Spirit Ashes are basically your ride-or-die buddies in Elden Ring. They jump into fights with you, draw aggro when you need a breather, and sometimes even carry the whole encounter when things get messy. But what a lot of players don’t realize is that certain items in the game directly influence how your Spirit Ashes behave, survive, or deal damage. Some effects are obvious, others are hidden, and a few are just weird little quirks that FromSoftware slipped in.
Below is a simple, player-friendly breakdown of 17 items that can noticeably change how your Spirit Ash companions perform. If you’ve ever wondered why your Mimic sometimes feels like a monster and other times feels like it skipped breakfast, this guide should help clear things up.
Before we dive in, just a tiny note for newer players: some folks buy elden ring runes early on to speed up Spirit Ash upgrades. It’s not required at all, but it’s one of the reasons many players start experimenting with Spirit Ash behavior sooner rather than later.
1. Spirit Calling Bell
The most essential tool. Nothing fancy here: you can’t summon without it. But because it defines where and when Spirit Ashes appear, it indirectly affects how quickly they take aggro or enter combat. If you summon too far away, your Spirit Ash might lag behind and miss the first few crucial seconds of a fight.
2. Ghost Glovewort
Leveling your Spirit Ashes with this material boosts their HP and damage. The increase is huge compared to many other stat boosts in the game, so upgrading is arguably the biggest single jump in performance you can give your summons.
3. Grave Glovewort
Same deal as Ghost Glovewort, but for non-elite Spirit Ashes. Some of the lower-tier summons become surprisingly cracked at higher upgrade levels, so don’t underestimate them just because they start out simple.
4. Mimic Tear Ash
Yes, it’s technically an Ash itself, but it behaves differently when certain items are in your inventory. If you carry consumables, the Mimic might burn through them. If you hold specific elemental pots or knives, it may occasionally use them too. Sometimes you realize you should have moved your precious items before summoning.
5. Crepus’s Vial
This talisman silences your movement, which can manipulate enemy AI. If you're quiet, enemies focus more on the Spirit Ash because the AI prioritizes the louder or more threatening target. Great for letting your summons tank while you line up spells.
6. Shabriri’s Woe
This one forces enemies to target you. That means your Spirit Ash becomes more of a support partner rather than a tank. It’s risky but fun if you enjoy fast-paced fights where you control the aggro yourself.
7. Lance Talisman
Even if your Spirit Ash does mounted-style moves or lunges, the talisman affects only you, not the summon. This leads many new players to assume talismans boost Spirit Ash abilities, but most don’t. Still, your movement style can shift who enemies attack first, indirectly affecting Ash behavior.
8. Claw Talisman
Same story: only boosts you, but your increased damage can indirectly affect enemy AI patterns. If you burst down smaller mobs, your Spirit Ash takes fewer hits and behaves more aggressively.
9. Godfrey Icon
Boosts charged spells and skills, but again doesn’t apply to Spirit Ashes. The effect is purely indirect: your improved burst damage often lets Spirit Ashes engage enemies more confidently because they aren’t overwhelmed early.
10. Twinblade Talisman
Not a direct buff for Spirit Ashes. But since your output increases, it shifts how often enemies ignore or focus your summon.
11. Ritual Shield Talisman
This one helps keep you alive when entering a fight with full HP, especially in boss rooms where summons often take the first hit. A protected player tends to reposition more actively, causing teammates (your Ashes) to behave more dynamically since they respond to your movement.
12. Viridian Amber Medallion
Stamina regen for you affects when you attack or dodge, and that changes enemy focus patterns. Your Spirit Ash’s performance changes more than you’d think depending on whether you're active or passive in a fight.
13. Crimson Amber Medallion
This one is simple: more HP for you means you can enter fights more confidently, making your Spirit Ash act less like a desperate tank and more like a partner in damage. The less pressure you’re under, the more stable their AI becomes.
14. Old Lord’s Talisman
Longer spell durations don’t buff Spirit Ashes directly, but this item pairs well with support-style builds. Buffing yourself or casting longer-lasting debuffs can make your Spirit Ash behave more aggressively, since the AI reacts to enemy debuff states.
15. Fire Scorpion Charm
The charm doesn't apply to Spirit Ashes, but it does affect how quickly you pressure fire-weak enemies. When enemies stagger earlier, Spirit Ashes tend to follow up harder because their AI recognizes openings.
16. Ice-related boosting items
Frostbite effects triggered by you create more openings for your Spirit Ash, again altering how often they perform their more advanced moves.
17. Rune-related purchases and upgrade pacing
Some players use services like buy elden ring runes u4gm instant delivery to jump straight into high-level upgrades. Not everyone does this, of course, but early access to stronger stats or weapons does influence how your Spirit Ash AI behaves in fights. When you overpower enemies, your summons behave noticeably more aggressively because they aren’t pressured as much.
I’ll also mention U4GM here because a lot of players reference it in discussions about progression speed, especially when they want to test Spirit Ash behavior at higher levels without grinding forever. Whether you use it or not, pacing affects how your summons respond to bosses and mobs.
When you look at all these items together, you start to realize something funny: Spirit Ash behavior isn’t determined just by the Ash itself, but by the entire flow of your build. How quickly you deal damage, how often you get hit, how aggressively you position yourself — all these things shape how your Spirit Ash AI responds.
So if your summons ever feel inconsistent, don’t panic. Sometimes it’s not the Spirit Ash being weird; it’s the gear you’re using subtly changing the rhythm of the fight.
If you want your Spirit Ashes to feel stronger, focus on clean upgrades, smart positioning, and gear that supports your preferred style. They’re loyal little chaos gremlins, and with the right setup, they’ll carry you harder than you’d expect.
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