Best Elden Ring Incantations & spells for Faith builds

Faith-based magic builds in Elden Ring have a lot of different Incantations to make use of when fighting the various bosses and tough enemies that make up The Lands Between, so it's a good idea to prioritise the best spells and items.

Finding these will take you all across the game's world, so prepare for a bit of an odyssey if you want the best Incantations on offer.

Best early game Incantations

Catch Flame

This is a great early-game Incantation as it causes moderate fire damage to enemies and only takes 8 Faith to cast. With a low FP cost of 10 and a requirement of 1 spell slot, most players will be able to pick this spell up straight away. It launches a short-range flame at enemies and is included in the starting load out for the Astrologer class.

If you’re not part of this class, it can be purchased from Brother Corhyn at the Roundtable Hold (unless his quest has begun). Amongst the other early Incantations available from Brother Corhyn, it has a faster casting time than Flame Sling if you’re struggling to choose between them.

Bestial Sling

This spell summons sharp rock shards that fling towards enemies, the casting speed is incredibly fast meaning you’ll be able to chain attacks effectively. Although seemingly rudimentary at first, it can target multiple enemies and is a great starting spell option due to its very low FP cost of 7 and Faith requirement of 10.

As such, most starting players will be able to effectively use this Incantation. It can be acquired by giving 2 Deathroot to Gurranq, Beast Clergyman at the Bestial Sanctum.

Black Flame

Black Flame summons a ball of raw black flame which is then hurled against enemies, exploding on impact. It can be charged for further damage and only costs 18 FP, one spell slot and 20 Faith to cast. Additional flame damage will also be dealt to the target after the initial impact, making it a rather hard-hitting spell for early-game options.

The Incantation can be purchased after giving the Godskin Prayerbook to either Brother Corhyn or Miriel. The Prayerbook is located inside a chest, in a Sealed Imp passage in Stormveil Castle. This Incantation can work alongside the Godslayer’s Seal to give an additional 10% boost to damage inflicted (also found within Stormveil Castle).

Additionally, this Prayerbook will grant you access to Black Flame Blade, which has a similar spell effect and cost but will coat your right armament in black flames to deal additional damage.

The Flame of Frenzy

If you want an Incantation that looks terrifyingly cool, look no further. This spell erupts yellow flames out of the player's eyes, causing high damage to nearby enemies, as well as building up the madness meter for everyone engulfed, it can also be charged to produce even more damage and flames on top of its base stats. The madness effect will also affect the player, so caution is advised.

To gain this Incantation you’ll have to get past the possessed rats in the Callu Baptismal Church in the Weeping Peninsula. Despite its quick casting time and ability to charge it has a rather low FP cost of 16, only requires 1 spell slot and 16 Faith to use.

Lightning Spear

You guessed it – it summons a lightning spear. Usefully, upon impact the spear will burst into a small AOE affecting small crowds of enemies around you. It is acquired by defeating the patrolling knight near the Artist’s Shack in Liurnia. He will drop the Dragon Cult Prayerbook which can be handed in to either Brother Corhyn or Mirial at the Church of Vows.

Afterwards, they will be able to sell the spell to you for 6,000 runes. As this is a Dragon Cult Incantation, it can be used alongside the Gravel Stone Seal to boost it by 15%. This Incantation costs 18 FP, 1 spell slot and 17 Faith to wield.

Best late game Incantations

Honed Bolt

This lightning Incantation works in the traditional sense, meaning it summons a bolt of lightning from the sky to attack your enemies. Like the Lightening Spear Incantation, it is classed as a Dragon Cult spell meaning it can benefit from the boost of the Gravel Stone and it is also acquired after handing in the Dragon Cult Prayerbook.

The spell has slightly higher requirements than Lightning Spear, with an FP cost of 12 and a Faith requirement of 24, it packs quite a punch. What really makes this Incantation worth it, is that it’s harder for enemies to doge than Lightening Spear or Lightening Strike and can be cast multiple times, making it a viable option against foes.

Rotten Breath

This Incantation summons a dragon head from within the player that breathes out a cloud of rot. The cloud can engulf a few enemies at a time and what makes it so powerful is that it inflicts scarlet rot build-up. As most bosses in the game are weak to scarlet rot, besides Malenia, this can be a fantastic fallback on tricky boss fights that have you struggling.

You’ll want to pair this with the Dragon Communion Seal for an extra boost to damage. To get the Incantation, you’ll have to trade 1 dragon heart in at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Caelid, meaning you’ll have to slay a dragon first.

This isn’t as difficult as it may initially sound, Flying Dragon Agheel for example, is fairly low-level, located in Limgrave and less challenging when fighting him on horseback. Rotten Breath requires 15 Faith, 12 Arcane, 1 spell slot and a somewhat substantial 36 FP to cast.

