In the sprawling, brutal world of Elden Ring, few Ashes of War are as satisfying and devastating as Ice Spear. It's not only visually stunning-it's also mathematically potent when paired with the right stats, weapons, and buffs.
Whether you're a PvE veteran looking for consistent boss melts or a PvP menace wanting ranged pressure and burst, this build is tuned for both destruction and survivability. Let's break it all down Elden Ring Items.
Why Ice Spear?
Ice Spear is an Ash of War that launches a piercing magical projectile, dealing both magic damage and frostbite buildup. What makes Ice Spear exceptional is its scaling:it benefits heavily from Dexterity and Intelligence, especially when applied through the Keen affinity.
What sets this build apart is how it blends that natural scaling with efficient stat investment, armor optimization, and synergy from buffs that amplify every shot.
Starting Class and Stat Distribution
The build is tested at level 125, starting from the Wretch class for flexibility, although the Astrologer can give a small head start (an extra point in Intelligence and five in Mind).
Here's the final stat layout:
Vigor-60:This is non-negotiable. Survivability in Elden Ring is paramount. 60 Vigor gives the best HP-to-investment ratio.
Mind-10:Ice Spear uses about 15 FP per cast. With 78 FP, you can fire it five times before needing a refill-more than enough for most encounters.
Endurance-10:Carefully optimized to stay under the heavy load threshold with the selected armor.
Strength-10:Just enough to wield the Clayman's Harpoon with two-handing.
Dexterity-50:This is one of the build's damage pillars. Ice Spear's damage scales primarily with Dex under the Keen affinity.
Intelligence-44:Secondary scaling stat for Ice Spear, further boosted with a talisman to reach 50.
Faith/Arcane-7/10 (default Wretch values, unused here)
The Dexterity soft cap for elemental scaling is 50, which is why the build tops out there before investing into Intelligence. This optimized stat spread ensures maximum return on damage and survivability.
Main Weapon:Clayman's Harpoon (Keen + Ice Spear)
The weapon of choice is the Clayman's Harpoon, equipped with the Ice Spear Ash of War and the Keen affinity. This weapon has great natural scaling with both Dex and Int, making it ideal for this purpose.
If a better-scaling weapon exists for this setup, it hasn't been identified yet. Based on current data and testing using a bullet damage calculator, the Clayman's Harpoon reigns supreme for Ice Spear when paired with this stat layout.
Secondary Equipment
Golden Vow Dagger:A secondary dagger equipped with Golden Vow, a fantastic buff that increases all damage dealt by 11.5% and physical resistance by 7.5% for 45 seconds.
Staff of Loss:Used strictly to cast Terra Magica. While the staff's sorcery scaling doesn't matter for this spell, its low weight (2.5) makes it perfect for this utility slot.
Talisman Loadouts
Two talisman configurations are provided, but both include the core three:
1.Magic Scorpion Charm-Boosts magic damage by 12%, but increases physical damage taken by 10%. A no-brainer for a build centered around a magic projectile.
2.Shard of Alexander-Increases Ash of War damage by 15%. Essential.
3.Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman-Offsets Scorpion Charm's downside by boosting physical resistance by 20%.
Fourth Talisman Options:
Option A:Ritual Sword Talisman
Boosts all damage by 10% when at full health.
High reward but risky due to health requirements.
Incompatible with certain Wondrous Physick options (e.g. health-draining tiers).
Option B:Stargazer Heirloom
Increases Intelligence by +5, pushing you to 49 or 50 Int.
Provides a consistent damage increase without health-related restrictions.
Frees up weight and saves a point in Endurance.
While the Blade of Mercy is another strong contender for crit-heavy builds, Stargazer was chosen for its simplicity and consistent buff without requiring situational play.Armor Optimization
The ideal armor setup depends on whether you own the DLC:
Without DLC:Equip the full Spellblade Set, which boosts Magic Ashes of War damage by 2% per piece-for a total of 8.2% with four pieces.
With DLC:Use a hybrid of the Rexasa and Spellblade sets. Rexasa boosts all damage by 2% per piece, though it's quite heavy.
Diabor's hybrid:
Spellblade Chest
Rexasa Helm, Gauntlets, and Greaves
This combo hits the medium load threshold while retaining the 8% damage bonus.
Interestingly, full Rexasa appears to deal slightly more damage than full Spellblade (a margin of about 9 points in testing), though both technically provide the same percentage bonus. The reason for this discrepancy remains unclear.
Buff Spells and Utility
Only one spell is used:
Terra Magica-Increases magic damage by 22.5% while standing in its AoE field. Best used during boss openings or heavy DPS phases.
Other optional spells (e.g., Carian Slicer, Night Comet) are left out to maintain build focus and simplicity.
Wondrous Physick Flask
There are two main options:
1.Max Damage Setup:
2.Magic-Shrouding Cracked Tear-Boosts magic damage by 20% for 3 minutes.
3.Bloodsucking Cracked Tear-Boosts all damage by 20%, but drains 23 HP/sec at 60 Vigor.
Safer Setup:
1.Replace the Bloodsucking Tear with Opaline Hardtear, which increases all damage negation by 15%, greatly enhancing survivability.
2.Additionally, consume Boiled Crab before tough encounters to get a 20% physical negation buff.
Optional Bonus Buff:Sacred Order Dagger
Want to push the damage even higher? Use a dagger in your off-hand with Sacred Order, a buff that grants +10% Holy damage-and it surprisingly applies to Ice Spear when activated. Just don't two-hand your main weapon or the buff disappears.
However, it adds complexity, so it's not recommended for casual players or anyone wanting streamlined combat.
Combat Strategy and Buff Order
Before initiating combat or a boss fight, stack your buffs in this order (longest duration to shortest):
1.Drink Wondrous Physick
2.Eat Boiled Crab
3.Cast Golden Vow
4.Drink FP Flask
5.Cast Terra Magica (optional, situational)
6.Switch to Clayman's Harpoon and fire Ice Spear
Rinse and repeat. The Ice Spear does high poise damage, often staggering enemies and allowing critical strikes. Combine this with high base damage and the frostbite status effect, and you've got a powerhouse.
Final Thoughts
This Ice Spear build is more than just viable-it's one of the most optimized magic projectile builds in Elden Ring for players who enjoy ranged precision and raw damage. Whether you're tearing through late-game bosses or facing off in PvP, the synergy of high Dexterity, moderate Intelligence, and powerful buffs makes this build a frost-laced force of nature.
If you're tired of cookie-cutter Moonveil or Comet Azur builds Elden Ring Runes buy, give Ice Spear a shot. With the right setup, it doesn't just perform-it dominates.