Faith builds live and die by how well their incantations perform when the pressure is on, whether that’s trading into Malenia’s Waterfowl, breaking poise in invasions, or squeezing damage out of a single Flask in a Legacy Dungeon. In 2023, incantations are no longer just flashy miracles or niche support tools. Post-launch balance patches have pushed them into a space where optimization actually matters, and bad spell choices will actively hold your build back.
This tier list is built for Tarnished who care about results. Every incantation is judged by how consistently it performs across real combat scenarios, not how cool it looks in a vacuum or how hard it hits a stationary target. PvE boss pressure, PvP duels, invasions, and co-op utility all factor into where a spell lands.
Patch Landscape and Why 2023 Changes Everything
The biggest factor shaping this ranking is the post-1.07 patch environment, where FromSoftware split PvE and PvP scaling. Incantations that were once oppressive in duels but mediocre against bosses, or vice versa, now behave very differently depending on the context. That split fundamentally changed how Faith casters approach loadouts, especially in hybrid builds.
Patch 1.09 and its follow-ups quietly rebalanced several underused incantations by adjusting FP costs, cast speed scaling, and poise damage. Dragon Cult and Bestial incantations, in particular, benefited from these tweaks, pushing some long-ignored spells into genuine meta relevance. This tier list reflects how those changes play out in live gameplay, not outdated launch-era assumptions.
Core Evaluation Criteria
Raw damage is only one piece of the puzzle. DPS matters, but so does how reliably an incantation lands, how it interacts with enemy hitboxes, and whether it leaves you exposed during long cast animations. Spells with high theoretical damage but terrible recovery frames are heavily penalized, especially in PvP.
FP efficiency is another major pillar. Incantations that drain your entire FP bar for one cast have to justify that cost with boss-melting potential or game-changing utility. If a spell forces constant Flask chugging without delivering consistent value, it drops fast in the rankings.
Scaling, Cast Speed, and Build Synergy
Faith scaling alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Some of the strongest incantations in 2023 thrive in hybrid setups, scaling with Arcane, Strength, or Dexterity in ways that reward intentional stat investment. Dragon Communion seals, Clawmark Seal synergies, and Dex-based cast speed breakpoints are all factored into placement.
Cast speed is evaluated in practical terms, not just stat sheets. Incantations that become viable only after heavy Dexterity investment or Radagon Icon support are judged on whether that investment makes sense compared to alternative options. If a spell demands too much setup to feel good, it loses points.
Utility, Pressure, and Real Combat Value
Utility spells are ranked by how often they meaningfully change the outcome of a fight. Buffs, debuffs, status buildup, and crowd control are weighed against their setup time and vulnerability. A fast, low-commitment buff that fits naturally into combat flow ranks higher than a powerful effect that gets you hit mid-cast.
In PvP, pressure and unpredictability matter. Incantations that force rolls, drain stamina, or control space score higher than slow, telegraphed nukes. In PvE, consistency against aggressive bosses and multiple-enemy encounters takes priority over one-shot potential.
Every incantation in this tier list earns its placement by proving its worth under these criteria. The goal isn’t to tell you what looks cool, but to show which spells actually carry you through the Lands Between in 2023, and which ones are better left memorized for lore runs.
Faith Scaling, Seal Choices, and Build Synergy Fundamentals
Once raw damage, FP efficiency, and combat pressure are accounted for, incantation performance lives or dies by scaling efficiency and seal optimization. In 2023, post-patch balance has made seal choice just as important as stat investment, especially for hybrid Faith builds that want flexibility without sacrificing DPS. A top-tier incantation on paper can easily fall a full tier if it’s paired with the wrong seal or stat spread.
Understanding how Faith scaling actually interacts with seals, secondary stats, and casting speed is the difference between a build that feels clunky and one that dominates both bosses and invasions.
Faith Scaling Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Pure Faith scaling still defines the backbone of most incantation builds, but it’s no longer the default best option for every spell. Many of the highest-performing incantations in 2023 scale better when Faith is treated as a foundation rather than a capstone. Pushing Faith to soft caps without considering secondary scaling often leads to diminishing returns.
This is especially noticeable once you cross into the 60–80 Faith range. At that point, hybrid scaling with Strength, Arcane, or Dexterity frequently outpaces raw Faith investment, both in damage per cast and overall combat flow.
