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Get by with a little help from your friends (Spirits)
Learn how to summon allies in Elden Ring. Discover different summoning methods, item requirements, and tips to enhance your experience in the Lands Between.
Wordsmith at SteelSeries. Enthusiastic about Dota 2 and fighting games. A cat dad.
Surviving in Elden Ring is easier said than done. This is why knowing the ins and outs of summoning is essential. Elden Ring encourages you to summon Spirits (NPCs) to aid you in battle.
With the help of Spirits, you can significantly enhance your gameplay and gain a fighting chance during boss-level fights. Read on for everything you need to get the Spirits on your side so you can defeat strong bosses like Rykard.
Before summoning Spirit Ashes, you’ll need to make significant progress in Elden Ring. You must unlock your mount, Torrent, to navigate the in-game world. To get your horse, follow quests early in the game until you reach the Gatefront Ruins Site of Grace and speak to Melina. When you speak to Melina, agree to have her act as your Maiden. She’ll then give you the Spectral Steed Whistle, which you use to summon Torrent.
Once you’ve got Torrent on your side, make your way to the Church of Elleh, which is a crucial early-game checkpoint. The Church of Elleh is located just past the Tree Sentinel and serves as a safe haven where you can engage with important NPCs like Kalé and Ranni the Witch. Additionally, this is an important area for acquiring key items like the Golden Rune and Smithing Stone.
At the Church of Elleh, talk to Renna, an enigmatic NPC pivotal to the summoning process. Speak with her to receive two essential items:
Spirit Calling Bell: This item allows you to summon Spirits from Spirit Ashes.
Lone Wolf Ashes: A basic Spirit Ash used to summon a pack of spectral wolves to aid you in battle.
Once you’ve acquired the Spirit Calling Bell and collected Spirit Ashes, you’re ready to summon your first Spirits. Don’t worry about equipping the Spirit Calling Bell; simply having it in your inventory is enough. This means you can focus on your combat strategy without worrying about additional gear management.
Spirit Ashes must be collected to summon Spirits. Here are some ways you can source Ashes in Elden Ring:
Defeating Bosses: Some Spirit Ashes are collected by defeating certain bosses. These Spirits are often tied to important locations or encounters. For example, after defeating the Royal Revenant boss in Revenger's Shack, you can obtain the Revenant Ashes.
Finding NPCs: Some NPCs in Elden Ring give you Spirit Ashes as part of their questlines. For example, Roderika gives you the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes after you help her.
Treasure Chests and Locations: Some Spirit Ashes are hidden, often in treasure chests or within certain locations. Exploring dungeons, caves, and other hidden places can reward you with Spirit Ashes. For example, the Wandering Noble Ashes are found in a chest inside a cave near Limgrave.
Now that you have everything you need (Spirit Calling Bell and Spirit Ashes), it’s time to summon your first Spirit. Follow these steps:
Open your inventory and select the Ashes of the Spirit you want to summon. You can also equip the Ashes to your quick-select menu for easier access during combat.
To summon your Spirit, navigate close to a Rebirth Monument, which is typically found in boss chambers, legacy dungeons, and contained combat areas. These are identifiable by a white glowing icon resembling a gravestone on the lower-left edge of your screen. It usually will be in boss areas or places where there the mobs are numerous, like bases.
Once you’ve reached a rebirth monument, use your Spirit Calling Bell to summon your Spirit. Your helpers will automatically populate and help you fight for a limited amount of time. Spirits typically last until they’re killed or you move out of range. To track whether you’re in range, watch for a flashing corner icon. The faster the icon flashes, the further your character is out of range.
Now that you know how to summon Spirits during battle, here are some other important things to keep in mind during your gameplay:
Each summoning action consumes Focus Points (FP), a resource crucial for various abilities in Elden Ring. The FP cost varies depending on the Spirit you summon. More powerful Spirits demand a higher FP investment, so manage your resources wisely to maintain your combat effectiveness.
When it comes to summoning Spirits, there’s a limit. To keep from breaking the game, you can only have one Spirit type summoned at a given time. It’s crucial to strategize based on what kind of encounter you’ll be facing.
Some players like to stick to the same Spirit throughout the game. For example, the Mimic Tear is one of the most popular because it replicates your player and all of its powers. On the other hand, you might leverage magical Spirits when going against enemies with limited magical abilities and defenses.
There are also restrictions concerning summoning locations. Certain areas like dungeons and evergaols won’t always allow you to summon Spirits. Additionally, you can’t summon Spirits during multiplayer mode.
While the first Spirits you can summon are spectral wolves, there are plenty of other types of Spirit Ashes you can unlock:
These are the most common types of Spirits you can summon. There are 51 Standard Spirits, and they all require Grave Gloveworts to upgrade (Check out our guide to learn how to upgrade Spirit Ashes). When summoned, they assist in battles by fighting alongside you.
Improve your agility against enemies with a keyboard built for battle
Renowned Spirits are a level above your Standard Spirits. This category consists of 33 Renowned Spirits and requires Ghost Gloveworts to upgrade. These Spirits tend to have more unique abilities or stronger attributes compared to Standard Spirits.
These Spirits can only be collected by completing specific achievements in the game. Some note-worthy Legendary Spirits include:
Lhutel the Headless
Black Knife Tiche
Redmane Knight Ogha
Mimic Tear Ashes
Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff Ashes
Cleanrot Knight Finlay Ashes
Each Spirit behaves differently. For example, Mimic Tear Ashes replicate your character’s abilities, while others can provide specific combat advantages or crowd control.
Spirit Ashes are essential to your progression in Elden Ring. Discovering the strengths of various Spirit Ashes and learning when to use them effectively will enhance your gameplay and vastly improve your chances of overcoming tougher challenges. Explore the realm and let your spectral allies guide you to victory!
No, you can only summon one Spirit Ash at a time. Choose wisely based on your current combat situation.
To summon Spirits in Elden Ring, utilize the action button.
PS5: The Square button (to use item) or use the shortcut menu with Triangle then a direction on the dpad
Xbox: The A Button
PC: Use the "Use" button (typically E by default)
The Spirit Calling Bell will then automatically ring to summon Spirits. All you need to do is select the Spirit you want to call from your inventory.