If you’re jumping into Elden Ring Nightreign, picking the right Nightfarer can change everything.
Some hit hard. Some tank hits for the team. Others cast spells or pick enemies off from a distance. Each one plays differently. This guide breaks them all down so you know what you’re getting into. We’ll look at their stats, what they do best, and where they struggle.
I don’t care if you want to swing a huge weapon, heal your squad, or summon ghosts to do the dirty work, there’s a Nightfarer for you.
Wylder
- Armament: Greatswords, Shields
Wylder is a class for players who value adaptability and fast-paced melee combat. As Elden Ring: Nightreign’s jack-of-all-trades, Wylder is built to handle almost any weapon or scenario thrown their way, but excels most as a mobile frontline attacker with a high-risk, high-reward playstyle.
Unlike the heavy, slow tank archetypes, he favors a more aggressive and opportunistic approach. Wylder’s starting kit and skills are designed around hit-and-run tactics, enemy isolation, and boss control. Claw Shot lets him yank enemies or himself into combat, while Onslaught Strike is perfect for forcing stagger windows on high-level threats. His passive, Sixth Sense, provides a built-in safety net since it lets him ignore a fatal hit once per life.
While he can’t absorb damage like a dedicated tank, Wylder’s survivability and mobility make him extremely reliable in dangerous situations. Paired with support classes like Guardian or Revenant, Wylder becomes an unstoppable offensive force.
Duchess
- Armament: Daggers, Sorceries
Duchess is a nimble sorceress-thief hybrid, perfect for players who like to stay quick on their feet and control the fight through clever movement and sharp timing. She’s all about hit-and-run tactics, bursting enemies down with a mix of fast melee attacks and high-impact magic before slipping out of reach.
If you enjoy being untouchable, striking hard, and leaving enemies confused about what just hit them, Duchess is for you. She rewards smart positioning, quick reactions, and players who can juggle both melee and sorcery under pressure.
Her Skill, Restage, lets her replay recent damage for extra burst, and it works mid-combat—so you can dodge, strike, and double your output in one fluid motion. Her Ultimate Art, Finale, cloaks her and nearby allies in invisibility, perfect for resetting fights or landing an ambush without warning.
Duchess isn’t a tank and won’t win drawn-out slugfests, but in the right hands, she’s one of the most dangerous characters on the battlefield.
Guardian
- Armament: Halberds, Greatshields
Guardian is a definitive tank. If you’re the type of player who likes to hold the line, absorb damage, and keep enemies off your team, Guardian’s your guy. While he’s not the fastest or flashiest Nightfarer, he’s the one most likely to still be standing when everyone else is down.
His whole kit is built around durability, crowd control, and strategic positioning. With top-tier HP and Stamina scaling, Guardian can shrug off attacks that would flatten other characters. His Steel Guard passive lets him enter a defensive stance that eats up big hits in exchange for speed and stamina, making him ideal for frontline play.
He works best with Halberds, Spears, and Lances, anything that lets him attack while keeping his shield raised. With Whirlwind, he can throw smaller enemies into the air, creating space and clearing mobs fast. His Ultimate Art, Wings of Salvation, slams down for massive damage and can be charged to create a protective aura around your team, giving invulnerability for a few crucial seconds.
You won’t get much FP or finesse with Guardian, but what you do get is unmatched presence on the battlefield.
Ironeye
- Armament: Greatbows, Daggers
Ironeye is a sharpshooter, supporting the team from a safe distance with a steady rain of arrows and useful buffs. He’s a great pick for beginners thanks to a smooth learning curve, but to really shine you’ll want to master enemy patterns and maintain optimal positioning.
His strengths lie in high Dexterity and Stamina, allowing him to stay active and on the offensive for long stretches without tiring. While he’s not built to take hits up close because his low HP makes that a risky game, Ironeye thrives in the backline, picking off foes and providing vital support.
Ironeye’s Marking skill lets him tag enemies, increasing all damage they take and building up to a big burst if you keep the pressure up. His Ultimate Art, Single Shot, fires a powerful arrow that pierces through enemies and terrain, great for disrupting crowds or sniping priority targets. His passive, Eagle Eye, boosts item drop rates for him and his allies, making every fight a little more rewarding.
Raider
- Armament: Greataxes, Hammers
Raider is a berserker, built to deal massive damage while thriving on taking hits. He packs the highest Strength scaling of any Nightfarer and wields huge weapons that stagger foes and open them up for critical strikes.
His playstyle is all about risk and reward, taking damage boosts his offense, and his passive lets him survive blows that would otherwise kill him. With high Poise and health, Raider can stay in the thick of battle, smashing enemies nonstop.
Pair him with defensive or healing teammates like Guardian or Revenant so he can focus on raw damage while they keep him standing.
His skill, Retaliate, delivers a powerful knockdown attack, and his Ultimate Art, Totem Stela, summons a massive stone slab that boosts party damage and blocks projectiles.
Recluse
- Armament: Staves
Recluse is an elemental spellcaster who manages elemental residues to keep her FP full and unleash devastating mixed-element Magic Cocktails. She’s more complex than most casters, rewarding players who can juggle elements and time combos well.
Her gameplay centers on collecting elemental residues from enemies and allies to refill FP and power her skills. She’s also a strong support, with spells to buff allies, reduce status effects, and shield teammates.
Fragile and needing good positioning, Recluse excels when you manage her resources carefully to stay in the fight and keep the magic flowing nonstop.
Her skill, Magic Cocktail, refills FP and charges her skill meter, and her Ultimate Art unleashes a powerful, variable-element attack based on collected residues.
Executor
- Armament: Katanas, Light Blades
Executor is Elden Ring: Nightreign’s masked duelist, specializing in brutal one-on-one fights. This character demands sharp timing and positioning, excelling at punishing enemies who swing too recklessly. Not for beginners, Executor rewards players who can master deflections and quick strikes.
With top-tier Dexterity and Arcane, Executor uses fast weapons like katanas to apply rapid status effects. Their Cursed Sword skill lets them block and deflect attacks, building charge for a devastating dash that breaks enemy stance. Movement is limited while the cursed blade is drawn, so choosing when to engage or retreat is critical.
Executor shines in duels and boss fights, but their Ultimate Art, Aspects of the Crucible Beast, transforms them into a powerful beast ideal for mob clearing or emergency escapes.
Revenant
- Armament: Sacred Seals, Greatshields
Revenant is Elden Ring: Nightreign’s spectral summoner and magic-heavy support, thriving in long, tactical battles. She controls the pace by summoning spirits, casting Dragon Incantations, and chipping away enemies from a distance.
Built on Faith and Arcane, Revenant has a large FP pool needed to maintain summons and powerful spells. She’s fragile up close and requires careful positioning and timing. Her passive Necromancy lets her raise defeated enemies as temporary ghost allies, overwhelming foes or creating space.
Her Summon Spirit skill calls one of three spectral companions, each suited for different combat roles, while her Ultimate Art, Immortal March, revives fallen allies and grants temporary immortality, turning the tide in tough fights.
Nighreign characters star chart contrast
Here’s how each character type compares with each other:
To learn more about characters in Elden Ring Nighreign, check out some of these epic builds as well as the character tier list to beat every Nightlord out there.
Best Wylder build in Elden Ring Nightreign