Elden Ring: Nightreign introduces new systems that change the rhythm of boss encounters—especially the Nightlords. Players can now dodge grab attacks more precisely thanks to new audio and visual cues. Dodge into the grab at the right moment to inflict stance damage and charge your ultimate. Boluses now offer permanent resistance for a run, so pick up and consume them instantly with a simple input: hold pickup, then use. The red targeting circle on players signals a dangerous move—respond by defending or helping your teammate reset. Lastly, weaknesses are shown during matchmaking, and exploiting them can change the entire pace of a battle.
Gladius: Holy Element Weakens All Three Phases
Gladius is the most approachable Nightlord and has a weakness to Holy—often confused with Lightning. This element microstaggers, staggers fully, and debuffs Gladius’ attack and defense. Once the health drops below 75%, Gladius splits into three dogs. But transitions afterward happen on a 45-second timer, so players can focus on survival instead of aggression. A red circle during the split marks the lead dog’s aggressive attack. Triggering ultimates like Wylder’s during this phase hits all three heads and does massive damage. Once Gladius reforms, stay close to dodge the flaming sword slam more easily.
Adel: Poison Frontloads Damage and Weakens Second Phase (Elden Ring Nightreign Guide)
Adel, the Gaping Jaw, confuses many with his poison counterattack. Poisoning Adel in phase one causes him to purge it—but this accelerates damage instead of canceling it. This also lets players reapply poison immediately. Standing near his legs during the purge offers a damage window. The second phase brings chaotic lightning eruptions—jumping is safer than rolling here. Staunching boluses prevent bleed buildup from grabs. Players can rescue grabbed teammates with staggering ultimates, opening major punish windows.
Gnoster: Fire Element and Team Support Are Essential
Gnoster, the Sentient Pest, is a duo that chips away at players. Eat neutralising boluses beforehand, and during the fight, monitor your team—if someone gets poisoned, hit the bug on their body to cure it. If you’re ranged, unequip any passive that reduces aggro—pulling the Moth’s attention is actually beneficial here. Against the underground Scorpion form, every weapon can block 100% physical damage. Fire is highly effective; even underwhelming fire weapons inflict strong burning effects and can ignite the Moth for bonus damage over time.
Augur: Use Bubbles and Lightning to Interrupt Nukes
Augur, also called Maris, has a unique mechanic: killing summoned jellyfish or tentacles creates bubbles that damage the boss. In phase two, stopping nukes from reaching the ground creates bigger damaging bubbles. The arena-wide sleep move is unavoidable, acting as a DPS check. Lightning quickly stuns Augur during this attack, and lightning weapons should be prioritized for this reason. Use stimulating boluses to build sleep resistance throughout your run.
Libra: Sigils, Frenzy, and Buff Interruption (Elden Ring Nightreign GUide)
Libra doesn’t shift phases but gets progressively harder as it stacks buffs. Clarifying boluses are key to surviving frenzy attacks. Libra is weak to Frenzy, though the element is rare. Frenzy causes the boss to flinch and disables spell usage temporarily. If you can’t apply Frenzy, Holy, Fire, and status effects are still effective. Players can break buff sigils or use ultimates like Raider’s to prevent triple spellcasting. Avoid making pacts before the fight—many carry hidden drawbacks like losing flask charges per level.
Fulghor: Interrupt Lance Eruption With Lightning
Fulghor’s phase two arena-wide spear eruption can be inerrupted by lightning. Any lightning weapon, even a small one, stuns the boss while he charges his lance. After one stun, a second one requires more hits and doesn’t cancel the attack fully—but it still weakens it. Poison boluses prepare you for phase two. When uncertain about his wind attacks, just block—jumping won’t work. Poison and Rot continue dealing damage as Fulghor moves, making them strong secondary strategies.
Caligo: Fire, Fog Mechanics, and the Mountaintop Advantage
Caligo, the Fissure in the Fog, is resistant to most elements but weak to Fire. Boluses (Thawfrost type) are essential. The Mountaintop Shifting Earth event offers buffs and items that help immensely in this fight. Fire attacks not only stun Caligo but lower its defense, shown by a red aura. The fog arena has two patterns—one where players must hide behind blocks and another where falling ice threatens from above. In the latter, the audio cues help players locate safe zones near the boss for counterattacks.
