Step into the shadowy world of Elden Ring: Nightreign, where eight unique Nightfarers await your command-each wielding distinct abilities, weapons, and playstyles that can turn the tide of battle in Limveld. From the tank-like Guardian with his mighty shield to the elusive Duchess and the spellcasting Recluse, mastering these classes is key to surviving the relentless Nightlords. Whether you prefer raw power, stealth, magic, or summoning spectral allies, this guide unveils what each Nightreign class brings to the fight and how to harness their full potential on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Prepare to choose your champion wisely and carve your legend in the darkness.
At launch, there are eight classes, though FromSoftware may add additional Nightfarers over time (which we’ll add to this post should they become available). For details about the Nightfarers available at launch, here’s a guide to all Elden Ring Nightreign classes along with details about how they play and footage of them in action.
Duchess
The Duchess is a nimble and agile Nightfarer in Elden Ring Nightreign, specializing in stealth, dexterity, and burst damage with daggers. She excels at quick, successive strikes and uses her unique ability, Restage, to replay recent damage dealt by herself and allies, inflicting devastating effects on nearby enemies. Her passive skill, Magnificent Poise, allows her to dodge repeatedly with enhanced mobility, making her hard to hit despite her low health pool. Additionally, her ultimate art, Finale, can obscure herself and allies, providing opportunities for strategic repositioning or ambushes. The Duchess also blends melee combat with sorcery, leveraging her high Intelligence and Dexterity stats to wield both weapons and magic effectively, making her a versatile and tactical choice for players who favor speed and precision over brute strength.
The Duchess is a nimble fighter who specializes in stealth and prefers daggers. She’s basically the rogue of the group: a speedy glass cannon who fights with quick, up-close slashes, and can provide crucial combat support to her team. If you’re a Dexterity-focused Elden Ring player, she’s your Nightfarer. [Note: The Duchess won’t initially be playable; you’ll need to unlock her first by defeating the Nightlord Gladius, Beast of Night.]
Passive Ability
Magnificent Poise: Dodge and attack swiftly with reduced stamina cost. Allows up to two consecutive evasive actions.
Character Skill
Restage: Reapply the last few seconds of team damage to enemies. Use this immediately after dealing heavy damage to enemies for bonus damage.
Ultimate Art
Finale: Obscure nearby allies to hide from foes. Enemies lose track of the caster (and her allies), wandering aimlessly or becoming prone to leaving themselves vulnerable. Basically, it’s an invisibility spell.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Duchess has high Intelligence, Dexterity, and Faith, so equip her appropriately with magic damage weapons that strike quickly. She’s weak on Strength and Stamina. Her ultimate, Finale, can be very helpful when trying to revive near-death allies.
Executor
The Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign is a high-risk, high-reward melee class inspired by Sekiro’s playstyle, specializing in swift, deadly katana attacks and a unique parry mechanic called the Cursed Sword. This class excels in close-range combat, dealing massive damage through well-timed deflections that stagger enemies and empower the sword with Holy energy for powerful slashes. While the Executor boasts high Dexterity and Arcane stats for rapid status effect buildup, it lacks strong defenses and magic, requiring players to master parrying and dodging to survive. Its Ultimate Art, Aspects of the Crucible: Beast, transforms the Executor into a formidable beast form that heals and reduces incoming damage but limits mobility. Overall, the Executor is a frontlining DPS class that rewards skillful timing and aggressive play, making it a favorite for players who enjoy Sekiro-style combat and dexterity builds.
The Executor is “a condemned warrior who wields a cursed katana blade.” He’s an offense-heavy fighter with a special deflection ability, and the power to transform into a huge beast.
Passive Ability
Tenacity: Receive a boost when cleansed from status ailments, like poison, sleep, madness, and others.
Character Skill
Cursed Sword: Deflect enemy attacks with a special stance. Repeated deflections reveal blade, enabling powerful attacks with the living sword. Executor cannot run while at the ready with his enchanted blade.
Ultimate Art
Aspects of the Crucible: Beast: Executor assumes the form of the primordial beast, letting him slash at enemies.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Executor has high Dexterity and Arcane stats who excels with katanas that apply afflictions to enemies. He’s weak with Intelligence and Faith. He’s a high damage-dealing Nightfarer, and best in a one-on-one fight – he should focus on a boss or particularly strong enemy, not mobs of enemies.
Guardian
Guardian is a tank-focused Nightfarer in Elden Ring Nightreign, embodying the archetype of a frontline defender with high HP and stamina. This bird-like humanoid warrior excels at both offense and defense, wielding halberds and a massive shield to mitigate damage and control aggro. Guardian’s passive ability, Steel Guard, enhances shield guarding by reducing stamina consumption at the cost of mobility, while the Whirlwind skill unleashes a powerful cyclone that disrupts and damages surrounding enemies. Its ultimate art, Wings of Salvation, allows the Guardian to leap into the air and crash down, dealing area damage and boosting defense for allies, making it invaluable for reviving teammates and protecting the party during intense battles.
The Guardian is a “pinionfolk captain” – a flying birdman, in other words – who is skilled in offense and defense, and who prefers halberds, poking enemies from behind the cover of a heavy shield.
