Ashes Of War

An Ash of War is a skill you can move between weapons. In earlier FromSoftware games a sword's special move was welded to the sword; in Elden Ring you pick the skill and the scaling separately, so a plain longsword from the first hour can carry the same Hoarfrost Stomp or Seppuku as an endgame blade. It is the system that makes standard weapons competitive with boss weapons, and the one most new players underuse because the Whetstone Knife that switches it on is hidden in a cellar.

This guide covers the how-to first: unlocking the system, applying and swapping Ashes at a grace, what the affinity they carry does to your weapon, and how to duplicate or remove them. Then it lists every Ash of War with a page on our wiki, where to get it and what it is for, split by when you can reach it.

How Ashes of War work

Unlocking the system

Pick up the Whetstone Knife from the cellar under the Gatefront Ruins in Limgrave, and the Ashes of War menu appears at every Site of Grace and at any blacksmith. From then on any standard weapon or shield can have its skill replaced by an Ash you own. Unique weapons, the ones that upgrade with Somber Smithing Stones, keep their built-in skill and refuse the menu; the weapons guide marks which is which.

Affinities

Every Ash of War carries one or more affinities, and the affinity you choose when applying it rewrites the weapon's scaling and damage type. Heavy leans into Strength and Keen into Dexterity, Quality splits the difference, Magic and Cold feed Intelligence, Fire scales with Strength and Flame Art with Faith, Lightning rewards Dexterity, Sacred rewards Faith, and Blood, Occult and Poison all key off Arcane. Which affinities are available depends on the Whetblades you have found: the Whetstone Knife alone allows Standard, and the Iron, Glintstone, Red-Hot, Sanctified and Black Whetblades unlock the rest in pairs. The full effect of each affinity is on the Affinities page. Choosing well matters more than choosing the skill: a Keen Uchigatana with the wrong Ash still out-damages a Standard one with the right skill on a Dexterity character.

Duplicating, removing and buying

Ashes are never consumed, so one copy can move between weapons forever. If you want two weapons to carry the same skill at once, Hewg copies any Ash you own in exchange for a Lost Ash of War, which our Lost Ashes of War Locations page maps. Taking an Ash off a weapon is just as safe: How To Remove Ashes Of War covers the Undo Enchantment option and the No Skill Ash. Knight Bernahl at the Warmaster's Shack sells twelve basic Ashes from the first hour, and the Teardrop Scarabs that scuttle away from you across the map drop many of the rest.

Ashes of War you can reach early

Storm Stomp

A chest in the Gatefront Ruins, a few steps from where you find the Whetstone Knife. Storm Stomp is a cheap 6 FP area attack that deals heavy stance damage, fits most melee weapons, and remains one of the best ways to knock a boss down through the whole game. Details on the Storm Stomp page.

Unsheathe

Dropped by a scarab near Agheel Lake, and the skill the Uchigatana already carries. Unsheathe is a katana-only stance with a fast horizontal cross slash on light attack and a heavy vertical overhead on strong attack, both with excellent damage for the FP. Unsheathe covers the controls and the katana builds that lean on it.

Gravitas

Beat the Lesser Alabaster Lord near the Seaside Ruins in Limgrave and you get a gravity well that drags enemies toward you, which is a crowd-control tool in the open world and a way to pull ranged enemies off ledges. Intelligence-flavoured, so it pairs with Magic affinity. See Gravitas.

Wild Strikes

A flurry of relentless swings that keeps going as long as you hold the button and your stamina lasts. On a Heavy-affinity greataxe or the Ripple Blade it turns any staggered target into a damage race you win. The Wild Strikes page covers where to get it and how to apply it.

Barricade Shield

The shield Ash that tank builds are built around. Barricade Shield raises a shield's Guard Boost by 35 for a short window, which means blocked attacks cost no stamina, so a medium shield holds through combos that would break it. Our Barricade Shield page compares it with the Scholar's Shield sorcery.

Hoarfrost Stomp

An invisible scarab near Caria Manor drops the skill that defined the game's first months. Hoarfrost Stomp sends a wave of frost across the ground, builds frostbite on everything it touches and stops advancing enemies in their tracks, and it still shreds bosses that summon minions. It carries the Cold affinity. Read Hoarfrost Stomp for the location route.

Raptor of the Mists

Help Yura defeat the Ravenmount Assassin during his questline and he hands over the game's best defensive Ash: a skill that launches you into the air out of an attack, with a window generous enough to escape grabs. It fits any weapon and costs almost nothing. See Raptor of the Mists.

Ashes of War for the mid and late game

Seppuku

The bleed build's engine. Stab yourself, lose a sliver of health, and gain a large attack boost and much faster blood loss build-up for a minute; on two power-stanced weapons the effect is the fastest damage in the game. The Seppuku page covers the late-game scarab that drops it and an early route to reach it.

Golden Vow

The Ash of War version of the Golden Vow incantation, found in the Corpse-Stench Shack on Mt. Gelmir, raises attack and defence for you and nearby allies and gives the weapon a Sacred affinity. Our page explains how it stacks with other buffs; see Golden Vow Ash of War.

Sacred Blade

Coats the weapon in holy energy and fires a golden blade projectile, with the Sacred affinity that Faith builds want anyway. It is the Ash of choice against skeletons and anything that lives in death, since holy damage stops them rising. Details on Sacred Blade.

Prelate's Charge

Taken from a Fire Monk camp in the Mountaintops of the Giants, Prelate's Charge is a flaming shoulder charge that ends in a ground slam, carries the Fire affinity, and belongs on colossal weapons for Strength characters who want a gap closer. The page lists the weapons that come with it and the builds that use it.

Spells can do a similar job to an Ash for casters who would rather not give up a weapon's native skill. Scholar's Armament and Electrify Armament add an element to a standard weapon for a while, and the Unseen Blade sorcery from Mirage Rise makes your blade invisible so PvP opponents cannot read its reach. All three are covered in the spells guide.

Elden Ring Ashes of War FAQ

How do I use an Ash of War?

Find the Whetstone Knife, rest at a grace, choose Ashes of War, pick a standard weapon, then the Ash and the affinity. The skill fires with the weapon skill button, L2 or LT by default.

Is an Ash of War single-use?

No. Applying it never consumes it; removing it returns it to your inventory. Only the Lost Ash of War used to make a copy is spent.

Which Ash of War is best?

For damage, Seppuku on a bleed weapon; for stance breaks, Storm Stomp or a heavy Ash like Lion's Claw; for survival, Raptor of the Mists; for shields, Barricade Shield. Hoarfrost Stomp remains the best area tool.

Can I put an Ash of War on a boss weapon?

No. Weapons that upgrade with Somber Smithing Stones keep their unique skill. Duplicate the Remembrance or find a standard weapon of the same class instead.