Do Not Use These Spirit Ashes!! (Use These Ones Instead) - Top Best & Worst Elden Ring Summons

[@DomsRoundtable]

My apologies if your favourite didn't make the list!! Most summons hold a special place in my heart, but I had to narrow the list down somehow 😋 I hope you enjoy!

[@blurph82]

Did you know that you can take damage from Lhutel's spear when thrown. She's killed me several times in Rennala's first phase

[@ЙирюВонаирда]

Latenna one love

[@redmist6630]

it seemd like they ran out of time when balancing some of these ashes ngl. considering everything else is pretty balanced id say its fine

[@redmist6630]

7:04 ayo?

[@1212354a]

At +10, Banished Knight Engvall is a damaging tank that can Aggro bosses long enough for me to do serious magic damage.

[@jarrakul]

I keep seeing people hate on Lhutel's teleport because it makes her drop aggro, but I feel like that very fact helps keep her alive through some of the hardest fights in the game. I'd rather have an intermittent tank through the whole fight than a consistent tank through the first half, in part because an enemy who's switching targets is an enemy who's wasting time moving. I actually found that she performed better against Malenia than Tiche did, just because she lived so long and took so many fewer hits than Tiche (and therefore fed Malenia less health).

[@SevenPr1me]

This is precisely my take on Lhutel as well

[@rbm-oi2rx]

lhutel actually helped me in my 1st playthrough

[@martinriediger777]

I find Lhutel's teleporting can be an advantage as it makes her live longer or through the fight. For melee fighter it is often useful to have a companion to disrupt the boss. And Lhutel helped me defeat Margit.🙂

[@TrollAxeThrower]

I used Kristoff against malenia and he actually drops her to the ground, and do ranged damage so he draws aggro from afar. He died to her ash of war move just before the very end, which allowed me to finish her.

[@nathreetimesnineequalstwen7172]

I know people will hate me for this, but if you're in for making a boss fight easy while not just 1 shot/bleeding it: Lhutel + a weapon with BHS . . . I introduce to you the: Skeet Mode Set Up I haven't used outside of 1 single encounter with Mohg 2.0 on one of my runs, but it was fun AF and different (completely different).

[@squeezedlemonydemon4472]

Personally I have been using Lhutel since the moment I got her and I am in late game, got her fully upgraded and I have no regrets. I don't mind that she doesn't hold aggro, sometimes she dodges enemy attacks by disappearing just at the right time and it looks awesome. Plus it feels more like I'm fighting *with* her rather than being fully dependant on her. It's way more fun like this!

[@shaggynojutsu339]

Lhultel the headless who solo’d both astels while I buffed be like: how am I bad

[@harshilpatel5950]

luthel destroy black knife assasin meanwhile me healing my hp,fp😂😂

[@redmist6630]

how does he know if they are dudes or not?

[@HH-hd7nd]

@@redmist6630 Because it is said in the descriptions of the ashes themselves and sometimes also general lore gathered from a multitude of items, ashes etc. One example: If you read the descriptions of items linked to the Black Knife Assassins you'll learn that all of them are female which means that Black Knife Tiche - who is a Black Knife Assassin - has to be female as well. Regarding Luthel quote:"Lhutel sacrificed HER life so that in Death SHE could continue to protect a soulless demigod until their revival, earning HER the hero's honor of Erdtree Burial." end quote. Banished Knight Engvall quote: "Despite HIS banishment, HE rejected the invitation of the Grace-Given Lord, instead keeping watch over a masterless castle for many years, gaining renown as a hero of the fringes." etc. You have to read the texts of everything you find to learn the lore - that's how Elden Ring tells the story.

[@frakyo667]

Help me to kill 3 TOROS as a mage.

[@pockets4015]

For anyone who's new to the game wondering "Well I tried all of these and they suck, how did his do amazing and mine didn't?" You have to progress Roderika's questline (The girl in the Stormhill Shack) by talking to her, getting her to move to the roundtable, and talking to her and hewg enough to the point where she sits in the room with him, then you are able to upgrade spirit ashes just like weapons, that's where the damage and health will come from.

[@SevenPr1me]

Are you saying there are people out there who run around with unleveled spirit ashes thinking they suck?!

[@pockets4015]

@@SevenPr1me people see Roderika and think it’s just a depressed chick and don’t pay any mind so yep, they do.

[@piercewehrle148]

I just made roderika graft at the castle. Did you not know theres a seperate questline?

[@SevenPr1me]

@@piercewehrle148 lol you're so full of it

[@pockets4015]

@@piercewehrle148 sorry but there’s not. I’ve played this game 36 times I think I’d know if Roderika had a separate questline.

[@MrDaddymeez1]

The reason that Lhutel is rated in the community higher than Dragon Knight is because she dissapears and reappears. Unless you intend for the summons to do the entire fight alone having a teamate that last longer in the battle is optimal. She disappears to create distance then you attack, while your attacking she attacks from far drawing aggro. While your enemy attacks her you free to do your next attack. Ancient Dragon Knight doesn't last that long against late bosses

[@thepaintingbanjo8894]

That's exactly why I love Lhutel. She perfectly compliments my playstyle since I like using weapons over sorcery a lot more. Other summons are only meant to distract the enemy 100% of the time which to me cheapens a boss victory, while with Lhutel it strikes a balance to where it feels earned. It's like I'm forced to treat her like a tag-teaming teammate instead of a slavish decoy. The teleportation is what makes her the best since it's why Lhutel can survive longer than a summon has any right to be.

