Elden Ring’s Mimic Tear Ash nerf has left me broken-hearted

Most of my Elden Ring adventure was an absolute breeze. I chose the Astrologer class and used sorceries galore to effortlessly steamroll through almost every boss. Nothing could compete with my trusty staff, so I didn’t need to use spirit ashes for my first 100 hours or so. I was fine by myself, like any good romcom protagonist at the start of the movie.

As I walked into the final boss arena, I had unwaivering confidence. I strolled in, staff at the ready and prepared to win. Then, my string of easy victories came to a shocking end. I got walloped and decimated for about 10 hours and eventually announced my defeat. Elden Ring was a game I just couldn’t finish. Happily, love had other plans, and I entered into a whirlwind romance with the Mimic Tear Ash.

Let’s back up a bit. After countless defeats, I heard whispers across the web of a strong summon that would change everything: the Mimic Tear Ash. The Mimic Tear is a clone that you can summon to act as a second version of your character in boss fights, which made it incredibly powerful for a sorcerer like me. We could cast spells from either side of the arena and completely overwhelm any boss. It’s like we were meant for each other.

I journeyed across the Lands Between to find the fabled summon and, upon returning to the final boss arena, everything suddenly clicked into place. The Mimic Tear Ash was a lifesaver and I couldn’t have completed the Elden Ring without it. This was the start of something special.

Spoilers follow for the final Elden Ring boss!

For those that don’t already know, the final Elden Ring boss is split into two fights. You face Radagon of the Golden Order and if you win, you’re thrust straight into a fight against the Elden Beast without a break. This sucker punch of misery was a horrible experience for my solo sorcerer. I could beat Radagon, but it used most of my resources. By the time I got to the Elden Beast, I’d usually die within seconds.

The Mimic Tear Ash changed all of that. I would summon the Mimic Tear for Radagon and let them battle it out, occasionally chipping in to cast a spell or two if my partner got overwhelmed. This left me with all of my Flask charges for the Elden Beast fight, which I could then handle with ease.

After a flawless victory and a lot of joyful screams, we were inseparable. You can keep exploring after beating the Elden Beast, and we made the most of every second. I took Mimic Tear on a tour through some of the toughest optional bosses, like Malenia, Blade of Miquella, and Mohg, Lord of Blood. With more easy wins under our belt, our relationship blossomed. I was ready to trade the Elden Ring for a wedding ring.

With the Mimic Tear by my side, I even started to entertain the idea of ​​a new game plus. We were unstoppable, after all. I could only imagine the spectacle of a full Elden Ring run with my trusty partner in crime. I could sit back and stare gooey-eyed at my companion while they unleash a spectacle of sorcery against every boss in the game. Then, there was a shocking revelation.

Today, FromSoftware issued an Elden Ring patch that nerfed the Mimic Tear Ash to make it do much less damage. It’ll still survive some hits, which serves as a useful decoy, but it doesn’t have the same ability to essentially fight bosses in your place. With that, the honeymoon phase wore off.

Sure, the Mimic Tear Ash is still great, but things just don’t feel the same anymore. These balancing changes mean that other spirit summons now seem much more useful, and I can’t help but want to explore other options. The Mimic Tear Ash has changed and our love story is tarnished. With that, our relationship has come to an end.

After the breakup, I need to take some time to learn how to fight by myself again. I’ll need a break from Elden Ring first, though. Without my Mimic Tear Ash, the Lands Between just feel too scary.

Maybe I’ll find the Mimic Tear Ash again someday in the future and we can rekindle our flame, but for now we’ve gone our separate ways. Oh, and ignore the fact that this is a romance tale about my Elden Ring character and their clone, hmm?