Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Best Ashes Of War

Elden Ring's latest expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, offers players lots of content to explore, including 24 new powerful Ashes of War. These special skills can be added to your weapons and shields, providing unique combat advantages. But out of these 24 Ashes of War, which ones are the best for your journey in SotE?

In this article, we'll highlight the best early-game Ashes of War in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. We'll explain what makes each of these abilities so valuable, where to find them, and how to unlock their potential.

• Check out the list of all new Ashes of War here

Ghostflame Call

This ash is usable on swords and spears and is dropped by the Death Rite Bird. This special call causes you to thrust out your weapon and summon a ghostflame. You can follow up that move with a normal attack, which will light the ground up with the flames. You might press a strong attack as well, causing a huge AoE explosion.

Savage Lion's Claw

Savage Lion's Claw will cause you to somersault forward, striking your enemies with some awesome flip attacks with swords, axes, and hammers. What's great about it is that this Ash of War is available really early on if you find yourself in the Three-Path Cross site of grace. Just stick to the wall on the left side, and follow the path north. You will eventually come across a small camp where you can find the Savage Lion's Claw Ash of War.

Wing Stance

Wing Stance is a bit limiting, as it can only be applied to swords and spears, but it's a good Ash of War in SotE nevertheless. Your character will calmly assume a right-sided stance. Afterward, you can either use a normal attack for a rapid three-slash combination or a strong attack for a leaping thrust. It's amazing on greatswords such as Milady. To find the Wing Stance ash, jump over the edge just outside Castle Lord's Chamber Site of Grace. Then follow the cliffside down to the tower before climbing up two ladders to reach a chest.

Blinkbolt

Blinkbolt gives you some great mobility by transforming you into a bolt of lightning as you charge straight ahead at full speed. A strong attack performs a lightning-charged leaping slash. What's fun about it is that the animation gives you a brief window of invulnerability.

Shriek of Sorrow

One of the best things about this Elden Ring Ash of War is that it is usable on all melee armaments, giving you an amazing buff. It causes you to scream, making nearby enemies flinch. However, this isn't Shriek of Sorrow's main selling point—it's the boost of attack power based on the amount of HP remaining. The lower the HP, the greater the effect. You can grab this amazing ash in the main plaza where you fought Fire Knight Queelign and obtained the Crusade Insignia Talisman.

Aspects of the Crucible: Wings

Aspects of the Crucible: Wings is probably the coolest looking Ash of War in Shadow of the Erdtree. It grants you stunning golden wings, and it's available for all swords and polearms capable of thrusting. You fly up in the air before diving down at an enemy with your weapon. What's even cooler is that you can get a spinning attack when wielding a twin blade. This ash is a drop from Black Knight Edreed.

Flame Skewer

This Elden Ring Ash of War is available to medium and large armaments capable of thrusting. It coats your weapon in flames, allowing you to hit the enemy. If you follow this up with a strong attack, you'll perform a flame attack. You can get Flame Skewer as a drop when you defeat the NPC Invader Fire Knight Queelign.

Elden Ring SotE might be incredibly hard, but with these powerful Ashes of War, you'll have the tools you need to conquer the challenges ahead. Check out the rest of our Shadow of the Erdtree content!