[@weskintime4177]

+10 Kristoff died to Fort Height in NG+1, Lhutel made it but just barely. Pretty obvious which is the better summon.

[@Rob.Coleman]

The Skeletal Militiamen carried me through most of the game, not the strongest but their reincarnation gimmick is very useful against the early game bosses 👍👍.

[@sebashormaza]

yeah pretty much used them until i got mimic

[@austinmaruna1760]

exact reason I use them too, love those bastards

[@jebes909090]

The shield ones are amazing. They tank and agro so well

[@Galzra87]

This skeletons were my pals with latenna and the jellyfish until i found the mimic tear ash, now i just use mimic tear

[@ZeroCiero]

Same here, mostly used them and mimic. Except when I used the crystalian as it’s practically invincible, lol

[@yurei8368]

Gonna have to disagree with Rollo. Rollo is a bruiser with a ton of knockdowns and a lot of stagger, he's aggressive enough to hold aggro pretty reliably, and the fact that he inflicts Bleed build-up either speeds up your own Bleednanigans or allows you to pop Bleeds you wouldn't get any other way. He also combines well with Frost builds looking for procs more than the Frost debuff, since his fire breath resets Frostbite and allows you to build up Frost again. Rollo's gotten me through some nasty situations; Engvall's good, but he's not a bleedmonster face-flattening Omenkiller.

[@Energistx]

Came here to say this. Also Engvall can have large moments where he's stuck in a standstill animations and the enemy moves out of his range.

[@SunshineDeluxe]

Yeah, Rollo is a top 3 summon for me. Tons of damage, poise damage, bleed proc, AoE fire damage, etc. He's definitely not the tankiest summon, but he's aggressive enough that that's not a problem most of the time. And to replace him with Engvall? Sorry, but I have the same problem with Engvall as I have with Lhutel: he's just not aggressive enough. I had a lot of fights where he would just walk around LOOKING like he was going to attack, but never did. I need my summons to tank, draw aggro, or deal damage. Engvall and Lhutel just don't do enough of any of that for me.

[@wanderinglich7561]

I think the reason the community is divided on Lhutel verses Kristoff is that more aggressive players prefer Lhutel, while casters and more cautious/passive players prefer Kristoff. As I see it from reading around is that Lhutel's gimmick of teleporting around only really seems to bother people who want a summon to hold aggro, but to someone who is more confident in melee and holding aggro most the time it isn't really a problem. that being said such people probably aren't the ones needing a summon in the first place so there's that. As for Kristoff, well as stated in the video he is tankier than Lhutel, hits harder and holds aggro far better then she can but comes with the risk of being taken out quicker by simply taking more hits. But for a mage that is setting up a big hitting spell or an archer that needs a front liner he is for sure the better pick. Also Latenna is best pick for melee builds in my opinion, I am willing to be corrected but having a reliable source of steady damage while you hold aggro makes all the difference in a fight.

[@StumperTX]

Latenna is absolutely god-tier against dragons. Position her far away and she'll constantly drop their health but somehow does not pull much aggro. Oleg is definitely worth fighting that tree spirit! He's my favorite against most bosses. Will stagger and poise break and reliably pulls all the aggro.

[@crimson1953]

That ash is pretty awful

[@HH-hd7nd]

@@crimson1953 Which one? Latenna or Oleg? You are wrong in both cases btw because both of them are among the best ashes in the game. You have to know how to use Latenna effciently though - you must not put her in harms way and you have to draw the aggro away from her. But if you do that her damage output is incredible.

[@crimson1953]

@@HH-hd7nd latenna no matter where you put her she will be in harms way. She never misses but bosses csn easily one or two shot her.. oleg is amazing

[@HH-hd7nd]

@@crimson1953 I disagree on Latenna, I have had a lot of success with her. You have to consistently focus the bosses attention on you though (if you can't hold aggro against Latenna use the Shabriri's Woe talisman). Because of her insane range you can place her so far off the boss that she'll never get in harms way accidentily.

[@crimson1953]

@@HH-hd7nd damage I rather not take all the damage an die within a couple huts half.to remember as well more ng pluses you do harder enemies hit.much better options then someone that hits lightly an can be one shotted. Tiche is far better summon, along with cleanrot knight, dung eater, mimic,dragon knight Kristof

[@EveKeneinan]

I think Latenna the Albinauric is an amazing summon. You have to learn how to work with her - she is basically a stationary turret - but she is a turret with insane range and dps. There are some serious bosses that she will easily solo if you place her in the right spot. Latenna is the opposite of the Greatshield Solders: if you do the tanking, she'll bring the damage.

[@kdoody5712]

100%!!

[@vaevictusdeus]

She can mount dire wolves too. Not that they're always around, but it's still pretty neat.

[@Energistx]

I love the play style that Latenna puts you in. Also if you have her equipped she has extra dialog in the mountains.

[@divider928]

Exactly my 1st run and her as my main ashe summon. Dps isnt that high sure but if you yourself keep aggro a boss while she chip it away the boss hp bit by bit is enough of help i can get, especially against the bigger enemy. Cant count how many time she get a boss kill while im struggling to hold out

[@WaddupBenny]

@LTNetjak Yes! Best cheese for the Fire Giant - IYKYK

[@LateCloser]

Great list. I completely agree about Lhutel. Originally, she carried me. I needed her to get by some bosses. However, there came a point where I found her to not be that useful. It kind of caught me by surprise. I kept thinking, how come she doesn't appear to be helping me much. Every time she disappears it's at a horrible time. Sometimes she is throwing spears when I want her to tank. Sometimes she's tanking when I want her to throw spears. I had to find a replacement after I upgraded her to level 5 and I struggled for a while to find a proper one. Then, I stumbled on to the mimic tear and well, that's easy mode. Kristoff became my choice because I wanted a tank who didn't win the fight on it's own. Tiche is OP. Oleg is the man, but I never had enough gloveworts to upgrade him. Expensive too. Maybe you could do a list on Ashes that help, but don't win the fight for you. I experimented with Deenh. I wondered if the healer Tricia was at all usable. The sleep archer Dolores is powerful in some fights, of course.

