Unveiling the Mimic Tear: Buffs, Builds, and Beyond in Elden Ring

No, buffs do not transfer to the Mimic Tear when summoned in Elden Ring. The Mimic Tear copies your equipment, appearance, weapons, talismans, spells, consumables, and even your fashion sense at the moment of its summoning. However, any active buffs, such as those from consumables like the Golden Vow or weapon arts like Bloodboon Ritual, are not copied. This means you’ll need to strategize around this limitation to maximize the Mimic Tear’s effectiveness.

Understanding the Mimic Tear: A Deep Dive

The Mimic Tear stands as one of the most popular and potent Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring. Its unique ability to create a clone of your character opens up a plethora of strategic possibilities. However, to truly master this spirit, it’s crucial to understand its capabilities and limitations. It is especially useful to understand how it copies you for your approach to applying buffs to yourself and your copycat.

Maximizing Your Mimic Tear’s Potential

To get the most out of your Mimic Tear, consider the following:

• Equipment is Key: The Mimic Tear copies your equipment at the time of summoning. This means you can equip specific weapons, armor, and talismans you want it to use, and then quickly switch back to your preferred loadout.
• Consumables are Shared (Sort Of): While the Mimic Tear can use consumables you have equipped, it does so without draining your own supply. This is incredibly useful for applying status effects like poison or bleed, and makes the Mimic Tear much more powerful.
• Upgrading is Essential: Invest in upgrading your Mimic Tear using Ghost Glovewort. A fully upgraded Mimic Tear is significantly more durable and deals much more damage. The better you can upgrade it, the more reliable it will be as a companion through your journey.
• Stat Requirements Matter: The Mimic Tear cannot use spells or weapon skills if it doesn’t meet the required attributes. Ensure your build allows it to effectively wield the equipment you want it to use. Be mindful of these attribute requirements if you hope to get the full potential of your Mimic Tear.
• Positioning and Aggro Management: After summoning, consider removing a talisman to draw enemy aggro to the Mimic Tear, giving you valuable breathing room to cast spells or heal.

Considering Alternatives

While the Mimic Tear remains a top-tier choice, other Spirit Ashes can be more effective in specific situations. Black Knife Tiche, for example, boasts excellent mobility and damage output, making it a strong contender against agile bosses. The right choice depends on your playstyle and the challenges you face.

FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About the Mimic Tear

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the nuances of the Mimic Tear:

1. Does the Mimic Tear copy my stats from Great Runes or other stat-boosting items?

   • No, the Mimic Tear does not receive the stat boosts from Great Runes, gear, or any other item that helps increase your attributes.

2. Does the Mimic Tear have unlimited FP?

   • The Mimic Tear appears to have limited FP, meaning it can run out of mana when trying to use spells. Therefore, consider a build that doesn’t completely rely on spells. It does, however, seem to have an unlimited supply of bolts and arrows.

3. Is the Mimic Tear still good after the nerfs?

   • Yes, the Mimic Tear is still a viable Spirit Ash, though it does not deal as much damage as it once did. It remains a useful decoy, and it can still dish out its fair share of damage in the right conditions.

4. Can the Mimic Tear use weapon greases?

   • Yes, the Mimic Tear can use weapon greases and items that the player has equipped. This allows it to inflict status effects such as poison or bleed without depleting your own supply.

5. How do I make my Mimic Tear stronger?

   • Upgrade the Mimic Tear using Ghost Glovewort. You can find more Glovewort in catacomb dungeons. Also, ensure that your build has enough status for your Mimic Tear to use its equipped abilities and weapons.

6. What happens if I change my equipment after summoning the Mimic Tear?

   • Swapping your weapons and armor after summoning the Mimic Tear won’t alter its loadout. It is locked in at the moment of summoning.

7. What is the best strategy for using the Mimic Tear against a boss?

   • Equip the gear you want the Mimic Tear to use before summoning it. Consider equipping a high-aggro talisman and then removing it to make the boss focus on the Mimic Tear. Keep your distance as you cast spells and provide assistance.

8. Does the Mimic Tear copy my playstyle?

   • The Mimic Tear attempts to mimic your actions, but its AI isn’t perfect. It will use the equipment you provide and generally follow your lead, but it might not always make the optimal decisions.

9. Where can I find the Mimic Tear ashes?

   • The Mimic Tear ashes are found in Nokron, Eternal City, specifically in Night’s Sacred Ground.

10. Is Black Knife Tiche a better summon than the Mimic Tear?

    • It depends on the situation. Black Knife Tiche is more agile and deals significant damage, especially against bosses vulnerable to its unique attack. However, the Mimic Tear offers the advantage of a second version of your own build.

11. How much HP does the Mimic Tear consume when summoned?

    • The Mimic Tear consumes 660 HP to summon, but it does not consume FP.

12. Can the Mimic Tear dual-wield weapons?

    • Yes, the Mimic Tear can powerstance dual-wielded weapons if you are dual-wielding them when you summon it.

13. Does the Mimic Tear use my flasks?

    • No, the Mimic Tear does not use your flasks. It has its own separate healing capabilities.

14. What kind of build is best for the Mimic Tear?

    • A balanced build that provides the Mimic Tear with good weapons, armor, and spells is generally effective. Builds centered around inflicting status effects or dealing high damage are particularly potent.

15. Is it worth investing in the Mimic Tear if I’m a beginner?

    • Yes, the Mimic Tear is an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced players. It offers a significant boost to survivability and damage output, making it invaluable for tackling challenging content.

Concluding Thoughts

The Mimic Tear is a versatile and powerful Spirit Ash that can significantly enhance your Elden Ring experience. While it doesn’t copy buffs, its ability to duplicate your equipment, spells, and even consumables provides a unique advantage in combat. By understanding its strengths and limitations, you can optimize your build and strategies to conquer even the toughest challenges. The Mimic Tear can be an invaluable tool for learning more about gameplay, strategy, and problem solving, all of which are areas of study at the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. Experiment with different builds, upgrade your Mimic Tear, and discover the full potential of this incredible Spirit Ash!