Seal Choice Dictates Tier Placement
Sacred Seal selection is one of the most decisive factors in this tier list. The Erdtree Seal still dominates pure Faith setups at high levels, but its lack of specialization holds certain incantations back compared to more focused seals. If an incantation only shines with Erdtree-level Faith investment, it’s judged harshly unless it delivers exceptional value.
Dragon Communion Seal remains a standout for Arcane hybrids, dramatically boosting Dragon incantations while enabling status buildup that pure Faith can’t replicate. This seal is a major reason Dragon Communion spells rank higher in 2023 than they did at launch, especially in PvP where bleed and rot pressure win fights before raw damage does.
Strength, Arcane, and Dexterity Synergies
Clawmark Seal fundamentally changes how certain incantations are evaluated. Strength-scaling incantations benefit from melee-oriented builds that naturally sit in enemy threat ranges, reducing downtime between casts and punishes. These spells earn higher tiers when their scaling aligns with aggressive play rather than passive casting.
Arcane scaling deserves special mention because it doesn’t just boost damage. It accelerates status buildup, which massively increases real-world effectiveness in both PvE boss fights and PvP duels. Incantations that inflict bleed, madness, or rot gain disproportionate value when paired with Arcane-focused seals.
Dexterity doesn’t increase incantation damage, but it directly impacts cast speed breakpoints. Spells that feel unusable at base speed often jump entire tiers when paired with Dex investment or Radagon Icon, but only if that investment fits naturally into the build. If a spell requires excessive Dex just to function, it loses points compared to faster, more flexible alternatives.
Build Synergy Over Raw Numbers
This tier list prioritizes incantations that integrate smoothly into real builds, not isolated damage tests. Spells that complement melee pressure, stagger windows, or status loops consistently outperform technically stronger but awkward options. An incantation that fits seamlessly into a Faith/Strength or Faith/Arcane loop is ranked higher than one that demands constant disengagement.
Buffs and utility incantations are also judged by how easily they slot into optimized rotations. If a buff forces you to overinvest in Faith or locks you into a specific seal with poor scaling elsewhere, its tier reflects that opportunity cost. The best incantations in 2023 don’t just scale well, they respect your build’s time, stats, and stamina.
Why This Matters for Tier Rankings
Every incantation’s tier placement assumes optimal seal pairing and realistic stat investment, not theoretical max values. Spells that only shine in extreme setups or niche stat spreads are ranked accordingly, even if their ceiling is high. Consistency, adaptability, and synergy are weighted more heavily than raw AR numbers.
If an incantation performs well across multiple seals and stat distributions, it gains tier stability. If it collapses outside of a narrow build window, it slides down. This approach ensures the rankings reflect how incantations actually perform in the Lands Between, not how they look on a spreadsheet.
S-Tier Incantations: Meta-Defining Powerhouses for PvE & PvP
At the top of the hierarchy are incantations that demand respect in every context. These spells don’t just deal damage, they shape encounters, dictate spacing, and force reactions from bosses and players alike. Whether you’re pressuring a Crucible Knight or fishing for roll catches in invasions, S-tier incantations justify their FP cost every single cast.
Catch Flame
Catch Flame remains the gold standard for close-range incantations, and nothing else comes close to its efficiency. The startup is nearly instant, the FP cost is negligible, and the DPS scales absurdly well with Faith-focused seals. In PvE, it shreds staggered bosses and deletes humanoid enemies faster than most weapons.
In PvP, Catch Flame is a true pressure tool rather than a gimmick. It roll-catches reliably, punishes panic rolls, and integrates seamlessly into melee combos. Faith/Strength builds in particular turn this into a pseudo-light attack that happens to scale off incantation buffs.
Flame, Grant Me Strength
This is not just a buff, it’s a cornerstone of optimized Faith builds. Flame, Grant Me Strength boosts both physical and fire damage, which means it double-dips for an enormous number of meta setups. Strength/Faith, Fire-infused weapons, Black Flame spells, and even some Dragon Communion builds all benefit.
The cast time is short enough to weave into real combat rotations, especially with Radagon Icon. In both PvE and PvP, the damage increase is immediately noticeable and often decisive. Any incantation tier list that undervalues this spell misunderstands how damage stacking actually works in Elden Ring.
