Removing Ash of War from Shields: A Comprehensive Guide
As an avid player of the Elden Ring, you might have stumbled upon the notion of Ash of War – a unique buff that can significantly enhance the performance of your shield. However, this buff also comes with its own set of drawbacks and limitations. In this article, we’ll delve into the process of removing Ash of War from your shield, discussing the various methods and potential consequences.
What are Ash of War?
Before we dive into the removal process, it’s essential to understand what Ash of War is. Ash of War is a temporary buff that can be applied to shields, allowing them to benefit from a specific stat increase or damage reduction. This buff can be acquired by equipping certain shields with specific ashes, which are available throughout the game. Each ash grants a unique effect, ranging from increased elemental resistance to enhanced shield capacity.
Why Remove Ash of War?
Despite the benefits of Ash of War, there are scenarios where it’s advantageous to remove this buff from your shield. Here are some reasons why:
- Conflicting effects: Sometimes, multiple Ash of War can contradict each other’s effects, leading to decreased performance.
- Buff overload: If you’ve applied multiple Ash of War, you might find it challenging to manage their various effects, potentially leading to inefficiencies.
- Enemy vulnerabilities: In some situations, focusing on enemy vulnerabilities might become more important than relying on Ash of War for shielding.
How to Remove Ash of War from Shield?
There are a few methods to remove Ash of War from your shield, which are outlined below:
- Unequipping the shield: This is the simplest method – simply unequip the shield with the Ash of War and replace it with another one. Keep in mind that this approach might affect your character’s overall damage output or resistance.
- Using certain items or spells: Some items or spells can purge Ash of War from your shield. For instance:
- Golden Scarab (an optional item found in the Burial Ruins) allows you to remove all buffs, including Ash of War.
- Staff of Life (found in the Roundtable Hold) offers a Buff Purging ability.
- Sacrificial Fist (an optional item found in the Morrena’s Tomb) has the Buff Destroyer skill.
- Certain Meteors (spells) like Buff-Purifying Meteor or Clearing Meteor can remove Ash of War.
- Waiting it out: Ash of War will naturally wear off over time. Depending on the type of Ash and your game progress, this method might take some time (minutes or hours).
Removing Ash of War without Removing the Shield
If you’re not ready to replace your shield, there are ways to remove Ash of War without unequipping it. Here are a few alternatives:
- Use Buff-Purifying Crystal** (optional item) to remove specific Ash of War. Note that this method doesn’t work with all types of Ash.
- Attempt to buff-purge using specific items or spells, like the Staff of Life mentioned earlier.
Potential Consequences of Removing Ash of War
Removing Ash of War can impact your character’s performance and overall experience. Here are some potential consequences to consider:
- Reduced damage reduction: Shields without Ash of War might lose their damage reduction capabilities, making you more vulnerable in combat.
- Weakened elemental resistance: If your shield relies heavily on Ash of War for elemental resistance, removing the buff can make you more susceptible to damage from elements.
- Impact on shield capacity: Certain Ash of War might enhance your shield’s capacity, so removing them might result in reduced capacity and more frequent shield swaps.
Tips and Tricks for Removing Ash of War
To avoid potential issues or optimize the removal process, keep these tips in mind:
- Plan ahead: Think about your playstyle, the type of enemies you’ll encounter, and your character’s abilities before deciding to remove Ash of War.
- Experiment with different methods: Try using different items or spells to remove Ash of War to find the one that works best for your situation.
- Manage your shield capacity: Ensure you have a reliable way to regenerate or refill your shield’s capacity, as removing Ash of War can impact your shield’s effectiveness.
In conclusion, removing Ash of War from your shield is a relatively simple process that can be done through unequipping the shield, using specific items or spells, or waiting it out. However, it’s essential to weigh the benefits and drawbacks before making any changes to your shield setup. By understanding the removal process and its potential consequences, you’ll be better equipped to manage your character’s performance and optimize their combat strategy.
Important Reminders
- Not all Ash of War can be removed with the Golden Scarab method.
- The Buff-Purifying Crystal might not work with all types of Ash.
- Removing Ash of War without unequipping the shield can have negative effects, such as reduced damage reduction or weakened elemental resistance.
- Plan ahead and consider your playstyle, the type of enemies you’ll encounter, and your character’s abilities before deciding to remove Ash of War.
