Elden Ring Nightreign presents players with a series of intricate and formidable boss encounters, notably the Nightlords during the third day of the game. These adversaries serve as the ultimate challenge before concluding each expedition, making it crucial to develop a well-rounded and resilient character capable of overcoming these powerful foes.
Essential Preparations and Strategies
The initial confrontation you’ll face is against Tricephelos, with the primary Nightlord being Gladius, the Beast of Nightfall. This creature resembles a hellhound or Cerberus-like monster, signaling a tough fight right from the start of Nightreign. Gladius is typically the first Nightlord players encounter and defeating it often grants access to the subsequent, more challenging Nightlords.
Veterans who participated in the beta will recognize Gladius, as it was the final boss in that version. From my experience with the full game, Gladius appears somewhat less aggressive this time, primarily relying on sword-based attacks rather than its fiery assaults. However, in its second phase, it begins to incorporate more fire elemental attacks, increasing the difficulty.
How to Prepare for the Fight
Any character class combination can succeed if team members are sufficiently skilled, but tanks and melee fighters such as Guardians and Raiders tend to excel in this battle. This is because Gladius’s sweeping sword attacks-sometimes wielded with its tail-have a vertical reach, making close combat risky. Keeping a safe distance and staying behind the boss can help avoid these strikes. Additionally, a ranged class like the Ironeye Ranger can effectively distract Gladius, allowing teammates to recover and reposition.
To mitigate fire damage, equip relics that boost fire resistance, which will significantly improve your survivability. Carrying a shield with fire resistance properties can also be advantageous, though success may depend on your overall build and equipment.
During exploration, pay close attention to structures marked with the Holy icon-a blade encircled by a thin, glowing ring. These locations contain weapons that inflict Holy damage when defeated, which is particularly effective against Gladius, as it is vulnerable to Holy afflictions. Securing Holy-inflicted weapons and relics is essential for gaining an advantage in this fight.
Tactics for Conquering Gladius
In the first phase, Gladius primarily uses sword attacks that do not involve fire, making this stage relatively straightforward. Dodging its lunging strikes and sword swings is key. Once about 25% of its health is depleted, the boss transitions into its second phase, where fire-based assaults become prominent.
The most dangerous attack in this phase involves Gladius pulling back its sword and then thrusting it downward, causing a massive explosion. The best way to evade this is to roll through the blast or position yourself behind Gladius as the attack lands in front of it.
During this phase, Gladius can split into three copies-one being the primary dog wielding the sword, with the other two as weaker copies. The optimal strategy is to focus on eliminating one copy at a time, preferably targeting the weaker ones without swords first. This phase is relatively brief; if you endure long enough, Gladius will eventually reform into a single entity.
Another significant attack involves Gladius thrusting its sword into the ground, igniting it, and then causing a large explosion. Dodging this attack requires similar timing-roll through the blast or stay behind the boss when it initiates the attack.
Post-Battle Rewards and Significance
Upon defeating Gladius, congratulations are in order! This victory unlocks access to the final Nightlords. Additionally, Gladius drops a special ancient pocket relic, which can be handed over to the Priestess in white robes to unlock the Duchess class. While there is a small chance (approximately 5-10%) that the relic will drop even if you are defeated by Gladius, securing the kill guarantees its acquisition.
Elden Ring Nightreign is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs, offering players a challenging and rewarding experience with its intense boss battles and strategic depth.
