Best Elden Ring Nightreign classes and tier list

What is the best Elden Ring Nightreign class? There are eight Nightfarers to choose from in Nightreign. Each class boasts an assortment of unique abilities, stats, and equipment that correspond to a class archetype in FromSoftware's action RPGs. Some excel as defensive tanks, while others sling spells from a distance. With so much variety, finding the right class for you can be a bit of a grind.

To help you decide, we've got a full overview of all classes in soulslike games. That said, even niche classes can excel in the right hands. Here are all Nightreign classes available and how to use them.

What is the best Elden Ring Nightreign class?

Ironeye is the best Nightreign class. His low skill floor and high skill ceiling make him a high-value pick for beginners and experts alike. Newbies can remain at a distance and provide , while veterans can enjoy the strategy in optimal marking and positioning.

When choosing the best Nightreign class for you, it's important to consider your preferred playstyle. The Executor might be more to your taste if you favor melee over ranged, but even this powerful class can be ill-suited if you struggle to parry. Ultimately, all classes are viable in Nightreign; even situational classes like the Recluse and Revenant provide additional challenge for soulslike veterans.

All Nightreign classes and tier list

Here are the best Nightreign classes ranked from best to worst:

Ironeye

Role: Ranged DPS
Main Stats: Dexterity
Starter Weapon: Bow
ive: Eagle Eye – Increase loot drop chance from fallen foes.
Skill: Marking – Mark enemies with a temporary weak point.
Ultimate: Single Shot – Shoot a supersonic arrow that pierces any defense.

The Nightreign Ironeye is the core archer class, so expect to let the arrows fly at long range while providing excellent to any close-range classes in your party. As an Ironeye, you can hang back and attack from a safe distance, which may appeal to players who struggle with close-range combat. However, this class also demands quick reflexes to dodge attacks when enemies inevitably shift their attention towards you.

Like most archers, the Ironeye performs best at an elevated position to survey the battlefield and pick off their targets. It also deals serious damage with status effects thanks to its Arcane proficiency. Fire arrows will be a firm favorite for an Ironeye who want to let loose some extra damage, but don't forget to pick up weapons and grease that correspond to the Nightlord's element weakness.

Marking enemies leaves them susceptible to getting their stance broken, and it's a huge benefit when going up against bosses. Unlike Elden Ring's archers, Ironeye can backstab – watch out for opportunities to dash in and inflict one when your foe's back is turned. Finally, Ironeye's ive makes it the ideal class for players who want to make the most out of consumables. It's the Nightreign class with the best capacity to resurrect fallen allies from a distance, too.

Executor

Role: Melee DPS
Main Stat: Dexterity, Arcane
Starter Weapon: Executor's Blade
ive: Unyielding Spirit – Receive an active effect when you recover from a status effect.
Skill: Bewitched Sword – Unsheathe the enchanted sword to deflect and nullify enemy attacks
Ultimate: Aspects of the Crucible (Beast) – Transform into a primordial beast.

The Executor is Nightreign's samurai class, which is great news for both Sekiro fans and Elden Ring katana s. This class wields a cursed sword that can deflect attacks to break the enemy's stance. It's also not for the faint of heart; if you want to excel with the Executor, you must nail those deflection timings.

While most attacks can be deflected, there are some exceptions. It's impossible to deflect rapid projectiles and grab attacks, so careful assessment of attack animations is a must to avoid getting caught out. Each successful deflection charges the Executor's cursed sword with golden light for a powerful weapon skill attack, letting you pay back your patience with all-out aggression.

The Executor's transformation into a primordial beast lets you disperse a crowd or disrupt a relentless assault by a single target. It also replenishes and temporarily extends the Executor's health pool, which can save you from certain death. The best use of this ultimate is to apply focused pressure on a boss, but you could also use its power and speed to revive fallen allies if you're the last one standing.

While the cursed sword is undeniably powerful, don't neglect your regular armaments. Katanas are famed for their Bleed status buildup in Elden Ring, and it remains a winning strategy if you struggle to read attack patterns. All in all, the Executor is a high-risk, high-reward class that's not for beginners, but there's no question of the extreme damage it could do in the right hands. Just don't forget to dodge.

