Choosing the right sacred chime for your cleric build is an art beyond simple stats. Their unique properties and crafted histories color these relics with mystery and power. As an avid miracle wielder across countless playthroughs, I‘ve developed particular favoritism towards chimes that match my righteous combat style.
In this guide, we‘ll be exploring the incredible nuances that separate Dark Souls 3‘s choir of elite chimes. Much lies beneath the surface when appraising these divine instruments.
What Makes a Chime Special?
Chimes stand sacred as specialized catalysts for casting potent miracles. Through resonance with the gods themselves, chimes amplify miracles beyond human limits. But don‘t be fooled that one chime rivals another automatically.
Spell Buff Defines Raw Power
A chime‘s "spell buff" directly increases offensive miracle potency. For example, take the Lightning Spear miracle. With Yorshka‘s Chime and 60 Faith, it may deal 800 damage. But when cast with a weaker chime at just 500 spell buff, that Lightning Spear drops to 650 damage.
As such, your chime‘s spell buff is crucial for dishing out big miracle numbers. And this buff scales up based on the chime‘s reinforcement level and your character‘s Faith stat. An investment every cleric must consider carefully.
Unique Skills Change How You Play
Beyond spell buff, most chimes in Dark Souls 3 come with special skills called Weapon Arts. These powerful combat abilities activate with the weapon skill button, consuming FP in exchange for immense utility.
A few examples include:
- Regenerating health over time
- Casting sorceries from a faith catalyst
- Boosting ally defenses
Choosing a chime based on the weight of its unique skill will greatly impact your playstyle and build possibilities. Their advantages can match or even outweigh raw spell buff considerations alone.
Now that we understand what separates an exalted chime from the masses of mediocrity, let‘s shine the spotlight on each elite chime that stands tall above the rest!
#1 Best Chime – Yorshka‘s Chime
My top miracle experience was buffing the Lothric Knight Greatsword to terrifying damage heights with Yorshka‘s Chime and 60 Faith. Seeing health bars disintegrate with each swing brings a tear of joy.
Without question, Yorshka‘s Chime reigns supreme as the undisputed best chime once your Faith eclipses 50. At that point, not even the legendary shield of Lothric‘s dragons could defend against the storm of lightning spears hurled by this godly chime.
But what exactly makes Yorshka‘s objectively better than the competition at high levels? Let‘s analyze the astonishing capabilities of this elite miracle enhancer.
Supreme Spell Buff Scales with Mastery
While moderate at low Faith, Yorshka‘s accelerates in potency the higher your Faith rises, achieving mythical heights at the skill cap.
| Faith Level | Spell Buff |
|---|---|
| 30 | 186 |
| 40 | 217 |
| 50 | 231 |
| 60 | 247 |
In fact, Yorshka‘s mythical 247 spell buff at 60 Faith stands tall as the single strongest miracle boosting power in the entire Dark Souls trilogy!
This means max level clerics literally wield the might of gods with Yorshka‘s Chime in hand. You can decimate even end game bosses with enough Lightning Spears.
Fantastical Scaling Beyond Mortal Limits
Further empowering its incredible spell buff potential, Yorshka‘s Chime scales amazingly all the way to the Faith cap at 60.
At base, it already sports "A" tier faith scaling. But when fully reinforced to +5 with precious Twinkling Titanite, that scaling reaches the coveted "S" rank – a feat matched by no other catalyst in Dark Souls 3!
This means Yorshka‘s Chime couples outstanding scaling WITH best-in-class spell buff, making it numerically superior for high level clerics. Simply put, no other chime compares mathematically once your faith transcends mortal limits.
Vast Utility Through Gentle Prayer
Lastly, the Gentle Prayer weapon skill nets healing and regen advantages with Yorshka‘s already awesome firepower:
- Gradually restores 360 HP over 60 seconds
- Only consumes 13 FP, for excellent efficiency
- Allows safer exploration without sacrificing HP uptime
Gentle Prayer won‘t outpace direct miracle healing on its own. But free gradual regeneration empowers more aggressive cleric playstyles beautifully.
How to Obtain this Elite Chime
Unfortunately, Yorshka‘s Chime is exceptionally rare, guarded by its namesake herself. You must defeat Company Captain Yorshka at the top of the Darkmoon Tomb in Anor Londo. She guards the ranks of Blades of the Darkmoon religiously, so come prepared for a challenging confrontation.
Triumph however, and you will craft miracles beyond comprehesion with Yorshka‘s Chime in hand.
#2 Best Chime – Cleric‘s Sacred Chime
When I first discovered Dark Souls 3, I joined as a cleric and was gifted Cleric‘s Sacred Chime to start my journey. It felt poetic to purge the cathedral‘s dangers with the shining sacred chime by my side.
