Summary
Spirit Ash summons can be a huge help in challengingElden Ringfights, but the concept has always had a major imbalance that makes it feel a bit weird in practice. True to the standards of developer FromSoftware,Elden Ringfeatures some brutal bosses that keep intense amounts of pressure on any Tarnished brave enough to weather their attacks. Having a summon on hand can provide a useful distraction and a bit of extra damage to boot, with efficacy that can vary depending on which Spirit Ash is deployed.
The most infamous summon inElden Ringis theMimic Tear, a clone of the Tarnished that can be scaled up to be a powerful force in its own right. Despite receiving a significant nerf not long after the game’s original release, the Mimic Tear is still the simplest way to significantly reduce the threat of virtually anyElden Ringboss. With the recent release of thepunishing expansionShadow of the Erdtree, that help has become more valuable than ever, even if it means that other Spirit Ash summons are often left waiting in the wings.
Elden Ring: 15 Hardest Boss Battles, Ranked
From the legendary Maliketh to the infamous Malenia, Blade of Miquella, these are by far the most difficult bosses to fight in Elden Ring.
Mimic Tear Isn’t The Only Great Elden Ring Summon Now
Buffs To Other Summons Make Them Relevant
Elden Ring’s 1.13 patch has just made some adjustments to summons in the game, and the patch notes available on the officialBandai Namcowebsite show how significant those could be. The most overarching changes deal with how summoned spirits work inShadow of the Erdtree,boosting their attack power and damage negation “when the Revered Spirit Ash Blessing is at [5] or more.“Importantly, this change excludes theMimic Tear Ashes, potentially helping to lessen the gap between its power and the utility of other Spirit Ashes.
TheRevered Spirit Ash Blessingis a new progression mechanic exclusive toShadow of the Erdtree, scaling the power of summoned spirits and the spectral steed in The Land of Shadow only.
Even outside ofShadow of the Erdtree, summoned spirits are getting a boost, withattack power and damage negation improving past the +8 upgrade, and a whole host of individual tweaks add onto that. The most common change is a reduction in how easily they stagger, but plenty are also getting bonuses like improved health and attack power. TheSpirit Jellyfish Ashes, for example, receive “increased HP, physical attack power and poison status ailment buildup on enemies,” a significant boost to a summon that can already be quite useful early in the game.
Elden Ring’s Patch 1.13 Tweaks Are Good For Everyone
Loving Summons Isn’t Necessary To Appreciate The Changes
Whether summons need to be more powerful is the kind of subject that can be fiercely debated among theElden Ringcommunity, as a lot of players prefer to avoid their use altogether and fight bosses unassisted. When considering theexistence of the Mimic Tear, however, there’s no doubt that the others needed the boost to remain competitive.Incentivizing the use of other summons helps make the variety inherent to a significantElden Ringmechanic more relevantthan before, giving players a reason to try other options again.
Elden Ring’s 10 Best Spirit Summons
In Elden Ring, the Tarnished has dozens of unique Spirit Summons at their disposal, but the 10 best can turn the tides of almost any battle.
It’s also nice to see how many of the changes are implemented on an individual basis, as giving every summon the basic buffs and calling it a day would have been an easier solution. FromSoft games have attracted a huge fanbase thanks to the love and care put into the challenging experiences, and the new balance patch is a great example of how that can play out in practice. Not every system inElden Ringis necessarily perfect, but the game truly strives to offer options to suit every player.
Elden Ring’s new patch has a lot more fixes and changes in addition to the Spirit Ash buffs, including sometweaks to summon sign placements and activation to make it easier to deploy themin previously troublesome arenas. For those who enjoy using summons, all the changes should be a lot of fun, and those who don’t can still find other adjustments to appreciate in the update.Elden Ring’s approach to summons has been a bit off ever since its original release, but thanks to the 1.13 patch, things are finally starting to make more sense.