Passive Ability
Steel Guard: Plants his feet and braces with his shield raised for a more powerful guard. Greatly improves guard boost, but prevents running while holding up shield.
Character skill
Whirlwind: Guardian beats his wings to summon a cyclone that draws in enemies, knocking them off their feet. Whirlwind can be charged to enlarge its range and can repel light projectiles
Ultimate Art
Wings of Salvation: Dive from above to attack a large area and protect allies from damage. While in the air, Guardian can move briefly.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Guardian has high HP, Stamina, and Strength, giving the birdman some of the best survivability in the game. Strength-scaling weapons, particularly halberds and crossbows, are his specialty. He’s weak in Faith and FP, but since you should be using Guardian to pull enemies’ focus on him, sticking with halberd and shield is probably your best strategy.
Ironeye
The Ironeye is a ranged-focused Nightfarer class in Elden Ring Nightreign, specializing in archery and long-distance combat. Known for high Dexterity and Arcane stats, Ironeye excels at marking enemies to increase the damage they take and disrupting their poise, creating openings for the team. This class is highly mobile, able to reposition quickly while staying out of harm’s way. Ironeye’s ultimate ability, Single Shot, fires a supersonic arrow that pierces multiple enemies and obstacles, making it excellent for crowd control. Additionally, Ironeye can revive downed allies from a distance, providing crucial support without risking close combat. The class also benefits the entire team by increasing enemy drop rates through its passive ability, Eagle Eye. Overall, Ironeye is a versatile and powerful ranged DPS and support hybrid, recommended for players who prefer tactical, long-range engagements without managing FP resources.
Ironeye is an archer class with “split-second judgment and pinpoint accuracy.” If you like bows (and giant bows) and sweet loot drops, Ironeye’s your guy.
Passive Ability
Eagle Eye: His keen observation increases drops from downed enemies – allies get the same boost.
Character Skill
Marking: Marks enemies to create a temporary weak point. Ironeye cuts his foe with a dagger, creating a temporary weak point. Inflicting damage on that weak point to damage and stagger foes. Damaging the weak point extends its duration.
Ultimate Art
Single Shot: Shoots a supersonic arrow that pierces any defense. Single Shot pierces all types of enemies, terrain, and structures. In a pinch, it can instantly revive a downed, near-death teammate.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Ironeye has high Dexterity, Stamina, and Arcane stats, making him good with bows for ranged combat (and curved swords, if you need a melee option). He’s weak on Intelligence and Faith. Upgrades and relics that boost his Stamina will help his effectiveness, and players should constantly keep their Marking character skill active on enemies.
Raider
The Raider in Elden Ring Nightreign is a powerhouse Nightfarer built for raw strength and relentless offense. Wielding a massive double-headed axe, the Raider excels at soaking up damage with high poise and crushing enemies with heavy, strength-scaling weapons like greataxes and greathammers. Unlike the more defensive Guardian, the Raider focuses on pushing forward aggressively, using abilities like Retaliate to maintain pressure and an ultimate skill, Totem Stela, to summon a giant tombstone that devastates foes. With an S in Strength and solid HP, the Raider is ideal for players who enjoy tanking hits while delivering overwhelming physical punishment.
Raider is a “powerful sea-farer who favors enormous weapons.” If you like walking around with a giant sword, axe, or hammer, and playing offense, you’re a Raider.
Passive Ability
Fighter’s Resolve: Taking damage boosts the potency of Raider’s character skill, Retaliate. He cannot be knocked down while using it, and will stay in the fight with a sliver of HP even after taking heavy damage.
Character Skill
Retaliate: Assume a defensive posture that reduces incoming damage and unleash a vigorous punch that can stagger large enemies.
Ultimate Art
Totem Stela: Summons a giant tombstone that deals damage, boosts nearby allies, and can be climbed and used as a platform. The tombstone radiates a protective aura, boosting strength of nearby allies, and blocking arrows.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Raider has high Strength, giving him plenty of damage output. He has high HP and Stamina, making him resilient in battle. That’s important, because he needs to take damage to be effective. He’s good with Colossal Weapons and Greatbows, if you need a ranged option.
Recluse
The Recluse is a mage-type Nightfarer in Elden Ring Nightreign, known for her mastery of ancient sorcery and ability to siphon FP from enemies and allies using her Magic Cocktail skill. This unique mechanic allows her to cast spells and weapon skills more frequently, making her a powerful spellcaster with high intelligence and faith attributes. However, she has low health and defense, requiring careful positioning and timing to survive in combat. Her ultimate ability, Soulblood Song, brands enemies with blood sigils that boost damage taken and restore HP and FP to allies, providing valuable support in challenging encounters. The Recluse excels at long-range combat and spell combinations, but is best suited for experienced players who can manage her fragile nature and complex spellcasting system.
Keep your distance as the Recluse, a witch of the deep forest who deftly wields ancient sorceries. Elden Ring players who focus on Intelligence and Faith builds will gravitate toward the Recluse.
Passive Ability
Elemental Defense: Collect elemental residues to replenish FP, and grant allies residues of specific elemental affinities.
