You're standing in front of Smithing Master Hewg at Roundtable Hold. You’ve finally found that one weapon art—the one that makes your build actually viable—and you want it on two different swords. You see the option to duplicate. Then you see the cost: a weird, pale lump of stone called a Lost Ash of War. You check your inventory. You have two. Maybe three if you’ve been exploring the weeping peninsula like a completionist.
Don't click confirm yet.
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Honestly, Elden Ring doesn't do a great job of explaining how rare these things actually are. You can’t just farm them from some random hollowed soldier in Limgrave. They are finite. If you blow them on a basic "Stamp" maneuver or something you can find ten times over in the Lands Between, you’re going to hate yourself once you reach the Mountaintops of the Giants and realize you’ve run out. These items are the only way to "copy-paste" your favorite skills, and if you're aiming for a dual-wield Power Stance build, they are the single most important utility item in your bag.
What Exactly Are Lost Ashes of War?
Basically, they are a blank slate. Think of them as a physical currency specifically for the duplication of existing Ashes of War. Most players get confused and think they are a "one-time use" version of a skill. Nope. They are the catalyst. If you have the "Bloody Slash" Ash of War and you want to put it on two separate Katars to live out your blood-soaked wolverine fantasies, you need a Lost Ash of War to create a second copy of that specific skill.
Without this duplication process, an Ash of War is unique. You move it from one weapon to another, but you can’t have it in two places at once.
The scarcity is the real kicker. In a single playthrough of the base game, there are only about 13 to 15 of these available. That sounds like a lot until you realize there are hundreds of weapons and dozens of high-tier skills you’ll want to experiment with.
Where to Find Them (Without Getting Murdered)
You’ve gotta be smart about where you look. The first one most people stumble upon is sold by the Isolated Merchant in the Weeping Peninsula. He’s sitting in a shack at the very south of the map, looking miserable because he's surrounded by demi-humans and wandering mausoleums. He sells it for 3,000 Runes. It’s a steal. Buy it immediately.
Another one is tucked away in Raya Lucaria Academy. You have to do a bit of rooftop jumping. It's near the Cuckoo Church, sitting on a corpse that clearly didn't know how to use it properly. There is also a merchant in North Caelid—the one near the Isolated Merchant’s Shack up by the Dragonbarrow—who sells two of them. But be warned: the dogs in that area are basically T-Rexes with fur. If you’re low level, it’s a suicide run.
Later in the game, you'll find them in chests inside Leyndell, Royal Capital, and even a couple in the subterranean shunning grounds. If you’ve reached the Miquella’s Haligtree area, there’s one hidden near the inner wall. But let’s be real, if you’re at the Haligtree, you’ve already suffered enough.
The Duplication Trap
Most people waste their Lost Ashes of War on things they can just buy or find elsewhere. For example, why would you duplicate a basic "No Skill" ash? You can buy that from Knight Bernahl at the Warmaster's Shack for a handful of runes. It's a waste of a rare resource.
The real value lies in duplicating "Remembrance" Ashes of War. When you defeat a major boss like Malenia or Radahn, you can sometimes get specific weapon arts. If those are compatible with multiple weapons you own, duplicating them is the only way to dual-wield those specific powers.
Don't Duplicate These:
- Anything sold by Bernahl.
- Standard elemental infusions like "Holy Ground" (unless you’re doing a very specific niche build).
- Skills found early in Limgrave that have high drop rates from Teardrop Scarabs.
Do Duplicate These:
- Seppuku: If you are running a bleed build, having this on two curved swords is the meta for a reason. It's terrifying.
- Flame of the Redmanes: Even after the nerfs, the stagger potential is great for heavy builds.
- Royal Knight's Resolve: This is arguably the best Ash of War for a "one-shot" build. Putting this on two giant hammers makes you a walking catastrophe.
- Golden Vow: Having this on a secondary dagger is a great way to buff yourself without wasting a spell slot.
Managing Your Inventory Like a Pro
If you’re worried about running out, there is a "soft" way to manage this. Remember that you can swap Ashes of War at any Site of Grace for free. You don't need a blacksmith for the swap—only for the duplication.
If you are just testing a build, don't duplicate yet. Move the skill from weapon A to weapon B. Run into a camp of Godrick Soldiers. Hit them a few times. If it feels "kinda okay" but not "wow," don't spend the Lost Ash of War. Wait until you find a move set that feels like an extension of your own hands.
There's also a psychological component here. Elden Ring players tend to hoard "rare" items until the very end of the game and then never use them. Don't be that guy. If you are struggling with a boss in Altus Plateau and having a second Frost-infused rapier would win you the fight, use the damn item. That is what it’s there for.
Technical Nuance: The Scaling Factor
When you use a Lost Ash of War to duplicate a skill, you aren't just duplicating the move. You are duplicating the ability to change that weapon’s scaling. This is a detail a lot of people overlook.
Let's say you have a Heavy build. You find an Ash of War that is naturally "Keen" (Dexterity focused). By duplicating it, you can apply it to two different weapons and, if you have the Iron Whetblade, you can force both of those weapons to scale with Strength instead. This flexibility is what allows for the weird, broken builds you see on YouTube. It turns a "Dex weapon" into a "Strength weapon" while keeping the fancy move set.
Common Misconceptions and Lies
I've seen people claim you can farm these from the mining imps in the tunnels. You can’t. They might drop Smithing Stones, but they won't drop Lost Ashes. Others say you can get them as a rare drop from the "Abductor Virgins" (those horrific pendulum-swinging clockwork machines). Again, no.
The only "infinite" way to get them is through New Game Plus. Every time you restart the journey, the world resets, and the merchants restock. If you're a completionist, you’ll likely end your first run with maybe 3 or 4 left over if you were stingy.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
Don't let these sit in your inventory gathering dust, but don't be reckless either. Here is exactly how you should handle your stash of Lost Ashes of War right now:
- Audit your current weapons. If you are dual-wielding but only one sword has your preferred Ash of War, check if the other sword is underperforming. If the damage gap is more than 15%, it's time to duplicate.
- Visit the Weeping Peninsula Merchant. Do it now. It's the cheapest one you'll find, and it's a safe zone compared to the rest of the map.
- Prioritize Status Effects. Duplicating ashes like "Poison Mist" or "Chilling Mist" is incredibly effective for dual-wielding because you apply the status twice as fast.
- Save at least two. Keep two in your back pocket for the end-game. Once you get the final boss weapons or high-tier DLC weapons, you’ll want the freedom to experiment without having to hunt down a merchant in a death-swamp.
- Check the Whetblades. Ensure you have the proper Whetblades (Iron, Glintstone, Red-Hot, Sanctified, Black) before duplicating. There’s no point in duplicating a magic ash if you don't have the Glintstone Whetblade to make the scaling actually work for your Intelligence build.
Stop overthinking it. It’s a tool. Use it to make the game fun, but keep an eye on the count. Once they're gone, you’re looking at a long trek through NG+ to get more.