Hogwarts Legacy has been one of the biggest games of the year since its release in February, finally letting players step into the world of Harry Potter. With a plethora of spells to learn, Hogwarts Legacy has realized a dream experience for fans of the wizarding world.
The game only allows players to equip a limited number of spells, however, so picking the right loadout is key to building fans' Hogwarts students correctly. Of all the techniques available in the game, not all spells are created equal. The game offers over 30 different spells for players to cast, ranging from the deadly to the almost useless.
F Tier
Reparo allows the players to repair damaged objects with amazing animations. This spell’s highly situational nature makes it pale in comparison to other choices.
Wingardium Leviosa levitates and controls heavy movable objects. Due to being automatically cast with Levioso and Accio, this spell is not actually that useful when equipped on its own.
E Tier
Revelio is a utility spell that some players see as irritating with how it is often needed throughout the game, slowing down the pace of the adventure despite its great usefulness.
Lumos is a spell that creates light from the end of the player’s wand, lighting up dark areas. This is useful in the atmospheric world of Hogwarts, but still not nearly as useful as a combat skill.
Disillusionment is a stealthy spell that allows players to blend into their surroundings, making them much harder to notice. While solid in conjunction with spells like Petrificus Totalus, Hogwarts Legacy's Disillusionment can also just be replaced by a potion.
D Tier
Protego is a shield spell that can protect the player. Not that useful on its own, this spell is much better once combined with the superior defensive spell Stupefy.
Basic Cast is the standard attack the player has access to. Only really useful when everything else is on cooldown, this spell is not particularly notable overall beyond its reliability.
C Tier
Confringo is a simple fire-based bolt spell that deals damage on impact. It has good upgrades, but is overshadowed by more effective spells in the late game. Hogwarts Legacy's Incendio does more damage with less range, but it can be up to personal preference which should be equipped over the other.
Petrificus Totalus is a stealthy spell that permanently binds enemies caught by it. This spell has strong potential, but requires setting up or sneaking up on foes to be used properly.
Flipendo is a utility spell that flips objects and enemies upwards and backwards, disabling them temporarily. Fun to use, but it is situational compared to other similar spells.
B Tier
Alohomora is a spell for unlocking doors and chests throughout the world. Purely used for utility, this spell is considered one of the most useful, but also too hard to acquire.
Incendio is a fire spell that has less range than Hogwarts Legacy's Confringo, but deals more damage. Its upgrades make this spell worth carrying. Still up to personal preference when compared to the other fire option.
Glacius is an ice spell that freezes enemies, creates ice shards, and increases subsequent attack damage. A decent spell, it lacks the versatility of stronger spells but can still be part of a powerful build, as Glacius works well against Hogwarts Legacy's bosses.
Descendo is a strong spell that slams objects and enemies into the ground. A good damaging spell, it shines against certain enemies like the giant spiders.
Ancient Magic Throw is one of the two strong Ancient Magic spells. This can break through enemy defenses, proving to be useful in combat.
Ancient Magic is a powerful finisher spell that can kill enemies in one hit for a bar of its meter. If this mechanic is used skillfully, Ancient Magic can bolster an already strong build.
Depulso is a spell that repels many types of objects and enemies using a non-damaging push force. Despite its lack of direct damage, the utility and combination power of this spell more than makeup for that. This spell’s counterpart, Accio, is generally considered superior.
Diffindo slashes objects and enemies from a distance, dealing great damage. Its upgrades leave a lot to be desired, however, so it is still a bit lackluster despite its overpowered spell combination potential.
A Tier
Arresto Momentum is a spell that slows objects and enemies, similar to Glacius. This spell has an additional Curse effect, giving it more synergy.
Levioso is one of the first spells acquired, levitating objects and enemies. It proves to be an effective spell up into the late game due to its unity with other spells and useful upgrade path, despite being acquired so early on.
Bombarda is an explosive spell that deals heavy damage on impact. Highly effective in combat, this is a key spell for enemies like zombies.
Expelliarmus is a powerful spell that disarms the wands and weapons of opponents. This is a crucial spell for 1v1 situations, and for that alone, it ranks high.
Stupefy is a defensively oriented spell that stuns enemies. This spell is exceptionally powerful due to its use as a parry. While it may require timing and skill, Hogwarts Legacy's Stupefy raises the skill bar of the combat system.
Accio pulls a variety of objects and enemies into close range. The opposite of Depulso, this spell has exceedingly high utility, especially when combined with Wingardium Leviosa.
Crucio is a spell that tortures enemies and stuns them as they are damaged, offering damage over time. One of the stronger Unforgivable Curses in Hogwarts Legacy, this one is held back by the fact it only affects certain enemies.
S Tier
Transformation is an extremely useful spell that changes objects and enemies into other objects. This can easily disable most foes and even has specific interactions against certain shape-shifting enemies.
Imperio is an extremely powerful spell that mind-controls enemies and makes them fight for the player. Afflicted enemies can also spread Curse, making this even more devastating.
Avada Kedavra is the strongest spell in the entire game and instantly kills any enemy, including bosses (excluding the final boss Ranrok). The only downside to this spell is its very long cooldown which serves to balance it.
Hogwarts Legacy is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, with a release for the Nintendo Switch scheduled for November 14, 2023.