There are two main things you need to know aboutElden Ring’s ColdSorceries: they causeFrostbite buildupand are closely associated with one of the game’s most important figures, Ranni the Witch. Technically, there are only five Cold Sorceries in the game, but we’ve also included the Full Moon Sorceries, signature spells of Ranni and her mother, Rennala, on this list.
While most of the spells in these categories aren’t going to be world-destroying monsters, like some Sorceries can be, most of them have at least one use case in which they are quite powerful. As such, it’s worth taking an in-depth look at them, so we can see where they are at their best.
All of the damage-dealing spells on this list (with the exception of Rennala’s Full Moon) get a ten percent damage boost from the Snow Witch Hat.
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Effect
Grant your weapon the ability to cause Frostbite
The biggest knock onFrozen Armamentis that it’s a Freezing Grease that costs FP to use. And causing the same amount of Frostbite buildup as something you can craft an infinite number of is a big disadvantage.
Sure, Frozen Armament is more convenient, since you will never need to go on a farming run for more crafting materials to use it, but in general, there are better uses of your FP. If you hate farming that much, though (and also desperately need your weapon to cause Frostbite), this buff is dropped by a Teardrop Scarab located after Royal Knight Loretta in Caria Manor.
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Create a cloud of mist that inflicts Frostbite
Freezing Mistwill build Frostbite fairly quickly if your enemy stands still in its effect. The trick is getting them to do that, as it turns out most enemies aren’t inclined to just stand still and wait around while they freeze to death.
However, Freezing Mist does have the interesting feature of not triggering aggro, which can be useful if you are trying to sneak around more difficult enemies, but in regular combat, you have more effective ways of building Frostbite that will also deal damage at the same time. Even worse, if you do want this Sorcery, you’ll need to progress the questline of everyone’s favorite NPC, Preceptor Seluvis.
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Launch a slow-moving projectile that inflicts Frostbite
Glintstone Icecragis a lot like the various Comet spells but with the ability to cause Frostbite added on top of it. Compared to Great Glinstone Shard, it has almost identical Intelligence and FP requirements and has similar damage, depending on which buffs you have active.
The difference is an exchange of being able to cause Frostbite for a massive decrease in range and speed; that’s a pretty big drawback, but Glintstone Icecrag is still a perfectly usable spell and one of the better ways to inflict Frostbite from a distance. Like Freezing Mist, Glintstone Icecrag is sold by the legend himself, Preceptor Seluvis.
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Form a small moon and launch it at enemies
Both Full Moon Sorceries get a ten percent damage boost from the Carian Regal Scepter.
Rennala’s Full Moonwill deal a decent amount of damage if it hits, but the main reason to use it is for the bonus effects it gets, as it dispels any other spell that touches it and reduces the Magic negation of whatever it hits by ten percent. That gives you some added defense while also making your future Sorceries better.
That, along with the slow casting speed that makes it easy to punish, means Rennala’s Full Moon is a great option for opening boss fights. you may get it by trading the Remembrance of The Full Moon Queen with Enia at the Roundtable Hold, and the Remembrance drops from Rennala, although you probably won’t be able to use it until long after defeating her.
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Form a small, cold moon and launch it at enemies
Ranni’s Dark Moonis Ranni’s twist on the Sorcery of her mother, Rennala’s Full Moon; it comes with all the same abilities, including nullifying spells and reducing Magic negation. There are a few differences, though; It deals less damage (though the Snow Witch Hat decreases the gap) and comes at a higher FP cost, but has the added effect of causing Frostbite buildup.
Put simply, if the enemy you’re facing is Frostbitten, this is the Sorcery you want to open with; if not, Rennala’s variant will be the better option. To get that choice, head to Chelona’s Rise on the Moonlight Altar, where you may find Ranni’s Dark Moon in a chest.
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Strike with a frozen slash that launches a projectile
The Sorcery will deal significantly more damage if you hit with both the slash and the projectile.
Adula’s Moonbladeisn’t the strongest Sorcery in Elden Ring, but it feels exceptionally satisfying to use. You summon a massive sword and anime-slash everything in front of you, inflicting Frostbite as you do, and the range is so big that it’s hard to dodge, and the damage gets buffed both by the Carian Glintstone Staff and the Snow Witch Hat.
Sure, the spell doesn’t have the same earth-shattering damage as something likeMeteorite of Astel, but you’re rarely going to be mad about its performance. The Sorcery is dropped by Glinstone Dragon Adula when you fight her the second time, at the Cathedral of Manus Celes.
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Create a frozen tornado around yourself
Zamor Ice Stormneeds to be cast from close range and has an extremely slow windup, which can make using it a harrowing experience. However, players who cast it aside for those reasons should probably give it a second look.
The Sorcery can build Frostbite extremely rapidly and hit like a truck at the same time, but if you manage to land Zamor Ice Storm on an enemy that can be Frostbitten, you’ll take a massive chunk out of its health total. As its name would suggest, you can pick this exceptional spell up at the Zamor Ruins in the Mountaintops of the Giants.
