Best Elden Ring Incantations for early and late game
'Cause I gotta have faith, faith, faith.
Update: Elden Ring has had plenty of updates, so we've updated this list of Elden Ring's best Incantations with some more helpful information that has come to light over time. We've also added new Incantations, as well as where to find them, with links to new pages we've created to help you track them down.
Only the most pious Tarnished can call upon the raw power of the best Incantations in Elden Ring.
Whether it's calling down devastating bolts of crackling lightning or buffing your character with holy power, faithful characters have more than a few unique tricks up the sleeves of their robes. The best Incantations in Elden Ring are a bit trickier to figure out compared to their sorcerous counterparts.
Incantations are difficult to use effectively thanks to long casting times, high FP requirements, and often limited damage. Many of the best ones are locked behind late-game content, but even with those, you’ll want high Dexterity and the Radagon’s Icon Talisman to shorten your casting time.
In addition, if you're going for the Legendary Sorceries and Incantations achievement, you'll want our guide on where to find all legendary spells in Elden Ring
Best Elden Ring Incantations for the early game
There are plenty of Incantations to pick from in Elden Ring, but here are the ones you'll find yourself using most during the early-game.
Catch Flame
You should get your hands on Catch Flame as soon as possible, unless you’re a Prophet, in which case you start with it. Everyone else can buy it from Brother Corhyn in Roundtable Hold for a mere 600 Runes, or later in Altus Plateau if you’ve progressed his quest without buying the Incantation.
Catch Flame’s in-game description is a bit vague and undersells the spell. It sparks a flame in your hand and shoots it forward in a small cone. Low FP cost and fast casting time make it invaluable early on, especially since Flame Sling takes so long to cast, and only requires 8 Faith, which every class except the Astrologer and Vagabond starts with anyway.
Flame, Cleanse Me
Of all the Incantations to choose from, Flame, Cleanse Me, is perhaps the most unimpressive. This is mainly because it isn't actually used for dealing damage or any other flashy effects; it simply cleanses you of Scarlet Rot and poison build-up. Now, this might not seem vital if you're at the beginning of your game, but believe us, it is.
When venturing through Caelid or down into the Lake of Rot, you'll find this Incantation is incredibly useful for navigating tough environments packed with Scarlet Rot. It can also be used to cleanse yourself during a fight against an enemy using Scarlet Rot, like Malenia, and only requires a measly 12 Faith to use.
You won't need this Incantation all of the time, but when you do, you really need it. You can grab it from the Fire Monk camp south of the Church of Vows, where Miriel resides.
Bestial Sling
Bestial Sling is one of the first Beast Incantations you’ll get from Gurranq after giving him Deathroot, and it’s incredibly versatile. It fires a spray of stones in a short arc in front of you, and while it may not sound like much, there’s almost no casting time. It also has incredibly low FP cost of 7 and only requires 10 Faith. It might not do the damage of Rock Sling, but it’s much more versatile.
The Flame of Frenzy
In Callu Baptismal Church on the Weeping Peninsula lies a corpse, and on that corpse is the Flame of Frenzy Incantation. With a Faith requirement of just 16, it’s one most Faith builds can use right away, and it’ll see you through the rest of the game as well.
After a brief casting time, you’ll shoot beams of flame from your eyes that damage all enemies in front of you in a fairly wide range. There are a couple of downsides, though. It doesn’t stagger enemies, meaning they’ll still keep moving toward you during the spell, and it builds up your madness meter. Use it too often, and you’ll succumb to madness.
Flame of the Fell God
One impressive, Legendary Incantation that you can get your hands on relatively early is the Flame of the Fell God. This Incantation is one that you'll see in action during your fight with the Fire Giant, but you can get it for yourself by defeating Adan, Thief of Fire at the Malefactor's Evergaol in Liurnia of the Lakes.
It requires a whopping 41 Faith to wield, so it might be a short while before you can use it, but it will see you summoning a large ball of flame that tracks an enemy before exploding on them. It's definitely situational, but it's worth seeing if you can make it work for you.
Frenzied Burst
The Frenzied Burst Incantation requires just 22 Faith and releases a flame from your eyes that enemies will struggle to dodge. Even in fights with NPC Invaders, you'll find enemies struggle to dodge this time and time again. It also inflicts madness, as well as being highly difficult to avoid, making it good fun to use in PvP too.
This particular Incantation can be found in Liurnia of the Lakes, near the Church of Inhibition. It is dropped by a Teardrop Scarab, so you don't have to do anything too tricky to get your hands on it.
Honed Bolt
Honed Bolt is one you can pick up in the early portions of the mid-game, and it’ll serve you well through the rest of the game and even in PvP matches. It generates a lightning strike on your target and, unlike Lightning Strike and Lightning Spear, it’s much more difficult for enemies to dodge.
Corhyn and Miriel sell this one after you give them the Dragon Cult Prayer Book, which you’ll get from the Leyndell Knight near Liurnia’s Artist Shack. It also only needs 24 Faith to use.
Stone of Gurranq
After you give the Bestial Clergyman six Deathroot, he’ll hand over the Stone of Gurranq Incantation. This powerful spell lobs a massive boulder at enemies and deals heavy damage, all for the measly price of 15 FP. You only need 13 Faith to use it as well, so even though it’s a bit tricky to control, the payoff is worth it.