[@ariesscar443]

Mimic’s trash! It always dies in a couple hits.. l’hutel is fucking trash for sure.. still rather do it all alone. Its a waste of my energy. They dont even distract the bosses. My game is broken

[@furtalance_x]

@@ariesscar443 if mimic is trash them ur build is trash. Mimic copies what u have. If ur a tank then mimic is a tank.

[@ariesscar443]

@@furtalance_x well i do what i can.. im not a cheater, dont use someone else’s build. I enjoy the game my own way! So ur trash! Lol

[@1212354a]

Perfumer Tricia has very limited use: Small rooms with densely packed enemies. If there is any space around her, the enemies just dodge her and step around her cloud.

[@HH-hd7nd]

@@ariesscar443 If your mimic dies then you don't have vigor and are not wearing armor. Depending on your own character build and equipment the Mimic can be the most tanky of all spirits by far. The Mimic can in fact solo all bosses, including Malekith, Malenia and Radagon/Elden Beast, if your character is strong enough and you got the necessary equipment. You're also wrong about Lhutel which is also a very strong summon. In short - it seems that you simply don't know how to use summons effectively. Or you didn't upgrade them which is again your mistake of course.

[@ronwisegamgee]

To make FP costs a non-issue, you can just drink your Flask of Wondrous Physick with a Cerulean Hidden Tear and summon any spirit. Might as well buff yourself with a Golden Vow Ash of War while you're at it.

[@doomstadt2371]

No love for the Kaiden Raider in cliff bottom catacombs?!?! The stagger machine himself? Rennala got 3 spells off the whole fight before I killed her, and 1 of those was before he was summoned. He's a beast!

[@sungfra]

Great list. I carry both Mimic Tear & Black Knife Tiche with me so I have the flexibility to use either HP or FP to summon

[@wildfire160]

I do the same though i tend to just use Tiche most of the time...

[@HH-hd7nd]

@@wildfire160 For me its the opposite - I always use the Mimic if the fight is hard. I use Tiche occasionally just for the fun of using different summons though.

[@exodore2000]

I just seen the Mimic Tear beat the game. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rou9YWqfjphll6s

[@aherohasfallen]

Tiche, Dung, and Oleg are probably the best summons in the game. Oleg carried me past Leyndell and basically soloed Raya Lucaria when I could summon him. If you get Flame of the Redmanes early you can break the tree spirit quite easily to use Oleg instead of Engvall.

[@canadianjoker5033]

I saw a video of Oleg vs. Engvall. Engvall won, but not by much.😐

[@HH-hd7nd]

@@canadianjoker5033 Engvall is a bot more of a tank, however Oleg deals much, much more damage. This means if you keep the bosses aggro away from Oleg at least occasionally he's way more effective than Engvall (who is also not the best tank in the world).

[@higguma]

They're both trash

[@100puremustard5]

I will say the Headless summon worked great against those 2 Knights that give you the golden scarab +20% runes

[@Nerazmus]

I always liked Radahn Soildiers. Not the most tanky, but boy do they deal damage. Also, I lately came to enjoy Page Ashes. He is kind of like poorman's Tiche. Decently good ranged damage and a long dodge to keep away from harm.

[@mr_peach7704]

2 I like to use sort of situationally are Depraved Perfumer Carmaan and Battle Mage Hugues. Carmaan is great vs foes weak to fire. Hugues is my companion when I’m meleeing large bosses, dragons, etc. He’s got impressive DPS and lots of health.

[@Dawgfather187]

I hope I'm not the only one disappointed at a lack of a giant summon of some kind. Those or a lobster summon I figured we would've at least gotten one of the two.

[@canadianjoker5033]

Those aren't Lobsters; they're Crayfish. Lobsters live in saltwater. 😉

[@Svoorhout85]

Make it so that if you summon the crayfish you dont even see it. The boss just gets sniped from the horizon by water beams.

[@OniGanon]

My favourite early game summon in the Skeletal Milita. So long as there isn't relentless boss aoe going around to stop their self resurrection, they're great for distracting bosses and adds over and over. Later on it seems like aoe spam becomes more and more common so I end up switching for an archer type summon that's still good in melee, such as one of those bastard sniper Ancestor spirits.

[@jefforious2000]

How are folks sleeping on these guys? Ive had them respawn as many as 4 times... l

[@matthewbennett1972]

How about one of those damn dragon flys for a summon. That will keep a boss distracted

[@ShinGallon]

I personally loved using the skeletal soldiers for the longest time, simply because of their resurrection. But then I discovered the Azula Beastman ashes, and now I always roll with my +10 Beastie Boys. Will definitely give Tiche a go when I find her, though.

[@kubhfbebr630]

Beat the game 3 times and on a 4th run, still gonna watch because Dom is such an amazing creator!