Duchess

Role: Melee DPS
Main Stat: Intelligence
Starter Weapon: Duchess' Dagger
Starter Item: Shield Grease x3
ive: Magnificent Poise – Attack and dodge optimally, dodging repeatedly when necessary
Skill: Restage – Stage a reprisal of recent occurrences to damage nearby foes
Ultimate: Finale – Obscure self and surrounding allies to hide from foes

The Nightreign Duchess is a quintessential thief-slash-assassin. She cloaks herself in an invisible veil to advance on foes without being seen, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Backstabs and sneak attacks are her bread and butter, but she's blessed with an extended dodge to help her dance out of harm's way.

The ability to reapply recent damage to foes is by far the most powerful aspect of this class, but the decision to use it can separate a skilled Duchess from a novice. Activating Restage right after a Wylder triggers their ultimate, for example, will be far more effective than doing so after any old backstab.

The Duchess is a good step up from the Wylder, sticking to the simplicity of melee but with the added challenge of quick dodging. She's also a great class to train your awareness of other allies, and the payoffs are high enough that you can still inflict a lot of damage despite the low base damage of the daggers she favors. Her high Intelligence means she can take advantage of powerful spells, so don't hesitate to swap them out in favor of a sword-and-sorcery setup instead.

Wylder

Role: Melee DPS
Main Stat: Vigor, Strength
Starter Armaments: Wylder's Greatsword
Starter Shield: Wylder's Small Shield
ive: Sixth Sense – Cheat death a single time.
Skill: Claw Shot – Launch grappling claw to rope foes in or move swiftly by retracting.
Ultimate: Retaliate – A powerful single attack that launches an iron stake with a great explosion.

The Nightreign Wylder is the signature Elden Ring knight, albeit with a twist. He's a highly versatile melee class, and the perfect option for beginners thanks to his life-saving ive. This makes ill-timed attacks and similar mistakes more forgiving, especially when finding your feet. Don't be misled by its description – it refreshes whenever you rest at a Site of Grace, letting you use it multiple times in a single run.

The Wylder can serve as a tank in a pinch thanks to his shield, though his performance in this role pales compared to the Guardian. This follows through to other Nightreign classes; where they offer specialist roles, the Wylder is a generalist. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. For one, it makes the Wylder highly adaptable, with enough tricks up his sleeve to comfortably respond to most situations.

The most distinctive tools at the Wylder's disposal are his grappling claw and wrist crossbow. The former can pull enemies towards him or let him reposition on the fly, while the latter deals exceptional poise damage to bosses and displaces whole mobs of enemies in a single shot. Both demand careful timing to use optimally, providing just enough challenge to skirt boredom. Finally, his ultimate is a close-range explosive burst that can be used for both crowd control and boss encounters.

Guardian

Role: Melee Tank
Main Stat: Vigor
Starter Weapon: Guardian's Halberd
Starter Shield: Guardian's Greatshield
ive: Steel Guard – Plant feet and brace with shield for a more powerful guard.
Skill: Whirlwind – Sprout wings from your back to whip up a wind-churning cyclone.
Ultimate: Wings of Salvation – Leap up and dive back down to raise the protective area.

The Nightreign Guardian is a classic tank archetype that should be familiar to anyone who's played Dark Souls. Their ive guard can absorb some of the most devastating attacks, with the capacity to rescue allies and save a run. It's the ideal class for players who want to stay on the frontlines. Pulling and holding aggro is a major component of their role, and a Guardian that fails to do so can quickly get their allies killed.

However, this winged protector is more than just a walking shield; they're also an excellent crowd controller. The Guardian can use that same shield as a battering ram to knock enemies off balance, or summon a cyclone to send the most fortified foes flying into the air. This presents the perfect opportunity for your squishier allies to unleash their deadliest attacks without fear of reprisal. It can even send enemies into walls and other environmental obstacles, dealing bonus impact damage.

The Guardian's ultimate is also surprisingly versatile, bundling in a knockback attack that's difficult for enemies to intercept alongside a teamwide defensive buff. However, it's also possible to only expend half your ultimate gauge and inflict knockback without the buff, which is a great way to conserve your gauge when you already have the upper hand.

