Classes play a significant role in all of FromSoftware’s games, and this is especially true in Elden Ring Nightreign. In titles such as Dark Souls and Elden Ring, players had the freedom to pool points into any of the core attributes to steer their build in whatever direction they wished. However, in Nightreign, you’ll have to pick between eight pre-determined classes, all catering to a specific playstyle and offering little flexibility. To help you make the right decision, here are the best Elden Ring Nightreign classes in a handy tier list for ease.
Elden Ring Nightreign Character Classes Tier List
Our tier list for the best characters in Elden Ring Nightreign is based on personal opinion (of course) and plenty of experimentation. We’ve spent hours dying and restarting expeditions with all eight characters, ultimately deciding our rankings. With that being said, your mileage with a specific class might vary from ours, so we encourage you to give them a spin yourself.
Tier Character S Ironeye, Raider A Guardian, Duchess, Wylder B Executor, Recluse C Revenant
S-Tier Character Classes
The cream of the crop, the best of the lot, the picks of the bunch, etc, these Nightreign classes are our standout favorites. They’re viable for both co-op and solo play, even though the latter can be notoriously difficult.
Ironeye
The bow and arrow have never been as strong as it is in Nightreign, making Ironeye arguably the best character class in the game. Given his proficiency with ranged weapons, the character can safely chip away at an enemy’s health from a distance. On top of this, his Marking character skill can create a weak spot visible to all players, allowing the entire party to exploit it for maximum damage.
Sustained damage to this weak point not only extends the skill’s duration, but it can also inflict a heavy damage effect akin to blood loss or frostbite. This makes Ironeye especially useful for taking down bosses, provided he maintains his distance from the enemy’s melee range. Another feather in his cap is his ability to revive downed teammates from a distance, which can come in clutch during dire situations.
Raider
When it comes to playing Elden Ring Nightreign solo, picking Raider can significantly enhance your chances of survival. The character boasts excellent health, stamina, and strength, which bodes well for the high-octane playstyle he’s built for. Playing Raider is all about tanking damage and then hitting back with twice the force. This is reflected in the Retailiate character skill, a chargeable counterattack whose potency increases the longer you take damage. When triggered, you’ll respond with a thunderous headbutt that stuns even the mightiest foes.
Given his predilection for hefty weapons, we recommend grabbing level upgrades as soon as you can. Otherwise, the hulking pirate will run out of gas after just a few swings. Also, make sure to trigger his Ultimate strategically, as it can give an Ironeye a nice platform to perch on, or act as a defensive barrier to repel incoming attacks.
A-Tier Character Classes
The classes in this tier are still strong characters in their own right, but they just fall short in specific areas. Check them out below:
Guardian
The Guardian and Raider might seem similar initially, but the former is a lot more defense-oriented. In terms of attributes, the Guardian comes with the biggest HP pool in the game. Combined with his heavy equipment, these qualities make him a steadfast tank that can take a lot of punishment, draw enemy aggro, and protect his fellow Nightfarers when required. You’ll have to contend with his relatively low damage and clunky movement, but with some trial and error, his qualities come to light in a major way.
For one, the Whirlwind character skill is great for clearing enemy mobs and can be used to revive downed allies. Additionally, his Ultimate, Wings of Salvation, can turn a tricky situation on its head by inflicting heavy damage on nearby enemies, hastening the revive speed for downed teammates, and also granting them invulnerability for a brief period.
Duchess
A swift and evasive operator, the Duchess is among the least viable characters for solo players. But if you’re teaming up with other Nightfarers, just as the devs intended, this silky assassin can be incredibly fun to play as. She’s exceptional at procing magic-based status effects, given her high Intelligence attribute. The Duchess is also proficient at using DEX-based weapons such as Daggers and Curved Swords. But none of this would matter were it not for the Restage character skill.
When triggered, the skill basically re-inflicts all the damage caused by your previous offensive combo. If you coordinate your attacks in synergy with your teammates, the skill can be used to inflict an insane amount of damage. Use it at every chance, but don’t be too keen on rushing enemies since the Duchess’s low HP pool can see you eviscerated in seconds. If still unlocked, learn how to unlock Duchess in Elden Ring Nightreign here.
Wylder
Elden Ring Nightreign’s poster boy, the Wylder, is easily the most balanced character in the game. Thanks to solid scaling in STR and DEX, he can effectively use almost any melee weapon. He’s not as swift as the Duchess, but still mobile enough to wriggle away from most attacks. His health pool is also sizable enough to endure a decent bit of punishment. And overall, the character feels impressively versatile.
This makes Wylder the ideal class for newcomers and Souls veterans who prefer quality builds (STR/DEX). In terms of abilities, the Claw Shot character skill gives you a grappling hook that can be very enjoyable. Just don’t go swinging towards a boss, or you’ll be sent back to Roundtable Hold at an even quicker pace. His Ultimate, Onslaught Strike, is frankly underwhelming on the damage front, but still decent enough for desperate scenarios.
B-Tier Character Classes
These characters are more of an acquired taste and require plenty of experience to be used properly. Team composition is another factor to watch out for, and you can safely rule out solo runs with these classes.
Executor
Everything about the Executor sounds cool as hell. A masked swordsman with a deep affinity for Katanas? Interesting. Equipped with a ‘Cursed Sword’ that can parry almost any attack ala Sekiro? Very interesting. Blessed with the ability to turn into a primordial beast that can wipe out groups in an instant? Sign me up.
As awesome as that brief sounds, the Executor really struggles with dealing with crowds. His health pool isn’t the best, nor is his stamina, which can result in the Executor getting swarmed easily. While his Ultimate does help address this shortcoming, it also makes him a massive target. Pair this with skills and passives that are best-suited for 1v1 duels, and it becomes clear that this class needs a capable player and the right team to be effective.
Recluse
The Recluse is really the only Nightfarer who can be used as a dedicated spellcaster. She can cast incantations of all kinds while constantly replenishing her FP pool. Her kit does a great job of supporting this playstyle, especially the Magic Cocktail character skill, which can be used to create unique spells on the fly by collecting residues from enemies and allies.
However, she must always rely on her teammates for protection, due to her abysmally low HP pool and damage resistance. On top of this, her FP regeneration depends on the damage she can dish out, which hinges on the quality of her Magic Cocktails. This can occasionally cause FP regeneration to become stunted, instantly defeating the purpose of her archetype.
C-Tier Character Class
The class in this category isn’t horrible per se, but we can’t imagine it being effective in most expeditions, regardless of the team composition.
Revenant
With no offensive abilities to offer, the Revenant’s sole purpose is to use her summons to distract enemies. Unfortunately, the phantoms she reanimates do little more than tank hits for a bit, while the three temporary allies tied to her character skill also fare poorly when it comes to inflicting damage. Even her Ultimate is underwhelming, outside of reviving teammates, since it grants immortality instead of invulnerability. This means that players can still take damage and see their HP drop to as low as one, severely reducing its usefulness.
On top of this, the Revenant is essentially built using twigs and will fall in just a couple of hits from most bosses. All these reasons and more make her the worst Elden Ring Nightreign character we used during our playthrough.
That wraps up our tier list ranking the best Elden Ring Nightreign classes in. Which is your favorite class in the game? Let us know in the comments below.
