Summary
Witchfire’s innovative roguelite FPS gameplay has led to some well-deserved hype since the game’s early access release.Witchfirepulls no punches with its difficulty though, meaning it’s not the easiest game for new players to get to grips with.
Making use ofthe game’s spell and weapon research systemis essential to players' progress. That means that knowing what spells to focus on researching and upgrading can help a lot. Here are some of the most useful spells in the game, across both the light and heavy categories.
SinceWitchfireis an early access game, and the 1.0 release isn’t expected until late 2025, the information on these spells is likely to change over time.
8Shockwave
Close Range Stun
Shockwave produces a concussive blast that stuns weak foes at close range. It can also stun larger exhausted foes, giving it quite a bit of utility for crowd control. As a light spell, it has a short cooldown, giving it dependable uptime in a fight.
Players can unlock this spell early in the game through research or simply bystarting as the Shadow class. The third Mysterium upgrade for the spell gives a 10% chance of an instant refresh per enemy hit, making it even more reliable.
7Fireballs
Reliable Fire Damage
Fireballs areWitchfire’s most straightforward damage spell, firing out three fireballs at enemies. The spell can be aimed at a single target using aim-down-sights when firing (at the third Mysterium upgrade level). This gives players a reliable way to deal single-target damage that ignites enemies.
Ignite or Burn status causes enemies to take increased damage from hits and can combine with other elements like Decay and Shock for increased elemental damage. It’s a powerful combo that makes Fireballs worth using. The spell can be obtained via light spell research.
6Frost Cone
Freezing Crowd Control
Frost Cone is a very useful crowd control spell that can easily freeze multiple enemies in its path. With a short cooldown, this gives effective breathing room in fights, even at low levels. Its true power is unlocked with the indefinite freeze duration perk from theIce Statue Arcana.
This strategy lets players easily manage groups of smaller enemies while dealing with tougher targets. However, that does rely on players being able to obtain the specific Arcana in a run, but Frost Cone remains useful regardless. The spell is unlocked through light spell research.
5Stigma Diabolicum
Extra Weak Spots
Stigma Diabolicum is a great light spell for players who want tofocus on weak spot damage. The spell grants the ability to fire a sticky projectile that acts as an additional weak spot when attached to an enemy. It also causes decay status on contact at higher Mysterium upgrade levels.
Unlike many of the other light spells, the Stigma Diabolicum can’t be obtained through research. Instead, players will need to find it on the Scarlet Coast map. It’s locked in a passage that requires Volatile Witchfire to unlock, west of the drop-down to the Familiar boss fight.
4Ice Sphere
Auto-Freeze Defense
Ice Sphere is a heavy defensive spell that places a barrier of ice around the player, freezing enemies that enter. The sphere also acts as a shield for incoming damage, and athigher Mysterium levelsit doubles weapon range and reload speed.
It’s a powerful spell and the only real downside is the long cooldown. This can be mitigated a little with the Heavy Spell Recharge Arcana if the opportunity arises in a run. Players can access the Ice Sphere spell immediately if theystart as the Saint class. Otherwise, it’s acquired through heavy spell research.
3Cornucopia
Last Bullet Refund
Cornucopia is a heavy spell designed for players who want tofocus more on weaponsthan magic. When the spell is active, the last bullet in a magazine regenerates automatically. This has great synergy with powerful weapons like Psychopomp and Hangfire.
Higher Mysterium upgrade levels also grant improved weapon handling, stability and reload speed.At max level, players get a 20-second duration, and the ability to increase uptime with kills. It’s a powerful support spell for weapon-focused classes. Cornucopia is obtained via heavy spell research.
2Burning Stake
Explosive Fire Damage
A fire-based heavy spell that deals explosive area damage, Burning Stake is probably tied with Iron Cross as the most powerful spell inWitchfire. The spell spawns a burning stake that ignites enemies in a wide area, damaging those enemies charging the stake, which eventually releases an explosion for heavy AOE damage.
Since the Burn damage from igniting enemies causes more damage from other sources, Burning Stake has powerful synergies both with other spells and weapons. This spell has to be obtained on the Iron Castle map, and it’s locked behind a mirage that requires Volatile Witchfire and Gnosis 3 to open.
1Iron Cross
Shocking Mob Clearing
The Iron Cross spell is both visually impressive and highly useful, spawning a cross that deals shock damage to enemies in a large AOE. Shock damage is great for dealing with enemy mobs, as the build-up can stun enemies, leaving them more vulnerable to damage.
Due to this damage increase, Iron Cross offers similar synergies to the Burning Stake spell. This makes it an equally powerful option with slightly more utility. Higher Mysterium levels increase the area and shock duration. The spell is obtained through heavy spell research.