Raider

Role: Melee DPS Tank
Main Stat: Strength
Starter Weapon: Raider's Great Axe
ive: Fighter's Resolve – Cannot be knocked down while using the Retaliate skill.
Skill: Retaliate – A vigorous punch that can stagger even the largest enemies.
Ultimate: Totem Stela – Summons a Giant Tombstone that deals damage. Boosts nearby allies and can be used as a platform.

The Nightreign Raider is a berserker class that forgoes shields and other defensive accoutrements for an all-out brawler combat style. Like the Guardian, the Raider belongs on the frontline to pull aggro away from squishier Nightfarers; unlike the Guardian, he prefers to block damage with his face. Naturally, careful health management is a must.

That said, the Raider is more than just a wall of meat. Not only can he bear the brunt of heavy hits without flinching, but he can attack through them with abilities that can stagger the toughest bosses. His massive bulk makes him the antithesis of agile classes like the Duchess, but he doesn't need it. Instead, he makes up for it with the sheer power behind his attacks, with bonus fire damage on hand via his starter weapon.

Finally, the Raider's tombstone summon is a surprisingly versatile tool that can respond to many situations. You can use it to block devastating attacks or use it as an elevation point for the Ironeye or Recluse to rain damage from above. It also includes a teamwide buff to poise and stamina regeneration, an advantage across all classes. The Raider certainly isn't for everyone, but this is the ideal class that hits first and asks questions later.

Recluse

Role: Ranged DPS
Main Stat: Intelligence, Faith
Starter Weapon: Recluse's Staff
Starter Spells: Glintstone Pebble, Glintstone Arc
ive: Elemental Defence – Collect elemental residues to replenish FP.
Skill: Magic Cocktail – Combine elemental residues into powerful spells.
Ultimate: Soul Blood Song – Affixes blood sigils to enemies that restore the health and magic of Nightfarers who attack them.

The Nightreign Recluse is a spellcaster class, though it plays quite differently from its Elden Ring counterpart. The Recluse siphons fire, lightning, magic, and holy elemental energy from foes and repurposes it to cast even more powerful spells. These spells vary depending on the combination of elements in this magic cocktail, from area of effect attacks to defensive shields.

This breadth of spellcasting makes the Recluse a highly versatile class. However, it also demands a keen understanding of which enemies produce which elements, which combinations correspond to which spells, and which is most optimal in your current situation. While she's easy to grasp, she can be fiendishly tricky to master.

Like most spellcasters, the Recluse is a glass cannon. Her low health pool and light armor make her vulnerable to powerful attacks. While her enhanced dodge offers more of a chance to reposition herself and avoid incoming damage, she still demands keen combat awareness. Diligent FP management is also essential to survive as the Recluse, but thankfully, you can also siphon FP from enemies.

Revenant

Role: Ranged DPS
Main Stat: S
Starter Weapons: Revenant's Cursed Claws, Finger Seal
ive: Necromancy – Raise enemy ghosts to fight as allies.
Skill: Summon Spirit – Play lyre to summon fallen family to rally in battle.
Ultimate: Immortal March – Release vengeful ire to make self and nearby allies immortal.

The Nightreign Revenant is a summoner class that uses Spirit Ashes, making her the most niche Nightreign class. Her spectral allies consist of a swift-footed rogue, a hard-hitting pumpkin head, and a giant skeleton. The secret to the Revenant is making the best summon choice for your situation. A squishy summon won't make much of a dent in a boss, but larger summons lack the agility to handle faster foes.

While her spectral allies pull aggro and distract foes, the Revenant can sling spells from a distance. Her best armaments are Dragon Communion incantations, though she demands a constant stream of Starlight Shards to sustain her FP. She also benefits from a strong shield to block any damage that comes her way, especially if you're not an artful dodger.

Overall, the Revenant performs best when she stands back and lets her minions do the work do the work, making her an excellent class for beginners. Her ultimate is also an incredible life-saver, letting her simultaneously resurrect fallen Nightfarers and command her summon to fire off their own ultimate.

Now that you're up to speed with all the Elden Ring Nightreign classes, check out the Nightreign skins, which include some of the most memorable characters in FromSoftware's stable.