In Elden Ring, magic and incantations are two distinct types of sorceries that allow players to harness powerful ranged and utility abilities. These systems offer unique playstyles based on spellcasting, allowing you to deal damage, heal, buff, or apply status effects. Here's a breakdown of both types:
Magic (Sorceries)
Sorceries focus on casting offensive and utility spells using Intelligence as the primary scaling stat. These spells are mostly ranged and can deal damage, inflict status effects, or provide useful combat buffs.
Categories of Sorceries:
•Glintstone Sorceries: Based on the game's magic system derived from the Academy of Raya Lucaria, these are the most common spells that fire magical projectiles, beams, and AoE effects.
•Example: Glintstone Pebble (fires a small magical projectile), Glintstone Cometshard (a stronger, larger version).
•Carian Sorceries: Focus on weaponizing magic with enchanted melee weapons or magical blades.
•Example: Carian Slicer (summons a magical sword for melee slashes), Carian Greatsword (summons a large magical sword to cleave enemies).
•Gravity Sorceries: Manipulate gravity to deal damage or control the battlefield.
•Example: Rock Sling (summons large rocks that crash into enemies), Collapsing Stars (pulls enemies toward the caster with gravity).
•Full Moon Sorceries: These are rare and very powerful, such as the signature spells of Renalla.
•Example: Rennala’s Full Moon (summons a massive moon to strike foes, reducing magic defense).
•Night Sorceries: These spells are stealth-based, focusing on concealing the caster or making attacks invisible.
•Example: Night Comet (invisible magic projectile).
Casting & Requirements:
•Sorceries require staffs as casting tools. To use sorceries, you need to have the appropriate Intelligence stat level for the spell.
•Higher-tier sorceries need more FP (Focus Points) and Intelligence to cast.
Incantations
Incantations encompass a wide range of spells that primarily rely on Faith for scaling. They include healing, buffs, defensive abilities, and elemental or holy damage attacks. Incantations are versatile and can even draw from arcane energies or dragon powers.
Categories of Incantations:
•Dragon Communion Incantations: These are powerful spells obtained by sacrificing dragon hearts at Dragon Communion altars. They generally involve transforming parts of your body into a dragon for devastating attacks.
•Example: Agheel’s Flame (breathes fire), Dragonclaw (summons a dragon’s claw to swipe at enemies).
•Fire Monk Incantations: Fire-based spells that deal significant damage, many originating from the Fire Monks.
•Example: Flame Sling (throws a ball of fire), Flame, Grant Me Strength (buffs attack power).
•Godskin Incantations: Dark flame spells tied to the Godskin Apostles.
•Example: Black Flame (throws a ball of black fire that deals damage over time), Black Flame Ritual (summons black flames around the caster).
•Bestial Incantations: These animalistic spells come from Gurranq, the Beast Clergyman and are focused on earth and beast-related effects.
•Example: Bestial Sling (hurls rocks), Bestial Vitality (heals over time).
•Golden Order Incantations: Holy-based spells that deal Faith-scaled holy damage or provide buffs and healing.
•Example: Lightning Spear (throws a spear of lightning), Erdtree Heal (a large AoE healing spell).
•Blood Incantations: Related to bleeding and scarlet rot, typically used by cultists or related to demigods like Mohg.
•Example: Swarm of Flies (summons a swarm that causes blood loss), Pest Threads (a rot-based spell).
Casting & Requirements:
Incantations require sacred seals to cast. You’ll need a high enough Faith stat (or in some cases Arcane) to use these spells.
FP and Faith are the main attributes that determine how often you can cast and how powerful your incantations will be.
Choosing Between Sorceries and Incantations
Your choice depends on your build:
•Sorcery Builds: Focus on high Intelligence and often dual-wield powerful staves to cast magic. These builds excel in ranged magic damage and utility spells that weaken foes.
•Incantation Builds: Center around Faith, offering a mix of offensive, defensive, and healing spells. Incantation casters are more versatile and can support allies in co-op while still dealing elemental damage.
Hybrid Builds (Faith-Intelligence or Arcane)
Some players opt for hybrid builds that combine elements of sorceries and incantations:
•Faith-Intelligence Hybrid: This allows access to certain high-end spells like Death Sorceries or Golden Order incantations.
•Arcane-Incantation Hybrid: Arcane builds are great for Dragon Communion spells and Blood Incantations, benefiting from status effects like bleed or rot.
Where to Learn Magic & Incantations
Sorceries can be learned from Sellen, Rogier, and other NPCs found in places like the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
Incantations are often obtained from Brother Corhyn, Miriel (Pastor of Vows), Gurranq, or through Dragon Communion altars and churches.
Best Staffs and Seals
For sorceries, Lusat’s Glintstone Staff and Academy Glintstone Staff are among the best for boosting Intelligence-based magic.
For incantations, Erdtree Seal or Godslayer Seal are highly effective for boosting Faith-based abilities.
Conclusion
Whether you prefer the pure destructive power of magic or the versatility of incantations, Elden Ring offers a deep, flexible system for casting spells. Choosing the right build, understanding spell requirements, and selecting appropriate casting tools will make you a formidable force in the Lands Between.
Tips and tricks for Magic and Incantations 
Using Magic and Incantations in Elden Ring opens up a wide range of combat options, from devastating long-range spells to powerful healing and buff abilities. Whether you're focusing on a pure caster build or mixing magic with melee, here are some tips and tricks to optimize your spellcasting:
Maximize FP Efficiency
FP (Focus Points) is a key resource for casting spells, so managing it well is crucial. Equip Cerulean Flask to restore FP, but balance it with your health needs.
