially for the likes of Radahn or any of the many dragon bosses, as the spiral deals massive amounts of damage, has a higher chance of going through their physical forms and thus their hitboxes.
Shard Spiral was another beneficiary of Patch 1.07, receiving a much-needed increase in attack power, making it one of the best spells in Elden Ring. The 27 intelligence requirement is a bargain given the amount of help this sorcery provides against difficult bosses. The only downside is that enemies with smaller bodies won’t take much damage, so stick to large targets to maximize the damage of this spell.
1 Azure Comet
If you like to play Elden Ring with others, the Comet Azur strategy is one of the most popular to play with friends. This spell deals massive damage in a continuous, long-lasting beam – provided you have the time and space to cast it. To obtain it, you will need to go to the hermit village on Mount Gelmir. Furthermore, obtaining this sorcery is also part of one of the most missed quests in Elden Ring.
One downside to Azure Comet is that you are vulnerable to attacks from multiple sides during your throw, and if the enemy you’re targeting moves too far to one side, you’ve wasted a shot. However, if you can team up with one or two other Tarneds to distract the enemy while you play, you can whittle your health bar down to zero in no time. No matter who you ask, Comet Azur remains near the top of Elden Ring’s best spells everywhere.