Quick Answer: Elden Ring has over 90 Ashes of War — special skills applied to weapons via Whetstone Knives at any Site of Grace. They change weapon Affinity and replace the default skill. Top tier: Hoarfrost Stomp (frost AoE), Seppuku (self-buff bleed), Bloody Slash (heavy hit), Bloodhound’s Step (teleport-roll), and Sword Dance (multi-hit). Removable and reusable freely.
Welcome to the EldenGuide Ashes of War Wiki. Ashes of War let you customize a weapon’s skill and damage scaling, making them one of the most powerful build tools in Elden Ring. This page explains how they work.
What Are Ashes of War?
An Ash of War is an item that, when applied to a compatible weapon, grants that weapon a skill (a special attack) and an affinity (which changes its damage type and stat scaling). You apply Ashes of War at any Site of Grace once you have the Whetstone Knife, an early-game key item.
Skills
The skill is the special move triggered by the dedicated skill input. Skills range from damage bursts and charging attacks to buffs, parries, and ranged projectiles. Choosing a skill that matches your playstyle can transform an ordinary weapon — a buff skill suits slow heavy weapons, while a quick lunge suits aggressive builds.
Affinities
Affinities change how a weapon scales and what damage it deals:
- Heavy — boosts Strength scaling;
- Keen — boosts Dexterity scaling;
- Quality — balances Strength and Dexterity;
- Magic, Cold — add Intelligence scaling, with Cold also adding Frost;
- Fire, Flame Art — add Fire damage;
- Sacred — adds Holy damage and Faith scaling;
- Blood, Poison, Occult — support status and Arcane builds.
This lets you adapt almost any standard weapon to the stats you are building.
Which Weapons Accept Ashes of War?
Standard, non-unique weapons can have their Ash of War freely changed. Unique and special weapons usually come with a fixed skill that cannot be swapped. When planning a build, check whether your chosen weapon is customizable or locked.
Where to Find Ashes of War
Ashes of War are found as world drops, sold by certain merchants, and dropped by specific enemies — notably the roaming Teardrop Scarabs scattered across every region. Hunting these scarabs is one of the best ways to expand your collection of skills and affinities.
Whetblades and Affinity Options
By default you can apply basic affinities, but special Whetblades found in the world unlock additional affinity options at the Site of Grace menu. Collecting Whetblades gives a build far more flexibility in how it scales its weapons.
Building With Ashes of War
Ashes of War are central to weapon optimization. Match the affinity to your main stat and pick a skill that fits your rhythm. Our weapon scaling guide explains how affinities interact with scaling grades, and the Weapons Wiki covers which weapons accept them.
Final Notes
Ashes of War are the bridge between a weapon and your build. The right skill and affinity can turn a basic blade into a build’s centerpiece. Browse our Ashes of War Wiki to find the perfect customization for your Tarnished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do Ashes of War work?
A: Rest at a Site of Grace, select Ashes of War, choose a weapon, and apply an Ash with a Whetstone Knife. Each Ash changes the weapon’s skill and offers an Affinity choice (Heavy, Keen, Magic, etc.).
Q: Best Ashes of War?
A: Hoarfrost Stomp (frost AoE), Seppuku (bleed self-buff), Bloodhound’s Step (i-frame teleport), and Sword Dance (multi-hit DPS).
Q: Where to find Hoarfrost Stomp?
A: Caria Manor in northern Liurnia — defeat the invisible scarab in the side area for the Ash. Best for early-mid game frost builds.