Even if you’ve clocked hundreds hours in Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree, you’re going to have to unlearn some old behaviors (and learn some new ones!) when playing Elden Ring Nightreign. Like many FromSoftware games, there’s a basic tutorial that teaches you some of Nightreign’s mechanics, but much of what you’ll learn will come from hours of failed expedition attempts.
To help you make the most of your time in Limveld, this guide will teach you some starting tips we’ve gleaned while exploring Elden Ring Nightreign for dozens of hours.
Go to the Sparring Grounds
Elden Ring Nightreign starts with a (skippable) tutorial that teaches you the basics with the Wylder class. But before heading out on your first expedition against Gladius, Beast of Night, you should spend some time with your character at the Sparring Grounds, located just outside of the Roundtable Hold.
Trying to learn the character skills and ultimate arts on the fly out in the field, instead of in the safe confines of the Sparring Grounds, is a huge disservice to your fellow Nightfarers — you really don’t have any spare time to dillydally while on an expedition. Know your Nightfarer’s skill set before you queue up for matchmaking.
Plus, while in the Sparring Grounds, you have access to virtually all weapons, spells, and skills that you can find on an expedition, which will give you hands-on time with loot and abilities you may find out in the field, helping inform your builds.
Play with a group — and stick with them
Every aspect of Nightreign is balanced around teams of three players, so stay with your multiplayer group to maximize your damage output and opportunities to revive teammates. While exploring Limveld, you’ll want to use the in-game minimap often, placing pins to show where you’d like to go next. Going off on your own puts you at great risk of dying, losing runes, and getting knocked down levels. Plus, the more often you go down, the harder it is for your teammates to revive you when it really matters (in the game’s boss battles).
It’s a sprint, not a marathon
Elden Ring Nightreign is incredibly fast paced. You’ll want to sprint just about everywhere as you try to grab loot, earn runes to level up, grab charges for your healing Flask of Crimson Tears, and take down low- and mid-level bosses (Enemies and Great Enemies, respectively) to earn better loot and power-ups.
Plan two steps ahead, so you’re not wasting time backtracking or potentially losing out on precious items and power-ups that will get swallowed up by the Night’s Tide as it closes in around you.
Get thee to church
The best way to stay in the fight is to have as many flask charges as possible. You can find charges for your Flask of Crimson Tears at churches, which are a must-stop location on Limveld’s map. Plan your routes around church locations (our guide to all churches in Elden Ring Nightreign can help), and don’t leave any flask upgrades unclaimed.
Kill those Scarabs!
If you’ve played a lot of Elden Ring, you might just run past the dung beetle-like bugs that drop smithing stones, ashes, and teardrops. But Scarabs in Nightreign are worth chasing down.
The primary means for acquiring Talismans, items that offer passive stat boosts and protection against ailments, is from Scarabs, so definitely slay them when you see them. You may come across them randomly, but you can also see them on the Limveld map if you track down a map at Forts.
Pay attention to Nightlord resistances (and where to find them)
Many of the game’s bosses have weaknesses to certain affinities and status ailments — like poison, lightning, and fire — so you should have a weapon or ability that capitalizes on those weaknesses. One way to do that is through relics, the gems that confer abilities and starting perks for your Nightfarer. If you’re facing a boss that’s weak to poison, equipping a relic that grants poison damage to your starting weapon or equips you with poison grease, for example, can be a big help.
Additionally, pay attention to the affinity and status ailment icons that display on locations on the game’s minimap. If you’re hunting for a lightning weapon (or lightning grease, or a lightning throwing pot), head to a location with the little bolt of lightning. You may find an item or items with that affinity there, which will help you at the end of each expedition.
Spend your runes wisely
Use ‘em or lose ‘em, I say! Rather than hoarding runes, I like to spend them to level up as soon as possible, ensuring my Nightfarer is at their peak as soon as possible. I can spend whatever’s leftover on consumables and maybe an upgrade for my weapon. That said, I’ve found that having the required number of Smithing Stones needed to upgrade my weapon is a pain, and I often wind up not using them at all, as more and more powerful loot often awaits after every miniboss battle.
Go directly to Evergoal, reap rewards
Evergaols in Elden Ring were sometimes pretty tough! But in Nightreign, with a full complement of three Nightfarers, they can be a breeze. Evergoals — which require a Stonesword Key to activate — are a great place to earn a very quick upgrade or special weapon with very little risk.
Press the skip button
Do your team a solid: Skip the cutscenes!
For more Elden Ring Nightreign guides, here’s the best class to start with, plus explainers on the best rune farming locations, where to find Smithing Stones, how to change appearance, and how to unlock the Duchess and Revenant classes.
