Elden Ring Nightreign 3-Day Cycle Explained

Elden Ring Nightreign follows a 3-day cycle that is distinctly different from any other Soulsborne. The game is basically split into 3 days, and you must properly utilize each day to prepare for the final Night Lord fight. That’s why it becomes essential to understand what your roles and priorities should be for each day of the cycle. Here is a quick guide on how the 3-day cycle works in Elden Ring Nightreign and what you need to do each day to hit a successful run.

Elden Ring Nightreign 3-Day Cycle Explained

Whether in solo or multiplayer mode, every run in Elden Ring Nightreign is split into three days. The first two days are just for preparation for the final day, where you actually fight the Night Lord. This means you have effectively only the first two days to farm runes and equip stronger weapons.

In the first two days, the Night’s Tide circle will slowly shrink, and staying outside the safety circle will chip away at the health. Eventually, the Night Tide will only leave a small circle, where the Night Bosses will spawn. Defeating the Night Bosses will progress the day and reset the Night Tide back to day one. With that said, here is how the 3-day cycle works in Elden Ring Nightreign:

• No Map Changes: The map doesn’t change over the three days in Elden Ring. The map you spawn at the start of day 1 also remains the same in day 2.
• Circle resets in Day 2: By the end of day one, the completely closed circle gets reset at the start of day 2. So, you can re-explore the same map completely at the beginning of day 2, like on day 1.
• Progress is saved overnight: One thing to note is that all the progress you made on day 1 is carried forward to day 2. This means all the enemies you defeated on day 1 will stay defeated on day 2 as well. Another thing to note is that if you leave an enemy half health and return to it the second day, it will still have the health you left it at.
• Marked Elite Enemies: At the start of day 2, many of the elite enemies on the map will be marked so that players can easily find and defeat them for faster and better progression in the late game.
• Fight the Night Lord: After you have prepared every possible way on the first two days, it is time to fight the Night Lord on the third day. But before you fight them, you get a brief amount of time to level up your characters, upgrade your weapons, or buy any item needed from the merchant at the very last second. Take your time to prepare and then head into the Night Lord boss fight.

The first and second days take an average of 10 minutes to complete. The third day is completely dependent on the time you take to defeat the Night Lord. Most 3-day runs should last for 25-30 minutes on average.

What to Do on Each Day of Elden Ring Nightreign

Now that you have a firm understanding of what the 3-day cycle is in Elden Ring Nightreign, it is time to learn what you must prioritize each day. Here is a quick guide for each day:

Day 1: Ruins, Churches, Camps, Mines

The first day is going to be when you are at your weakest. First, you need to plan your initial route based on your landing area. Look at nearby ruins, camps, churches, and mines. Prioritize the path with the most churches on the way and hit ruins and camps that have the same element as the weakness of the boss you are fighting. Getting the extra flask charges on day 1 will free you up for farming on day 2.

After leveling up to 3, look for a nearby Mine entrance and defeat the elite enemy inside to get your confirmed Smithing Stone 2. This will later help you upgrade weapons to the Epic rarity if you don’t come across anything better from loot. Keep farming until you at least reach level 6, which is enough for the first night’s boss.

Another thing you must do is open the metal chests found in ruins, camps, and castles to find stone sword keys. If you find one, locate a nearby Evergoal quickly and unlock it. During day 1, you don’t necessarily need to defeat elite bosses.

However, if you have reached level 6 or 7 early, you can target bosses who are easier to defeat. These are the Flying Dragon, Demi-Human Queen, Night Cavalry, and Elder Lion. If you find any of these, then don’t hold back, as they are pretty easy to beat. Even if you fail to kill them completely, you can always come back on day 2 to complete the job.

Day 2: Elite Bosses, Events, and Last Few Flasks

At the start of day 2, many of the elite bosses will be marked on the map. You must target these bosses on day 2 to quickly maximize your Runes and weapons. However, you may not be able to fight every elite boss even at level 9 or 10. Bosses like the Draconic Tree Sentinel can be really hard to kill and are mostly a time waste if you are not dealing enough damage to finish it quickly.

Besides defeating elite bosses, day 2 is also the time you must capitalize on the Shifting Earth events. If a shifting earth event has spawned on the map, make your way to it early on day 2 and try to complete it. These event areas are packed with high-level enemies that drop a ton of runes, and the power-ups you get at the very end are worth it. Your primary goal on Day 2 should be hitting at least level 13 and equipping yourself with one or two Epic weapons.

Day 3: Defeat The Night Lord

The third day is specifically for fighting the Night Lord in Elden Ring Nightreign. You can wait as long as you want on day 3 before heading into the Night Lord’s boss room. Take your time and check your weapons carefully.

Level up if you have the Runes for it, and upgrade any weapon that you may need. Stock up on Glowing Stones and other useful items from the merchant and plan your approach for the Night Lord with your allies. Once ready, head into the boss chamber and defeat the Night Lord to complete the run.

That’s it. Now you know everything about the 3-day cycle in Elden Ring Night Reign. Like doing things differently? Tell us your 3-day strategy in the comment section below.