While deflecting incoming attacks is one of Wo Long‘s marquee features, magic is a pretty important part of the game. From buff effects to direct damage abilities, you’re going to use at least some of the game’s Wizardry Spells regardless of what kind of character you build.
Which magic you end up relying on most will depend on your playstyle and situation, but here are some of the most powerful Wizardry Spells in the game.
Lightning Weapon, Flame Weapon, Stone Weapon, Toxin Weapon, Ice Weapon
Every Wizardry Spell tree in Wo Long offers one ability that grants your weapon some form of elemental damage. You’re going to want to pick up at least one of those abilities. Exactly which one you use will kind of depend on your preferred build and the situation, but they’re some of the most valuable spells in the game for melee players. They also offer a quick and efficient way to counter enemies’ elemental resistances.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty: Best Wood Virtue Spells
Absorb Vitality
You and your nearby allies can restore HP upon dealing damage to enemies.
Pretty self-explanatory, but it turns out that being able to restore health upon dealing damage in a Soulslike game is pretty nice. The health returns you get from this spell aren’t game-breaking, but this ability should be prized by just about every type of melee build in the game.
Spirit Fervor
Grants you and your allies a positive effect that increases Spirit gain when attacking.
Essentially the Spirit version of Absorb Vitality, this spell makes it significantly easier to keep your Spirit gauge high. It also pairs well with the Fire Virtue (which offers a similar benefit every time you level up).
Focus Zone
Generates an area in which allies inside it deal additional damage to enemies.
You can definitely use this damage buffing ability in melee range, but it’s essential for any magic-based builds. Create a damage buffing zone for yourself, stand in it, and pelt enemies with your magic attacks. It’s really good.
Barbed Nightmare
Summons thorns from the ground, which absorb a portion of damage dealt to enemies and restore the HP of you and your allies.
While this has limited uses during some boss fights, this spell offers a fantastic way to deal AoE damage while keeping your allies alive. Combine it with other spell buff effects, and you should be able to restore a good chunk of your health whenever you see a larger group of enemies.
Cleanse
Resets all current negative effect accumulation to zero for you and your nearby allies, while granting a positive effect that reduces the amount of negative effect accumulation for all Phases (except for Metal).
Arguably the most important Wood spell in the game, Cleanse is practically essential for many boss fights and certain special encounters. You’re making things much harder for yourself as a melee character if you don’t go out of your way for this spell.
Perfect Restoral
Grants you and your nearby allies a positive effect that completely negates an enemy attack once.
While incredibly expensive and sometimes tricky to properly utilize, this really is the ultimate Wood spell. It can save your life by offering a little extra insurance for those times when your deflect timing is less than perfect.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty: Best Fire Virtue Spells
Fireblast
Discharges a ball of fire that flies on a gravitational arc, and explodes upon hitting an enemy or terrain.
This early spell is one of the best Fire attacks for a good portion of the game. It works incredibly well on groups of lesser enemies and can even put a dent in bosses.
Amplify Damage
For a certain period of time, increases both the damage you deal to enemies and receive from them.
Taking more damage in a Soulslike game obviously isn’t ideal, but Amplify Damage’s increased damage output tends to make up for that notable downside. This is a perfect spell for mowing through groups of lesser enemies, and it can certainly help you out in boss fights if you time it correctly.
Burning Flamewave
Summons continuous eddies of flame in front of you. This deals damage over time to any enemies that come in contact with it.
It’s tough to tell from the description, but this spell actually shoots a jet of fire along the ground that lingers and continues to deal Burn damage to anyone who walks through the fire. That makes it a useful combination of “Projectile” and “AoE” abilities that you’ll often turn to in many kinds of fights.
Overpower Burst
Greatly increases the damage dealt by the Wizardry Spell or Martial Arts next used.
Like Focus Zone, this is a “prep” spell that allows you to set up a massive follow-up attack. It can be tricky to time this one properly in the middle of a fight, but the damage boost it offers makes it worth the slight learning curve.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty: Best Earth Virtue Spells
Enhanced Defense
For a certain period of time, you receive less damage from enemies and will not flinch except from some powerful attacks.
