Best Early Elden Ring Ashes of War
Ashes of War change a weapon's skill and affinity. This is different from spirit ashes (summons) — here we cover weapon skills that reshape your moveset.
How Ashes of War Work
- Get the Whetstone Knife early (Gatefront chest area) so you can apply ashes at Sites of Grace.
- Each Ash can set a skill and often an affinity (Standard, Heavy, Keen, Quality, Fire, Lightning, Sacred, Blood, Cold, Occult, etc.).
- Unique weapons with locked skills usually cannot take new Ashes of War.
- You can remove and reuse most ashes — experiment freely.
Best Early Ashes for Beginners
| Ash of War | Why it helps | Good on |
|---|---|---|
| Square Off | Clear poke / slash windows for stance breaks | Straight swords |
| Wild Strikes | High stance pressure and easy boss chips | Axes / hammers |
| Storm Blade | Ranged pressure while learning timing | Swords / curved swords |
| Stamp (Upward Cut) | Simple punish tool with hyper armor feel | Greatswords |
| Bloodhound's Step | I-frames for tough boss patterns | Many melee weapons |
| Cragblade | Charge / jump attack boosts | Strength / colossal setups |
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Affinity Tips (Keep It Simple)
| If you level… | Try affinity |
|---|---|
| Strength | Heavy |
| Dexterity | Keen |
| Strength + Dex | Quality (later) |
| Arcane / status | Blood or Occult (when unlocked) |
| Faith dips | Sacred / Flame Art (situational) |
Early game, matching affinity to your main damage stat beats chasing fancy statuses before you have the stats for them.
Pair With Your Build
- Strength builds: Cragblade, Stamp, Wild Strikes
- Bleed builds: Blood affinity ashes + later status-focused skills
- Faith builds: Sacred / Flame Art ashes until unique weapons take over
Ashes of War Checklist
Next Steps
Combine ashes with early talismans and weapon upgrades, then fight Margit.