Soaring Through the Lands Between: Which Ash of War Grants Flight in Elden Ring?
While Elden Ring provides players with a vast array of powerful Ashes of War, none of them directly grant the ability to fly in the traditional sense. There isn’t an Ash of War that allows your character to take to the skies for sustained periods. However, several Ashes of War provide mobility options that can feel like flight, allowing for impressive leaps, dodges, and aerial attacks, often creating the illusion of flight. The article provided mentions Giant Hunt Ash of War Will Make Your Enemies FLY in ELDEN RING. This highlights the illusory effect of sending enemies flying in the air. But the game’s mobility is ultimately limited to jumping, rolling, and mounted combat. Now let’s dive into the details!
Ashes of War and the Illusion of Flight
Many Ashes of War offer unique movements and traversal options that can give players a sense of verticality or rapid movement across the battlefield, that is the closest thing to flight available. Here are some of the top contenders:
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Raptor of the Mists: While it doesn’t grant true flight, this Ash of War allows you to perform a high-speed upward dodge that can be used to evade attacks, reposition quickly, and even reach slightly elevated platforms. It’s as close to a short burst of “aerial” movement as you can get.
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Bloodhound’s Step: This Ash of War is more of a super-dodge than flight, but it grants incredible invincibility frames and allows you to cover vast distances extremely quickly. While not strictly flight, it certainly feels like you’re gliding across the battlefield.
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Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker: While not directly making you fly, this Ash of War allows you to perform a powerful ground slam that sends enemies flying into the air. While you remain grounded, the effect of launching opponents can be visually impressive and tactically advantageous.
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Angel’s Wings (Winged Scythe Skill): This weapon skill, unique to the Winged Scythe, involves a jump attack that imbues the blade with light, creating a brief visual effect of wings. Although it doesn’t grant sustained flight, the visual flare and the aerial maneuver can feel evocative of flight.
Debunking the “Flight” Misconception
It’s crucial to understand that Elden Ring’s combat and exploration are designed around a grounded experience. While there are ways to increase jump height, improve dodge capabilities, and perform impressive aerial attacks, the game doesn’t offer the ability to freely fly through the world.
The perceived “flight” abilities often stem from clever use of Ashes of War in conjunction with the game’s physics and level design. For example, strategically using Raptor of the Mists to reach a slightly higher ledge or using Bloodhound’s Step to traverse a chasm can create the illusion of flight.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about “Flight” in Elden Ring
Here are some frequently asked questions about Ashes of War and related mechanics:
What is an Ash of War?
Ashes of War are items in Elden Ring that can be applied to weapons to change their skills and weapon scaling. They allow for customization of combat styles and offer a variety of offensive, defensive, and utility options.
Where can I find Ashes of War?
Ashes of War can be found throughout the Lands Between. They are often dropped by enemies, found in chests, or purchased from merchants. Some are obtained by defeating specific bosses.
Can I remove an Ash of War from a weapon?
Yes, Ashes of War can be removed from weapons without being destroyed. This allows you to experiment with different skills and weapon combinations.
What does “affinity” mean in relation to Ashes of War?
Affinity refers to the scaling attributes that an Ash of War grants to a weapon. For example, a “Heavy” affinity increases Strength scaling, while a “Keen” affinity increases Dexterity scaling.
What are some other powerful Ashes of War besides those that simulate flight?
The article provided mentioned a number of powerful Ashes of War. Top contenders include:
- Carian Greatsword
- Seppuku
- Hoarah Loux’s Earthshaker
- Glintblade Phalanx
- Thunderbolt
- Gravitas
- Carian Grandeur
- Bloody Slash
What does the Bloody Slash Ash of War do?
The Bloody Slash Ash of War allows you to wound yourself to coat your weapon in blood, then unleash an airborne blood blade that causes hemorrhaging. It’s a powerful offensive option for builds focused on bleed damage.
What does the Chilling Mist Ash of War do?
The Chilling Mist Ash of War imbues your weapon with frost, adding Frostbite buildup to your attacks and increasing Intelligence scaling. When Frostbite is triggered, it deals significant damage and reduces enemy damage absorption and stamina recovery.
How does Scarlet Rot work in Elden Ring?
Scarlet Rot is a status effect in Elden Ring that deals continuous damage over time. It’s similar to poison, but generally more potent and longer-lasting. While no Ash of War applies it directly, weapons like the Antspur Rapier can inflict it rapidly.
Where can I find the Hoarfrost Stomp Ash of War?
The Hoarfrost Stomp Ash of War can be found north of Liurnia of the Lakes, in a small lake east of Caria Manor.
What are the butterflies used for in Elden Ring?
Butterflies, such as the Nascent Butterfly, are crafting materials used to create consumables that can buff your character or provide other beneficial effects.
What does the Winged Scythe weapon do?
The Winged Scythe is a weapon with the unique skill “Angel’s Wings,” which involves a jump attack that imbues the blade with light. It also prevents enemies from easily recovering with flasks.
Which Ashes of War are best for fist weapons?
Roar-type Ashes of War generally pair well with fist weapons. These can be further enhanced by equipping the Roar Medallion.
Where can I find the Thunderbolt Ash of War?
The Thunderbolt Ash of War can be found in Leyndell, Royal Capital. From the Avenue Balcony Site of Grace, head towards the giant dragon’s wings and drop down to find the scarab.
What does the Golden Parry Ash of War do?
The Golden Parry Ash of War enhances your parry ability by infusing your shield with an Erdtree Incantation, creating a wide-arcing golden wave that makes it easier to parry enemy attacks.
What does the Unsheathe Ash of War do?
The Unsheathe Ash of War, used on Katanas, allows you to quickly draw your sword and unleash a powerful attack, providing excellent offensive options.
The Importance of Ashes of War in Elden Ring’s Gameplay
Ashes of War are fundamental to Elden Ring’s gameplay because they offer unparalleled customization of combat styles. Whether you’re looking to enhance your weapon’s damage output, add a status effect like frostbite or bleed, or improve your mobility with skills that resemble flight, Ashes of War provide the tools to tailor your character to your preferred playstyle.
This system encourages experimentation and allows players to adapt to different challenges and enemies. By swapping Ashes of War, you can change your weapon’s scaling attributes, making it more effective with your chosen stats, like Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith.
The Illusion of Verticality and Exploration
While true flight isn’t an option, the clever use of jump height enhancements, Torrent’s mobility, and certain Ashes of War create the illusion of verticality in the game. The sense of exploration isn’t diminished by not having proper flight, but rather is enhanced because you are required to find pathways and explore every corner of the map.
Conclusion: Embracing Grounded Combat with Aerial Flair
While Elden Ring doesn’t offer true flight through Ashes of War, many skills provide exceptional mobility and tactical advantages, simulating aerial maneuvers and quick repositioning. Experimenting with these Ashes of War allows you to create unique combat styles and overcome challenges in innovative ways. Embrace the grounded combat, and you may still feel the aerial freedom!
To learn more about the mechanics and design of games, including Elden Ring, consider exploring the resources offered by the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. GamesLearningSociety.org is a valuable resource for understanding the educational and social impact of gaming.