Having a bit of trouble with the Red Wolf of Radagon because of how fast the damn thing is. I've heard that Spirit Ashes can help distract it, but are there any in particular you guys would recommend? I tried the jellyfish but it didn't last very long. (For reference, they're all only +1.)
A bit late, there's a few options depending on what you've done/are willing to do.
-Skeleton Malitiamen are great for diverting attention so long as there's no AOE. They get back up, they poke the boss to get its attention, better than the Bandit variation despite it coming later. You can find this in northeastern Limgrave from a Tibia Mariner.
-Fanged Imp ashes, if you picked it as a starting gift/bought them from the merchant near you at the Academy, can proc bleed and draw aggro from bosses using magic urns. They're great if you do bleed and/or want an evasive summon with decent damage potential for the cost.
-If you have 21 or more mind, there's the ashes of a boss far out to the east in Caelid behind an illusory wall. It's also just kinda found in the dungeon right before the boss instead of being a boss reward. You get a 'boss ash' because it makes up a low level boss or half/one third of a boss fight with its mechanics intact- the Crystalian. So long as it has a heal over time and isn't staggered it can turn into a blender and fight a decent amount on its own. (If you want it, please look up Sellia Hideaway- it's really hidden, you won't find it on your own I promise you.)
-If you eventually find yourself struggling in a mob area you can summon in, a new ash has swapped out what used to be a drop from the enemy version of the boss that dropped it. Banished Knight Engvall is an AOE summon that sweeps his weapon like the banished knights in Stormveil. Great for grouped enemies that stagger easy because of his wide sweeps, but for bosses there are better options. This one takes 20 mind though, so might not be the best option for physical builds. You can find these ashes in Murkwater Catacombs in the middle of Limgrave.
-If you're REALLY desperate for a distraction that MUST take a lot of punishment rather than deal damage AND are before Radahn, there's Putrid Corpse Ashes. I would recommend against using them personally as their tankyness comes from being so useless they're only really good as damage sponges due to their high health pool. They're also one of the summons that spawns far from you upon summon, so draw the boss to them. They cost only 40 FP though. so if you want a hardy distraction instead of an actual summon, get these guys. These ashes are in Caelid as well, from the boss in Gaol Cave.
-If you want a better form of Putrid Corpse (at least from my opinion) that deals damage and poisons, Land Squirter ashes are basically Putrid corpse ashes that trade some (but not all) tankyness for poison and area damage. They unfortunately also spawn far from you, sometimes outside of rooms or on rocks off flat ground, so again lead the boss to them. They cost health as well, meaning you might want to keep that in mind when summoning. Despite the description, they slightly move, so keep that in mind if you wanna heal them using warming stones or healing spells. You can find this in eastern Liurnia, not on land but rather in the lake surrounded by Land Squirts right next to the Artist's Shack.
-If all of that is too much (which is fair) then there's Marionette Soldier/Avionette ashes in the Academy, one in the graveyard area and the other just down the lift. They're fine, but in open spaces they'll just head in one direction- or at least he Marionette Soldiers do, haven't tested the Avionette ashes. Two bowmen to draw aggro or two scythe wielding, fire throwing, seizure having soldeirs. Either way they freak out when damaged, so it's probably based on personal preference/build which ones you'd use.
I know this is a lot, but being in the middle of a spirit support build, I kind of had to get used to spirit ashes and I wanted to write this without it being me sperging into the wind.
