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Build variety in Elden Ring is more open than any other previous title. The number of playstyles and build varieties have such immense scope that players can use almost anything in the game and still be effective in combat.
Being one of the most accessible games in FromSoftware’s library in terms of difficulty, Elden Ring is exceptionally open to new players and boasts an impressive catalog of weapons and spells.
Sorceries in Elden Ring can be cast using staffs and the right stat requirement. Spells in general have a lot of utility and use when it comes to tackling content in the game. As the PvP scene in Elden Ring grows and the meta continues evolving, players have found some extremely powerful spells that serve well when fighting other players.
This list takes a look at five of the most popular Elden Ring spells that are used in PvP and five that players wouldn't touch at any cost.
5 Elden Ring spells that are popular in PvP
1) Swift Glintstone Shard
This spell is one that is highly versatile. It can be purchased from any of the Sorcery teachers, provided the player gives them the Academy Scroll. Swift Glintstone Shard in Elden Ring requires 12 Intelligence to use, but its meager requirements do not do the spell justice.
Swift Glintstone Shard in Elden Ring PvP has a variety of uses. Acting as a quick way to deal damage and stagger opponents, the spell can also be used in tandem with others as well.
If players are quick enough, they can cast a Swift Glintstone Shard and immediately follow it up with a higher damage spell, the cast time will be significantly reduced. This will catch most players off guard, and most spells in Elden Ring can be used this way.
2) Magic Glintblade
The starting spell for the Prisoner class in Elden Ring, Magic Glintblade, is one of those few spells that you can queue before entering combat. The versatility of this spell works especially well when it comes to keeping other players on their toes.
Players can also pick the spell up from Miriel at a low rune cost. It requires 14 Intelligence to use and is extremely helpful in PvP.
With its low stat requirement, almost any build that has points in Intelligence can use this spell as a useful distraction. As the damage scales off Intelligence, players will need to dump a ton of points into the stat. But the spell is best used to throw opponents off, which players can then use to punish any panicked attempt to escape.
3) Star Shower
The Stars of Ruin Sorcery is the upgrade to Star Shower, but it is far less cancerous in PvP. Star Shower has a relatively low cost and a low stat requirement.
It can be purchased from any of the three Sorcery teachers, provided the player gives them the Conspectus Scroll. The stat requirement for this spell is 24 Intelligence and it serves well in Elden Ring PvP as well as PvE.
Stars of Ruin is a spell that feels a little OP and the community has a widespread distaste for it. Star Shower is a fun spell to try out in PvP as it does the same thing as Stars of Ruin but does it at a low FP cost, which makes it viable for those long duels.
For players getting into a Sorcery build, this is a popular spell and has a ton of uses.
4) Collapsing Stars
One of the only Gravity spells on this list, Collapsing Stars summons gravitational projectiles that chase down foes dealing damage and pull them towards the caster.
This is an incredible spell that can be paired with other damaging spells. It puts opponents in an awkward position as the hitboxes have incredible following power. The spell can be found in the War-Dead Catacombs, which is only accessible after defeating Starscourge Radahn.
It has a high stat requirement and only pure casters or caster hybrid builds can effectively use this spell. It is extremely annoying to go up against and players use complimentary spells and Ashes of War to completely obliterate opponents.
5) Loretta’s Mastery
Arguably one of the hardest spells to obtain as it requires you to complete the first half of the Haligtree, Loretta’s Mastery is a good spell for both PvP and PvE content available.
Players' access to this Sorcery is quite late and it is an upgrade of Loretta’s Greatbow. It has a high stat requirement and the more Intelligence the player has, the more damage this Sorcery inflicts.
The homing feature of this Sorcery is quite useful in hitting opponents with four explosive projectiles. The spell works well when going up against big foes but also has its uses in PvP. In the right hands, this spell can trick players and even catch them off guard as they roll away in panic.
5 spells that are not popular in Elden Ring's PvP
1) Fia’s Mist
Death Sorceries in Elden Ring are severely lacking. No player is ever going to sit in a cloud of death waiting for the Death Blight meter to fill up. The fact that it requires both Intelligence and Faith to cast also means that players who are min-maxing won’t ever use this spell either. It has no use in PvE and mainly just serves as a collectible.
Getting kills with Fia’s Mist is rarer than an eclipse. Even when fighting humanoid NPCs, the spell does nothing to defend itself. One could argue for zonal control, but there are better spells that do much more for a lot less. Fia’s Mist feels extremely underwhelming, with players hoping for more Death Sorcery options in the future.
2) Founding Rain of Stars
Another zonal control spell that is of great use in PvE but has a very diminishing effect in PvP, Founding Rain of Stars is a primeval spell made available to players who have reached the Mountaintops of the Giants, granted they solve the puzzle beforehand.
Founding Rain of Stars requires at least 52 Intelligence to use and serves as a great option against enemies that stick to one place.
The spell has been found lacking in PvP. It uses two memory slots and has a high FP cost as well. To avoid this, all players have to do is walk or roll out of the area in which it has been cast. As most players play aggressively in PvP, Founding Rain of Stars is a good deterrent to stop advancing players, but its high costs do not encourage a lot of use.
3) Briars of Punishment
If any player finds a use for this spell in their Sorcery build, then they have the communities' respect. Most of the unpopular spells on this list have to do with zone control, but this one has such a disappointing range that it has practically no use. Its main selling point would be that it inflicts Bleed, but that is completely nullified as such builds already have a ton of cheesy tactics to work with.
It requires 24 Faith to be used, which is surprising as it is a Sorcery and needs to be cast with a staff. The spell does have some use in PvE, especially for hybrid builds, but it does feel lackluster. There are a ton of bleed incantations to use and they have much more use than any of the Aberrant Sorceries.
4) Terra Magica
This spell was popularized by the Elden Ring community for being extremely cheesy when it came to tackling PvE content. It’s basically a buff that players have to place on the ground and all the spells cast when within the area get a 35% damage boost. As the damage boost is a flat percentage, any spell cast will be a lot more powerful.
The only drawback to this spell is that casters are restricted to this small area if they wish to use it. There are already a ton of buffs players can add, as using the Physick and Terra Magica has no proper uses in PvP. Players will immediately punish casters who stay still for too long and this spell will do them no favors.
5) Tibia’s Summons
This spell is arguably the most lackluster of them all. As stated before, Death Sorceries have no use in PvP, and the fact that they require Faith, as well as Intelligence, makes it only viable for hybrid builds.
The PvP meta is at Rune Level 150-175 and for players who like min-maxing, which is extremely powerful at the moment, these spells have nothing going for them.
The damage, cast time, and FP costs are not too great. The only thing this spell can do is surprise opponents as it is one of the least-used spells in the game. It does look good but that’s all there is to it. The tracking is abysmal and it is in desperate need of a patch fix. Tibia’s Summons in Elden Ring is a really lackluster spell with no use in either PvP or PvE.
Note: This article reflects the author's views.