Character Skill
Magic Cocktail: Combine elemental resides into different powerful spells. Collect the affinity residues of targets to unleash an affinity-exploiting magic cocktail. Complex affinity combinations create more powerful spells.
Ultimate Art
Soulblood Song: Brand foes with temporary blood sigils that increase damage taken by enemies. Those sigils also restore the HP and FP of caster.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Recluse is a backline damage-dealer: low in HP and Strength, but high in Intelligence, Faith, and FP. She’s great at damaging enemies who are weak to elemental afflictions, and has high elemental resistance herself. She has a steep learning curve, and doesn’t fare well with melee weapons.
Revenant
The Revenant is a unique summoner class in Elden Ring Nightreign, specializing in necromancy to summon ghostly allies that support and fight alongside the player. With a strong focus on Faith (rated S) and decent Intelligence and Arcane stats, Revenant excels at casting incantations and magical spells while commanding summoned spirits to overwhelm enemies. This class starts with relatively low HP, emphasizing a playstyle that keeps the player at a safe distance, relying on summons and spellcasting rather than direct combat. Revenant’s passive ability, Necromancy, allows raising fallen enemies as temporary ghost allies, while its active skill, Summon Spirit, calls forth fallen family members to rally in battle. The ultimate art, Immortal March, grants temporary immortality to the player and nearby allies, making Revenant a powerful tactical support character for coordinated team play.
Nightreign’s Revenant is a doll-coded glass cannon who serves the role of summoner who can support her teammates by bringing spirits into battle and quickly reviving downed teammates. [Note: The Revenant won’t initially be playable; you’ll need to unlock her by first unlocking the Duchess and then defeating the Night Idol in battle.]
Passive Ability
Necromancy: Raise enemy ghosts to fight as allies. The ghosts of enemies whom the Revenant dispatches with a final blow will fight alongside her then dissipate after a short period of activity.
Character Skill
Summon Spirit: The Revenant plays her lyre to summon one of three specters: Helen the Page, Frederick the Pumpkin Head, or Sebastian the Giant Skeleton.
Ultimate Art
Immortal March: Make self and nearby allies immortal, reviving near-death allies and transforming them into immortal warriors temporarily.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Revenant is also strong in Faith and Intelligence, effectively using sorceries and incantations. She’s good at creating diversions and healing and reviving her party, making her a valuable asset in most team lineups. But like the Recluse, Revenant has low HP and weak defenses.
Wylder
The Wylder class in Elden Ring Nightreign is a versatile and balanced all-rounder, making it an excellent choice for beginners and those familiar with traditional melee combat. It boasts high HP, strong Strength, and good Stamina, allowing it to wield a variety of melee weapons effectively, with a preference for greatswords. The Wylder’s passive ability, Sixth Sense, grants a one-time chance to survive a fatal blow, encouraging aggressive play. Its character skill, Claw Shot, uses a grappling claw to quickly close distance or break enemy defenses, while its ultimate ability, Onslaught Stake, delivers a powerful explosive strike that can damage multiple foes. This straightforward yet effective skill set makes Wylder a solid starting class for players venturing into Nightreign’s challenging expeditions.
The Wylder is your classic all-rounder, with well-balanced abilities and easy-to-handle skills. Probably a good starting point in Nightreign before specializing.
Passive Ability
Sixth Sense: Cheat death a single time. Can be restored by dying or passing through a Site of Grace.
Character Skill
Claw Shot: Launch a grappling claw to rope in foes or move swiftly. Only certain enemies can be pulled in with Claw Shot, but it’s effective at breaking guard.
Ultimate Art
Onslaught Stake: A powerful single attack that launches an iron stake with a great explosion.
Stats, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Which Nightreign class offers the most powerful abilities for new players
For new players seeking the most powerful and forgiving Nightreign class in Elden Ring: Nightreign, Wylder stands out as the ideal choice. Wylder offers a balanced mix of health, stamina, and physical damage, along with the unique passive ability “Sixth Sense,” which allows him to cheat death once per run, providing a safety net for beginners. His Claw Shot skill grants excellent mobility and tactical options, while his Ultimate Art, Onslaught Stake, delivers one of the highest raw damage outputs in the game, making him both versatile and lethal for newcomers.
Which Nightreign class is best for beginners seeking high survivability
For beginners seeking high survivability in Elden Ring: Nightreign, the Guardian class is widely regarded as the best choice. The Guardian is the tankiest Nightfarer, boasting the highest health pool and strong defensive capabilities with a greatshield and halberd. His skills, such as Whirlwind and Wings of Salvation, allow him to disrupt enemies and provide defensive support to allies, making him extremely durable in combat. This class excels at blocking and soaking damage, offering a stable and forgiving playstyle for new players focused on survivability.
Alternatively, Wylder is also recommended for beginners due to his balanced stats and the “Sixth Sense” passive ability, which lets him cheat death once per run, adding an extra layer of survivability. Wylder combines decent health, stamina, and strength with versatile melee combat, making him a solid all-rounder for newcomers. However, if pure tankiness and defense are the priority, Guardian remains the top pick.