[@SevenPr1me]

I remember on launch all sorts of veterans (including myself) complained about the presence of spirit ashes but over time I think I actually realized they are a great addition to the game. I don't have to use them when I don't want to but I like that I can use them when I do need them

[@johnapplesauce6129]

I think Spirit ashes are both a good and bad thing if you don’t rely on them too much it’s fine if you use them to learn the boss or need a breather but I have been trying to help newer players through co-op most of the time the player just keeps rushing the boss only to be instantly deleted having a spirit to back you up has left many players with no idea how to fight the bosses because they are dependent on the sprit keeping the boss attention so they can just mindlessly beat on the boss. One of the things that got me into the souls games in first place was I had heard that these games provided a satisfying challenge and now having played almost every game I understand it while playing Elden ring I didn’t really feel that way except for during a couple fights.

[@SevenPr1me]

@@johnapplesauce6129 dude, nobody is forcing those players to suck. They chose to use a handicap and they're suffering for it

[@MsKeylas]

@@SevenPr1me while you are right that nobody forced them to suck, thing is elden ring allows people to suck by letting such people have summons that do ALL the work for them, while before it was mach harder to slack

[@SevenPr1me]

@@MsKeylas I'm afraid you are confused. Your concern with how other people play Elden ring is a direct reflection of your own insecurities. Ashen summons only work in single player mode. The fact that you're "judging people" on this is really pathetic and you should be ashamed

[@MsKeylas]

@@SevenPr1me rofl I am neither concerned with how other people play the game nor judge them. Also THOSE kind of summons work regardless if you are online or ofline. The fact that you accused me of something I havent done is really pathetic and you should be ashamed. I have just stated that in Elden Ring game Allows people to suck who want that, While before in previous games you had to get more or less good to successfully finish the game. So in essence you completely missed my point with your ramble accusation

[@ixiahj]

Luthel has aggro. Its the thrown spear move. It draws a bosses aggro when the boss is on you. And when Luthel gets attacked, she just teleports away. Its the best summon for casters.

[@AleisterJonesEsquire]

Rotten Stray is best boi! Especially because in late game you have to draw aggro to keep him alive long enough to proc Scarlet Rot, so it feels less like cheating.

[@johnapplesauce6129]

They cost a Stone sword key to get but one of my favorite summons in the game is the night sister puppets they’re very aggressive and good at drawing enemies and bosses attention even in late game areas also work well against the fire giant because of their life steal ability they also only need 87 FP to summon

[@BradJames83]

Am I the only one that wishes to here Tarnished Manifesto pledges for when they become Elden Lord? "As Elden Lord, I will spear head an unprecedented manufacture of roads. No longer will Jarburg be isolated!" That sort of thing.

[@Darthwriter]

Glad you honorable mentioned the Wolves. I know they are basically the first summon you get but they are very powerful thru most of the game. Big AOE attacks can wipe them out, but they do a great job of holding aggro and I especially like them with a Magic User build. Thanks for the vid! Onwards to 100K!

[@gustavovm491]

Also their pressure wrecks bosses with little or no poise like Rennala or the invisible assassin.

[@1212354a]

I use Engvall and Lhutel interchangeably, but have recently acquired the Redmane Soldiers and really enjoy how much damage they inflict. I also get a huge kick out of Battlemage Hugues as he hits hard at a distance as well as up close with his hammer.

[@stephengoodman9058]

Added bonus for the wolves, they’re great at sniffing out and destroying those invisible wizard guys in Sellia. Can’t take the disrespect for Lhutel though, my girl got me through many a boss battle 😄.

[@jettblade]

I wouldn't call Lhutel or Rollo the worst but I do think some people overrate them, they are solid choices higher than average. I used Lhutel on my first playtrhough and I do admit that I had issues but I had more positive experiences than negative ones. I did call her Lhutel the Brainless a few times but that was mostly my frustration and her standing in lava just to teleport into another lava pool. Rollo is another one that I had a few issues with but he came in clutch more often than not. He also is the only summon I used that could get me to Malina's second phase regularly outside of the Mimic Tear, Tiche did help but more often she wasn't around for phase 2. I have not tried the alternative summons suggested to see how they compare.

[@WaddupBenny]

Rollo is my go-to anytime I clear the Caria Manor, gotta love his fire attack.

[@Zero747_]

Lhutel kinda depends on circumstance. If you're a mage build, you'll always want your summons drawing aggro so you can cast. If you're a tanky build not using mimic tear, a melee summon who can stay out of trouble is handy for splitting aggro. Tiche may be better, but she's a ways in

[@fadeddragon123]

The headless lasts longer on fights. That’s the best thing about her. And when a enemy has any form of lingering AOE the great shields don’t cut it.

[@Lucious_Skywalker]

Engvall is an absolute beast, my spirit animal, my Elden BFF. Homie will solo bosses if you let him. Sandwiching a boss with him for endless wombo combos is always hilarious. Highly recommended.

[@caseyhart4999]

I’m convinced black knife tiche is definitely the best. I thought Godskin duo was impossible until I got and used her. Beat them first try with her lol

[@tevinstrachan1421]

Black Knife Tiche, Lhutel the Headless, Omenkiller Rollo and Lattena the Albinauric are my favorite named ashes. All of them work differently and can alter your playstyle should you use them. Stormhawk Deenh is an honorable mention cause he can buff you throughout battle, if he lives long enough. Mausoleum Soldiers and Greatshield Soldier Ashes are good for when you want quality and quantity. between their attacks and yours staggering enemies you will easily break poise and or stun lock them

[@albertnobbs5049]

The low height of the wolves is an often underappreciated aspect. Used them all the way to getting the mimic. Some boss attacks straight up ignore small height creatures.

