Top 9 Best Magic Spells in Elden Ring DLC

Currently, there are 213 magic spells total, and while balance issues exist—especially between different families of spells—players continue to explore and debate the effectiveness of each type. Alongside these spells, players can also find a variety of items in Elden Ring, such as consumables, key items, and materials that enhance their gameplay experience. These items can be obtained from enemies, bosses, NPCs, and chests scattered throughout the Lands Between.

Dragon Cult Incantations

The Dragon Cult subtype in Elden Ring is highly versatile and well-rounded, comparable to Glintstone and Erdtree builds. Unlike Starlight, which is mainly for cosplay, Vyke's Dragonbolt stands out for its unique and useful abilities. Dragonbolt Blessing, for instance, can deflect light attacks from standard-sized enemies and offers a weapon buff with manageable stat requirements. The damage spells, such as Ancient Dragon's Lightning Strike and Knight's Lightning Spear, have some of the highest damage ceilings in the game. The DLC even added a support spell to cover all bases. Additionally, the Dragon Cult subtype can inflict status effects and disable enemy poise regeneration, making it effective against combo-heavy bosses like Malenia. Overall, it's a balanced and powerful build that sorcery fans often envy.

Carian Sorceries 

The Carian sorceries in Elden Ring offer a wide range of utility and damage, making them highly versatile and effective. This mage subtype includes powerful spells like Carian Slicer, Glintblade Phalanx, Carian Greatsword, and Adula's Moonblade, which outperform many endgame spells. The starting class sorcery, Magic Glintblade, remains useful throughout the game. Despite some less impressive spells like Magic Downpour, the Carian sorceries provide practical options like Carian Retaliation and Miriam's Vanishing, making them a standout choice for sorcery builds.

Finger Sorceries

The Finger Sorceries are incredibly impressive, crafted with a perfect blend of damage, poise break, and utility. Miyazaki's team has created a set of four spells that are powerful enough to support a sorcery build on their own. These spells include options for dealing damage, breaking enemy poise, and deflecting attacks with forgiving hitboxes. When used together, they form a highly effective and versatile team, earning them the nickname "Fantastic Four" of sorceries. This combination makes them a standout choice for any sorcery build.

Gravity Sorceries

Gravity sorceries are highly effective, with no spells in the lineup being considered weak. While the Meteorite spell might get some criticism for its tracking, it is designed to be replaced by more advanced spells. The preferred catalyst for this subtype boosts gravity sorceries by 30%, and most spells are very FP efficient. Despite lacking utility and support spells, gravity sorceries excel at dealing with damage and controlling enemies. The main criticism from players is the desire for even more powerful spells, indicating the overall strength and brilliance of this spell group.

Glintstone Sorceries

Glintstone sorceries are incredibly versatile and universally useful, offering a wide range of spells that cover various needs. They include powerful single-impact spells like Comet Shard and  Cannon of Haima, multi-hit spells like Star Shower and Crystal Barrage, and support, melee, and weapon/shield buffs. These spells are straightforward and effective, making them accessible even to beginners. Despite some criticism for their simplicity, Glintstone sorceries are highly effective and can make any player look skilled.

Godslayer Incantations

Godslayer incantations are powerful, especially with their black flame debuff, which is effective against most enemies. However, in the DLC, many bosses have a reduced HP burn damage rate, making these incantations less effective. For example, major DLC bosses like Bayle, Mesmer, and Radahn have this rate set to 35%, significantly lowering the damage from black flame. While the black flame debuff is still useful against high HP enemies, its effectiveness is notably diminished in the DLC content. This change can make players feel like the black flame incantations are weaker in these scenarios, and they are not imagining it—they indeed are.

Fire Giant Incantations

Fire Giant incantations offer a wide range of powerful and versatile spells. Notable incantations like Flame of the Fell God and Flame, Fall Upon Them deal high damage in various situations. Essential spells like Flame Cleanse Me and Flame Protect Me are crucial for any build, providing both offensive and defensive capabilities. While some spells may seem less impressive, they still serve specific purposes effectively. The main drawback is the Giant's Seal, which remains average in power scaling, often requiring it to be paired with a stronger seal to maximize damage. Overall, Fire Giant incantations are highly effective and versatile, making them a valuable addition to any build.

Frenzied Flame Incantations

Frenzied Flame Incantations face a significant issue where their usefulness is split between different game modes. Despite being part of one of the best fire builds, their strength has a noticeable ceiling. The DLC introduced Aged One's Exultation, which allows players to use a Madness self-proc for additional damage, and Howl of Shabriri, which increases both damage dealt and taken while disrupting enemy targeting. This subtype seems to be the only one given proper attention in both game modes, unlike other subtypes that didn't receive the same level of care. This disparity raises questions about the balance and attention given to different spell subtypes.

Fire Monk Incantations

Fire Monk incantations include Flame Sling, Catch Flame, and Fire's Deadly Sin. These spells are distinct from Giant's Flame incantations and are known for their simplicity and effectiveness. Flame Sling and Catch Flame are particularly strong, dealing damage comparable to a well-tuned R1 attack from a main-hand weapon. Catch Flame's chain casting ability further enhances its damage output. While there isn't a specific boosting item for these incantations, general fire damage buffs from talismans or crystal tears work well. Overall, Fire Monk incantations are straightforward and powerful, making them a reliable choice for any build.