How To Duplicate Ashes Of War In Elden Ring

If you've been playing "Elden Ring," you know that it is a pretty unforgiving game, and not for the faint of heart. It requires some major grinding, because death always seems imminent. Maybe it's not as punishing as previous games from FromSoftware, but it's still a tense game from start to finish. If you can somehow get yourself a powerful advantage, though, those brutal boss fights might become just a little easier. And that's where Ashes of War come in. 

Previous Soulsborne titles featured an upgrade system that had a bit of a learning curve. Fans haven't always loved the complexity, restrictiveness and potential wastefulness of other FromSoftware games, especially in "Dark Souls." In "Elden Ring," however, the developer has switched things up a little and added new special items that allow you to replace your equipment's current Weapons Skills and Affinities in favor of more effective ones. Applying Ashes of War upgrades will allow you to customize your Weapons and Shields, tailoring them to your playstyle and preferred build.

Not only are Ashes of War powerful, they can be duplicated. If you find one you really like using, you can actually get another one — and it's not a difficult process.

To duplicate your Ash of War, you need the consumable item, or currency, called Lost Ashes of War. There are multiple ways of finding Lost Ashes of War; for example, you can simply buy them from NPCs like the Isolated Merchants in Caelid, where you can get two Lost Ashes or War for 5000 runes, or Limgrave, where you can get one for 3000. Additionally, you can pick them off corpses and you may find some hanging out in other places.

Of course, in addition to this currency, you also need the Ash of War item that you want to duplicate. You'll have found it during your explorations, along with the Whetstone Knife in Limgrave that lets you apply the Ashes of War to any weapon while you're at a Site of Grace. 

Once you have these in hand, you can go to the smithy at Roundtable Hold and talk to Smithing Master Hewg. There, it's simply a matter of using the menu to ask him to do what you want. Choose the "Ash of War duplication" option, indicate which weapon you'd like copied, and you're done. Using this feature, you can also equip multiple weapons with the Ash of War of your choice. That way, you're all set to get killed multiple times by the God-Devouring Serpent at Mt. Gelmir — or whichever freaky boss you're facing next. That being said, which Ashes of War are the best to pick up in multiples?

Some gamers might feel confused about why one would want to duplicate an Ash of War. After all, most weapons come pre-equipped with an Ash of War, which can be later removed from that weapon and placed on another weapon. One Redditor pointed out that if players find an Ash of War they particularly like, it's worth duplicating it so it can be applied to every weapon one holds. That way, no matter if the battle calls for a heavy or light weapon, the desired effect will still be there. Additionally, players can choose to wield two weapons with the same Ash of War in a power stance, one in each hand. 

As for which Ashes of War are best, fans are divided on the subject. Some previously powerful Ashes of War, like the Hoarfrost Stomp, have been nerfed in subsequent patches, making them less effective overall. Others suggest Flames of the Redmanes, which shoots out an expanding line of fire. Of course, some gamers will want to keep it simple with something like Bloody Slash, an Ash of War that deals out the much desired Bleed damage. No matter what players choose to duplicate, there's never harm in having more of a good thing, just in case.