[@yeahyeahwowman8099]

The Wolves are fantastic.

[@Graysett]

My favorite SA are the giant rats. Why? Because they cost literally nothing, you get a bunch of decently tanky bodies, and they're aggressive enough that it's actually pretty easy to poise break strong enemies with their help and keep them nearly stunlocked. I used them mercilessly to help me learn Malenia's second phase, if she ever got in a corner with them out she'd get pretty much stunlocked until her phase transition. Another insanely underrated SA is the gravity archer from the catacomb in Radahn's arena. I've seen him carry people through Malenia's boss fight, the arrows knock her right on her ass and he can hold his own in melee as well as any other elite knight type enemy.

[@Svoorhout85]

Im not sure but I recall the Redmane summons are extra extra agressive toward Malenia for lore reasons.

[@PSOHBMedia]

I'm so glad there is someone else in these comments who realized how great the giant rats are. Especially fully levelled when there are 5 of the damned things! Enemies that can get staggered are helpless against those sweet little rodents.

[@Graysett]

@@PSOHBMedia RAT-GANG, ever since DS2 baybee.

[@HH-hd7nd]

Hm...interesting idea. For some reason I actually never used Redmane Knight Ogha, mostly my go-to is mimic and if I go for an archer I usually use Latenna. Maybe I should level up Ogha and test him out.

[@tcdtboc8551]

I don't usually summon except for multiple enemies and good old lhutel handles it well shes got the moves.

[@dxxn8674]

I just wanted to say thank you very much for the guides you put out they are extremely helpful and easy to follow. I honestly try to use your guides over Others because you don’t try to do only what’s the most popular it’s more of what you actually think and it’s very original and genuine so much appreciated good sir thank you again.

[@skipjacks85]

The Skellies you get from the very first Mariner in Limgrave are incredible. Their reincarnation ability is clutch.

[@Nirob615]

The crystallian in my opinion is definitely up there with the best tank summons like Kristoff and the greatshield skellies. Also I believe she has one of the highest poise values out of pretty much anything in the game at whooping 400 poise. For reference I've seen her in new game+ take Placiduax's nuke lightning spear to the face for only 500-600 damage. Just don't use her on enemies that do primarily strike damage like Radagon she's awful with those.

[@lancyfer]

I use Crystallian also, just not in large arenas because she walks too slow.

[@Nirob615]

@@lancyfer You are absolutely right that's a big part of her one glaring flaw which is she takes too long to get aggo. I usually just play the fast and loose route and summon her close to bosses that don't immediately run after you. For ones like Placiduax you gotta run up to him and summon her during the lightning storm he opens with or it takes her forever to even get to him. If you use her as a melee player stay close to her so she doesn't have to chase people down.

[@osvaldoprado9906]

Crystallian has perhaps the highest poise value of all common enemies and spirits as well. BUT that poise does not "recharge" like normal poise. Once his poise reaches zero, it stays at zero for the rest of the fight, so you have a spirit with 0 effective poise.

[@GammaFields]

I have felt the same way about Lhutel and have been trying to convince my friends of her lack of holding agro as well. She's good in theory but the canstant teleportation and lack of decent dmg makes her irritating to use.

[@Wintertier]

I still think many of the high tier summons are helpful and similarly good, depending on your playstyle. Lhutel was my main spirit summon until the end and with her help I destroyed everything. I played a melee caster hybrid and she felt like a second player that gave me the openings and time I needed, sometimes, depending on the enemy she completely soloed them. She's amazing against dragons and the firegiant!

[@British_Rogue]

The *Marionette Soldiers* and the *Land Squirts* are both surprisingly very good summons.

[@thenson1Halo]

For those with less abundant FP supply the Demi-Human Ashes do WORK when you start leveling them up.

[@furtalance_x]

Honestly I will take Banished Knight Engvall over all other ashes anytime of day (Except Tiche and Mimic). The way he attacks causes enemies to stun and that is sooooo useful. Dont get me started on Luthal, the number of times that idiot got herself stuck in that disappearing act of hers. So many boss fights she left me stranded, just stuck behind a pillar or some shit. Engvall carried me till lynadall the royal capital.

[@daniellesmith7515]

Greatshield Soldiers are great, but anything with an AoE attack that stains the ground like the zombies' worm burst or almost any dragon's breath wipes them out incredibly quickly because they can't block it.

[@andrim08]

shout out to battlemage Hugues. Dude has one attack that smashes the enemy to the ground with a hammer, another that blasts the enemy backwards and to the ground. Both attacks leave the enemy open for 1-2 hits

[@chucklenoris]

I personally use the wolves on a new game. At max level, they can carry you up to Commander Naill. At that point I swap to Dung Eater for the tanky build. Both help really well for ranged combat setups.

[@fletchoid]

I really like the Demi-Human Ashes for situations where I am making my way through areas full of those damn HAND things. The Demi-Humans are like watch-dogs because they screech whenever they detect a new enemy. They are also good for areas full of Revenants. They hold agro, screech warnings, and keep mobs busy. Even though they are weaker than most of the ones you recommend, they are a special case Spirit Ash.

[@Ealdorman_of_Mercia]

1:09 Musoleum soldiers?? I just looked it up, apparently you have to defeat a boss called Radhan, and it is said that he is very powerful and a mid-game boss... Level that is expected for the player to be is around 60-70... That's not early..

[@jkracken358]

Stormhawk Deenh is my favorite! He's certainly not op by any means but I just love the idea of having a giant crazy bird as my fighting companion.

