Unlocking the Impenetrable Thorns Sorcery in Elden Ring

The Impenetrable Thorns sorcery, born from the despair of abandoned spells, draws upon the thorns of the Scadutree using the caster’s own flesh in Elden Ring. Renowned as one of the most formidable sorceries in the Lands Between, it inflicts intense physical agony and causes victims to bleed.

This guide will walk you through the process of acquiring the Impenetrable Thorns sorcery in Elden Ring, along with strategies for building an incredibly powerful character. Be sure to read to the end for an exciting revelation!

Where to Find Impenetrable Thorns Sorcery

You can find the Impenetrable Thorns sorcery by looting a corpse located in the Shadow Keep area of Elden Ring. Shadow Keep is a legacy dungeon situated in the heart of Scadu Altus, home to the formidable Messmer and his forces—and it’s the first dungeon you’ll encounter upon entering the region.

The most straightforward route to Shadow Keep is through Castle Ensis. Defeat Rellana, the Twin Moon Knight, and continue northward to discover the entrance to Shadow Keep, where you’ll face a boss known as the Golden Hippopotamus.

After defeating the boss, head west into the library area and proceed upwards until you reach the Storehouse section.

This area is crawling with the soldiers of Messmer and can be quite challenging. Once you reach the Seventh-Floor site of grace, head back down to locate a lever.

Activate the lever to lower the Bull statue in the center of the room. Use the beams to reach the statue and make your way to the other side. Once you’re outside, avoid straying left or right—simply move straight ahead and carefully drop from the ledge.

You’ll spot a bat lurking beneath. Defeat it and turn around to find a corpse containing the item. Interact with the body to obtain the Impenetrable Thorns sorcery.

If you’ve already navigated Shadow Keep without finding the Impenetrable Thorns sorcery, there’s a simpler method. Start from the Dark Chamber Entrance site of grace and turn around.

Descend the stairs and take a right into a small corridor illuminated by golden flames. At the end of the corridor, instead of exiting through the door, turn right to find stairs leading downward.

Follow the stairs until you reach the end of the second one. Carefully check to your right and below. Drop down to eliminate the bat enemy, then interact with the corpse in the back to snag the Impenetrable Thorns sorcery.

Impenetrable Thorns Sorcery: Stats and Requirements

This sorcery falls under the Thorn Sorceries category and requires 24 Faith to cast along with a suitable staff.

Because this sorcery causes both the caster and foes to experience bleed buildup, it’s particularly effective when paired with staves that scale with arcane abilities. The Staff of the Guilty can boost the sorcery’s damage by up to 20%, while Alberich’s Set can add another 18% to the total.

Impenetrable Thorns is an enhanced version of Briars of Punishment—its larger radius and increased damage make it stand out. However, each cast costs 50 FP, 22 Stamina, and occupies one spell slot.

It has a Sorcery Scaling of 0.67x and inflicts 17 Blood Loss buildup per strike, in addition to 1.67 Stance damage.

Best Build for Impenetrable Thorns in Elden Ring

This is a late-game setup; therefore, we recommend utilizing a fully upgraded Albinauric’s Staff in your main hand, complemented by the Staff of the Guilty in your off-hand. Allocate your stat points as follows:

• Vigor: 50
• Faith: 25
• Arcane: 80

The use of Alberich’s Set will also elevate your damage by an additional 18%. Combined with the Staff of the Guilty, this could result in a total damage boost of 38%. Equip Varre’s White Mask to maximize damage during bleed effects.

Consider these talismans to further enhance your damage output:

• Lord of Blood’s Exultation: Grants a 20% attack power increase if blood is shed nearby.
• Stalwart Horn Charm +1: Boosts your resistance to prevent blood loss while casting.
• Radagon’s Icon: Reduces casting time for spells.
• Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman: Enhances your defense against physical attacks.

You can also use these incantations to bolster your attack strength, as you’ve already invested in the Faith stat to utilize the Impenetrable Thorns sorcery.

This build is incredibly effective, capable of dealing devastating damage to your foes. A single hit could potentially inflict up to 7,000 damage. With its impressive range, you can tackle even the toughest opponents from a distance. Unleash chaos upon your enemies with the Impenetrable Thorns sorcery build in Elden Ring!