Elden Ring is finally out in the wild and has quickly gained a large player base. With tons of content to explore and a vast open world for the first time in Soul-game, players could not keep themselves away but get the hands-on experience of the game. Although, Elden Ring has a painfully hard learning curve. But with plenty of resources available, players can make the most out of the playthrough.
You will be utilizing armors, weapons, magic, and different skills to gain maximum advantage and ensure the safety of your character in the hauntingly beautiful world. However, with dozens of items available in the game, players often juggle to make choices like best Elden Ring skills that are a must-have for a smooth experience.
Key Takeaways
10 Best Elden Ring Skills and what they offer:
- Barricade Shield provides strong defense and temporary enemy attack evasion (15 sec, 8 FP). Obtainable from Bloodhound Knight Darriwil or Night’s Cavalry boss.
- Shield Bash is for Greatshield users, with a powerful charge attack that disrupts enemies and triggers critical hits. Found in Demi-Human Forest Ruins.
- Charge Forth is a high FP cost skill exclusive to Winged Spears, Lances, and Golem’s Halberd.
- Carian Greatsword transforms a regular sword into a massive greatsword for heavy damage.
- Oath of Vengeance boosts all attributes for 30 sec (20 FP), exclusive to Grafted Blade Greatsword.
- Prelate’s Charge unleashes flames and lets the player charge through enemies (20 FP). Obtained via Prelate’s Inferno Crozier or specific location.
- Spinning Weapon spins the player’s weapon mid-air to damage nearby enemies (12 FP). Buy from Sorcerer Rogier or find Carian Regan Scepter.
- Glintblade Phalanx creates magical Glintblades to attack while the player stays at a distance (10 FP, Swords/Polearms). Obtainable from Rogier’s Rapier.
- Thunderbolt summons lightning by raising the player’s armament (10 FP), easily acquired.
- Seppuku enhances Swords and Polearms’ attack power, causing blood loss (4 FP). Defeat invisible Scarab in Freezing Lake area to obtain.
I’ve played Elden Ring for more than 400 hours, so I really know the game well. Anything I talk about is because I’ve done it in the game. Hence, you can trust me with the information I share in regard to Best Skills!
Stats Comparison Table For Best Skills
No. Skills FP Cost Chargeable Eligible Equipment Ash of War Ash of War Affinity
1 Barricade Shield 8 NO Small Shield, Standard Shield Barricade Shield -
2 Shield Bash 10 NO Small Shield, Medium Shield, Greatshield Shield Bash -
3 Charge Forth 13 NO Thrusting Polearm, Heavy Thrusting Sword, Twinblades Charge Forth -
4 Carian Greatsword 14 yes Swords, Colossal Weapons Carian Greatsword -
5 Oath of Vengeance 20 NO Grafted Blade Greatsword Oath of Vengeance -
6 Prelate’s Charge 20 yes Colossal Hammers and Axes Prelate’s Charge -
7 Spinning Weapon 12 NO Sword, Axe, Hammer, Glintstone Staff, Spear spinning Weapon -
8 Glintblade Phalanx 20 NO Ash of War Glintblade Phalanx Glintblade Phalanx -
9 Thunderbolt 10 NO All Melee Weapons Thunderbolt -
10 Seppuku 4 NO All Swords, Spears Seppuku -
As said earlier, there are numerous options available to players to pick the skills for their character that align with their character build. These skills will be benefiting your character in a variety of ways. Be it the fast-paced combat, stealth, or extra defense, skills are a great addition to the character build in Elden Ring. You might not want to head into the Lands Between of the game with no protection or skills to fight the dark powers.
If you are also struggling to find some good skills for your character, then you are in the right place. This guide entails all details you need to know for the top 10 best Skills In Elden Ring and where you can find them. With that said, let’s get right into it.
Barricade Shield
A crucial skill for your character in Elden Ring is Barricade Shield. This skill enhances shields, providing exceptional damage defense, a vital aspect given the challenging enemies you encounter early in the game.
Sir Neidhardt designed Barricade Shield to focus on shield defense, allowing players to temporarily harden the shield, rendering it impervious to enemy strikes. In essence, this skill turns your shield into an impenetrable defense, making your character exceptionally powerful.
Shields play a pivotal role in combat, improving your defenses and enabling advanced maneuvers like parrying to block and stagger enemies. This provides a tactical advantage for dealing heavy damage.
Barricade Shield has an 8 FP cost, which draws from your character’s Focus Points, the energy used for skills and spells. It’s usable for over 15 seconds and isn’t chargeable.
Acquiring Barricade Shield is relatively straightforward. You have two options:
- Defeat the Bloodhound Knight Darriwil in Forlon Hound Evergaol at Stormhill.
- Defeat the Night’s Cavalry boss at Weeping Peninsula.
