Players should take every advantage while braving Elden Ring’s Lands Between, and this is the usefulness of each Sacred Seal in combat.
FromSoftware’s dark-fantasy epic Elden Ring was released to emphatic acclaim and has since been getting patched to streamline elements of the game. Nonetheless, FromSoft’s brand of difficulty is expectedly prevalent throughout the journey in the Lands Between, making it pivotal for players to take every advantage possible, such as the Sacred Seal weapons.
These unique weapons are used as tools to cast Incantations, which are tied to players’ Faith stat. There are nine total Sacred Seals in Elden Ring and each of them offers something worthwhile for players of different builds looking to brave the game.
Like with other types of items and weapons, including Elden Ring‘s eight Legendary Talismans, players’ mileage may vary in terms of how competent gear performs for them. Character class builds often dictate this, and the Frenzied Flame Seal is one such weapon that has excellent payoff — if players know how to use it.
It may not be beginner-friendly, but this Seal provides great buffs to the titular Frenzied Flame Incantations. These abilities stack Madness on enemies, causing them to lose health over time. The Incantations the Frenzied Flame Seal buffs are very specific and it demands a big investment into Faith, but it’s useful for players with the right build and situational awareness.
For those looking for a solid early-game Sacred Seal, the Finger Seal is a good pick. It’s also likely going to be the first Seal that new players will come across in Elden Ring. Having the Sacred Seal be the easiest one of the bunch to find makes it great alongside other advantages players can use, like Elden Ring‘s vast catalog of Spirit Summons, to tackle the foes of Limgrave and even Liurnia of the Lakes.
The Finger Seal is good for players that only want to moderately invest in Faith while focusing more on stats like Strength. So while it doesn’t excel in places that other Seals do (nor does it give extra buffs to Incantations), its low barrier to entry makes it a flexible and reliable choice for modest and/or hybrid Faith builds.
The Giant’s Seal is a worthwhile weapon for players looking to create a character that’s focused on using Pyromancies. The caveat, though, is that it’s a fairly late-game pickup.
As the name would suggest, the Giant’s Seal gives buffs to the fire Incantations used by the Fire Giants. The timing of when players pick this up is particularly useful for one Incantation, at least, as players can use the Seal to boost the Burn O Flame ability that’s acquired after defeating the Fire Giant — one of Elden Ring‘s story-based boss fights.
As far as story progression goes, the Godslayer’s Seal is another Sacred Seal found during and useful for Elden Ring‘s early-game portion. It’s found in the first major story-focused dungeon, Stormveil Castle. Players will have to use a Stonesword Key to find it, which are some of Elden Ring‘s most useful items to gather anyway, as well as defeating Margit the Fell Omen.
It demands high Faith and has a somewhat niche specialization (Godslayer Incantations), but still provides a hefty boost to other abilities for players looking to create a Faith build that can cast a variety of Incantations.
Similar to the aforementioned Giant’s Seal, the Gravel Stone Seal is also a late-game weapon. It’s also a challenge to find since one of the prerequisites is to unlock the lift to the Altus Plateau, however, the Lightning-based buffs it has to offer are great for several late-game enemy encounters.
The investment required into the Faith stat isn’t as high as other Sacred Seals like the Godslayer’s, and it provides a modest boost to all Dragon Cult-based Incantations — the parallel school of Incantations to the Dragon Communion.
The Golden Order Seal is an excellent choice for players that want to maximize their spellcasting output. More specifically, it’s great for a hybrid Intelligence and Faith build, effectively casting both schools of magic in the world of Elden Ring.
Though there’s no daunting boss fight standing between players and this Sacred Seal, they will need to progress to the mid-to-late-game area of Leyndell, the Royal Capital. As one would expect, Golden Order Incantations work best with this weapon. It’s a Seal that’ll require patience in terms of progression into the game’s story, but one with immense payoff.
On the other side of the coin, the Dragon Communion Seal boosts the Fire-based Incantations associated with the titular congregation. Just as well, it’s one of the best options in terms of Sacred Seals for players who want to make use of both Faith and Arcane stats. Conveniently enough, the Dragon Communion Seal is also one of the earliest Sacred Seals players can find in Elden Ring.
Depending on how brave players feel, it might even be the first — assuming they have a Stonesword Key on hand early. Combining the Dragon Communion Seal’s affinity toward Dragon Communion incantations, Arcane, and Faith, it’s easily one of the best in the game for those willing to tackle an early challenge.
Like the Dragon Communion Seal, the Clawmark is also a candidate for players’ first Sacred Seal in the game. And thanks to its stat scaling, the Clawmark Seal is another great option for players that want a hybrid build that dips into Faith and Strength. Compared to the Finger Seal, the Clawmark is an even stronger and more versatile early-game option.
All players need to do is defeat a Tibia Mariner — one of the many optional Elden Ring bosses — and bring the Deathroot it drops to D, Hunter of the Dead to give them an invitation to the Beast Clergyman in Caelid. Beast Incantations go particularly well with this Seal and giving Beast Clergyman Gurranq more Deathroots will provide players with more of these spells.
Since Sacred Seals are used by players putting any kind of focus on Faith, the Erdtree Seal is arguably the most competent for those looking to specialize in it. It’s found in the Volcano Manor, and while that is normally a late-game area, following Mya’s quest will get players there the fastest since it begins in Liurnia of the Lakes.
Something worth noting is that the Erdtree Seal doesn’t provide any extra buffs to specific Incantations than what it already provides for all of them, but it does give the highest damage output for any Incantation after being upgraded.
Guillermo Kurten is a journalism graduate from the University of Houston. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, he now resides in Houston. He is a fan of pretty much anything involving nerd culture. Video games, comics, movies, TV, anime, manga, you name it. He also has experience writing about soccer, specifically, the German team Bayern Munich.