[@HH-hd7nd]

All flying spirits also have a speciality that can be usefull in some fights: He's immune to ground effects like Godrick's "I command the Kneel" attack or Godfrey/Hoarah Loux stomps.

[@stompingpeak2043]

I think the best soldier ashes has to be the greatshield army. Then best ghost summon is always mimic(if you're using a real melee build). Cystallian is amazing as well. Nephili is also a top teir summon if you are willing to miss out on two ancient dragon smithing stones. Then the surprising best early game summon that can be used late game is the one you can get as a gift. The fanged imp ashes will absolutely melt alot of enemies and bosses in the game. Their bleed procs can solo stuff and they do just as much damage on average as every non mimic ash. I think banished knight does soo little damage he always disappoints me

[@kendershot]

I was surprised at how effective the Vulgar Militia were. Once they get their stupid jump attacks going, it is a good way to stun lock some bosses.

[@PitchforkTorchCrowd]

I don't understand why you are saying pulling enemy aggro back and forth is bad. In most fights it actually worked for me - summon didn't die for long time period and I was able actively contribute into fight and heal.

[@lancyfer]

Latenna on the Twin Gargoyles, first try. Me and D's brother took the aggro, kept them off of her.

[@sirweenielick8534]

If you want an effective group spirit ash, then Radahn Soldier ashes are probably the best. 71 FP and you got hyper aggressive allies that dish out very respectable damage, plus one with a greatsword to knock down low poise enemies. Not ideal for helping with groups of enemies in the open world, but they can help you shred bosses. Even in NG+ 3 these guys are going strong, which I can’t say the same for most.

[@SevenPr1me]

My go to soldier ashes

[@rk13567]

Agree with the first four, but nah Rollo is a beast. I liked the banished knights but Rollo is stronger imo

[@zenixkiryu]

I like using Stormhawk Deenh due to his hit and run attack style. The damage boost he gives you is a small plus as well. Worked wonders against most bosses like phase 1 Malenia.

[@HH-hd7nd]

2:35 No chance. Tiche is pretty good (maybe the second best summon) but nowhere near the power level of the Mimic (unless you do a level 1 playthrough or something like that). On top you have to beat Alecto the Black Knife RIngleader to get Tiche - and that is a really tough boss (way tougher than the Tree Spirit in the Fringefolk Hero's Grave; it's also much later in the game than the Mimic). 6:39 I would dispute your claim that Christof is more tanky than Lhutel - he is not. Lhutels teleportation lets her completely avoid a lot of attacks that the Dragon Knight can only block - but he doesn't block 100 % of the damage, especially not if it is magical or elementral. Besides - she can buff her damage, he cannot which means that while he attacks faster she deals more damage per attack. Both have a ranged attack, however she has more range. Christof is good, but Luthel is better. 7:55 Oleg is better than Engvall - WAY more damage. My 5 go-to picks: 1) Once aquired of course the Mimic because it's simply the most powerfull summon by far. 2) Latenna the Albinauric - immobile and very squishy, however her range is insane and her damage output is incredibly high. 3) For the Early game - the Lonely Wolves. They also deal a lot of poise damage btw which means they knock the enemy down often. 4) Dung Eater Puppet - maybe the third best summon in the game after Mimic and Tiche. A bit hard to get though since you have to preogress several questlines a fair bit and can easily mess it up. You also cannot get him at all if you gave Seluvis potion to Nepheli Loux to aquire the Nepheli Loux puppet instead - these two are mutually exclusive in the same playthrough. 5) Fanged Imp Ashes if taken as Keepsake at the beginning of the game - they deal incredible amounts of damage (mostly because of their huge bloodloss buildup); they are also surprisingly tanky. If not taken at the beginning they can be bought from the Merchant at the entrance of Raya Lucaria for 3000 runes which means they are super easy to get. Honorable mentions: 1) The Demi Human Ashes which are pretty good in early game and can be aquired in the Impaler's Tomb on the Weeping Peninsula. 2) The Ancestral Follower aquired from the Ancestor Spirit in Siofra River - can be aquired very early in the game and deals a lot of long range damage. 3) Skeletel Militamen aquired from the Tibia Mariner in Limgrave. Not the strongest, but unless the enemies deal aoe they constantly revive themselves.

[@DeadTrigger87]

The great shield soldiers ashes Combined with a caster build its almost a broken combo.

[@normal6969]

What do you think of the Depraved Perfumer? He heals, casts protection and damage on an area. Saved me from that invisible assassin miniboss in some catacombs.

[@dekkstar8452]

This Ash is more of an Supporter but a good Ashe for sure

[@Phantosification]

Lhutel has carried me through most of my most successful no-deaths run. But she is definitely more useful for the early game. But calling her one of the "worst" is hyperbole.

[@mattkevlarlarock5469]

Glad you mentioned the wolves. I used them for half the game. I thought they were great at just antagonizing the bad guys until I could get close and do some serious damage. But then I became the cliche player and used the mimic. lol. Though with my dual focus of strength and intelligence, sometimes i use it for weapon damage, and other times for sorcery damage.

[@victorwhitaker5628]

I would have made an honorable mention for Skeletal Militiaman Ashes. They might not be tanky or punch a lot of damage, but the fact that they respawn with full health endlessly is super useful when you want to distract enemies or bosses, you just have to manage attracting the enemies' aggro back to you when they are down so they do not get permanently killed.