Both bosses drop the Barricade Shield, allowing you to choose the approach that best suits your character build.
| FP Cost | 8 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | Small Shield, Standard Shield |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Barricade Shield |
| Ash of War Affinity | None |
Shield Bash
One of the top Shield skills to consider is Shield Bash, especially for characters focused on shield usage. This regular skill specifically impacts Greatshields for good reason.
Greatshields, unlike standard shields, prioritize high defense and weight. The Shield Bash skill allows players to brace on the back of the Greatshield and charge with tremendous force, disrupting enemy stances and even staggering them. This sets up opportunities for critical hits and efficient enemy elimination.
While part of the Ashes of War skills, Shield Bash isn’t chargeable and costs 10 FP. Despite the FP cost, its combat advantages make it a worthwhile investment.
To obtain Shield Bash for your character, you first need a Greatshield. Here’s how to get one:
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Visit the Demi-Human Forest Ruins, heading northwest from the South of Lookout Tower. Beware of enemies in this area. Explore an underground basement within the Ruins to discover a chest containing the Shield of Guilty, which comes with the Shield Bash skill.
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Alternatively, you can farm for it by defeating Beetles on the island beneath the broken bridge in Raya Lucaria Academy. If you find this approach more accessible, farming is a viable method to acquire the Shield Bash skill.
| FP Cost | 10 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | Small Shield, Medium Shield, Greatshield |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Shield Bash |
| Ash of War Affinity | None |
Charge Forth
Charge Forth as another non-chargeable skill that will greatly benefit players during combat. Although it is a regular skill in the game, it is exclusively available for Winged Spears, Lances, and Golem’s Halberd. It allows players to lean back to put armament on their character’s hip and then charge with all power to thrust the weapon into the enemy.
As for the stats, Charge Forth comes with a huge FP cost of 16. Another important thing to note is that Charge Forth is also associated with the Ash of War skills, thus causing devastating damage to the enemies.
Getting the Charge Forth skill is also easy. You will have to find Teardrop Scarab enemies that are found attached to the ceilings. Visit the particular location on the map and kill this enemy with a ranged weapon. It will drop the Ash of War Charge Forth skill.
| FP Cost | 13 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | Thrusting Polearm, Heavy Thrusting Sword, Twinblades |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Charge Forth |
| Ash of War Affinity | Balances Strength and Dex Scaling Reduces Base damage |
Carian Greatsword
Apart from the Greatshield, Carian Greatsword is the players’ favorite skill to inflict massive damage to the enemies. Diving into the game, you will encounter all kinds of enemies that can easily overwhelm beginner players.
Carian Greatsword will turn your regular sword blade into a Greatsword. Striking this Greatsword will deal huge damage to enemies without needing any incantations. Players can apply this Ash of War skill on Swords and Colossal Weapons. Even better is that you can charge this weapon to enhance its power and get more damage in your combat.
Sadly that comes with a cost of 16 FP. But at the end of the day, that investment is definitely worth it. Another downside of the Carian Greatsword is that it is only obtainable by purchasing it for in-game currency known as Runes. You can go to the Roundtable Hold to meet Sorcerer Rogier. Here you can purchase Carian Greatsword Skill for 2,500.
| FP Cost | 14 |
| Chargeable | Yes |
| Eligible Equipment | Swords, Colossal Weapons |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Carian Greatsword |
| Ash of War Affinity | Increases Magic Damage and Intelligence Scaling Reduces Physical Damage, Strength, and Dex Scaling |
Oath of Vengeance
If you seek a unique character skill, consider Oath of Vengeance. It briefly empowers your character without needing charges. It boosts all attributes by 5 for over 30 seconds but has a 20 FP cost.
To use it, you need the Grafted Blade Greatsword, which you can obtain at Castle Morne. Fight through enemies, including the boss Leonine Misbegotten, to claim the Grafted Blade Greatsword with Oath of Vengeance.
| FP Cost | 20 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | Grafted Blade Greatsword |
| Ash of War | None |
| Ash of War Affinity | None |
Prelate’s Charge
Prelate’s Charge is a skill exclusive to Colossal weapons, like hammers and axes, with a 20 FP cost. It involves slamming your weapon to the ground, unleashing flames and charging to stagger enemies. You can hold down the charge for continuous damage.
To acquire this skill, you have two options:
- Pursue the unique Colossal weapon “Prelate’s Inferno Crozier.”
- Visit the Fire Monk campsite in the Forbidden Lands, just south of Whiteridge Road grace. Defeat the dung beetle on top of a tree with a ranged weapon to receive the Ash of War Prelate’s Charge skill for your Colossal weapon.