Giantsflame Take Thee
Giantsflame Take Thee defines high-risk, high-reward Faith casting. When fully charged, it delivers some of the highest burst damage available to incantation users, with excellent poise damage and a generous explosion radius. In PvE, it trivializes large bosses and melts enemy groups that cluster.
In PvP, its strength lies in prediction and space control. Charged casts punish heals, whiffed attacks, and slow recoveries, often one-shotting lower Vigor targets. It requires smart timing, but the payoff is so high that it earns its S-tier spot without question.
Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike
This incantation is a boss-killer masquerading as a niche spell. Against large enemies, Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike can hit multiple times, resulting in catastrophic damage that few spells can match. Faith/Dex builds with proper positioning can delete endgame bosses in seconds.
While less consistent in PvP, it still has value as an area denial tool during invasions or team fights. Its true strength is PvE dominance, and any Faith build planning to farm or speed through late-game content should build around it.
Pest Threads
Pest Threads continues to fly under the radar despite being one of the strongest PvE incantations in the game. The tracking threads scale brutally against large hitboxes, making dragons, Erdtree Avatars, and late-game monstrosities fold almost instantly. FP efficiency is excellent for the damage dealt.
In PvP, it’s more situational, but still dangerous in close quarters or against careless aggression. Faith builds that want consistent boss damage without relying on long charge times get immense value here.
Frenzied Burst
For PvP-focused Faith builds, Frenzied Burst is non-negotiable. Its absurd range, pinpoint accuracy, and madness buildup turn it into one of the best sniping tools in the game. It punishes flask usage, buffs, and passive play from distances most players consider safe.
In PvE, its value is more limited, but still useful for pulling enemies or safely thinning groups. The real reason it’s S-tier is how completely it warps PvP engagements, especially in open-world invasions.
Black Flame
Black Flame earns its place through consistency rather than spectacle. Percentage-based damage ensures it stays relevant against high-HP bosses, while its fast cast time makes it easy to slot into aggressive rotations. Faith builds that don’t want to overcommit still get excellent returns.
In PvP, Black Flame excels at chip damage and pressure, especially against shield users or defensive playstyles. It may not one-shot, but it steadily forces mistakes, which is often more valuable than raw burst.
Ekzykes’s Decay
Scarlet Rot remains one of the strongest status effects in Elden Ring, and Ekzykes’s Decay applies it faster and more reliably than almost anything else. In PvE, landing this once can decide an entire boss fight, allowing you to play defensively while Rot does the work.
In PvP, it’s a massive threat in invasions and tight spaces, forcing immediate disengagement or cleansing. Faith/Arcane builds extract absurd value from this spell, and its ability to end fights without constant casting cements its S-tier status.
A-Tier Incantations: High-Performance Staples with Situational Limits
Just below the game-warping dominance of S-tier sits a group of incantations that define most Faith builds in 2023. These spells are incredibly strong, efficient, and flexible, but they demand either the right matchup, proper spacing, or specific build investment to truly shine. If S-tier incantations bend the rules, A-tier ones reward mastery.
Lightning Spear
Lightning Spear remains one of the most reliable Faith incantations in the game, even years after launch. Its fast cast time, solid range, and respectable damage make it a staple for PvE progression and early-to-mid game bossing. Charged casts hit surprisingly hard, especially with proper Faith scaling and lightning buffs.
In PvP, it’s no longer oppressive, but still effective as a roll-catch or punish tool. Skilled opponents can dodge it on reaction, which keeps it out of S-tier, but its low FP cost and ease of use ensure it never truly falls off.
Giantsflame Take Thee
For raw burst damage, Giantsflame Take Thee is one of the hardest-hitting incantations Faith builds can access. The explosion radius deletes groups of enemies and chunks bosses with large hitboxes, making it excellent for PvE clearing and stagger pressure. When fully charged, it can rival S-tier nukes in pure damage output.
Its weakness is commitment. Long wind-up and obvious animation make it risky in PvP, where missing often means eating a punish. It’s devastating when it lands, but inconsistent against mobile or patient opponents.
Bestial Sling
Bestial Sling thrives on speed and disruption rather than raw damage. Its near-instant cast time makes it one of the best tools for interrupting enemy actions, breaking poise, and applying constant pressure. In both PvE and PvP, it excels at controlling tempo.
