Honestly, if you're still just spamming Lightning Spear and calling it a day, you are missing out on about 90% of what makes a Faith build actually fun. Elden Ring isn't just a "press button to throw rock" simulator. It’s a complex, often frustrating, but deeply rewarding system of elemental rock-paper-scissors. You've got everything from literal god-killing black flames to the ability to grow a dragon's head and barf rot all over a boss.
There are over 120 different incantations now, especially after the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC dropped. That’s a lot of memory slots.
Most people think Faith is just "yellow magic." Wrong. It’s fire, lightning, physical rocks, holy light, blood, poison, and even the literal gravity of the stars. If you want to master all incantations Elden Ring has to offer, you have to stop thinking about them as just spells and start thinking about them as a toolkit.
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The Secret Geometry of Sacred Seals
Basically, your seal is your engine. If you put a lawnmower engine in a Ferrari, you’re gonna have a bad time. You can’t just pick the one that looks the coolest. Well, you can, but your damage will suck.
Most players find the Finger Seal early and stick with it way too long. It’s fine for Limgrave. It’s "okay" for Liurnia. But once you hit the mid-game, you need to specialize. If you're pumping Faith to 80, the Erdtree Seal is the king. No contest. It has the highest pure scaling in the game once you cross that 69 Faith threshold.
But wait. What if you're a hybrid?
- Strength/Faith: You want the Clawmark Seal. It actually lets your Strength stat boost your spell damage. You can literally throw a Stone of Gurranq harder because you're buff.
- Intelligence/Faith: The Golden Order Seal is arguably the best seal in the entire game for high-level players. At 45/45 or higher, its scaling becomes absolute nonsense.
- Arcane/Faith: Use the Dragon Communion Seal. It makes status effects like Bleed and Frostbite build up faster. It's basically cheating for Swarm of Flies.
The pro tip nobody tells you? Off-handing. You can hold the Erdtree Seal in your right hand to cast (because it has the best raw numbers) and hold the Gravel Stone Seal in your left hand. You’ll get the 15% damage boost to lightning just for holding it, even if you don't use it to cast.
Why You’re Using Fire Wrong
Fire incantations are split into three "families," and they don't like each other. You have the Fire Monk spells, the Giants' Flame nukes, and the Godslayer black flames.
Giantsflame Take Thee is the big one. It’s a nuke. It knocks Malenia flat on her face. If you aren't using the Godfrey Icon to charge it, you’re leaving 15% damage on the table. But then there's Catch Flame. It looks like a tiny campfire puff. In reality? It’s the highest DPS (damage per second) spell in the game. You can cast it while running. You can cast it after a jump. It's faster than most daggers.
Then we have the Black Flame. These are "percentile" damage spells. They deal a flat amount of damage plus a percentage of the boss's total HP. This means Black Flame is actually better against Elden Beast than almost anything else because it doesn't care how much HP the boss has; it’s taking a bite out of the health bar regardless.
The DLC Changes Everything
With the Land of Shadow expansion, we got Messmer’s Flame. It’s chaotic. It’s fast. Fire Serpent tracks enemies around corners like a homing missile. If you're struggling with fast bosses that dodge your Fireballs, switch to the Serpent. It’s basically the "anti-dodge" incantation.
The Dragon Problem
Dragon Communion incantations are flashy. They’re cool. They also get you killed.
The wind-up for Agheel’s Flame or Ekzykes's Decay is long enough for a boss to walk over, make a sandwich, and then hit you with a heavy attack. You have to use these as "punishment" tools. When a boss is stuck in a long recovery animation, that's when you bring out the dragon head.
Rotten Breath is still the "I give up" button for many players. It procs Scarlet Rot. Most bosses in the game (including Radahn and even the final DLC boss) are vulnerable to it. But don't sleep on Dragonmaw. It’s a physical bite. It has some of the highest poise damage in the game. You can literally crunch through a knight's shield with one chomp.
Holy Damage: The "Late Game" Trap
Here is the truth: Holy damage is amazing for 80% of the game and then it hits a brick wall.
Most of the final bosses in the base game—Maliketh, Radagon, Elden Beast—have 80% resistance to Holy. If you try to use Elden Stars or Radagon's Rings of Light on them, you might as well be throwing wet paper towels.
However, against those annoying "Those Who Live in Death" (skeletons), Holy is a godsend. Litany of Proper Death doesn't just kill them; it prevents them from reviving. It's niche, but it saves your sanity in the catacombs.
Legendary Incantations: Are They Worth It?
There are only a few "Legendary" incantations required for the achievement, and honestly, they're a mixed bag.
- Flame of the Fell God: It’s slow. It follows the enemy like a balloon. But when it hits? Huge explosion. Great for PvP to force an opponent to roll.
- Greyoll’s Roar: This is actually a debuff. It lowers the enemy's attack and defense. It’s one of the best spells for a "support" build.
- Elden Stars: Beautiful. Cinematic. Completely useless for damage. Use it to distract people in PvP, but don't expect it to kill a boss.
Finding the Hidden Gems
- Pest Threads: Use this on big bosses like dragons or the Elden Beast. The threads hit multiple times as they pass through large hitboxes. It’s a shredder.
- Flame, Grant Me Strength: Every physical or fire build needs this. It’s a 20% buff. It stacks with Golden Vow. Never leave home without it.
- Bestial Sling: It’s "pocket sand." It comes out instantly. It interrupts spellcasters. It’s the ultimate "get off me" move.
Real Talk: The "Best" Build in 2026
If you want to feel like a god, you go 60 Faith / 45 Arcane. This gives you access to the Dragon Communion Seal's insane scaling and allows you to use Bayle's Tyranny (from the DLC).
This setup allows you to pivot between Fire, Lightning, Physical, and status effects. You aren't locked into one damage type. Flexibility is the only way to survive the higher New Game plus cycles.
How to Get Started with All Incantations
- Hunt the Prayerbooks: Most spells are locked behind books you give to Brother Corhyn or Miriel (the Turtle Pope). Don't kill the turtle. Just don't.
- Seek the Scarabs: Many of the best utility spells, like Barrier of Gold, are dropped by invisible or teleporting beetles. Watch for the glowing footprints.
- Memory Stones: You can't use 120 spells if you only have 2 slots. Hunt the "Oridys's Rise" type towers to expand your mind.
Mastering every incantation in the game isn't about memorizing a list. It's about knowing that when a boss is covered in water, you use lightning. When they're huge, you use threads. When they're fast, you use the serpent. Faith is the most versatile stat in Elden Ring, provided you're willing to swap your spells at the Site of Grace.
Next time you're stuck on a boss, stop hitting your head against the wall with the same sword. Change your "attunement." There is almost always an incantation that makes a "hard" boss look like a joke. Just make sure you're holding the right seal when you cast it.