Last updated: 19 October 2026

Best Ashes of War in Elden Ring

An Ash of War replaces your weapon's default skill, and a good one changes how a build plays. This guide covers the picks that keep showing up in player recommendations, what they do, which weapons accept them and where to get each one. Locations were cross-checked against at least two sources; "best" is always partly opinion, so weapon fit matters more than any ranking.

01How Ashes of War Work (30-Second Version)

An Ash of War is a skill you attach to a weapon at a Site of Grace. It replaces the weapon's default skill, and many Ashes also let you change the weapon's affinity. The catch: every Ash only works with certain weapon types, so decide your weapon first and your Ash second.

02Best Melee Ashes of War

• Lion's Claw — somersault forward and strike. Fits swords, axes and hammers (not small armaments or thrusting swords). Where: dropped by the Lion Guardian in Fort Gael, Caelid. Often used to chain staggers on bosses.
• Savage Lion's Claw (DLC) — the same somersault with an extra strike on a follow-up input. Same weapon classes. Where: small camp northwest of the Three-Path Cross Site of Grace.
• Carian Sovereignty (DLC) — turns the blade into a magical greatsword and brings it down, with a horizontal follow-up sweep. Swords except colossal. Where: Teardrop Scarab in a cave southwest of the Cathedral of Manus Metyr.
• Giant Hunt — a low-stance step into an upward thrust that is strong against humanoid enemies. For large and colossal thrusting weapons, spears and twinblades. Where: dropped by the night-only Night's Cavalry in northern Liurnia.
• Square Off — slash upward through a guard, or a strong attack for a running thrust. Straight swords. Where: Teardrop Scarab on the west cliff in Siofra River, north of the Worshippers' Woods Site of Grace.
• Shriek of Sorrow (DLC) — a scream that makes nearby enemies flinch and boosts your attack power based on remaining HP. All melee weapons. Where: the main plaza where Fire Knight Queelign invades.

03Best Mobility Ashes of War

• Bloodhound's Step — brief invisibility during a fast dodge that moves faster and farther than Quickstep. All melee weapons. Where: dropped by the Night's Cavalry at the bridge near Lenne's Rise in Dragonbarrow.
• Quickstep — the cheaper circling dodge for lock-on targets. All melee weapons. Where: sold by Knight Bernahl (800 Runes) or Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold.

04Ranged Option for Melee Builds

Storm Blade wraps your weapon in a stormy blade you can fire forward repeatedly. It fits swords (not colossal swords or twinblades), and you can buy it from Knight Bernahl (1,800 Runes) or the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, so it is available early.

05Picking by Build

• Sword build: Carian Sovereignty or Lion's Claw.
• Colossal weapon: Lion's Claw or Savage Lion's Claw, if the weapon class is accepted.
• Spear or twinblade: Giant Hunt.
• Straight sword, early game: Square Off.
• Heavy armor, wants better dodging: Bloodhound's Step.

Also check the best weapons and builds guides to match weapon and stats.

06Patch Notes: Anything Nerfed?

In the patch notes we checked for versions 1.12 to 1.17, the popular picks above (Carian Sovereignty, Lion's Claw, Square Off, Giant Hunt, Shriek of Sorrow) are not listed as changed. Savage Lion's Claw and Aspects of the Crucible: Wings were buffed in 1.13, and Rolling Sparks had a damage bug fixed in 1.12.3. Cross-check the official patch notes for your version, since FromSoftware may change skills at any time.