Elden Ring DLC: 5 best new Spirit Ashes in Shadow of the Erdtree

These are the best new Spirit Ashes to use in Elden Ring now that Mimic Tear has been nerfed.

Scadutree / Bandai Namco

The era of the Mimic Tear is well and truly over as of Elden Ring patch 1.13. If you don’t want to browse through the full patch notes yourself, the bottom line is this: stop using the Mimic Tear. Yes, it’s been a powerful and reliable ally for a long time now, but as of this latest patch, basically every Spirit Ash summon has been buffed except for the Mimic Tear. This means that those Spirit Ash summons that were seen as being competitive with the Mimic Tear are now officially more powerful.

In this list we’re breaking down just five Spirit Ash summons you can call to your aid in Elden Ring that are exclusive to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expansion. These Spirit Ashes serve a variety of uses, but we’ve focused on spirits that’ll tank a lot of damage while dealing plenty of their own. You can’t go wrong with any of the Spirit Ashes we’ve listed below.

1. Horned Warrior

Horned Warrior / Bandai Namco

It’s only natural that one of Shadow of the Erdtree’s most annoying enemies would also be one of the strongest Spirit Ashes. The Horned Warrior will be familiar to you by the time you find it – a tough omen creature with seemingly endless slash combos that never stuns from being hit. Fighting one is painful, but fighting with one as an ally? That’s a different experience entirely, and the Horned Warrior has the potential to be one of the best Spirit Ashes in all of Elden Ring.

2. Jolán & Anna

Swordhand of Night Jolán / Bandai Namco

What’s better than one warrior at your side? Two, of course. Jolán & Anna is the pair of Swordhands of Night, and they’re both incredibly aggressive and powerful. The pair can inflict bleed, and with their rapid attacks, it’s likely. Find your way to the top of Rabbath’s Rise via the Shaman Village with Swordhand of Night Jolán to acquire this powerful Spirit Ash. Careful though, if you don’t give Jolán an Iris of Grace, you will miss out on this Spirit Ash. Check our Finger Ruins questline guide for more details.

3. Ancient Dragon Florissax

Dragon Priestess Florissax / Bandai Namco

Not only will Ancient Dragon Florissax grant you damage negation, but she’s a powerful summon in her own right. Getting her is a little bit complicated, however, and requires following Thiollier’s questline to earn Thiollier’s Concoction, which you will then give to the Dragon Priestess at night. This does lock you out of an alternate ending to this quest, but if you want one of the best Spirit Ashes in the game, this is what you need to do.

4. Taylew the Golem Smith

Taylew the Golem Smith / Bandai Namco

If you’ve already fought against a Golem Smith, you’ll know how tough they are. They’re not actually all that threatening, but they have a huge amount of health, and can be annoying to take down. Like the Horned Warrior, that makes Taylew the Golem Smith and incredibly good ally. Taylew takes minimal damage even from bosses, and you have the option of healing the golem, if your build allows for it. Taylew can be used as a legitimate tank in 1v1 encounters, allowing you to stand back and pile on the damage.

5. Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh

Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh` / Bandai Namco

This tiny and unbelievably nimble swordsman is shockingly good. He’s possibly the most mobile Spirit Ash, while also having great health and dealing decent amounts of damage. As the boss you find inside the Belurat Gaol, Demi-Human Swordsman Yosh has the potential to assist you through a majority of Shadow of the Erdtree, and if you happen to take him back to the base game, you should expect to deal huge amounts of damage.