Utilizing the right Ashes of War can be the difference between a good and bad build. Storm Stomp, despite being one of the most simple options in Elden Ring, remains one of the best. Let’s find it and discuss why you might want to use it.
Where to get Storm Stomp in Elden Ring
You can obtain Storm Stomp early on in Elden Ring—in the lower region of the Gatefront Ruins enemy camp. Look for the stone stairs in the center of the camp, next to a crumbling stone wall. Head down and open the door, and loot the chest that sits in the center of the room. This chest has the Storm Stomp Ash of War, as well as the Whetstone Knife.
You can ride to the Gatefront Ruins early on. From the First Step Site of Grace, follow the dirt road past the Church of Elleh. The road leads right through the Gatefront Ruins, though we recommend getting a Site of Grace to the west or east of the encampment before taking it on. While it’s filled with nothing but soldier chaff, it’s not hard to get overwhelmed by enemies if you’re not prepared. Having a guaranteed respawn point outside of the Statue of Marika can make things safer.
If you’re getting mobbed in the Ruins, target the enemies with horns. They aggro almost every enemy in the encampment, but won’t blow their horn if they are damaged or die.
The Storm Stomp Ash of War is down a staircase at the top-left of the bottom-right quadrant of the dungeon. There aren’t any enemies down there, and you’re invincible while opening the door and chest, so you can ignore enemies if you’re in a hurry. Other than the stomp, you’ll also receive the Whetstone Knife, a necessary item if you want to add basic but potent affixes to your weapons.
How to equip Storm Stomp
When you have the Storm Stomp Ash of War, you can equip it to most melee weapons by heading to a Site of Grace and choosing the “Ashes of War” option. This will bring up a menu where you can select a weapon and then an Ash of War. Storm Stomp will, by default, give your weapon the Quality Affix—increasing the scaling of the weapon with Strength and Dexterity at a cost of base damage.
Unlike many Ashes of War in Elden Ring, Storm Stomp is available for any melee weapon—a dagger or great spear can equip the stomp just the same. This does not include weapons with unique Ashes of War, though, like the Grafted Blade Greatsword. Once it’s equipped, you can activate the Ash by pressing your Left Trigger—or Shift and Right Click, on a keyboard—while you don’t have an off-hand weapon with a skill equipped.
Since it’s possible to equip Storm Stomp to most weapons, you may want to use a Lost Ash of War to duplicate it. Smithing Master Hewg can duplicate Storm Stomp and other Ashes at Roundtable Hold.
Is Storm Stomp good?
Storm Stomp is an interesting utility Ash of War that can be effective in many builds. It creates a small whirlwind around your character that strikes nearby enemies for minimal damage but high stagger. At a cost of six FP, it’s one of the more spammable skills and comes out fast enough to be chained after big hits. Depending on your weapon, Storm Stomp can allow for safe combos during otherwise crowded encounters.
We found that Storm Stomp works best for two different situations in PvE:
- As a “get off me” tool—Stomp hits all enemies around you, so you can use it to avoid being swarmed. Then, you can roll into a more advantageous position and start picking off enemies easier.
- As a combo tool—Storm Stomp’s stagger lasts quite a while, allowing faster weapons like the Nagakiba Katana or Reduvia to follow-up safely. For humanoid enemies or enemies with low stagger tolerance, Storm Stomp is one of the best ways to guarantee safe damage without waiting for attacks.
For PvP, Storm Stomp is passable. It can catch rolls relatively well if someone’s trying to be aggressive, and missing doesn’t leave you open for too long. It’s a good surprise option for heavier weapon builds in this context.
