Elden Ring: 15 Best Talismans, Ranked (2023)

Even though Elden Ring is a lot more accessible for newer players, it still poses a real challenge to players, especially those new to the FromSoftware universe. Fortunately, Elden Ring provides players with a variety of items that can turn the tide of battle or at the very least give them a fighting chance. But, Elden Ring retains some key information regarding equipment and skills.RELATED: Awesome Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do In Elden RingFor example, FromSoftware doesn't go into too much detail about weapon scaling, which is extremely important to understand. One type of equipment that players should be well aware of is that of Talisman since they grant players unique buffs that'll give them an edge against monsters and other creatures. But, with so many Talismans available, which ones are worthy of being used by the Tarnished?Updated May 9, 2022 by Daniel Dilena: Talismans continue to play an essential role in Elden Ring, especially while tackling some of the more difficult bosses toward the end of the game. And as players continue to complete Elden Ring, more builds are created which require only the best Talismans to reach their full potential. This is why we've updated this Talisman tier list to better help fellow Tarnished reach their goal of becoming Elden Lord.

15 Great-Jar's Arsenal

Location:

• Dragonbarrow North

Effect:

• Raises Maximum Equip Load

Players that want to wield Colossal weapons without suffering encumbrance will enjoy using Great-Jar's Arsenal since it increases total Equip Load by 19%. But, obtaining one of the best Talismans in Elden Ring is no easy task since players will need to venture into Caelid, which is often regarded as the most challenging region in Elden Ring.

Once in Caelid, players will need to seek The Great-Jar and defeat three of its Knights (NPC Duelists). The difficulty of the duelist varies as the game uses builds from real players, but players can switch offline to make the fights easier since the game will use default builds.

14 Marika's Soreseal

Location:

• Brace of the Haligtree

Effects:

• Raises Arcane, Intelligence, Mind, And Faith
• Lowers Damage Negation

Even though most players use Radagon's Soreseal since it significantly increases several stats (which is why it's considered the best Talisman in Elden Ring) but it mainly benefits melee builds and not magic builds. So that's when Marika's Soreseal comes in handy since it increases four stats (mind, intelligence, faith, and arcane) by +5.

But, using this Talisman comes at a cost since it increases all damage taken by 15%. So, players that decide to use Marika's Soreseal will need to balance it with a Talisman that negates some of its effects.

13 Flock's Canvas Talisman

Location:

• Gowry's Shack

Effects:

• Greatly Raises Potency of Incantations

Incantations started relatively weak in Elden Ring, but after the 1.04 patch, FromSoftware considerably buffed all Incantations to the point that they could go on par with other builds. And if a player wants to continue to increase their attack, they'll want to use Flock's Canvas Talisman since it boosts all Incantations by 8%.

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But, the main reason why Flock's Canvas Talisman is one of the best Talismans in Elden Ring is that its effects can be stacked with other Incantation boosting Talismans like the Canvas Talisman or Scorpion Charm.

12 Godfrey Icon

Location:

• Golden Lineage Evergaol

Effects:

• Enhances Charged Spells and Skills

Some of the most overpowered Ashes of War can be made even more powerful by using Godfrey Icon Talisman since it enhances all charged attacks by 15%. Moreover, this Talisman also increases the attack of certain Sorceries like Gravity Well and Carian Piercer, which further proves that it merits a spot as one of the best Talismans in Elden Ring.

Players can obtain Godfrey Icon Talisman by defeating the Evergaol version of Godfrey the Grafted. But, to gain access to the Golden Lineage Evergaol, players will need to use one Stonesword Key.

11 Roar Medallion

Location:

• Limgrave Tunnels

Effects:

• Enhances Roars and Breath Attacks

Even though there are a limited number of Roar attacks in Elden Ring, the few available can prove useful under certain circumstances. For example, Barbaric Roar and Shriek of Milos increase a player's heavy attacks by 10%. So, by using the Roar Medallion Talisman, players can increase their heavy attacks by 15%, perfect for a Colossal weapon-oriented build.

Unfortunately, even though the description says it enhances Breath Attacks, it doesn't affect any Dragon Communion Incantations. Players that wish to equip this Talisman will need to defeat a Stonedigger Troll Boss within Limegrave Tunnels.

10 Bull-Goat's

Location:

• Dragonbarrow Cave

Effect:

• Raises Poise

Even the most veteran Soulsborne player may find it difficult to understand Poise in any FromSoftware game. But, to make it simple, Poise is how much resistance a player has to be staggered or stun-locked. That's why the Bull-Goat's Talisman is a great way of raising a player's Poise since it increases it by 33%.

And locating the Bull-Goat's Talisman isn't too difficult since players can find it on a corpse in Dragonbarrow Cave. Once found, players can face the Erdtree Burial Watchdog, which is in Minor Erdtree Catacombs near Dragonbarrow Cave. Unfortunately, the Bull-Goat's Talisman isn't ranked higher because it doesn't provide any damage-related buff, which is most of the time more useful.

9 Green Turtle

Location:

• Summonwater Village

Effect:

• Raises Stamina Recovery Speed

This Talisman is the perfect companion for any melee-based build since it increases Stamina Recovery Speed by 8 points, which is extremely valuable during long battles. Moreover, players can stack the Green Turtle Talisman with the Green Turtle Shell and the Greenburst Crystal, which lowers Stamina Recovery Speed to 2 seconds.

