Of the many tools at the Tarnished's disposal in the Lands Between, Incantations stand as a testament to the power of unwavering belief. Channeled through Sacred Seals, these spells draw their might not from intellect, but from Faith—a stat that represents one's devotion to the various divinities and outer forces that shape the world. For any aspiring prophet, confessor, or fanatical zealot, understanding the intricate relationship between Faith scaling and Incantation damage is paramount to unleashing true divine power. This guide will delve into the mechanics, the best Seals, and the strategies to maximize your holy (or unholy) output.
The Core Mechanic: How Faith Scaling Works
At its heart, the damage of most offensive Incantations is determined by a simple formula: Incantation's Base Damage x Seal's Incantation Scaling multiplier.
The Incantation's base damage is a fixed value inherent to the spell itself. For example, Lightning Spear has a set base damage that is then modified. The critical variable you control is the Incantation Scaling (IS) stat of your Sacred Seal. This IS value, displayed on the seal's equipment screen (e.g., 140, 280, 350), is the primary multiplier for your spell's damage.
This IS value itself scales with your character's Faith stat and the Seal's own Faith scaling grade (S, A, B, C, D, E). A higher Faith stat invested into a Seal with a strong scaling grade will result in a higher IS value, which in turn massively boosts your Incantation damage. This is the fundamental feedback loop: more Faith leads to higher scaling, which leads to more damage.
Not All Seals Are Created Equal: Choosing Your Catalyst
Your choice of Sacred Seal is arguably more important than your choice of Incantation. Each Seal has a unique scaling path, and some offer special boosts to specific schools of magic.
1. The Early Game: Finger Seal & Godslayer's Seal
- Finger Seal: The starting seal for the Prophet class is serviceable in the early game but is quickly outclassed. Its scaling is decent but not exceptional.
- Godslayer's Seal: Found in Stormveil Castle, this seal boasts some of the best pure Faith scaling in the mid-game. Its true specialty is its 20% damage boost to the Godslayer Incantation school (e.g., Black Flame). For a pure Faith build focusing on these potent spells, it is an exceptional choice until very high Faith levels.
2. The Gold Standard: Erdtree Seal
- This seal is the ultimate goal for any pure Faith build (80 Faith). Its key feature is its S-tier scaling in Faith alone. At high Faith levels (60+), its Incantation Scaling surpasses every other standard seal. However, its performance at low to mid Faith levels is poor. It's a late-game powerhouse that rewards significant investment.
3. The Hybrid Specialist: Dragon Communion Seal
- For Tarnished who dabble in both Faith and Arcane, this seal is unparalleled. Found in the Fringefolk Hero's Grave, its Incantation Scaling scales primarily with Arcane, not Faith. This makes it the perfect seal for builds that use Dragon Communion or Blood Incantations. Furthermore, it provides a significant 15% boost to all Dragon Communion Incantations (e.g., Rotten Breath, Ekzykes's Decay). An Arcane/Faith build wielding this seal will far outperform the Erdtree Seal on Dragon spells.
4. The Niche Boosters: Gravel Stone & Golden Order Seals
- Gravel Stone Seal: Wielded by the Leyndell Dragon Cult knights, this seal boosts the damage of Dragon Cult Incantations (e.g., Lightning Spear, Honed Bolt, Lansseax's Glaive) by 15%. For a dedicated lightning caster, it is essential, often used in the off-hand to gain the boost while casting with a higher-scaling seal like the Erdtree Seal in the main hand.
- Golden Order Seal: This unique seal scales with both Intelligence and Faith, making it the best choice for INT/FTH hybrid builds. It also boosts Fundamentalist Incantations (e.g., Radagon's Rings of Light).
The Power of Dual-Wielding: Passive Buff Stacking A crucial advanced technique involves holding two Seals. The passive bonus from a seal (e.g., the Godslayer's 20% boost to black flame spells) is applied simply by holding it. You can have a seal with a passive boost in your off-hand while casting with your highest-scaling seal in your main hand. This way, you benefit from both the powerful Incantation Scaling of your main seal and the damage bonus from the off-hand seal.
Maximizing Your Damage: Beyond the Seal
While Faith and your Seal are the foundation, several other factors contribute to your final damage output.
1. Talismans:
- Flocks Canvas Talisman: Straightforwardly increases the potency of all Incantations. A must-have.
- Godfrey Icon: Enhances charged Incantations (e.g., charged Lightning Spear, Black Flame Ritual).
- Fire Scorpion Charm / Lightning Scorpion Charm: Boosts fire or lightning damage, respectively, but increases physical damage taken. Excellent for specialized builds.
- Old Lord's Talisman: Extends the duration of long-lasting Incantations like Golden Vow or Black Flame's Protection.
2. Buffs and Auras: Stacking buffs is how you achieve truly astronomical damage numbers.
- Golden Vow: The premier all-around buff, granting a 15% increase to attack and damage negation for 80 seconds.
- Howl of Shabriri / Flame Grant Me Strength: Howl of Shabriri provides a higher damage boost (25%) but makes you take much more damage. Flame Grant Me Strength gives a 20% boost to physical and fire attacks and stacks with Golden Vow.
- Terra Magicus: While often associated with sorcery, this spell circle also boosts all magic damage, including Holy damage Incantations, for those standing inside it.
3. Enemy Resistances: A master Incantation user must be adaptable. The Lands Between is filled with enemies with high resistance to certain damage types.
- Holy Damage: Incredibly powerful against Those Who Live in Death and many humanoid foes, but notoriously weak against late-game bosses like Radagon/Elden Beast and Maliketh, who have extreme Holy resistance.
- Fire Damage: Standard fire is reliable, but Black Flame is exceptional because its damage-over-time effect is based on a percentage of the target's max HP, making it devastating against high-health bosses.
- Lightning Damage: Generally very effective against heavily armored enemies, dragons, and a wide range of bosses.
Sample Build: The Endgame Lightning Zealot
- Stats: 60 Vigor, 25 Mind, 80 Faith
- Seal: Main Hand: Erdtree Seal | Off-Hand: Gravel Stone Seal
- Key Incantations: Lightning Spear, Honed Bolt, Lansseax's Glaive, Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike
- Talismans: Flock's Canvas Talisman, Godfrey Icon, Lightning Scorpion Charm, Old Lord's Talisman (for Golden Vow)
- Strategy: Buff with Golden Vow. Hold the Gravel Stone Seal to gain its 15% boost to Dragon Cult Incantations. Cast with the Erdtree Seal to leverage its immense S-rank Faith scaling. Use Lightning Spear for safe, long-range poking and Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike for massive AoE damage against large bosses.
In conclusion, mastering Faith scaling in Elden Ring is a journey of synthesis. It requires finding the right Sacred Seal for your build, investing heavily in the Faith stat, strategically using talismans, stacking buffs, and, most importantly, understanding which elemental force your enemy is most vulnerable to. When these elements align, the Tarnished ceases to be a mere mortal and becomes a conduit for divine wrath, capable of calling down storms and bathing the world in sacred flame.
