Elden Ring: Mimic Tear vs. Black Knife Tiche - Which is Better?

gamerant.com:

The debate over the difficulty of Souls games rages on whenever titles releases, but Elden Ring introduced a new wrinkle. FromSoftware’s titles have always had some sort of challenge-mitigating factor, whether that's the player's equipment or summoning a co-op partner. Traditionally, this takes the form of either an NPC or another player, and increases the health of bosses to keep up with the extra damage coming their way. Just having a second body to distract enemies makes fights a lot easier, and Elden Ring allows players to pursue a playstyle based around this concept.

The Spirit Ashes and Spirit Calling Bell are introduced to players early in Elden Ring. These helpful tools allow for the summoning of Spirits while near certain monuments, mostly around bosses and enemy encampments. These Spirits are often based on enemies using abilities that the player can't use or may not be built for, widening the player’s options. With their variety, they can supplement any build by fulfilling different roles. Debates regarding the strongest Spirit Ash have been ongoing since Elden Ring's launch, with a few powerful Ashes like Lhutel the Headless in the running. Even so, the Mimic Tear and Black Knife Tiche are often the pair that rise to the top.

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Many Elden Ring fans have already heard about or encountered the Mimic Tear. Serving as both a boss and a Spirit Ash, this doppelganger copies the player's current loadout of weapons, equipment, spells, talismans, and even consumable items. Whatever a player has equipped when they trigger the Mimic's transformation is what they will be fighting with or against. The only exceptions are Great Runes, pouch items, Torrent’s