[@hideshisface1886]

I'll be honest, I disagree with Lhutel - if you pick her, you don't pick her to tank. Her phasing out ability it pretty much equivalent of a dodge roll - and it is meant to keep her alive. And well, it does that quite well. She is far less vulnerable to being splattered or stunlocked by enemies with attack chains or AoE. Treat her pretty much as a companion player - and you have to alter your tactics accordingly. So, in practice - use her as suplement - she will sometimes pull aggro, but don't count on it - use her like a companion - alternate attacks with her, try to coordinate. Her only real downside is her relatively slow attack rate. Also - Rollo - well, I see him as a brawler that is meant to break enemy stance - and with dual wielded cleavers, he does that well... And deals solid bleed build up. And his fire attack resets frostbite, which pairs him well with cold builds.

[@WUZLE]

Greatshield skeletons are my favorite summons for spellcasters. Nothing tarpits a boss so you can throw spells from behind them like the door shield skeletons.

[@TheMaeximum]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they also respawn like any skeleton enemy if you don't touch them again after killing?

[@WUZLE]

@@TheMaeximum No, the greatshield skeletons do no respawn. They would be absurdly good if they did. As it is, any boss that lacks massively damaging AOEs just gets stuck in a mob of skeletons and is easy meat for spellcasters. Oh, and of course they wouldn't work on Malenia because of the "We ran out of ideas, we'll have her heal a huge amount on every hit" thing. They got my spellcasters past Gideon and Radigon, no problems.

[@mongi4435]

My favorite is the sorcerer. I have him up to level eight and he’s Indispensable. Always on Target and keeping the bosses off my back while I beat the shit out of them. LOL. Level him up and try him you’ll like him. And he follows you everywhere.

[@organs]

I really like the skeletal militia men. Just the basic ones in the first group. You get them from the very first Tibia Mariner. What's so great is they're cheap, there's two of them that can overwhelm the enemy, they get better with upgrades, and they REVIVE THEMSELVES! Like, unless the ground becomes lava, they don't stay down!

[@Dreamsatmidnight]

I love Nepheli's Puppet She went toe to toe in the end game with me on my first playthrough, cause i screwed up her quest. but with her ash maxed out, I didn't regret giving her the potion. thank you for leaving out the mimic tear, and let the proper ashes have some limelight. great video

[@aswirlything5838]

Engvall, Kristoff and Floh wer my go-to boys for most of my run up until i got the mimic tear. I wouldn't be where I am now in the game if not for them.

[@Wild-Instinct]

Just saw this vid now because I was playing Elden Ring all by myself (no summon or whatever) but I wanted to see a bit more about summons Thanks again for the quality of your vid sir

[@jaysmith6466]

U good sir are so very wrong about rollo lol he is by far 1 of the best summons that banish3d knight doesnt even come close

[@jaysmith6466]

Maybe i kill things too fast i havent rly noticed that problem

[@dmitc01]

Engvall is better than Rollo. But a Rollo is a very decent summons

[@loganholley5357]

@@dmitc01 he isn’t tho rollo is a great tank that can spew fire, have good damage, and inflicts bleed he is amazing and completely under utilized

[@thundertwonk1090]

Rollo is fairly disappointing given everyone hypes up his tankiness WAY too much. He pulls agro really well, but has such low defense that, despite being my highest leveled summon at the time, at +7 he was weaker than a +5 Oleg. He's saved by the bleed, but it's so rare for it to happen since he gets his poise broken so easily.

[@daveb305]

Rollo’s strengths are poise damage and bleed buildup

[@atlantic_love]

Lhutel is the one who helped me beat the Draconian Sentinel at Leyndell.

[@hellgeist_]

Great video, I entirely agree. Oleg and Fanged Imps are my two main spirit ashes.

[@schonmp]

I really like Oleg! I’ve used Lhutel but her dropping aggro when she teleports is why I stopped using her in favor of Oleg. I’m more of a mage build and can dole out the damage. I just need a tank. I just picked up Kristoff, so I’ll have to give him a try!

[@Glowingstarss]

Ah the wolves 🥰 they have my heart. They did me so good in the early game! I was very sad when they couldn’t hold up anymore and I had to switch them. But they are for sure amazing in the early game.

[@canadianjoker5033]

The Godrick Soldiers cost 1 less FP than the wolves and are much more useful. You can also get them right at the start of the game.😉

[@1212354a]

If you buff them to +9, they are significantly tanky. Got me past the Tree Sentinel outside Leyndell!

[@canadianjoker5033]

@@1212354a - Godrick Soldiers give much more bang for your buck. I saw a video of Godrick Soldiers +10 vs. Godrick. They beat him; without assistance. I doubt the wolves could. 😐

[@zebwiz1900]

It's hard to pick anything over mimic if you have a high int or faith build. They can just spam all the spells that you normally cannot.

[@furtalance_x]

Bro i had a bleed build. Mimic destroys anyone with that.

[@dekkstar8452]

A good one and easy to get latenna Spirit...she is a shooting Turet and hits always her Target...An other Ashe that is Amazing is that you can found in Catacombs ad the End of the Map when you defeat Radhan.The only Problem it is hard to find .......Its a Knight that combined all of the best of the Knights Teleport,Great Bow and Strong close Combat....

[@williamcartergrimes]

My Banished Knight Engvall +5 is my fav!