Damage scaling is modest, which keeps it out of the top tier, but its utility is unmatched. Many high-level Faith builds use Bestial Sling as a combo starter, roll-catch tool, or panic button when enemies get too close.
Flame, Grant Me Strength
As a buff, Flame, Grant Me Strength is deceptively powerful. The boost to physical and fire damage massively amplifies melee-focused Faith builds, especially Strength/Faith hybrids using fire-infused weapons or Black Flame setups. In PvE, it dramatically shortens boss fights when layered with other buffs.
The limitation is uptime and context. It requires pre-buffing, positioning, and knowledge of encounter pacing, which makes it less impactful in chaotic PvP scenarios. Still, for optimized damage windows, few incantations offer more value per FP.
Golden Vow
Golden Vow sits firmly in A-tier due to its unmatched versatility. The attack and defense buff benefits every build archetype, making it a universal pick for co-op, invasions, and boss attempts. In PvE, it’s one of the safest ways to increase overall effectiveness without changing playstyle.
Its drawback is opportunity cost. Casting it mid-fight can be dangerous, and the buff strength, while excellent, isn’t enough to single-handedly swing encounters. It’s a cornerstone spell, but not a win condition on its own.
Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike
Against the right targets, this incantation feels completely unfair. Large bosses melt when multiple lightning bolts connect, and the damage scales brutally with Faith and proper positioning. In PvE, it can trivialize encounters that don’t move aggressively.
Consistency is the issue. Smaller enemies and PvP opponents can slip through the hitboxes, turning massive FP investment into wasted air. It’s devastating in ideal scenarios, but unreliable elsewhere, which perfectly defines A-tier.
B-Tier Incantations: Niche Tools, Hybrid Synergies, and Style Picks
B-tier incantations sit in an interesting space. They’re not weak, but they demand intention, matchup knowledge, or a specific build to shine. In the right hands, these spells can feel incredible, but they rarely provide universal value across all PvE and PvP scenarios.
Think of this tier as the toolbox for specialists. If A-tier spells define consistency, B-tier spells reward creativity, timing, and build synergy.
Black Flame
Black Flame remains a staple for Faith builds that understand damage-over-time mechanics. The percentage-based burn effect scales exceptionally well against high-HP bosses, making it a strong PvE option even deep into NG+ cycles. Against slow or predictable enemies, it punches far above its tier.
The problem is tempo. In PvP, the DOT is often cleansed by pressure, healing, or disengagement, and the raw hit damage isn’t threatening enough on its own. It’s excellent for sustained fights, but struggles to close matches without follow-up.
Lightning Spear
Lightning Spear is the definition of reliable but unspectacular. Fast cast speed, solid range, and decent Faith scaling make it a comfortable mid-range poke in both PvE and PvP. It fits cleanly into almost any Faith build without demanding stat compromises.
Its ceiling, however, is low. Damage per FP falls behind higher-tier nukes, and experienced players can roll it on reaction. It’s a workhorse incantation, not a finisher, which keeps it firmly in B-tier.
Catch Flame
Catch Flame is brutally efficient in close quarters. The near-instant cast time allows it to function like a melee attack, shredding enemies during openings and roll catches. On aggressive Faith or Faith/Dex builds, it can output shocking DPS at point-blank range.
Range is the tradeoff. You’re committing to danger, especially in PvP, where spacing and latency matter. When used recklessly, it gets you punished, but in tight encounters or boss stagger windows, it’s extremely effective.
Swarm of Flies
After post-launch balance changes, Swarm of Flies lost its oppressive dominance but retained niche value. The bleed buildup still pressures enemies, and the tracking forces movement, which can disrupt casts or healing attempts. Against bleed-vulnerable targets, it remains annoying in the best way.
Its weaknesses are obvious. FP efficiency is mediocre, damage without bleed is low, and experienced opponents know how to disengage. It’s a harassment tool now, not a win condition, which defines its B-tier placement.
Bestial Vitality
Bestial Vitality doesn’t win fights, but it quietly prevents losses. The slow HP regeneration adds up over long PvE encounters, exploration, and invasions where flasks are limited. For Faith hybrids that don’t want to rely on Crimson Flasks, it’s a smart quality-of-life pick.
