The Ashes of War in Elden Ring serve as special items that empower you to exchange Weapon Skills and Affinities on your gear, introducing new ones or altering existing ones entirely.

They have broad applicability, compatible with most Weapons and Shields, granting players the flexibility to tailor each armament to suit their specific Build and playstyle.

However, certain exceptional Weapons like the Dragonscale Blade remain unmodifiable. Additionally, not all Weapon Skills align with every type of equipment, limiting compatibility in certain cases.

 

HOW TO USE ASHES OF WAR IN ELDEN RING

Upon acquiring the Whetstone Knife, players can access the "Ashes of War" menu at a Site of Grace or consult Smithing Master Hewg at the Roundtable Hold for the same services.

Within this menu, players can choose from available Ashes of War to alter an armament's skill and potentially add an Affinity. The chosen Affinity dictates the armament's attack power, attribute scaling, guarded damage negation, and passive effects.

To reverse a selection, players can repeat the process and opt for "Undo Enhancement" instead of selecting an Affinity. This action restores the armament's original skill and Affinity.

Not all armaments are compatible with Ashes of War; their descriptions specify which armaments they apply to, such as the Ash of War: Barricade Shield, usable on all shields.

Unlike the Gems in the previous FromSoftware title, Dark Souls 3, Ashes of War can be assigned to armaments without any cost. They are not consumed upon use but instead slotted into an armament, allowing for free swapping.

 

DAMAGE OF ASHES OF WAR

The Ashes of War categorize into three main types:

Melee-based Ashes of War, reliant solely on weapon damage for their effectiveness. Spell-based Ashes of War, influenced by upgrade level, applied weapon affinity, and the specific stat linked to the Ash of War (unaffected by weapon damage). Hybrid Ashes of War, incorporating both melee and spell attacks, either alternating or simultaneous.

For Ashes of War focused on melee attacks, their damage output correlates directly with the weapon's damage. Interestingly, whether wielding the weapon in one or two hands, the melee damage from an Ash of War remains constant. This holds true as the use of Ashes of War mandates a two-handed stance, even if employing an Ash of War: No Skill on the left hand. It's essential to note that as weapon affinity impacts weapon damage, varying affinities will produce distinct damage outputs based on player stats when utilizing a melee-based Ash of War.

Ashes of War that involve spellcasting, such as the projectile in Ash of War: Glintstone Pebble or the magic sword attack in Ash of War: Carian Grandeur, do not derive their spell damage from weapon strength. Instead, the damage is influenced by three primary factors:

Weapon upgrade level

The damage of spell-based Ashes of War, such as the projectile in Ash of War: Glintstone Pebble or the magic sword attack in Ash of War: Carian Grandeur, isn't influenced by weapon strength. Instead, it hinges on three key elements:

1. **Weapon upgrade level:** Higher upgrades amplify the spell's potency. 2. **Weapon affinity type:** Deviating from the original affinity of the Ash of War triggers slight damage alterations (up to approximately +/-10%). For instance, applying a different affinity than the Ash of War's original one induces this change. 3. **Player's corresponding stat:** Matching the player's stat with the original weapon affinity of the Ash of War enhances its damage. For instance, a Magic Ash of War benefits from increased Intelligence, while a Sacred Ash of War benefits from heightened Faith. This enhancement persists even if the original weapon affinity is replaced with another.

Hence, for identical upgrade levels, weapon affinities, and player stats, the same Ash of War yields consistent spell damage across any weapon choice. For example, a Magic Dagger +6 and a Magic Uchigatana +6 using Ash of War: Carian Grandeur would yield identical damage outputs, assuming constant player stats. This equalizes the spell-based Ashes of War, eliminating disadvantages for smaller, lighter weapons that inherently deal less melee damage.

It's crucial to note that enhancing a weapon in any manner doesn't bolster spell-based Ash of War damage. Additionally, equipment amplifying Sorceries or Incantations doesn't impact Ashes of War damage, even if there's a counterpart spell (like the sorcery Glintstone Pebble and the Ash of War: Glintstone Pebble). Instead, Ashes of War damage is influenced by equipment explicitly designed for such enhancement (e.g., Shard of Alexander) or items that boost the specific damage type of the Ash of War (e.g., Terra Magica for Ash of War: Glintstone Pebble's magic damage).

WHERE TO FIND ASHES OF WAR IN ELDEN RING

Ashes of War can obtained in the following ways:

Dropped by Enemies and Bosses

Purchased from Merchants

Found throughout the Lands Between, looted from corpses, chests, etc.

Ashes of War are consistent in their location between playthroughs, meaning that it is possible for a player to head directly to them to accommodate for certain Builds.

 

DUPLICATING ASHES OF WAR

Absolutely, duplicating Ashes of War through Smithing Master Hewg by exchanging Lost Ashes of War can prove advantageous despite the limitation of equipping only one to an armament. This duplication serves purposes like facilitating dual-wielding or simply offering added convenience in managing multiple loadouts.