In the brutal and mysterious world of Elden Ring, players are constantly looking for tools that not only help them survive but also offer a unique twist to combat. One such tool is the Ash of War: Prayerful Strike. This powerful and intriguing ability isn’t just another heavy attack it combines devastating physical damage with restorative power, making it a favorite for players who enjoy a hybrid of offense and healing. Whether you’re facing down bosses, holding the line in co-op, or navigating solo through unforgiving lands, understanding how to use Prayerful Strike effectively can transform the way you play.
What Is Ash of War: Prayerful Strike?
Ash of War: Prayerful Strike is a special weapon skill in Elden Ring that allows the user to perform a slow but heavy downward slam imbued with sacred energy. What sets it apart is its unique effect: upon landing a successful hit, the user restores a portion of their health. This makes it not just a tool for dealing damage but also for sustaining oneself in combat. The animation is deliberate and leaves the player exposed for a brief moment, but the payoff can be massive when used strategically.
Basic Attributes
- Damage Type: Primarily physical with added Holy damage
- Effect: Restores health on hit
- Affinity: Grants Sacred affinity to weapons
- FP Cost: Moderate
- Weapon Compatibility: Great Hammers, Colossal Weapons, and select heavy melee weapons
This Ash of War is especially useful in prolonged fights where healing opportunities are rare or risky. The ability to regenerate health while attacking adds tactical depth to melee builds, particularly those with tanky or cleric-like themes.
How to Acquire Prayerful Strike
Prayerful Strike can be found relatively early depending on your exploration route, but like many Ashes of War, it requires some effort to reach. It is often tied to specific NPCs, dungeon rewards, or hidden locations scattered throughout the Lands Between. Players typically find it in sacred or faith-related areas, fitting with its divine healing effect. As always in Elden Ring, exploration and curiosity are rewarded.
Recommended Stats and Build
To use Prayerful Strike to its fullest potential, it’s important to have a character build that complements its slow, heavy-hitting nature. Because the skill scales well with Faith when paired with Sacred affinity, it is ideal for players investing in Faith-based melee builds.
- Strength: High Strength is beneficial to maximize base weapon damage
- Faith: Boosts Holy damage and scaling with Sacred affinity
- Vigor: Essential for survivability during casting animation
- Mind: Needed to sustain frequent use due to FP cost
This Ash is particularly useful on bulky characters who can endure a few hits while preparing the strike. Turtling behind a shield, then retaliating with Prayerful Strike, can become a rhythm in itself.
Prayerful Strike in Combat
In the thick of battle, using Prayerful Strike requires good timing and spatial awareness. Its long wind-up time can leave you vulnerable to fast enemies, but if landed successfully, it can turn the tide of a fight. Knowing when to commit to the animation is key. Against aggressive foes, baiting them into an attack, then following up with a strike can work wonders.
Best Scenarios to Use Prayerful Strike
- When fighting large enemies or bosses with slow wind-ups
- During PvE engagements where you can predict enemy movement
- After breaking an enemy’s stance or poise
- As a counterattack when surrounded by multiple enemies
Prayerful Strike is less ideal in fast-paced PvP due to its predictability, but it can still catch opponents off guard if used strategically after dodging or trading hits. It is also a strong choice in co-op play where you’re less likely to be the primary target, giving you more opportunities to land the hit safely.
Weapon Pairing and Ash Placement
This Ash of War is most effective when equipped on large, heavy weapons that already benefit from Strength and Faith scaling. Great Hammers and Colossal Weapons allow for better poise during the attack, reducing chances of interruption. Examples of excellent weapons to pair with Prayerful Strike include:
- Great Club Simple but high raw damage, perfect for Sacred affinity
- Dragon Slayer’s Cragblade Good stagger potential with thematic synergy
- Beastclaw Greathammer Excellent base stats and natural Sacred alignment
Applying the Sacred affinity when equipping Prayerful Strike not only increases the Holy damage but also benefits from Faith scaling, which complements the healing mechanic embedded in the skill.
Healing Mechanics and Scaling
The healing effect of Prayerful Strike is a flat value plus a percentage of your maximum HP, which scales slightly with Faith. While not a replacement for dedicated healing spells or flasks, it allows players to regain control in situations where healing would otherwise be dangerous.
Comparison with Other Healing Options
Unlike incantations like ‘Blessing of the Erdtree’ or items such as the Flask of Crimson Tears, Prayerful Strike doesn’t require standing still and casting it heals through combat, blending offense and defense. This makes it ideal for players who prefer to stay aggressive rather than falling back to heal.
Synergies and Playstyle Tips
To maximize the effectiveness of Prayerful Strike, it’s important to build around its strengths and mitigate its weaknesses. Synergies with talismans, armor sets, and spells can make it more viable in various gameplay scenarios.
Useful Talismans
- Green Turtle Talisman: Boosts stamina regeneration to sustain heavy weapon swings
- Erdtree’s Favor: Increases max HP and stamina great for staying alive longer
- Ritual Shield Talisman: Reduces damage when at full HP, helping you stay healed
Armor and Buff Suggestions
Wearing armor that boosts poise will let you tank through hits while casting the skill. Buffing yourself with Flame, Grant Me Strength before combat can also boost damage output, making the healing even more efficient per strike.
Limitations and Counterplay
Despite its strengths, Prayerful Strike has limitations. Its slow speed can make it a liability against agile enemies or in tight spaces. It’s easy to interrupt if your poise is low, and enemies with ranged attacks can punish the wind-up animation.
When Not to Use Prayerful Strike
- Against fast PvP opponents who can dodge easily
- In narrow corridors where camera control is restricted
- When FP is low and healing from flasks is more reliable
Understanding when to switch to faster or ranged alternatives is essential to keeping your combat flow adaptive and effective.
A Sacred Tool for the Fearless
Ash of War: Prayerful Strike is more than just a flashy move it’s a strategic option for players who enjoy controlling the pace of battle with deliberate, punishing hits while gaining health in the process. It rewards patience, positioning, and build synergy, offering a distinctive way to approach combat in Elden Ring. Whether used as your main combat tactic or as a surprise turnaround tool, this Ash of War has the potential to define a playstyle that values strength, resilience, and sacred power. For those who walk the path of holy warriors, it remains one of the most satisfying and unique abilities in the game’s arsenal.