[@j-plarouche9959]

+ 1 for the greatshield soldiers these guys are amasing to use on my caster I used them and Oleg and damn it was good in any circomstances

[@lunagibbs4652]

Lhutel the headless is not meant to be a Frontline take they are a support tank and is supposed to be used against bosses not adds, she has better survivability then Kristof as well because of the phasing ability

[@fadeddragon123]

My only issue with the great shield undead is that they just stand in Aoe (like the ancient spirit for example) in that case the soldiers would be a bit better because they are beefier. But at that point just use any big beefy summon The headless I would say is moreso overrated. I don’t think she’s bad. I would say she’s inconsistent if anything but she survives longer than other summons. Rotten stray is slept on. I tend to use the headless early when I’m a squishier build and move on to other Summons later I think a slept on summon are the ancestor spirit ashes. Great for when you’re just clearing stuff out because they heal on every kill. Currently I’m using the mimic tear with a prayerful strike great stars along with a great shield and golden vow ect and he just doesn’t die.

[@FurtiveSkeptical]

Ive tried all the big ones , they're all fun and cool in their own way..... I really get good use of the 5 greatshield guys (if you wear the greatshield talisman when you summon them and switch back after they arrive) .... even whack a golden vow on em all. I call them the "wrecking crew" Ive marvelled at how much aggro and damage they can tank, and man if they all get it in their heads to chuck bombs at the same time, they hold their own with damage. I maxed their level and they haven't let me down yet. Rollo is a beast also, Tiche is a staple, Mimic tear fun as always. Cool video 👍

[@Peterplayingguitar]

Latenna is my favourite by far. I levelled her to the max and she's gotten me through so many boss fights and dragon fights. She's quite accurate with her arrows and does consistant damage if you can keep enemies distracted from her.

[@AegisKHAOS]

Nah, Lhutel isn't a terrible summon. She is quite good in the early and mid game even with the teleport. Relatively decent tankiness and comes with range. However, I agree she isn't THAT good and there are definitely more effective summons out there than her. Soon as you get one of those, you can swap her out.

[@juliankuitwaard7682]

I agree

[@apyorick]

Lhutel has been one of the most reliable summons for me. Her dropping aggro is perfect IMO. I can't stand just sitting back and watching someone fight for me. So it's a good way to take a load off, but stay involved and to surprise attack your opponents when she reappears. And her survivability is second to none in my experience. The only summons for me that reliably outlasts any given battle.

[@Garl_Vinland]

I disagree about your Lleydell soldier assessment. They are far superior to the Greatshield soldier ashes when it comes to tanking bosses. If a boss does an AoE, which most do, it will shred through the little guys, but the Lleydell soldiers also have high base defence ontop of their shields so they WILL last longer. Though Dragon Knight Kristoff is an even better option

[@nezzivancic3644]

I am still midway through my first playthrough, but I had a lot of early success with the Raya Lucaria soldiers. They just seem to be good all-rounders for most situations, without costing too much FP. I don't use them anymore, Redmane Knight Ogha is my current favorite, but I will always be fond of the blue boys who guided me through a good chunk of my early game.

[@MarinoIsConfused]

How do you feel about Dung Eater? That guy is my Spirit Ash of choice. He's too, too good! What are your thoughts on him?

[@martinriediger777]

In my first game I liked Lhutel as she helped me defeat Margit and many other bosses. As the entrance to the catacombs is not easy to spot, I didn't even find Engvall until very late. In my new game (from scratch) I use Engvall almost exclusively.😼

[@elonhawkstein8156]

Finally, a video that mentions Banished Knight Engvall! I grabbed him super early on (first 5 hours) and all my lvl ups after were to bring up mana. Once I got 100 I couldn't believe how worth it he was! He basically solo'd Margit, carried me through Stormveil Castle and Liurna of the Lakes, and even the mobs in Caelid without upgrading. Now I have him at +7 and I couldn't be happier. Only downside is he is a slow character, so he can be rough against horseback, agile, teleporting, or high flying enemies. Specifically the Tree Sentinels (Fuck Draconic) make Engvall look like a goldfish against a shark

[@nationdemon]

The Rot Dog was my main ash in my first playthrough until a) mimic and b) Tish. I love the Assassine. I am not sure, but the Skeletal Militiamen are "missing". I really liked them as early game summons in my second playthrough. Taking and keeping aggro and are revived after they "died" as long the boss / enemy doesn´t hit them, while they down, what happens rarely. Worst ash from my point of view: Crystalean. Don´t get me wrong, it tanks a lot, but it is soooooo slow.

[@AmeiWasHere]

I love using Lhutel and Engvall. when I do use summons.

[@ericcarlton87]

The only spirit ashes you should need or use even after patch 1.06 is the mimic tear. If you have the correct character build your mimic should crush bosses. Second choice is the black knife tiche

[@thomasgyldenkrne8561]

Exactly 🤘

[@MrDavidmauck]

Is mimic not good? I feel like my mimic apes everything. You can set up anything you want on him, summon him, and then switch your gear. He has 100% agro if you want. You can set him up to heal himself. My mimic can solo most everything when I summon him if I want…what am I missing?

[@kdbublitz88]

I used and abused Oleage for most of my first play of the game. He is aggressive and his double swords attract a lot of attention. If you can get him hey him asap if you want a good summon.

[@tankul1234]

I want to say thank you totally validated my choice to upgrade oleg vs the headless. So thank you.

[@thundertwonk1090]

I completely agree about Rolo. I tried using him since everyone raves about how "good" and "tanky" he is, and he died so fast to a super basic boss that I was disappointed beyond belief, and to think I wasted my only GG7 at the time. Oleg is a significantly better option, and so is Deenh, since he's hard for pc-sized enemies to hit, buffs you, and is incredibly aggressive and pulls agro like a champ

[@fjorgyn7438]

Did you get him to +10? He stood in the lava the entire time I battled rykard and survived with over half his health still intact.