The Cleric‘s Sacred Chime stands immortalized as the signature catalyst for devout clerics. Before breaching the 50 Faith tier for Yorshka‘s Chime, no catalyst exceeds the Cleric‘s outstanding spell buff through the mid levels of Faith.
It may appear outwardly humble, but tremendous miracle energies pulse within the Cleric‘s Chime. Let‘s illuminate why this dependable font of holy power towers as the second best chime in Dark Souls 3.
Blessed Spell Buff from Early to Mid Game
While starting moderately, the Cleric‘s Sacred Chime enjoys outstanding spell buff growth throughout the early to mid stages of leveling Faith:
| Faith Level | Spell Buff |
|---|---|
| 14 | 108 |
| 30 | 149 |
| 40 | 188 |
| 45 | 205 |
| 50 | 218 |
As demonstrated in the above table, the Cleric‘s Chime handily outpaces all other chimes until ~50 Faith. Only at that late stage does the awesome scaling of elite chimes surpass it.
Hence why the Cleric‘s Sacred Chime is ideal for catalyst needs up through the mid game. Notably, its 205 spell buff at 45 faith tops even legendary catalysts like the CANVAS Talisman. Now THAT demonstrates immense early-mid power!
Fantastic Scaling Further Amplifying Spell Buff
High base spell buff already separates the Cleric‘s Chime. But racial "S" tier scaling at max reinforcement cements its mid-game supremacy:
| Reinforcement | Strength | Faith |
|---|---|---|
| +0 | D | A |
| +10 | D | S |
Not only does the scaling improve, but that coveted "S" grade in Faith is rarer than any elite sorcery catalyst. Coupled with excellent base stats, that phenomenal scaling crystallizes the Cleric Chime‘s strength through middle levels.
Gentle Prayer for Gradual Healing
Lastly, the Cleric‘s Sacred Chime retains the handy Gentle Prayer weapon skill we covered with Yorshka‘s Chime. At the cost of minimal FP, gain near endless health regeneration:
- Heal 360 HP gradually over 60 seconds
- Costs 13 FP for exquisite efficiency
- Frees up Estus Flasks for emergencies
With raw power AND sustain through its weapon skill, the Cleric‘s Sacred Chime makes a strong case as the ultimate mid-game chime before Yorshka‘s Chime steals the show late.
Unlock Your Starter Gear Potential
Interestingly, the Cleric‘s Sacred Chime manifests automatically in your inventory by choosing the Cleric class during character creation!
If you selected Cleric or desire stronger Lightning Spears through the middle stages of Dark Souls 3, unlock your destiny with the Cleric‘s Sacred Chime equipped.
#3 Best Chime – Caitha‘s Chime
When I discovered Dark spells in my adventures, I stumbled upon Caitha‘s Chime by chance. Finding synergy wielding forbidden arts AND poweful miracles with a single catalyst awakened new dimension‘s to my character‘s identity.
Among the mysterious "forgotten chimes" whispered secretly between clerics lies the enigmatic Caitha‘s Chime. Attuned to the goddess Caitha herself, this catalyst empowers any Dark-aligned miracles with exceptional potency.
But make no mistake – while exuding a darker aura, Caitha‘s Chime retains incredible versatility in traditional cleric arts as well. Let‘s examine why Caitha‘s Chime deserves its elite status.
Tremendous Power Amplifying Dark Miracles
The unique distinction Caitha‘s Chime enjoys over all other catalysts is its affinity with Dark miracles. Thanks to rare Intelligence AND Faith scaling, the goddess Caitha herself anoints your forbidden arts with tremendous spell buff potential.
In particular, Dark sorcery-miracles like Lifehunt Scythe gain immense power through Caitha‘s Chime. I could chunk even mighty dragons using Lifehunt amplified by this catalyst‘s 312 spell buff at high Intelligence AND Faith.
Casting traditional Lightning or Physical miracles suffers slightly from the darker orientation. But buffing and utility miracles still thrive on Caitha‘s solid Faith scaling alone if you desire to walk a righteous path. It empowers BOTH sides of the coin.
Hybrid Intelligence & Faith Scaling
Aside from unique Dark boosting, Caitha‘s Chime retains excellent flexibility through scaling BOTH powerful mental stats:
| Stat | Scaling |
|---|---|
| Strength | D |
| Intelligence | A |
| Faith | A |
As a cleric who invested equally in Intelligence and Faith for maximum damage, I adored the duality Caitha‘s Chime provided to my build. Allowing one catalyst to harness both mental faculties felt empowering.
