What Does Golden Vow Do? A Comprehensive Guide to Elden Ring’s Powerful Incantation
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Golden Vow in Elden Ring is a powerful incantation that significantly boosts the attack power and defense of both the caster and their allies. Specifically, it increases attack power by 15% and defense by 10% for a duration of 90 seconds (1 minute and 30 seconds). This makes it an invaluable asset for tackling challenging bosses, traversing dangerous areas, and optimizing damage output in co-op play.
Understanding Golden Vow’s Mechanics
Golden Vow operates as a buff that affects all players within a specific radius of the caster. This radius is substantial enough to cover most combat arenas, ensuring allies benefit from the effect. The buff applies a flat percentage increase to attack power and a percentage increase to defense. The duration of 90 seconds provides ample time to capitalize on the increased stats.
How Golden Vow Affects Different Builds
The benefits of Golden Vow are universally applicable but resonate differently depending on the character build. For strength builds, the 15% attack power increase translates into higher damage with colossal weapons and jump attacks. Dexterity builds see an improvement in their damage per second with faster weapon arts and quicker attacks. Faith builds experience increased potency of their offensive incantations, allowing for quicker boss takedowns. Finally, Intelligence builds that supplement their arsenal with melee weapons will see their physical attacks benefit substantially from the increase in damage, making a hybrid build far more potent.
Golden Vow Stacking and Interaction with Other Buffs
It is crucial to understand how Golden Vow interacts with other buffs in Elden Ring. The buff is unique and often stacks with other buffs, which makes it desirable. It can also stack with the Flame, Grant Me Strength incantation, which increases physical and fire damage by 20% but cannot stack with other buffs that alter physical damage output. This is extremely effective. Golden Vow can also stack with the Bloodboil Aromatic, which increases attack power but also defense negation. Understanding the specific combinations which stack and do not stack is crucial for optimizing builds in Elden Ring.
How to Acquire Golden Vow
There are two versions of Golden Vow in Elden Ring, the Incantation and the Ash of War. The Incantation is found in the Corpse-Stench Shack in Mt. Gelmir. To access it, you must defeat an invading NPC named Anastasia, Tarnished-Eater.
The Ash of War version is found in Southeast Liurnia of the Lakes, inside a chest protected by two mounted knights. Using the Ash of War applies the Golden Vow buff to your weapon, consuming FP, and then briefly granting the Golden Vow effect to the caster and nearby allies. The Ash of War provides a useful, though smaller, boost at all stages of the game, and can even be used on builds that are not leveled into Faith.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the stat requirements for Golden Vow?
The Golden Vow incantation requires 25 Faith. The Ash of War version has no specific stat requirements, making it accessible to all builds.
2. How much FP does Golden Vow consume?
The Golden Vow incantation consumes 47 FP. The Ash of War version’s FP consumption varies depending on the weapon and its upgrade level, but it is generally lower.
3. Does Golden Vow affect summons?
Yes, Golden Vow affects all summons, including Spirit Ashes and player summons, within the buff’s radius.
4. Can I use Golden Vow multiple times to increase its effect?
No, the effects of Golden Vow do not stack with subsequent casts. Casting it again will only refresh the duration of the existing buff.
5. Is Golden Vow effective in PvP?
Yes, Golden Vow is highly effective in PvP, providing a significant advantage in both attack power and defense, especially in team battles.
6. What talismans can enhance Golden Vow’s effectiveness?
The Old Lord’s Talisman extends the duration of the buff by 30%, increasing it to approximately 117 seconds. The Erdtree’s Favor and Crimson Amber Medallion talismans can increase maximum FP, allowing for more frequent use of the incantation or Ash of War.
7. Does Golden Vow affect magic damage?
Golden Vow increases overall attack power, but it does not specifically boost magic damage. It only affects the physical damage of weapons, including melee weapons used by mages.
8. How does Golden Vow compare to other similar buffs?
Golden Vow provides a balance of both attack and defense buffs, making it generally superior to single-stat boosting buffs. Flame, Grant Me Strength, for example, gives a higher attack buff, but lacks a defense component.
9. Can I apply Golden Vow to my shield?
Yes, you can apply the Ash of War version of Golden Vow to shields that are compatible.
10. Does Golden Vow increase critical hit damage?
Golden Vow increases attack power, which indirectly affects critical hit damage, but it does not provide a specific critical hit damage bonus.
11. What weapons are best suited for using the Golden Vow Ash of War?
Weapons that are used for dealing consistent physical damage, such as straight swords, katanas, and greatswords, benefit the most from the Golden Vow Ash of War.
12. How can I optimize my character to use Golden Vow effectively?
Prioritize increasing your Faith stat to meet the requirements for the incantation. Consider increasing your Mind stat to have ample FP for casting. Also, incorporate talismans that extend buff duration or increase FP.
13. Is Golden Vow worth using in the late game?
Yes, Golden Vow remains incredibly useful throughout the entire game. Its buffs are valuable for tackling late-game bosses and challenging areas.
14. Can Golden Vow be used in conjunction with weapon buffs like Bloodflame Blade?
Yes, Golden Vow can be used with weapon buffs like Bloodflame Blade or Electrify Armament. These effects do not usually overlap, which means that they can each be active on a weapon at the same time, and Golden Vow will boost both damage components.
15. How does the Golden Vow effect differ between the Incantation and Ash of War versions?
While both versions provide the same attack and defense buffs, the incantation has a longer duration, wider range of effect, and requires Faith investment. The Ash of War is more accessible to all builds, but has a shorter duration and is tied to a specific weapon. The incantation is generally the superior version, but the Ash of War version is a great option for early game or builds that cannot afford to level faith.
In conclusion, Golden Vow is a vital incantation and Ash of War in Elden Ring offering significant attack and defense boosts. Understanding its mechanics, interactions, and acquisition methods will greatly improve your character’s effectiveness, whether you’re facing challenging bosses alone or engaging in co-op adventures with friends. By optimizing your build around Golden Vow, you can unlock the true potential of your Tarnished and conquer the Lands Between.