# Ash of War Recommendations

##### Bloodhound's Step

This Ash of War is one of the best defensive options in the game, providing an enormous invulnerability window at a remarkably low FP cost. It is best used with weapons which don't rely on Skills, or on an offhand weapon which can be swapped in as necessary.

##### Raptor of the Mists

With precise timing, this Ash of War counters an enemy's attack and sets up a jump attack opportunity. Timely use of this Skill in conjunction with the Claw Talisman will make your jumping attacks far more effective, and allow you to use them more often.

##### Royal Knight's Resolve

This Ash of War grants your next attack an incredible 80% damage boost for the next 10 seconds. While best utilized with weapons that deal high per-hit damage to maximize the effectiveness, it is also effective on an offhand weapon for devastating Dual-Wielding attacks. Royal Knight's Resolve has an additional property: if used with Claws or Fist weapons, it will apply its buff to both hands simultaneously, making it even more lethal.

##### Flame of the Redmanes

This Ash of War is one of the strongest in the game, bar-none. Its unparalleled potential to stagger enemies and break their Stance trivialize many otherwise difficult encounters. Its Fire damage scales with Strength, but it's worth using regardless purely for Stance-breaking.

##### Thunderbolt

This Ash of War has excellent range, strong tracking and respectable damage. While its damage scales with Dexterity, this Skill's main benefit is that it can be chain-cast at lightning speed, making it one of the strongest in terms of damage per second.

##### Golden Vow

Weaker than its Incantation counterpart but still very powerful, this Ash of War provides a 11.5% damage boost and a 7.5% reduction to damage received for 45 seconds. It performs best on an offhand Dagger, which has negligible weight and stat requirements.

##### Barricade Shield

An extremely powerful defensive Ash of War, Barricade Shield temporarily boosts any shield's Stability and Deflection, allowing you to repel nearly any attack with ease. While it only lasts 5 seconds, it can be reused immediately without lowering your guard.

##### Assassin's Gambit

If you're having serious trouble with a non-boss encounter like a dungeon or Point of Interest, this Ash of War might just be the solution. Although it can only be used on a few weapon types, it renders you nearly undetectable, allowing you to sneak up on (or past) most enemies with impunity.