Alternatively, head to Fort Laiedd for the Prelate’s Inferno Crozier weapon and skill. Your choice depends on accessibility and character level.
| FP Cost | 20 |
| Chargeable | Yes |
| Eligible Equipment | Colossal Hammers and Axes |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Prelate’s Charge |
| Ash of War Affinity | Increases Fire Damage and Faith Scaling Reduces other Scalings |
Spinning Weapon
Spinning Weapon, a skill used exclusively by the Carian princesses in Elden Ring, elevates the weapon mid-air, enabling rapid spinning attacks that deal significant damage to nearby foes. Like other Ashes of War skills, it’s a standard skill.
This skill isn’t chargeable and has a manageable 12 FP cost, especially for early-level players.
Acquiring the Spinning Weapon skill involves a combination of farming and purchasing strategies. You can buy it from Sorcerer Rogier for 1000 Rune, found at Stormveil Castle and Roundtable Hold. Alternatively, you can obtain it alongside the Carian Regan Scepter, an endgame item from a boss fight. Waiting to progress in the storyline might be prudent to acquire both the weapon and the Spinning Weapon skill.
| FP Cost | 12 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | Sword, Axe, Hammer, Glintstone Staff, Spear |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Spinning Weapon |
| Ash of War Affinity | Adds Magic Damage and Intelligence Scaling Reduces Base Damage, Strength, and Dex Scaling |
Glintblade Phalanx
Glintblade is a standard skill usable with Swords and Polearms, typically favored by the enchanted knights of the Carian Royal Family. Tarnished characters can also benefit from this skill. When activated, it conjures four magic Glintblades to attack enemies from a distance.
This skill essentially transforms your swords and polearms into ranged weapons, dealing significant damage. It’s important to note that you can still use the thrusting capability of these weapons with Glintblade. The Glintblade Phalanx skill doesn’t require charging and costs 10 FP.
To obtain it, you must acquire Rogier’s Rapier, achievable after defeating the formidable Godrick the Grafted. Subsequently, you can find Rogier available for dialogue in the Roundtable Hold, where he rewards you with his Rapier. This weapon allows you to apply the Glintblade Phalanx skill to your other Swords.
| FP Cost | 20 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | All Swords, Spears, Halberds, Daggers, Katanas |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Glintblade Phalanx |
| Ash of War Affinity | Adds Magic Damage and Intelligence Scaling Reduces Base Damage, Strength, and Dex Scaling |
Thunderbolt
Want to pursue the gameplay like Thor? Say no more. Thunderbolt will allow you to call lightning by raising your armament. It was famously used by Dragon’s Cult in Capital. The lightning strike is both a beautiful sight as well as a damaging shock to the enemies.
Thunderbolt is not chargeable but it has the best FP cost of only 10. On the other side, it is also fairly easy to acquire in the game. You do not have to fight any boss or pass dialogue checks to claim it for yourself. All you need to do is to Leyndell, Royal Capital, and reach the Avenue Balcony. Here you will see a Teardrop Beetle. Killing it will give you Thunderbolt that is usable for all melee weapons.
| FP Cost | 10 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | All Melee Weapons |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Thunderbolt |
| Ash of War Affinity | Adds Lightning Damage Reduces Base Damage and Strength Scaling |
Seppuku
Lastly, Seppuku stands as one of Elden Ring’s standout skills. It’s a regular skill exclusive to Swords and Polearms, and while not unique, it excels in dealing damage. With an exceptionally low 4 FP cost, it’s a top choice for players.
Seppuku involves self-stabbing to coat your weapon with blood, enhancing its attack power and causing enemies to suffer increased blood loss. The damage potential of this skill is remarkable.
To obtain Seppuku, head to Freezing Lake, preferably when you’re mid-game or stronger due to formidable enemies. Start from the Site of Grace, proceed straight into the lake, and look for invisible footsteps on the water’s surface. Follow these footsteps to locate an invisible Scarab that drops the Seppuku skill.
Exploring different skills for your character may require some experimentation and practice, but once mastered, they greatly enhance your experience in the Lands Between.
| FP Cost | 4 |
| Chargeable | No |
| Eligible Equipment | All Swords, Spears, |
| Ash of War | Ash of War Seppuku |
| Ash of War Affinity | Adds Bleed Adds Arcane |
That is about it for the best Elden Ring skills. Do you find this guide helpful for the top skills in Elden Ring? What are your go-to best Skills in Elden Ring? We will love to hear your thoughts in the comments section down below.
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Farrukh has been covering Souls like games for years now. Having an extensive experience in Dark Soul 3 and Elden Ring he critically judges these games and writes his unbiased thoughts on them after spending hundreds of hours grinding. Farrukh has also worked with Game Rant, MP1st and The Nerd Stash on a variety of gaming guides making him an expert to share his opinions. When not writing he probably be clearing another dungeon. You can also join Farrukh on his Steam.