Ekzykes’ Decay
You can swap this with Rotten Breath if you don’t feel like defeating Ekzykes, though it’s not quite as effective. Either way, the point is the same. The Incantation summons a dragon head that spews rot breath in a broad area in front of you and in such quantities that it’s almost guaranteed the target(s) will end up with Scarlet Rot.
Most bosses, Malenia aside, are susceptible to Scarlet Rot, so this is a handy one to pull out during big fights. Just be aware the casting time is incredibly slow, similar to other Dragon Incantations.
Ekzykes’ Decay is available at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion after you defeat the dragon itself, and you can purchase Rotten Breath there without having to defeat Ekzykes. Ekzykes’ Decay requires 23 Faith and 15 Arcane, while Rotten Breath is a bit more accessible with 15 Faith and 12 Arcane.
Swarm of Flies
We wouldn't necessarily class Swarm of Flies as an early-game Incantation considering that its found in a late-game area, but it just so happens to be a late-game area that is easy to access from the beginning of the game and a popular Rune-farming spot: Mohgwyn Palace.
This Incantation is found on a corpse that is north of the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace, so once you do the legwork require to get to the area, it's very easy to grab it. It also only requires 11 Faith and 16 Arcane to use, so it's easy to take advantage of from the get-go.
The clue is in the name with how this Incantation works; it'll release a swarm of bloodflies in front of you that then overwhelm and attack enemies, causing Bleed build-up. It's great for a Bleed build, and just in general for devastating enemies with Blood-loss amidst a fight.
Best Elden Ring Incantations for the mid-late game
Magma Breath
You can purchase Magma Breath from the Cathedral of Dragon Communion after defeating the Magma Wyrm near Fort Laiedd, and it’s absolutely worth the effort. It summons a wyrm head that spews magma in front of you, and the magma lingers, damaging any enemy standing in it. It only requires 14 Faith and 10 Arcane, so even non-Faith builds could put this one to good use.
Scouring Black Flame
Scouring Black Flame comes from the Dragonskin Apostle in Windmill VIllage and requires 28 Faith to use. This one shoots an arc of black flame in front of you. It’s basic, but effective and has a fairly short casting time.
Golden Vow
Golden Vow is good for PvE but really shines in PvP. It’s hidden in the Corpse-Stench Shack, which you’ll eventually reach if you follow the road west of Windmill Village. There’s an NPC invasion here and some deadly dogs, so be aware of that before you start leisurely exploring.
Golden Vow costs 47 FP and requires 25 Faith, and it buffs your and your allies’ defense and attack. It’s pretty situational, since you can use the Flask of Wondrous Physik for your own buffs, but it’s also handy in a pinch.
Giantsflame Take Thee
Giantsflame Take Thee is one you won’t find until much later in the game, but it’s an excellent choice for any fire user. You’ll need to get the Giant’s Prayer Book from Guardian Arghanthy near Guardians’ Garrison in Mountaintops of the Giants, southwest of the Whiteridge Road Site of Grace.
The Incantation costs 13,000 Runes and requires 30 Faith. It hurls a huge fireball forward that explodes on contact, dealing heavy damage. It can be charged and, better yet, it’s faster even than Flame Sling, so you can use it in most situations.
Burn, O Flame
Burn, O Flame is one of the choices you get for giving Enia the Remembrance of the Fire Giant in Roundtable Hold. It has an even lower Faith requirement than the Giantsflame Incantation, only needing 27 Faith, and shoots flames out from the ground in all directions around you. The locations are a bit random, and it takes a while to cast, but the damage output against larger enemies makes it a great pick for Faith builds anyway.
Crucible Breath
All the Crucible Incantations are worth using, including the Tail, but we recommend Aspect of the Crucible: Breath above all. It lets you breathe golden fire in a wide arc and can be charged to last longer, and unlike the Dragon breath spells, this one has a much shorter casting time too.
You’ll need to defeat Rykard - whether you complete the Volcano Manor quest doesn't matter - and then travel back to the boss arena and kill Tanith. This triggers a fight with her Knight, and he drops the Aspect after you win. It requires 27 Faith to use.
Wrath of Gold
Tucked away in Altus Plateau’s forest of Wormfaces is the Woodfolk ruins, directly east of the Minor Erdtree. Hit the floor in the middle to reveal a staircase that takes you to a chamber where you’ll find the Wrath of Gold Incantation.
It’s a powerful spell, but one with caveats. Like most Erdtree Incantations, it has a high FP cost (40) and a high Faith requirement (32). After a short casting time, Wrath of Gold sends out a golden shockwave that pushes enemies and deals damage in a wide radius, so it’s a fair tradeoff assuming your FP can withstand the hit.
Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike
You won’t get this one until Crumbling Farum Azula, where you can find the Ancient Dragon Prayer Book near the Crumbling Beast Grave Site of Grace. Give it to Miriel or Corhyn, and you can purchase the Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike Incantation.
If you’ve fought Fortissax, you’ll have a general idea what this one does. After a brief casting time, you’ll fire red lightning in a circle around you. It’s chargeable and has a low Faith requirement of 26, making it a solid choice as you head into the endgame.
If you're looking for more help in The Lands Between, check out our comprehensive set of Elden Ring guides.