The divine-themed Incantations are one of two spellcasting methods in Elden Ring, with the other being Sorceries. Incantations are cast using Sacred Seals and encompass elements of both the Miracle and Pyromancy types of spellcasting from the Dark Souls series, with buffs and heals alongside direct damage.
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Incantations are a powerful tool with their own clear niches distinct from the more damage-focused Sorceries. Nearly any Incantation can be used to great effect, but there are some that stand out head and shoulders above the others as some of the best spells in the game.
10 Law Of Regression Has Story And Combat Uses
Law of Regression is an unusual Incantation in that it doesn't require Faith to use like almost every other spell of its type. It instead requires a high Intelligence score. Its ability is a fairly useful one, reverting things to their base state, meaning that it cancels out both buffs and debuffs and is therefore useful in PvP combat, as well as for exploring dangerous parts of the world.
Law of Regression is also one of the few Incantations required for Elden Ring's story progression. To complete Goldmask and Corhyn's sidequest, a player has to cast it at a particular spot, something that no other Incantation can be used for.
9 Flame Of Frenzy Is Good In PvP
One of Elden Ring's new status effects is Madness, tied in-story to the Outer God known as the Frenzied Flame. The player has only a few ways to inflict it, but one of the most reliable is the Incantation called Flame of Frenzy.
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The spell is capable of being rapidly fired and having its range increased, hammering foes with attacks that eventually stun them and drain their FP. It is only really useful in PvP, as Elden Ring has far better spells for PvE. But against other players it presents an unexpected threat that can leave foes helpless.
8 Flame, Grant Me Strength Is Good For Hybrid Builds
One of the spellcasting niches that Incantations tend to occupy more than Sorceries is buffs, with various spells letting the player improve their combat prowess rather than dealing damage directly. Flame, Grant Me Strength is one of the best of these.
Flame, Grant Me Strength isn't the best buff spell in Elden Ring due to it only increasing damage, and then only increasing certain types. But it is an undeniably useful spell that will particularly please many hybrid builds who increase both Faith and another combat stat - whether they make use of physical damage or Fire damage.
7 Black Flame Is A Boss Killer
Direct damage is more the domain of Sorcery spells, which have a thousand and one different permutations of throwing damaging magic at foes. Damaging Incantations instead tend to fill more niche roles, and Black Flame is no exception.
Described in-universe as being a brand of magic influenced by Destined Death, capable of killing gods, Black Flame and related Incantations deal damage as a percentage of an enemy's health. Although less useful against regular foes, this lets the spell devastate the enormous health bars of Elden Ring's late-game bosses, making many fights easier.
6 Lightning Spear Is Incredibly Reliable
Most of the best Incantations in Elden Ring tend to be elaborate and fancy, having impressive visual effects and complex battlefield uses. Lightning Spear, on the contrary, is an Incantation that many players might risk finding boring.
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Lightning Spear has the player simply hurling a bolt of lightning at foes that deals damage on impact, with no other effects. However, it is cheap, quick to cast, deals respectable damage, and can be timed to throw off boss dodges. It's likely to be a mainstay of almost any Faith build's arsenal, and is one of the best ranged attacks in the game.
5 Erdtree Heal Gives Immense Health Recovery
Unique to Incantations is the ability to heal through magic, letting players recover health without using their Flask of Crimson Tears. Many healing incantations are deliberately inefficient to still keep a player pressed for resources, but the late-game Erdtree Heal heals enough hit points to always be worth casting,
Erdtree Heal works on both players and allies in a nearby area, giving it use in both singleplayer and multiplayer. Its only downside - other than a high FP cost - is that it is found near the end of the game, giving a player limited time to use it without going into New Game Plus.
4 Swarm Of Flies Ties Into One Of The Game's Most Powerful Mechanics
Of all builds in Elden Ring, the ones making use of the Bleed status effect have consistently poven the most powerful. Dealing a huge chunk of damage upon filling up the status bar, they are lethal to enemies and other players alike.
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'Swarm of Flies' releases a slow-moving projectile that, when it makes contact with an enemy, damages them and builds up Bleed. It puts pressure on human enemies and is notoriously effective against bosses - including the fearsome Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Even after being nerfed to reduce its Bleed buildup, it is a vicious spell.
3 Flame, Cleanse Me Is Prime Utility
A spell that damages the player in exchange for removing a couple of status effects may seem like a poor trade-off, but Elden Ring's design makes it invaluable. Flame, Cleanse Me removes Poison and Scarlet Rot, at the cost of some FP and HP.
Despite the cost, this is invaluable. Scarlet Rot is one of the most feared and hated mechanics in the game, whittling a player's healthbar down in seconds, and some of Elden Ring's most notorious areas are full of it. Flame, Cleanse Me is so useful in this situation that some players recommend every character take it, even if they are not a Faith build.
2 Ekzykes's Decay Can Be Ruinous
Dragon Incantations are a unique class of spell in Elden Ring that make use of both the Faith and Arcane stats. They are unlocked by slaying dragons in combat and using their hearts at the Church or Cathedral of Dragon Communion.
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Many of these are useful, but few more than Ekzykes's Decay. This spell affects a wide area, dealing lots of damage while afflicting foes with the dangerous Scarlet Rot status effect. It is a monster in PvP while also making certain boss fights far easier than they should be.
1 Golden Vow Is One Of The Game's Best Buffs
Despite the many features, facets, and nuances to Elden Ring's combat, at its core it is about dealing damage to enemies while staying alive. Consequently, a spell that helps a player do both is invaluable in any combat situation.
Golden Vow is one of the most widely-used buffs in the game because it increases all the damage a player does, while making them take less in return. Costly to use, it more than pays for itself and even stacks with a number of other buffs to let a player turn themselves into a real powerhouse.
