Talismans. Arguably one of the most important items in Elden Ring, sitting just behind Weapons. And with the first piece of Elden Ring DLC on the horizon, gaining optimal Talismans is something that every player should be looking to do.
Out of the available 117 that exist within the game, each one bestows a unique special effect upon the holder. These effects can range from casting illusions to increasing the amount of damage the wearer takes from enemies. As you can imagine the way, this massively affects how players experience the majesty of Elden Ring.
Also, note that these Talismans overall may not be the best for certain specialized builds.
Erdtree’s Favour
It can’t be understated how powerful this Talisman is. It grants a considerable boost to the wearer’s HP, Stamina and Equip Load; allowing them to gain a dramatic boost in power with little to no effort.
Not only is it useful for every build in the game but it has absolutely zero negative drawbacks; it’s well worth going out of your way to obtain Erdtree’s Favour. Especially its +1 and +2 versions.
It can be found in the following locations:
- Regular Variant: Found in Fringefolk Hero’s Grave, behind the double Imp Statue near the Stranded Graveyard Site Of Grace.
- +1 Variant: Found within a chest in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds after defeating Mohg, The Omen.
- +2 Variant: Found in the large courtyard in Leyndell, Ashen Capital. It’s on a large, protruding tree branch, surrounded by three Lesser Ulcerated Tree Spirits.
Standing as one of the best Talismans in the game, Erdtree’s Favor is widely used among the community.
Shard of Alexander
Serving as both a gentle reminder of an old friend and a powerful trinket, the Shard of Alexander Talisman is well worth the effort to obtain and is compatible with almost every possible character build in the game; which as you can imagine, is pretty useful.
It applies a flat 15% damage increase to Skills, which refers to the Ashes of War that can be collected all over The Lands Between. This buff doesn’t just apply to physical Ashes of War like Sheathe or Lion’s Claw, it also applies to magical, ranged and status effect-based ones as well.
The Shard of Alexander can only be obtained by completing Alexander, the Warrior Jar’s questline; since he only drops it after it’s concluded.
It’s nice knowing that even in death, Alexander can still journey together with you
Green Turtle Talisman
This Talisman is both useful and very straightforward.
It simply increases the holder’s speed of Stamina recovery, which allows them to continuously dodge, attack or dash for much longer periods than usual. Naturally, this makes the Green Turtle Talisman a pretty useful item for all builds but it doesn’t often get used for too long, in favour of more unique and specific Talismans.
Interestingly, its effect can be stacked with Stamina-increasing items. the Green Turtle Shell and the Pickled Turtle Neck.
This charm can be found in an underground area in Summonwater Village, just outside the aforementioned settlement. Note that you’ll have to use a Stonesword Key to enter the area.
Maybe its because of their durability but turtles have a particular affinity with stamina in Elden Ring
Mass-Graven/Flock’s Canvas Talisman
For spell-focused characters using either Sorcery or Incantations, these Talismans are simply necessary, especially when you get to the later levels of Elden Ring.
The reason why these two items are so important is that they provide a dramatic boost to offensive magical spells and certain Ashes of War. This can turn seemingly weak spells into reliable sources of damage or already powerful spells into devastating, one-hit kill attacks.
- Mass-Graven Talisman: Greatly increases the damage of offensive Sorceries
- Flock’s Canvas Talisman: Greatly increases the damage of offensive Incantations
Obtaining either of the Talismans can be a bit difficult, probably due to how powerful they are:
- Mass Graven Talisman: Found within a chest in Albinauric Rise, in the east-most section of the Consecrated Snowfield.
- Flock’s Canvas Talisman: Dropped from Sage Gowry whenever he is ‘crying’. To make him bawl, complete Millicent’s questline or kill her at any point.
Rotted Winged Sword Talisman
Depending on your build and choice of weapon, the Rotted Winged Sword Talisman is either necessary or rather useless.
Simply put, this charm greatly increases the amount of damage you deal with every hit. This means that constantly attacking and being aggressive in battle is greatly rewarded. The Rotted Winged Sword Talisman has three levels of power and is also time-dependent, meaning that if you don’t attack frequently or quickly enough, it will have little to no effect.
Now, as you can imagine weapons like dual-katanas, daggers and other fast-paced weapons are ideal when using this specific Talisman since they only reach their true potential after numerous successive attacks.
You can get your hands on this item by progressing Millicent’s questline up until she reaches Elphael, The Brace of the Haligtree. You must then choose to help her defeat her sisters.
Bearing some semblance to Malenia, this Talisman is rewards aggressive and fast-paced battle tactics.
Conclusion
After everything’s said and done, these are just a tiny amount of Talismans in the game and they appeal to a wide array of character builds. If you’re going for a more specialised build, like an Archer or a Perfumer; you’ll have to try different Talismans and see what works for you.
(Credit goes to Dare to Game for the video and Karpo Gaming for the images)