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But, locating the Green Turtle Talisman won't be easy (unless players use a handy guide) as it's found deep in a cavern, plus they'll need to use a Stonesword Key to access it. Finally, and most importantly, killing 200 Turtles does not increase the stats as some players have suggested.

8 Graven-Mass

Location:

• Albinauric Rise

Effect:

• Greatly Raises Potency Of Sorceries

A must-have Talisman for any magic-wielding build, the Graven-Mass Talisman will increase a player's Sorcery Damage by 8%. And players can stack the Sorcery Damage buff with other Talismans that increase damage, like the Graven-School or Magic Scorpion Talismans.

In order to get the Graven-Mass Talisman, players will first need to locate the village of Albinaurics, which is near Liurnia Lake Shore. And once there, players will need to find and solve the Albinauric Rise Tower Puzzle, which will require either a Fanged Imp Ashes or a Bewitching Branch.

7 Cerulean Amber

Locations:

• Lakeside Crystal Cave
• Castle Sol (Variant +1)
• Lunar Estate Ruins (Variant +2)

Effect:

• Raises Maximum FP

Most FromSoftware hardcore fans agree that any magic-based build can essentially cheese through any boss fight since Spells and Incantations have a high-based damage output. And with the Cerulean Amber Talisman, players will be able to spam magic attacks almost non-stop since it raises their FP by 6.5%.

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On top of that, players can find two other Cerulean Amber variants that raise FP even more (the +2 Variant increases FP by 11%). Moreover, if the player already has the Cerulean Seed Talisman (located in Carian Study Hall), it will boost their FP Recovery.

6 Radagon Icon

Location:

• Raya Lucaria Academy

Effect:

• Shortens Spell Casting Time

Undoubtedly, most Talismans depicting Elden Lord Radagon provide some of the best effects in the game, and with the Radagon Icon, there's no exception. This Talisman shortens the cast time for Spells and Incantations by about 4 seconds, which can be useful when casting certain high-tier Spells.

Unfortunately, the casting time for dragon-related Incantations is unaffected by the Radagon Icon buff. And players that haven't traveled to Raya Lucaria Academy should be wary as they traverse the area since many optional bosses are scattered around.

5 Magic Scorpion

Location:

• Seluvis's Rise

Effects:

• Raises Magic Attack
• Lowers Damage Negation

The Magic Scorpion is a double-edged Talisman since it buffs magic-type attacks by 12% on the one hand, but on the other, it increases damage received. Nonetheless, the damage increase is well worth the risk, but new players should make sure to increase their Vigor stats if they plan to use the Magic Scorpion.

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Obtaining the Magic Scorpion requires careful planning since players must talk to Preceptor Seluvis before completing the Ranni the Witch questline. Once the player completes the questline, there's no way of obtaining it except if they start over.

4 Crimson Amber

Locations:

• Weeping Peninsula
• Volcano Manor (Variant +1)
• Leyndell (Variant +2)

Effect:

• Raises Maximum HP

The Crimson Amber is another Talisman that has multiple Variants, the default one increasing HP by 6% and the +2 Variant by 8%. This Talisman is great for players with low Vigor since the +2 Variant grants 116 HP, which is particularly useful for magic-based classes like the Astrologer.

But, the main problem with acquiring the +2 Variant of the Crimson Amber is that players will need to go through Leyndell Royal Capital, which is teeming with enemies and grotesque bosses. So, players who want to use the Crimson Amber Talisman should come prepared with plenty of Flasks.

3 Radagon's Scarseal

Location:

• Weeping Peninsula

Effects:

• Raises Vigor, Endurance, Strength, And Dexterity
• Lowers Damage Negation

Without any doubt, one of the best all-rounded Talismans in Elden Ring is Radagon's Scarseal since it raises 3 several important stats, especially for melee class builds. But, with great power comes great responsibility since players receive 10% more damage from all sources, which can seem scary for new players.

But, new players shouldn't feel worried about using Ragadon's Scareseal since players can counter the negative effect by raising defensive stats. Moreover, the increase in stats is well worth the trouble since it can make a huge difference while fighting some bosses.

2 Erdtree's Favor

Locations:

• Fringefolk Hero's Grave
• Subterranean Shunning-Grounds
• Forbidden Lands

Effect:

• Raises HP, Stamina, and Endurance

HP, Stamina, and Endurance are arguably the most important stats for any Elden Ring player to have regardless of whether they dual wield Uchigatanas or use the powerful Meteor Staff. Moreover, the +2 Variant increases stats HP by 4%, Stamina by 9.5%, and Endurance by 8%, which is a massive buff compared to the other Talismans.

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But, in order to reach the much-coveted +2 Variant, players will need to fight three Ulcerated Tree Spirits, which can prove to be a real challenge. Fortunately, players can run past them (if they have enough Stamina) and loot the Talisman without facing them.

1 Radagon's Soreseal

Location:

• Fort Faroth

Effects:

• Raises Vigor, Endurance, Strength, And Dexterity
• Lowers Damage Negation

The Ragadon's Soreseal is one of the best Talismans in Elden Ring since it increases numerous stats by 5. And despite its negative effect (-15% Damage Negation), it still is a great Talisman to use in both PVE and PVP.

Moreover, the buffs on this Talisman are the equivalent of 20 levels, which means players can save their precious Runes for something more important. But, players reaching the soft cap of certain stats should be careful using this Talisman as it'll only produce diminishing returns.

Elden Ring is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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