The result? A phenomenal 312 spell buff when reaching equally staggering 60 Intelligence AND 60 Faith thresholds! Such is the miracle power only Caitha‘s Chime can unlock between sorcery and miracles.
Gentle Prayer for Gradual Recovery
Lastly, the common Gentle Prayer weapon skill bolsters Caitha‘s strengths:
- Gradually heal 360 HP over 60 seconds
- Mere 13 FP cost for high efficiency
- Sustain while exploring without sacrificing uptime
While only slightly outperformed damage-wise by extreme specialists, Caitha‘s Chime couples tremendous flexibility and sustain. Whether walking a dark path or embracing the light, Caitha‘s Chime empowers both miracles and sorceries tremendously.
Found By Braving Lothric Castle
Uncovering Caitha‘s Chime requires a detour while tackling the Castle of Lothric area. In the small chapel before Dragonslayer Armour, drop outside past the railing down to where two wyverns guard the way.
Navigate this area up to the rooftop to discover Caitha‘s Chime waiting on a body! Add the forgotten goddess‘s power to your own by retrieving this elite Dark catalyst.
Top Chimes 4-7 Breakdown
While Yorshka‘s, Cleric‘s and Caitha‘s Chimes dominate the top 3 for sheer power and scaling, the remaining chimes in Dark Souls 3 fill unique supportive roles:
#4 – Sacred Chime of Fillianore: Excellent area healing to revive groups, but weaker individually. Obtained through obscure questline in Ringed City DLC.
#5 – Priest‘s Chime: Lowest faith requirement at 10, best very early game. Trades late game potential for accessibility. Sold by Greirat.
#6 – Crystal Chime: Only catalyst capable of sorceries AND miracles. But scales poorly at very high levels. Found in Grand Archives.
#7 – Saint-Tree Bellvine: Boosts casting speed to max when held. Lets you equip stronger chime/talisman in offhand. Looted after Deacons boss.
Their specialized capabilities alongside big 3 finish out the elite chimes worth crafting miracles from. Let‘s cover some common questions on picking between them!
Frequently Asked Chime Questions
Which chime is best for Strength/Faith hybrid builds?
If building a battle cleric that wields heavy Strength weapons alongside offensive Lightning Spears, Cleric‘s Sacred Chime and Yorshka‘s Chime make fine choices. Both achieve "D" ranking Strength scaling when fully reinforced, which is impressive among pure caster tools.
For early and mid levels, definitely grab the Cleric‘s Sacred Chime. When eclipsing 50 Strength AND 50 Faith, swap to Yorshka‘s to empower the most devastating weapon combos imaginable!
And if investing just enough Intelligence alongside Strength/Faith, consider Caitha‘s Chime as well. Its Dark boosting and awesome Strength/Int/Faith scaling hybridizes nicely. Admittedly, Dark affinity hurts pure Lightning/Physical weapons – but the flexibility warrants thought for creative builds.
Does spell buff boost weapon buff miracles?
No, the answer surprises many! Your chime‘s Spell Buff solely affects offensive projectile miracles that scale spell damage off catalyst power:
- Lightning Spear
- Lightning Storm
- Lifehunt Scythe
- Emit Force
For weapon buffing miracles like Lightning Blade, your chime‘s Spell Buff has zero impact on the weapon damage bonus applied!
So when choosing a chime for pure melee buffing, focus solely on meeting minimum requirements and attunement FP costs rather than Spell Buff scaling. The Saint-Tree Bellvine works amazingly to max cast speed for frequent melee spell rebuffs.
Should I upgrade with titanite or twinkling titanite?
The upgrade material depends on the chime. Specialty chimes like Yorshka‘s require rare Twinkling Titanite to reinforce, maxing out at +5 (not the usual +10). Their unique nature comes at an upgrade material cost.
Basic chimes like the Priest‘s Chime use common Titanite for upgrades. I highly recommend blessing common Titanite chimes with full +10 reinforcement before spending precious Twinkling Titanite on exotic chimes. That huge spell buff jump benefits your early-mid game most.
And remember element infusions do NOT work on chimes! So spend leftover upgrade materials on strength/dex/int/faith weaponry to create the ultimate hybrid caster instead.
Concluding Thoughts on Dark Souls 3 Best Chimes
And there we have it – over 2000 words exploring miracles finest instruments for channeling the power of gods! We illuminated underrated technical charm details between chimes too often overlooked by casual players and guides.
I pray this master compendium gives fellow clerics the confidence to choose the perfect sacred chime to match their noble crusade. May we channel the miracle energies gifted to us with purpose and pride.
Now go forth through Lordran my brethren, and spread glorious lightning upon both allies and wicked beings alike! The gods gaze eagerly at the strength of our miracles cast from these glorious chimes.
\[T]/
