Ash Summons are one of the most viable ways to counter Elden Ring's toughest boss encounters, each having its own strengths and weaknesses. After the Mimic Tear's nerf in the most recent patch, it has certainly lost some of its former glory. The Mimic Tear was especially valuable due to it taking health from the player, rather than using FP. This made it especially viable for tanky melee-focused builds.
Due to the Mimic Tear's popularity in Elden Ring, some of the other ash summons have been overlooked and underused. Now, experimenting with new ashes is more valuable than ever. Although all other ashes cost FP to summon, making it a little more difficult for melee builds to reliably summon without pouring some levels into mind. However, some ashes truly are worth the investment, as their value cannot be understated.
The first ash of war in Elden Ring that rivals the Mimi Tear in its utility is Black Knife Tiche, an ash received after defeating Ringleader Alecto in his Evergaol. Ringleader Alecto is a very difficult Evergaol fight, located near the Moonlight Alter. Reaching the Moonlight Alter is a feat in its own right, as Ranni's questline must be nearly completed to reach it. Once players do reach it, they should prepare for a tough fight. To the northwest of the Moonlight Alter, Alecto resides in that Evergaol. Alecto is a black knife assassin, which players have encountered a few of up to this point. However, he adds a few new attacks, including a burn that will lower the player's maximum HP temporarily and do residual damage over time. His leaping slam followed by a number of burning slashes is particularly deadly, but defeating him will give players Black Knife Tiche, who is speedy, capable of holding enemy attention for a long time, and deals high damage with his burn attacks. Players will need 22 mind to summon him, and that will completely drain their FP, but he is well worth the price.
Where To Find Alecto In Elden Ring
Despite Tiche being a viable option for his damage and mobility, there are others that rival his utility for their ability to soak up enemy aggression and damage. One of the tankiest ashes in Elden Ring is Lhutel the Headless, with low damage, but high health, teleportation, and a greatshield, Lhutel will almost always stay alive for long periods of time for the price of 104 FP. She does inflict death blight with her weapon, but it hardly activates. Lhutel's ashes can be found in Elden Ring's Weeping Pennisula in the Tombsward Catacombs, near the Minor Erdtree of that area. Another great damage soaking ash are the Greatshield Soldiers. Their damage is pitiful and their mobility is lacking, but for the price, their ability to stay alive and stagger enemies is unrivaled. Their ashes can be found while journeying through Nokron, Eternal City.
There are plenty more ashes that are worth upgrading in Elden Ring, like Cleanrot Knight Finlay or Bloodhound Knight Floh, as they do reasonable damage and are capable of holding their own in boss fights. They are not as valuable for the FP price, but will still work just fine. Most ashes can be useful in the right situations.
Finally, players should not be afraid of switching around their ashes when they encounter different bosses or enemies in Elden Ring. Each ash can shine in certain situations, and finding a synergy with an ash of their liking should always be a player's top priority. Some players even go all the way to the end by just using the Jellyfish summon, or some don't use them at all. Finding that ash that works well with their playstyle is the most valuable asset.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
