Top 12 Best Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring DLC

Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion introduces a revolutionary Spirit Ashes system that transforms combat dynamics. These spectral allies provide tactical advantages that can turn impossible battles into manageable encounters. Understanding summon mechanics is crucial—each Spirit Ash consumes Focus Points (FP) and has unique aggression patterns, damage types, and survivability metrics that determine their effectiveness against different enemy types.

Strategic deployment principles involve timing your summons based on boss attack patterns, positioning them to draw aggro effectively, and pairing them with complementary player builds. Many players underestimate the importance of summon positioning, which can mean the difference between victory and defeat in challenging DLC encounters.

1. Mimic Tear

The Mimic Tear stands unparalleled as the most versatile summon, creating an exact duplicate of your character with all equipped weapons, armor, and abilities. This spectral twin operates independently, perfectly replicating your combat style while drawing enemy attention away from you. Advanced users optimize their Mimic by equipping specific talismans and weapons before summoning, then switching to their preferred loadout afterward. This strategy allows for specialized builds that maximize the clone’s effectiveness while maintaining your preferred playstyle.

Common mistakes include summoning with suboptimal gear or failing to coordinate attacks with your duplicate. The Mimic excels in prolonged engagements where its ability to tank damage and apply consistent pressure creates openings for your most powerful attacks.

3. Dung Eater

Dung Eater has emerged as a dominant force in endgame scenarios, particularly against DLC bosses with massive health pools. His Shriek of Milos ability not only deals significant damage but also reduces enemy defenses, making subsequent attacks more effective. The constant bleed application combined with exceptional poise breaking capability makes him invaluable against aggressive opponents.

Optimal deployment involves summoning Dung Eater at the start of boss encounters to establish immediate pressure. His aggression pattern focuses on closing distance and maintaining offensive pressure, making him ideal for players who prefer ranged or spellcasting builds that benefit from drawn-out engagements.

4. Horned Warrior Ashes

This summon operates as an enhanced version of shield soldiers with dramatically improved offensive capabilities. Once committed to an attack sequence, the Horned Warrior will complete it regardless of incoming damage, creating guaranteed damage windows. His horn-calling skill not only inflicts bleed but also interrupts enemy attack animations, providing crucial breathing room.

The Horned Warrior’s most valuable trait is his ability to instantly draw aggro from multiple targets, effectively becoming the primary combatant for extended periods. Against Crucible Knights and similar tough foes, his knockdown capability can trivialize otherwise challenging matchups.

5. Ancient Dragon Florissax

Ancient Dragon Florissax presents a specialized summon that demands specific tactical approaches. Her 25% lightning vulnerability becomes a 40% weakness when combined with charged Flower Stone Gavel attacks. The optimal strategy involves completely abandoning defensive maneuvers in favor of relentless lightning assault while she’s active.

Players should equip lightning-infused weapons and spells like Lightning Spear or Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike. The key is maintaining constant offensive pressure during her summon duration, as any defensive actions waste her unique damage amplification potential.

6. Divine Bird Warrior Ornis

Ornis combines aerial mobility with knight-like durability, creating a hybrid summon capable of adapting to diverse combat scenarios. His ability to dodge attacks while maintaining offensive pressure makes him exceptionally valuable against bosses with predictable attack patterns.

Despite a modest health pool, Ornis’s combat intelligence allows him to avoid damage while consistently applying pressure. His giant feather projectiles provide ranged damage, while sword attacks handle close-quarters combat. This versatility makes him particularly effective in arenas with environmental hazards where positioning flexibility is crucial.

7. Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff

Kristoff represents the tank archetype among Spirit Ashes, boasting exceptional health and elemental resistances. His thunderbolt barrage ability can solo certain bosses when paired with Flower Stone Gavel, though his effectiveness diminishes against highly mobile opponents.

Advanced tactics involve using Kristoff as an anchor point around which to structure your combat approach. His partisan weapon becomes devastating when enhanced, though players must compensate for his limited mobility by controlling engagement distances.

8. Black Knife Tiche

Once dominant, Black Knife Tiche has seen reduced effectiveness in DLC content due to increased boss damage output. Her signature weapon debuff remains valuable against high-health targets, reducing maximum HP by 10% per successful hit. However, her low survivability makes her unreliable in extended engagements against bosses like Radahn.

Optimal use involves deploying Tiche against slower, tankier bosses where her debuff can accumulate over time. Her agility allows her to avoid certain attacks that would destroy less mobile summons.

Common mistakes include using Tiche against highly aggressive bosses where her health pool cannot withstand sustained pressure. Instead, reserve her for encounters where you can capitalize on the HP reduction while providing supporting damage.

9. Bigmouth Imp Ashes

This unassuming summon delivers incredible crowd control capability for minimal FP investment. The Bigmouth Imp can perpetually stun-lock human-sized enemies and surprisingly affect larger foes like Tree Sentinels. Its 50 FP cost makes it accessible even for builds with minimal investment in mind attributes.

The imp’s stun-lock mechanic works against enemies that appear immune to conventional staggering. Its small size allows it to avoid certain area attacks that would hit larger summons, extending its battlefield longevity.

10. Taylew the Golem Smith

Taylew functions as a defensive fortress, excelling at area denial and creating safe zones. Despite having the lowest raw HP at 392, his innate damage reduction effectively doubles his effective health pool, making him surprisingly durable.

Pairing Taylew with healing and regeneration builds extends his effectiveness dramatically. Using Elden Ring runes to enhance his capabilities transforms him from a simple tank into an immovable object that controls battlefield flow.

11. Omenkiller Rollo

Omenkiller Rollo handles standard enemies effectively but struggles against DLC bosses with complex attack patterns. His fire attacks, while visually impressive, often leave him vulnerable during extended animation sequences.

The 40% fire damage reduction provides decent survivability against specific enemy types, particularly fire-based bosses. However, his inconsistent aggression patterns make him unreliable in critical encounters.

Optimal use involves deploying Rollo against groups of standard enemies or bosses with simple mechanical patterns where his aggro-holding capability shines.

12. Greatshield Soldiers Ashes

These soldiers create an impenetrable defensive line with 90% guard absorption and 160 base stamina. They excel against bosses with frontal assault patterns but suffer against highly mobile or aerial opponents.

Environmental awareness is crucial when using Greatshield Soldiers—falling debris and similar hazards bypass their defensive capabilities entirely.

Against most conventional enemies, they form an unwavering barrier that allows you to execute complex spells or charged attacks safely.

Conclusion

Mastering Spirit Ashes deployment requires understanding each summon’s specific strengths, weaknesses, and optimal use cases. The most effective strategy involves building a diverse arsenal of summons and selecting the optimal companion based on specific encounter requirements. Advanced players often develop specialized loadouts optimized for particular Spirit Ashes, then adjust their combat approach accordingly.

Resource management is crucial—consider FP costs, summon duration, and the strategic value each Spirit Ash provides in different combat scenarios. Proper timing and positioning can elevate even mid-tier summons to game-changing effectiveness.

Remember that no single Spirit Ash excels in all situations. The true mastery comes from recognizing which summon complements your build and the specific challenges presented by each boss encounter in Elden Ring’s challenging DLC content.

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