Elden Ring offers players an enormous world to explore, filled with dangerous foes to overcome. Having the right skills in your arsenal can mean the difference between life and death when facing these threats. This guide will cover the 10 best skills in Elden Ring and how you can add them to your build.
1. Barricade Shield
- FP Cost: 8
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: Small Shield, Standard Shield
- Ash of War: Barricade Shield
- Ash of War Affinity: None
Barricade Shield temporarily hardens your shield, making it impervious to enemy strikes. This skill essentially turns your shield into an impenetrable defense for 15 seconds, with an FP cost of only 8.
You can obtain Barricade Shield in two ways:
- Defeat the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Forlon Hound Evergaol at Stormhill
- Defeat the Night‘s Cavalry boss at Weeping Peninsula
Both bosses have a chance to drop this invaluable skill.
2. Shield Bash
- FP Cost: 10
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: Small Shield, Medium Shield, Greatshield
- Ash of War: Shield Bash
- Ash of War Affinity: None
Shield Bash allows greatshield users to bash enemies with tremendous force, disrupting their stance and creating openings for critical hits.
To get it:
- Go to the Demi-Human Forest Ruins northwest of the Tower of Return
- Locate an underground basement and open the chest inside to acquire the Shield of Guilty, which comes with Shield Bash
You can also farm this skill from beetles on the island under Raya Lucaria‘s broken bridge.
3. Charge Forth
- FP Cost: 13
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: Thrusting Polearms, Heavy Thrusting Swords, Twinblades
- Ash of War: Charge Forth
- Ash of War Affinity: Balances Strength and Dex scaling, reduces base damage
The Charge Forth skill allows you to lean back and thrust your weapon with incredible force, devastating groups of enemies. This skill is exclusive to a select few weapons.
To get Charge Forth:
- Find and kill Teardrop Scarab enemies attached to ceilings to potentially receive this skill as a drop
4. Carian Greatsword
- FP Cost: 14
- Chargeable: Yes
- Eligible Equipment: Swords, Colossal Weapons
- Ash of War: Carian Greatsword
- Ash of War Affinity: Increases magic damage and Intelligence scaling, reduces physical damage and Strength/Dex scaling
Transform your standard sword into a magical greatsword with this skill! Charging this weapon unleashes devastating ranged attacks that crush groups of foes.
- Available for purchase from Sorcerer Rogier at Roundtable Hold for 2,500 runes
5. Oath of Vengeance
- FP Cost: 20
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: Grafted Blade Greatsword
- Ash of War: None
- Ash of War Affinity: None
Oath of Vengeance briefly empowers your character, boosting all attributes by 5 for 30+ seconds.
To get it:
- Journey to Castle Morne and defeat the area boss, Leonine Misbegotten, to claim the Grafted Blade Greatsword with this skill attached
6. Prelate‘s Charge
- FP Cost: 20
- Chargeable: Yes
- Eligible Equipment: Colossal Hammers and Axes
- Ash of War: Prelate‘s Charge
- Ash of War Affinity: Increases fire damage and Faith scaling, reduces other scaling
Slam your colossal weapon into the earth, scorching enemies with an explosive charge attack. This skill causes massive stagger damage.
Acquisition:
- Head to the Forbidden Lands and kill the beetle atop a tree at the Fire Monk camp to potentially receive this skill
- Alternatively, pursue the Prelate‘s Inferno Crozier weapon at Fort Laiedd to obtain this skill
7. Spinning Weapon
- FP Cost: 12
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: Swords, Axes, Hammers, Staffs, Spears
- Ash of War: Spinning Weapon
- Ash of War Affinity: Adds magic damage and Intelligence scaling, reduces base damage and Strength/Dex scaling
Elevate your weapon and initiate a series of rapid spinning attacks to shred groups of enemies around you.
To obtain:
- Purchase from Sorcerer Rogier at Roundtable Hold for 1,000 runes
- Acquire the Carian Regal Scepter from Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon to receive this skill
8. Glintblade Phalanx
- FP Cost: 20
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: Swords, Spears, Halberds, Daggers, Katanas
- Ash of War: Glintblade Phalanx
- Ash of War Affinity: Adds magic damage and Intelligence scaling, reduces base damage and Strength/Dex scaling
Transform your melee weapon into a ranged magic cannon! This skill conjures floating blades that home in on targets, shredding enemies from a distance.
To get it:
- Speak with Sorcerer Rogier at Roundtable Hold after defeating Godrick the Grafted to receive the Rogier‘s Rapier weapon with this skill attached
9. Thunderbolt
- FP Cost: 10
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: All Melee Weapons
- Ash of War: Thunderbolt
- Ash of War Affinity: Adds lightning damage, reduces base damage and Strength scaling
Call down bolts of lightning to smite your foes! This skill wrecks enemies weak to lightning damage.
- Travel to Leyndell, Royal Capital and kill the invisible beetle at Avenue Balcony to potentially receive this skill
10. Seppuku
- FP Cost: 4
- Chargeable: No
- Eligible Equipment: All Swords, Spears
- Ash of War: Seppuku
- Ash of War Affinity: Adds bleed buildup, increases Arcane scaling
Stab yourself to coat your weapons in blood, dramatically enhancing their damage and hemorrhage effects. This skill is exceptionally deadly despite its low FP cost.
To obtain:
- Journey to Freezing Lake and locate the invisible scarab footsteps in the lake. Kill this invisible enemy to acquire the Seppuku skill it drops
There you have it, the 10 best skills in Elden Ring! I hope this guide serves you well on your adventure. Let me know if you have any other tips for must-have abilities in the Lands Between. Good luck out there, Tarnished!