In direct combat, it does nothing. The lack of burst healing or combat impact makes it irrelevant in fast PvP exchanges or boss DPS races. Still, for endurance-focused builds and long-form content, its value is undeniable.
B-tier incantations reward players who know exactly what they want from their kit. These spells won’t carry you, but when layered into the right build or matchup, they add depth, flexibility, and personal expression that higher-tier staples often lack.
C-Tier & Below: Underperformers, Meme Spells, and Why They Fall Short
After B-tier, the drop-off is steep. These incantations aren’t just situational; they’re actively outclassed by faster, cheaper, or more reliable options. Some are victims of post-launch nerfs, others were never properly tuned, and a few exist mostly for roleplay or spectacle rather than real combat efficiency.
Flame of the Fell God
On paper, Flame of the Fell God looks like a boss-level nuke. In practice, the cast time is glacial, the tracking is inconsistent, and the payoff rarely justifies the risk. In PvE, many enemies simply walk out of the explosion radius before it detonates.
PvP is even harsher. Any experienced player will roll it on reaction or punish the cast animation outright. For the FP cost and Faith requirement, there are safer fire options that deal comparable damage without gambling your life.
Elden Stars
Elden Stars is visually spectacular and mechanically disappointing. The slow-moving projectiles tickle most enemies, and the final burst rarely connects unless the target is cornered or unaware. Its DPS over time simply can’t compete with Lightning Spear variants or Flame-based nukes.
In PvP, it functions more as noise than pressure. Skilled opponents ignore it, heal through it, or use the distraction to close distance. Outside of style points or lore builds, it has no real place in optimized loadouts.
Black Flame Blade
Black Flame Blade suffers from a brutal identity crisis. The buff duration is extremely short, forcing constant reapplication that kills momentum in both PvE and PvP. While the max HP burn effect is theoretically strong, it rarely has time to matter.
Compared to permanent weapon buffs or Ashes of War that scale better, Black Flame Blade feels outdated. It’s flashy, but unless you’re roleplaying a Blackflame Apostle, it’s more hassle than value.
Lightning Strike
Lightning Strike promises area denial but delivers unreliable results. The random bolt placement introduces too much RNG, leading to inconsistent damage even against large targets. FP efficiency is poor when only one or two strikes actually connect.
In PvP, opponents simply roll through the gaps. Without guaranteed coverage or burst, it fails to control space the way higher-tier lightning incantations do. It’s not useless, just painfully inefficient.
Heal and Great Heal
Standard healing incantations struggle in modern Elden Ring pacing. The long cast times leave you exposed, and in PvP they’re essentially unusable without hard reads or cover. Crimson Flasks and faster heals do the job with less risk.
In PvE, they’re serviceable early on but fall off hard once damage spikes. Faith builds eventually replace them with faster recovery tools or passive regen, leaving these spells behind.
Aspect of the Crucible: Tail
Aspect of the Crucible: Tail is the definition of a meme spell. The animation lock is severe, the hitbox is awkward, and the damage doesn’t justify the commitment. Even when it lands, the payoff feels underwhelming.
In PvP, it’s a free punish for anyone paying attention. In PvE, enemies with hyper-armor or quick recoveries will trade favorably every time. It’s fun to use once, then quickly removed from serious builds.
C-tier and below incantations highlight an important truth about Elden Ring’s balance. Flash, lore significance, or raw numbers don’t matter if a spell can’t keep up with real combat tempo. For optimized Faith builds in 2023, these incantations are best left on the bench unless you’re intentionally playing off-meta or embracing the chaos.
PvE vs PvP Performance Breakdown: Boss Melters, Duel Kings, and Invasion Tech
The real separation between top-tier and mid-tier incantations becomes obvious once you split PvE and PvP use cases. A spell that deletes health bars in boss fights can be borderline useless in duels, while PvP monsters often struggle to find windows against aggressive AI. Understanding where each incantation shines is what turns a Faith build from functional into oppressive.
PvE Boss Melters: DPS, Stagger, and Status Abuse
In PvE, raw damage efficiency and reliability matter more than mind games. Incantations like Black Flame, Black Flame Ritual, Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike, and Giantsflame Take Thee excel because they scale well, hit multiple times, or exploit percentage-based damage. Against high-HP bosses, Black Flame’s burn effect remains absurdly effective even after balance passes.
Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike is the king of large hitboxes. When cast underneath dragons, Erdtree Avatars, or late-game monstrosities, it can delete entire phases in seconds. It’s inconsistent on smaller targets, but when it works, nothing else in the Faith arsenal comes close.
Giantsflame Take Thee thrives on stagger and burst. With proper Faith scaling and Fire buffs, it chunks bosses while frequently knocking them down or interrupting key attacks. FP efficiency is surprisingly solid when each cast removes massive portions of a boss’s health bar.
PvP Duel Kings: Frame Data, Roll Catches, and Pressure
PvP flips the priority entirely. Damage still matters, but cast speed, recovery frames, and roll-catching potential define the meta. Catch Flame, Bestial Sling, Lightning Spear, and Honed Bolt dominate because they’re fast, flexible, and hard to react to.
Catch Flame is arguably the strongest incantation in duels. Its near-instant cast, high DPS up close, and combo potential with melee weapons make it a nightmare in aggressive Faith builds. It turns every whiffed roll into a punish.
Honed Bolt and Lightning Spear control neutral exceptionally well. Honed Bolt pressures from off-screen and punishes passive play, while Lightning Spear forces reaction rolls and sets up follow-ups. Neither relies on gimmicks, which is why they remain consistent across patches.
Invasion Tech: Chaos, Zoning, and Multi-Target Value
Invasions reward incantations that create confusion and punish tunnel vision. AoE spells and lingering hitboxes shine here, especially when fighting multiple players. Flame of Frenzy, Frenzied Burst, and Black Flame Ritual thrive in these chaotic environments.
Flame of Frenzy is less about raw damage and more about area denial. It punishes groups clumping together and forces panic rolls, opening hosts to weapon pressure or follow-up spells. Madness buildup is a bonus, not the main win condition.
Black Flame Ritual is one of the strongest invasion tools in the game. It zones, chips health through shields, and forces movement in tight spaces. When used intelligently, it controls the pace of the fight and turns narrow corridors into death traps.
This PvE versus PvP divide is why tier placement isn’t universal. The best incantations in 2023 are the ones that understand their role, whether that’s melting bosses, winning duels through fundamentals, or thriving in the beautiful chaos of invasions.
Best Incantation Loadouts by Build Archetype (Pure Faith, Strength/Faith, Arcane/Faith)
All of this tier discussion only matters if your spell slots actually work together. Incantations in Elden Ring don’t exist in a vacuum; their value spikes or collapses based on stat investment, weapon pairing, and how aggressively you play. Below are optimized loadouts that reflect how top-tier Faith builds actually perform in both PvE and PvP in 2023.
Pure Faith: Glass Cannon Casting and Elemental Control
Pure Faith builds thrive on raw scaling, fast seals, and stacking elemental damage. With 60–80 Faith and minimal Strength or Arcane, your goal is to delete health bars before enemies can pressure you. Cast speed talismans and the Erdtree Seal push these incantations into absurd efficiency territory.
Core loadout staples include Lightning Spear, Honed Bolt, Catch Flame, and Giantsflame Take Thee. Lightning Spear and Honed Bolt handle neutral and mid-range safely, while Catch Flame deletes anything that steps too close. Giantsflame Take Thee is your boss nuke, especially against large hitboxes that can’t escape the blast radius.
For PvE bosses, Black Flame and Black Flame Ritual round out the kit. Percent-based burn damage stays relevant even in late-game scaling, and Ritual provides safety against aggressive multi-phase encounters. This setup dominates PvE and still holds its own in PvP thanks to speed and versatility.
Strength/Faith: Hybrid Pressure and Trade Wins
Strength/Faith builds don’t chase pure spell DPS. Instead, they use incantations to control space, force reactions, and create openings for colossal or great weapons. These builds excel at trading because hyper armor and high poise let you cast where others would be interrupted.
Bestial Sling, Catch Flame, Stone of Gurranq, and Black Flame are the backbone here. Bestial Sling is invaluable for roll-catching and interrupting casters, while Catch Flame turns close-range scrambles into guaranteed damage. Stone of Gurranq provides ranged pressure without heavy FP investment.
Utility incantations like Flame, Grant Me Strength and Black Flame Blade elevate this archetype. They don’t look flashy on paper, but they massively boost melee kill potential. This is one of the most consistent PvP builds in the game, especially in invasions where trades favor high HP and burst damage.
