Magic in Elden Ring comes in two forms: Sorceries and Incantations. Sorceries are dependent on the player’s Intelligence stat, and allow the user to conjure projectile darts, rain down meteors, or destroy enemies with icy blasts. Whereas, Incantations are dependent on the player’s Faith stat, and allow the user to heal or enchant weapons, or unleash the powers of the Outer Gods themselves.
Both can turn a Tarnished into a living weapon, capable of breezing through any that stand in their path, but only sorceries have the sheer spectacle to make a player feel like a god. The Lands Between is filled with dozens of unique spells to find or purchase off fellow, entrepreneurial sorcerers. That being said, with so many to choose from, which sorceries rise above the rest? Which are better for clearing out groups of enemies and which excel against bosses? And which will finally fell the mighty Radahn?
Speed and power make the Glintstone Pebble essential for all sorcerers.
Glintstone Pebble
| Stat Requirements | Cost | |
| Intelligence | FP | Stamina |
| 10 | 7 | 20 |
Despite being one of the earliest sorceries players can acquire in Elden Ring, the Glintstone Pebble is an astonishingly powerful and versatile spell. Great range, rapid cast time, and low cost more than makeup for its lower damage output.
Even better, this spell scales with Intelligence, so the higher your stat, the deadlier this magic pebble becomes.
Glintstone Pebbles can be chained by casting them in quick succession, interrupting weaker enemies and those with low poise to stun-lock them in place. Requiring only 10 Intelligence means this is a spell any build can pick up and use with ease, not just magic aficionados. Combined with an FP cost of 7 and a Stamina cost of 20, makes this a spell you might take all the way to Malenia herself.
Where to find:
Choosing the Astrologer class grants the player this sorcery as a starting spell. Otherwise, Glintstone Pebble can be purchased from Sorceress Sellen in the Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave.
Goodness, gracious, great balls of magic!
Rock Sling
| Stat Requirements | Cost | |
| Intelligence | FP | Stamina |
| 18 | 18 | 29 |
Another sorcery that can be found early in the game, Rock Sling excels due to its speed and simplicity. Casting this spell raises three boulders from the earth and launches them towards an unwitting foe, staggering them and dealing a decent amount of damage.
Its range and power make it great for dealing with crowds and gigantic foes (like dragons and trolls) alike.
Buff Rock Sling’s damage even further by using it in tandem with the Meteorite Staff. Requiring an Intelligence of 18 means players will have to make more of an investment than with the Glintstone Pebble, but it is one that pays off. With a cost of only 18FP and 29 Stamina per cast, Rock Sling can be cast over and over again with ease, making short work of any foe.
Where to find:
Rock Sling is located in a chest in a cellar below the Streets of Sages Ruins in Caelid, guarded by several Servants of Rot.
Destroy foes by hurling a miniature moon at them!
Ranni’s Dark Moon
| Stat Requirements | Cost | |
| Intelligence | FP | Stamina |
| 68 | 62 | 32 |
This spectacle of a spell is one of the most impressive-looking sorceries in the entire game. Not to mention the fact that it deals a great amount of damage and inflicts Frostbite on top of it all. Fill an enemy’s Frostbite gauge and any further magic attacks will hit for 30% more damage.
Casting this sorcery conjures a cold, dark moon to launch at your foes.
Despite being slow to cast, Ranni’s Dark Moon is well worth it for the damage and status effects it inflicts. With a required Intelligence of 68, this is only a spell for magic purists. And a cost of 62FP and 32 Stamina per cast means it’s best used as an initial barrage to wipe out any weaker enemies and set the stronger ones up for a series of quicker follow-ups. Its huge damage output makes it the perfect way to start most boss fights.
Where to find:
Ranni’s Dark Moon can be found in Chelona’s Rise. Follow Ranni’s questline in order to find this tower and unlock the seal barring entrance, then climb to the top and open the chest to claim it.
Magic bows trump regular bows any day.
Loretta’s Greatbow
| Stat Requirements | Cost | |
| Intelligence | FP | Stamina |
| 26 | 28 | 30 |
If sheer range and power are what you’re after, look no further than Loretta’s Greatbow. Casting this spell conjuries an enormous spectral bow and arrow that can either be held and charged to inflict huge amounts of damage on a target or quickly released to fire rapid potshots.
These quick-fire casts are perfect for staggering any speedy enemies hoping to close the distance.
Loretta’s Greatbow will fulfil your archery dreams without ever having to invest in finding and upgrading a real bow. With an Intelligence requirement of 26, this is a sorcery for those Tarnished dedicated on going down the magic route. With a cost of 28FP (brought down from 32FP by a recent patch) and 30 Stamina per cast, magic builds can fire and forget without ever needing to get within melee range of most enemies.
Where to find:
Loretta’s Greatbow is located in Caria Manor. Simply defeat the boss, Royal Knight Loretta (the spell’s namesake), and the sorcery is yours.
This mighty beam of pure magic is still overpowered, despite the nerfs.
Comet Azur
| Stat Requirements | Cost | |
| Intelligence | FP | Stamina |
| 60 | 40 | 34 |
Just as much of a showstopper as Ranni’s Dark Moon, Comet Azur casts an incredibly powerful magical beam that obliterates anything foolish enough to stray into its path. This sorcery is so powerful, in fact, that many have decried it as ‘game-breaking’.
That being said, if you’ve ever wanted to feel like an unstoppable, all-powerful mage, this is the sorcery for you. Just make sure to have your back and sides covered, as this spell’s slow wind-up and long animation leave you vulnerable to attack.
With an Intelligence requirement of 60, this is a magic-build-only sorcery, but a powerful payoff for an expensive investment. A cost of 40FP and 34 Stamina means keeping this deadly beam firing will rapidly use up your reserves. However, anything standing directly in front of you should be a smoking corpse by then.
Not content with Comet Azur’s staggering damage output? Make it even more powerful by wearing Azur’s Glintstone Crown (found by completing Sorceress Sellen’s Questline and taking her side at the end) to do an extra 15% damage. To negate the 15% spell cost the crown adds, simply mix the Cerulean Hidden Tear into your Wonderous Physick and eliminate all FP consumption for a small window of time.
Where to find:
Comet Azur is located near the Hermit Village in Mt Gelmir. Simply interact with Primeval Sorcerer Azur, hunched over by the cliffs, and this sorcery of mass destruction is yours.
Craving more magical and mystical mysteries from Elden Ring? Take a look at VaatiVidya’s 25 Enlightening Secrets:
Still not convinced about sorceries in Elden Ring? Try reading this article to find out more and see if the path of the sorcerer is right for you.
Or, if you are after something more melee-focused, discover which of Elden Ring‘s bleed weapons are the best.