Fortissax’s Lightening Spear

This summons not one, but two giant bolts of lightning that are then crashed into the ground creating a red lightning AOE. As it belongs to the Dragon Cult Incantation family, the Gravel Stone Seal is a great boost to use alongside it.

This spell inflicts huge damage, which means it requires hefty stats to use. You’ll need 64 FP and 46 Faith, but only 1 spell slot. To try it for yourself you’ll first have to beat Lichdragon Fortissax and trade his remembrance in with Enia at the Rountable Hold. (This boss is located in the Deeproot Depths and found through completing Fia’s questline up to completion).

Erdtree Heal

This Incantation is only available towards the end of the game, in Leyndell after defeating Maliketh. It has a large Faith requirement of 42 and an FP cost of 65 but allows you to heal a huge chunk of health in the process.

What makes the spell even more powerful is that it also heals allies around you, including summons. It’s one of the most effective healing spells in the game and summons the gold light of the Erdtree around you when casting.

Placidusax’s Ruin

This summons a dragon head that will first explode with lightning damage, and then sweep the area around you in rays that inflict fire damage in a broad AEO, which is fantastic for large crowds. Both types of damage can have a devastating effect, as such it has a hefty requirement of 36 faith, 62 FP and 3 spell slots.

The dragon head also has a 360-degree range if controlled properly, but does not count as a Dragon Cult or Communion Incantation. It's acquired by defeating the optional boss, Dragonlord Placidusax in the Crumbling Farum Azula and trading his remembrance to Enia at the Roundtable Hold. As such, it is only accessible towards the end of the game.

Where to buy Incantations

These are the NPCs scattered in the Lands Between that can sell you Incantations:

Brother Corhyn

If his questline hasn’t begun, he can initially be found at the Roundtable Hold selling the Heal, Urgent Heal, Cure Poison, Magic Fortification, Flame Fortification, Rejection, Catch Flame and Flame Sling Incantations. He is also an option for trading in Prayerbooks for further access to new Incantations.

D, Hunter of the Dead

D will join the Roundtable Hold as you progress through the game. He will direct you to the Beast Clergyman if you haven’t already discovered him, and he sells the Litany of Proper Death and Order’s Blade Incantations.

Gurranq, Beast Clergyman

Gurranq specialises in beast Incantations and will grant these to the player in return for Deathroot. He can be found at the Bestial Sanctum in northern Caelid and gives a mixture of seals, Incantations and even an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone once you’ve given 9 Deathroot to him. The Incantations he has are Bestial Sling, Bestial Vitality, Beast Claw, Stone of Gurranq and Gurranq’s Beast Claw.

Miriel, Pastor of Vows

This sensitive soul can be found at the Church of Vows, selling both Incantations and sorceries. Initially, the only Incantation he sells is Blessing’s Boon, but he will also accept Prayerbooks from the player to expand his inventory. He is the suggested option for this as unlike Corhyn, he will not move from his spot at the Church of Vows.

Incantations requirements

Incantations are drawn from your faith levels. Faith dictates which level you can cast the spells, and Mind equates to your FP pool.

This means that you’ll likely want to practise levelling up both Faith and Mind for a successful Incantation-based build. Arcane is also a factor as it can be a requirement for some Incantations, and it also controls resistance to Holy damage and chances for item discovery.

It may also be worth pooling some resources into Dexterity as that helps to minimise casting times. Similar to how sorceries require a staff, you’ll need to have a Sacred Seal equipped on your left armament to be able to cast to your heart's content.

Incantations are a great choice for a spellcasting build as they host the largest amount of spells in the game, including some interesting healing and utility spells as well as damage-inflicting ones. To get the most out of your Incantations you’ll want to pair them with complimentary Talismans and Seals.

Best Talismans for Incantations

The Dragon Communication Seal can be found relatively early in the Fringefolk Hero’s Grave. It will be dropped from the Banished Knight upon defeat. This seal gives an increased boost to damage made by Dragon Communion spells which happen to be some of the most powerful in the game.

The Gravel Stone Seal will boost Dragon Cult Incantations by 15% and is dropped from a knight in Leyndell, near the West Capital Rampart.

The Radagon Icon Talisman is a huge must for any spellcaster as it shortens casting time by adding 30 dexterity to spellcasting. This Talisman is located within the Raya Lucaria Academy above the Debate Parlor in a chest.

How to use Incantations

To use an Incantation in Elden Ring, you will first need to learn the spell by finding it in the world or buying it from a merchant. After this, go to any of the Lost Grace sites and select the option to 'Memorise' spells, which will put it into one of your memory slots.

You will also need a seal equipped as one of your weapons, and once you have the seal in your left or right hand, select the input for attacking with that hand, and you will cast the Incantation. 

Check out our Elden Ring homepage for more guides. We've also covered Legendary Sorceries and Incantions, all map fragment locations, how to get the Haligtree Medallion, how to find Sacred Tears, and how to find the Mimic Tear.