Magic fills the world of Elden Ring, and those players willing to tap into its power will soon find themselves rising above the rest. Whether it is unleashing the power of the stars with Intelligence and Sorceries, or the power of the Outer Gods themselves with Faith and Incantations, canny players can decimate the Demigods with the flick of a wrist.
So, with a myriad of prophets and pyromancers, miracles and magic seals spread throughout the Lands Between, how does one know which Incantations are best? Which will leave nothing but corpses and ash in your wake? And which will help you take down even the dreaded Dragonlord Placidussax?
Here are the top five incantations in Elden Ring.
Swarm of Flies
Blood loss, also known as Hemorrhage in-game, is well known in the Elden Ring community as a frankly overpowered status effect. Most enemies and bosses are weak to it to some degree and so it pays to have a good bleed weapon or spell in your arsenal. Swarm of Flies is one such spell. Casting this incantation unleashes a horde of flesh-eating flies that home in on any nearby enemies, causing massive bleed build-up and damage.
Taking power from the Lord of Blood himself, this spell pairs perfectly with bleed weapons like the Rivers of Blood to inflict tremendous amounts of damage quickly. Only requiring a Faith of 11 and Arcane of 16 means even low-level mages can get in on the fun. It costs 14FP and 24 stamina per cast.
Where to find
Swarm of Flies is located on a corpse in the Mohgwyn Palace blood marsh. Look for it inside a small cave north of the Palace Approach Ledge-Road Site of Grace.
Bleed your enemies dry with Swarm of Flies.
Lightning Spear
A staple of every Soulsborne title and a reliable damage-dealer, the Lightning Spear should be a mainstay in every mage’s spell slots. Using this incantation conjures forth a great bolt of lightning to hurl at your enemies. And once you get the feel for it, you won’t ever look back.
Taking power from the dragons themselves, this spell’s relatively quick animation and hefty damage makes it perfect for picking off enemies at a distance or staying out of reach of a boss’s sweeping attacks. Charging it up will not only increase its power but also adds a nice AOE bonus.
A required Faith of 17 also means that this is an incantation that can be added to most players’ arsenals early on. Even before they commit down the Faith build route. It has a cost of 18FP and 28 Stamina per cast.
Where to find
Lightning Spear can be purchased for 6,000 runes after acquiring the Dragon Cult Prayerbook and handing it over to either Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows. The book can be found by killing the Leyndell Knight found patrolling south of the Artist’s Shack.
A favourite for Soulsborne veterans.
Frenzied Burst
Madness is a new status effect introduced in Elden Ring, but one that can cause a considerable amount of damage if used correctly. Frenzied Burst is one of many spells found in-game that inflicts Madness (both on enemies and the player themselves). Casting this incantation emits a powerful beam of frenzied flame from the user’s eyes.
Drawing its power from the Frenzied Flame itself, this spell has incredibly long range and fires incredibly quickly. This makes it great for picking off foes one by one from a distance, but also perfect for catching out other players in PvP. Unless they have the reflexes of a superhero, this spell will catch them every time.
Frenzied Burst has a Faith requirement of 22, and a cost of 24FP and 33 Stamina per cast. This means that, while it is powerful, you won’t be able to fire too many off unless you commit to a strong Faith build.
Where to find
Frenzied Burst is located in the Liurnia of the Lakes region. Simply kill the Teardrop scarab south of the Church of Inhibition and the incantation is yours.
Snipe your enemies from afar with Frenzied Burst.
The Flame of Frenzy
Another Madness-based spell and one that can quickly send your own Tarnished mad if used too often in quick succession. That being said, The Flame of Frenzy is a highly powerful spell that can be found early on in the game. It works wonders against human enemies, burning them and sending them mad. Casting this spell causes gouts of yellow frenzied flame to erupt from the user’s eyes.
Taking power from the Outer God of the Frenzied Flame, this incantation creates quite the spectacle and covers a wide area. This means it’s the perfect spell for dealing with large mobs. Just make sure to keep your distance, as this spell can take a few seconds to wind up, especially when charged. It also works wonders in PvP and against human enemies that like to roll, as its wide area of effect is guaranteed to catch them.
Requiring the low Faith stat of 16 means this an incantation any who gets their hands on it can play around with. It costs 16FP and 30 Stamina to cast and can be chained.
Where to find
The Flame of Frenzy is located in the Callu Baptismal Church in the Weeping Peninsula. Just look for the corpse on the left-hand side of the church.
Obliterate your foes with the madness of an Outer God.
Giantsflame Take Thee
Spectacle isn’t everything when it comes to choosing which incantations are right for you, but it certainly helps. And Giantsflame Take Thee combines spectacle and power like nothing else. Casting this incantation creates a truly enormous raging ball of fire to hurl at your enemies.
Taking power from the Fire Giants, this spell creates a massive explosion when it hits, dealing huge damage to the target as well as extra AOE damage and knockback to anything else unfortunate enough to be standing nearby. Charging the spell before releasing it only makes this explosion bigger. As a result, Giantsflame Take Thee is perfect for clearing out large groups of powerful enemies, but can also make a hefty dent in a boss’s health bar. Especially considering many bosses are weak to fire damage.
Requiring a faith of 30, this is an incantation for true mages and devotees of the Outer Gods. Similarly, its cost of 32FP and 34 Stamina per cast means it can only be used sparingly. But seeing as it will burn through the health of most anything it touches, you won’t need many to fell even the toughest boss.
Where to find
Giantsflame Take Thee can be purchased for 13,000 runes after acquiring the Giant’s Prayerbook and handing it over to either Brother Corhyn or Miriel, Pastor of Vows. The book can be found on top of Guardian’s Garrison in the Mountaintops of the Giants.
Goodness, gracious, great ball of fire!
Stats Overview
| Spell | Requirement | Cost |
| Swarm of Flies | 11 Faith 16 Arcane | 14 FP 24 Stamina |
| Lightning Spear | 17 Faith | 18 FP 28 Stamina |
| Frenzied Burst | 22 Faith | 24 FP 33 Stamina |
| The Flame of Frenzy | 16 Faith | 16 FP 30 Stamina |
| Giantsflame Take Thee | 30 Faith | 32 FP 34 Stamina |
If you have the time and wish to find out more about the power behind two of these powerful incantations, watch VaatiVidya’s video of the Lord of Frenzied Flame:
If Sorceries and Intelligence-builds are more your speed, explore the best Sorceries in Elden RIng.
Or, if you prefer to get up close and personal with the horrors that roam the Lands Between, read up on the best Bleed Weapons in Elden Ring.