One of the absolute best Earth spells in the game, this tanky ability allows you to stand your ground during some pretty tough fights. It’s very powerful and one of the few Earth spells everyone should take a look at.
Illusionary Shell
For a certain period of time, creates an invisible shield around you that absorbs a certain amount of damage.
Another universally useful Earth spell, Illusionary Shell basically offers a “free hit” in some situations and greatly reduces the damage of otherwise devastating blows the rest of the time. It’s one of my absolute favorite spells in the game.
Rock Toughness
Reduces Spirit damage received from enemy attacks, and grants a single—use effect that prevents your Morale Rank from decreasing when you are dealt a Critical Blow by an enemy.
While not as useful as the previous spells, this ability is a key part of many tank builds. Rock Toughness makes it significantly easier to feel bold when deflecting Critical Blows. The reduction in Spirit damage is also quite nice.
Fiend Vanquisher
Allows you to charge forward using the power of Earth Phase. You will not falter while charging unless an enemy’s attack is sufficiently powerful. Move farther by holding down the input for Wizardry Spells.
You have to invest in some slightly less useful Earth spells to reach this spell, but Fiend Vanquisher is certainly powerful. It’s basically a charge attack that offers the perfect way to open a fight against many major enemies in the game. It’s essential for heavy armor/heavy weapon characters.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty: Best Metal Virtue Spells
Elemental Plague
Increases the accumulation of all status effects dealt to enemies for a certain period of time.
When used properly with the right combination of spells and abilities, this spell allows you to drown an enemy in ailments. This is a key component of certain magic-based builds that rely on those damage-over-time effects.
Life Wither
Releases a curse bolt to the front. Enemies hit will receive more damage for a certain period of time.
This is just an incredibly useful spell that you can acquire early on and use for the rest of the game. You’ll find yourself opening a lot of fights with this crippling ability.
Toxin Bubbles
Releases bubbles of poison to the front. Bubbles will burst and create a poison bog when they hit enemies or terrain. The bog will cause damage over time to enemies touching it.
This is a very nice AoE ability from the Metal tree that can help you cut through larger groups of slightly more powerful enemies. I haven’t seen a breakdown of the exact numbers, but this thing’s radius and damage-over-time capabilities are both impressive.
Molten Calamity Thorn
Releases a metal-imbued attack that deals damage to enemies it touches. If those enemies are inflicted with any ailments, they will be fully cured, and they will take additional damage corresponding to the number of ailments cured.
This is probably the most unique spell in the game. It basically allows you to convert the DoT damage that your ailments usually do into burst damage. If your chosen build focus on overwhelming enemies with those ailments, then you’ll want to keep this spell handy as a finisher.
Wo Long Fallen Dynasty: Best Water Virtue Spells
Unseeable Form
For a certain period of time, turns your body invisible and cannot be detected by enemies.
Stealth isn’t a big part of the Wo Long experience, but it being able to turn invisible is obviously pretty nice. You probably won’t touch this ability if you’re not going for a ranger/stealth build, but it’s a vital part of that playstyle.
Cloud Stance
For a certain period of time, reduces the consumption of Spirit when deflecting.
One of the rare Water spells that are useful in a variety of builds, Cloud Stance is incredibly beneficial during longer boss battles when you really start to feel the depletion of your Spirit gauge. This is great for players/builds that tend to rely on spamming the deflect/dodge button.
Aqua Blink
Instantly teleport to the front.
I wasn’t sure about this spell at first, but I quickly fell in love with it. Aqua Blink greatly increases the effectiveness of your dodge ability by allowing you to teleport around (and through) enemies. It’s fantastic for bosses and bigger monsters. It’s also surprisingly handy for those times when you just need to zip through an enemy-filled environment.
Ominous Chill
Summons small icicles to continuously fall on the locked-on target or on a point at a certain distance forward.
One of my favorite damage spells in the game, this cheap, early spell will last you through most of your Wo Long adventure. Its damage output is pretty modest (especially against single targets), but it’s a nice AoE ability that is also one of the most reliable ways to inflict the Frostbite ailment.