•Tip: Use Cerulean Hidden Tear in your Flask of Wondrous Physick. This tear makes FP consumption zero for a short time, allowing you to cast high-cost spells without using FP.
Utilize Status Effects
Many spells and incantations apply status effects like bleed, frostbite, rot, or poison, which can deal immense damage over time. Spells like Swarm of Flies (blood build-up) or Dragonrot Breath (scarlet rot) are great for boss fights or tough enemies.
•Tip: Combine status-inflicting spells with weapons or other magic that capitalizes on these debuffs. For example, frost and bleed combinations can stack damage quickly.
Experiment with Ashes of War
For hybrid builds that mix magic and melee, Ashes of War can significantly enhance your weapon’s magic damage and versatility. Use Ashes that scale with Intelligence or Faith, such as Carian Greatsword or Sacred Blade.
•Tip: Assign Ashes of War that complement your build. If you're using magic, consider Ashes like Glintblade Phalanx for additional ranged attacks, or if you're a Faith build, try Lightning Slash for strong elemental melee strikes.
Target Weaknesses
Certain enemies and bosses have weaknesses to specific types of magic. For instance:
•Dragons are weak to Lightning Incantations.
•Magic-wielding enemies (like those in Raya Lucaria) are weak to fire-based spells.
•Tip: Keep a mix of spell types—fire, holy, lightning, and magic—in your spell slots to quickly adjust based on the situation or enemy weaknesses.
Use Spirit Ashes for Support
Spirit Ashes, such as Latenna the Albinauric (ranged archer spirit) or Banished Knight Oleg (heavy melee attacker), can draw enemy attention, giving you time to cast spells safely from a distance.
•Tip: Summon tanky Spirit Ashes during boss fights, so you can freely unleash high-damage spells without taking direct damage.
Memorize a Balanced Spell Loadout
As you level up Mind, you can memorize more spells. Keep a balance of damage-dealing spells, buffs, and utility spells. This allows you to adapt to different combat scenarios, like a long-range battle versus a boss or a short, intense skirmish.
•Tip: Don’t just focus on powerful nukes; include spells like Glintstone Pebble for cheap damage, Urgent Heal for quick self-heals, or Golden Vow for buffs.
Optimize Cast Speed
Increasing Dexterity (up to 20-25) increases your casting speed. While not every build will prioritize Dex, hybrid builds can benefit from casting spells faster, especially under pressure.
•Tip: Equip the Radagon Icon talisman, which further reduces casting time, giving you more opportunity to cast spells quickly during fast-paced fights.
Use Spacing & Range to Your Advantage
Many spells, especially sorceries, allow you to engage enemies at long range. This gives you the ability to deal damage from a distance before enemies can reach you.
•Tip: Open fights with long-range spells like Loretta’s Greatbow or Rock Sling to weaken enemies before they get close. Use the environment and distance to your advantage.
Buff Yourself Before Boss Fights
Buffs like Golden Vow (increases attack and defense), Flame, Grant Me Strength (boosts physical and fire damage), or Scholar’s Shield (increases shield defense) can make a big difference in boss fights.
•Tip: Before entering a fog gate or tough battle, cast these buffs so you're already at peak performance when the fight starts.
Invest in Key Attributes
For sorceries, prioritize Intelligence and Mind (for more FP and spell slots). For incantations, focus on Faith and Mind.
•Tip: After a certain point (around 60-70 in Intelligence or Faith), your damage scaling diminishes slightly, so consider investing in secondary attributes like Vigor (for more health) or Endurance (for stamina and better armor).
Combine Magic and Incantations
You don’t have to stick to just sorcery or incantations—combine both for versatility. Certain sacred seals allow you to use both effectively if your build is balanced between Intelligence, Faith, and Mind.
•Tip: Using a Faith-Intelligence hybrid build allows access to some unique spells, like Death Sorceries or Golden Order incantations, which require both stats.
Don’t Forget Defensive Spells
Magic isn’t just for offense—spells like Barrier of Gold (reduces incoming magic damage) or Lord’s Divine Fortification (reduces holy damage) can be life-saving in certain encounters.
•Tip: If an enemy or boss is known for dealing magic or elemental damage, preemptively cast defensive spells to drastically reduce the harm they cause.
Make Use of Staffs and Seals
Upgrade your staffs and seals to get the most out of your spells. Certain staffs, like Lusat’s Glintstone Staff, offer massive power boosts but at a higher FP cost.
•Tip: For Faith users, using the right seal (e.g., Godslayer Seal for black flame spells) can significantly boost specific incantations. Always use the right tool for your build.
Know When to Close the Gap
While spellcasting builds often excel at range, don’t be afraid to use melee or close-range spells like Carian Slicer (a magical sword) or Bestial Sling (a fast-casting incantation) when enemies get close.
•Tip: These quick-cast spells are excellent for moments when you’re under pressure and can’t rely on slow-casting, long-range spells.
Respec When Needed
If you find that your build is underperforming or you want to switch from sorceries to incantations (or vice versa), use a Larval Tear to respec your stats at Rennala in the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
•Tip: Experiment with different builds—Faith, Intelligence, or hybrids—and adjust based on your preferred playstyle or the challenges you’re facing.
By utilizing these tips, you can maximize your effectiveness as a magic user in Elden Ring, handling everything from large groups of enemies to challenging bosses with ease.