Arcane/Faith: Status Abuse and Burst Windows
Arcane/Faith builds are all about synergy, not raw numbers. With Dragon Communion scaling and Arcane investment, these incantations punch far above their apparent cost. They reward smart timing, not spam.
Rotten Breath, Ekzykes’s Decay, Dragonmaw, and Frenzied Burst define the archetype. Scarlet Rot trivializes PvE encounters by forcing passive damage over time, while Dragonmaw deletes enemies during stagger windows. Frenzied Burst adds long-range pressure and punishes healing in PvP.
This loadout is weaker in prolonged duels but terrifying in invasions and boss fights. One successful status application shifts the entire fight in your favor. When played patiently, Arcane/Faith turns Elden Ring into a game of inevitability rather than DPS racing.
Final Optimization Tips: Cast Speed, FP Efficiency, Talismans, and Patch-Proof Picks
By this point, the tier list should make one thing clear: the best incantations aren’t just about raw damage. They’re about how reliably you can land them, how often you can cast them, and how well they survive balance patches. This final section is about squeezing every last percentage point out of your Faith build, regardless of whether you’re pushing NG+7 bosses or fighting three invaders at once.
Cast Speed: The Hidden DPS Multiplier
Cast speed is the single most underrated stat for incantation builds. Hitting the 30–40 Dexterity breakpoint dramatically reduces startup frames on key spells like Lightning Spear, Catch Flame, and Frenzied Burst. In PvP, this is often the difference between landing a hit and getting roll-punished.
Radagon Icon remains mandatory for pure casters and still valuable for hybrids. Even post-nerf, the virtual Dexterity it provides lets slow incantations actually function under pressure. If your spell feels “almost usable,” cast speed is usually the missing piece.
FP Efficiency: Why S-Tier Isn’t About Big Numbers
FP efficiency is what separates S-tier incantations from flashy traps. Lightning Spear, Bestial Sling, Catch Flame, and Black Flame consistently top the list because they offer high damage or utility per FP, not just impressive tooltips. These spells scale well without forcing constant flask chugging.
High-cost incantations like Ancient Dragon Lightning Strike or Scarlet Aeonia still have roles, but they’re encounter-specific. In extended PvE zones and PvP invasions, low-cost pressure wins more fights than one massive nuke. Efficient spells let you stay aggressive without running dry.
Talismans That Actually Matter
Incantation scaling lives and dies by talisman synergy. Flock’s Canvas Talisman and Faithful’s Canvas Talisman remain the backbone for any serious Faith build, stacking multiplicatively and benefiting every offensive incantation. There’s no reason to skip them unless you’re running a pure utility setup.
Godfrey Icon is criminally underused and massively boosts charged incantations like Lightning Spear, Black Flame, and Frenzied Burst. In PvE, this translates to real DPS gains; in PvP, it punishes passive play and panic rolls. Pair it with Radagon Icon and suddenly slow spells feel oppressive.
Patch-Proof Picks: Spells That Always Survive Nerfs
If history has proven anything, it’s that utility beats raw damage in the long run. Catch Flame, Bestial Sling, Lightning Spear, Black Flame, and Flame, Grant Me Strength have survived multiple balance passes with minimal changes. They’re efficient, flexible, and hard to break without gutting Faith entirely.
Percent-based damage and fast-cast pressure are inherently patch-resistant. Black Flame’s burn, Rot application from Dragon Communion incantations, and Frenzied Burst’s range all stay relevant regardless of number tuning. These spells don’t rely on overtuned scaling, which makes them future-proof by design.
Final Loadout Advice for Min-Maxers
Limit your memory slots to spells you can realistically cast under pressure. Four to six incantations is the sweet spot for most builds, preventing menu fumbling and wasted FP. Every spell should serve a clear purpose: poke, punish, burst, or utility.
Above all, build for consistency, not highlights. Elden Ring rewards players who can apply pressure repeatedly, adapt to enemy behavior, and survive long encounters. Master your cast speed, manage your FP, and lean on incantations that have already stood the test of patches and metas.
If there’s one takeaway from this tier list, it’s this: the strongest incantations don’t just win fights. They win them reliably, in every patch, against every opponent the Lands Between can throw at you.