Elden Ring Nightreign Tier List: All 10 Nightfarers Ranked

This Elden Ring Nightreign tier list ranks all 10 Nightfarers on the build that is live today: App Ver. 1.03.2 with Regulation Ver. 1.03.5, the version Bandai Namco lists in its Hotfix 1.03.5 notes from March 31, 2026. That hotfix only fixed a multiplayer performance bug, so the last real balance pass is still Patch 1.03.2 from January 15, 2026. No new Nightfarer has been announced or released since The Forsaken Hollows DLC added Scholar and Undertaker in December 2025.

Tiers are opinion. You can clear every Nightlord with any Nightfarer, and relics, weapon drops and party makeup swing a run more than a letter grade does. What this list does is weigh each kit, meaning the Passive Ability, Character Skill and Ultimate Art as described on Bandai Namco's official Nightfarer pages, against the balance changes FromSoftware has actually shipped.

01The Tier List at a Glance

S tier means the kit shapes a whole run or has been pushed hard by recent patches. A tier is strong and dependable. B tier works but asks more of you or your team to reach the same result.

02S Tier: Executor, Revenant and Scholar

Executor

Executor's official kit is Tenacity (a boost to attack and stamina recovery after you recover from a status ailment), Cursed Sword (a deflecting stance whose repeated deflections unlock powerful living-sword attacks) and Aspects of the Crucible: Beast (a transformation whose unique attacks drain the Ultimate Art gauge). Patch 1.02.2 already raised Cursed Sword attack power, and 1.03.2 went much further. Cursed Sword critical hits hit harder, guard boost and deflect stagger damage went up, successful deflections cost less stamina, and running out of stamina after a deflect no longer breaks your guard. Improved Skill Attack Power and Improved Melee Attack Power now apply to weapon arts while the stance is active.

The Beast form also got tougher. Its attacks (except Roar) hit harder, the L2 / LT / Q skill attack gained damage negation plus a short window where reaching zero HP ends the transformation at 1 HP instead of downing you, and its power scales with depth level in The Deep of Night. If you can deflect, Executor is the strongest pick on the current patch.

Revenant

Revenant's Necromancy passive raises enemy ghosts to fight for you, Summon Spirit calls Helen, Frederick or Sebastian, and Immortal March makes you and nearby allies immortal, revives near-death allies and turns the family into immortal warriors. Patch 1.03.2 increased the attack power of the spirits' special attacks during Immortal March and made summoned spirits scale in attack power and damage negation with depth level in The Deep of Night. That second change is aimed squarely at high-depth runs.

Scholar

Scholar arrived with The Forsaken Hollows. Bagcraft lets him carry more items and level each consumable category by using it, Analyse studies a target to create buffs and debuffs that improve the longer you observe, and Communion threads enemies together so damage dealt to one hits all of them, with a portion returned as healing. Bandai Namco's own Scholar and Undertaker introduction recommends starting Analyse from medium range. Patches 1.03.1 and 1.03.2 were mostly Scholar bug fixes plus a tweak to Analyse's distance criteria on large enemies, so his core strength is intact.

03A Tier: Wylder, Raider, Undertaker and Recluse

Wylder is the most forgiving pick. Sixth Sense lets you cheat death a single time, Claw Shot ropes enemies in or pulls you across the field, and Onslaught Stake fires an iron stake with a large explosion. Patch 1.02.2 raised poise while casting Claw Shot and its stamina damage against blocking enemies, and 1.03.2 made the burn from the "[Wylder] Art activation spreads fire in area" relic charge your art gauge.

Raider gained the most from 1.03.2 outside Executor. Attacks with greataxes, great hammers and colossal weapons are faster (dual-wield and jump attacks excluded), Fighter's Resolve now also raises attack power for a while when your HP drops sharply, and Totem Stela has a wider attack range. Retaliate still lets you absorb hits and stagger even large enemies, which makes Raider a strong stagger partner for Executor.

Undertaker is built around teamwork. Confluence lets her activate Loathsome Hex when a nearby ally uses their Ultimate Art, regardless of her own gauge, or after closely dodging certain darkness-imbued attacks. Trance increases agility and stacks attack power on repeated hits, and Loathsome Hex rockets her toward a target and can even track flying enemies in range. The only direct change in 1.03.2 was to hammer movement distance against stationary targets, while two of her relic effects were strengthened.

Recluse is a dedicated caster. Elemental Defense reveals affinity residues that refill FP, Magic Cocktail fires a spell built from the residues you collect, and Soulblood Song brands nearby foes with blood sigils. Patch 1.02.2 raised Magic Cocktail's offensive spell damage and shortened its cast time. She rewards players who already know Elden Ring's sorcery and incantation toolkit.

04B Tier: Guardian, Duchess and Ironeye

Guardian has Steel Guard (a stronger braced shield guard), Whirlwind (a wind cyclone) and Wings of Salvation (a leap and dive that raises a protective area). FromSoftware has buffed him repeatedly: Patch 1.02.2 increased Strength and Dexterity growth, Steel Guard's angle and halberd guard counters, and 1.03.2 increased damage negation and guard boost. In a trio that plays around his protective area he is easily A tier. On his own, low damage keeps him in B.

Duchess is an evasion specialist. Magnificent Poise lets her dodge several times in a row, Restage replays recent damage on nearby foes, and Finale hides you and nearby allies from enemies. Patch 1.02.2 extended Finale's duration and raised Dexterity growth, but the 1.03.2 notes only adjust the visibility of the Restage phantom. Her ceiling is high in skilled hands, but she has not received the recent attention Executor, Raider and Revenant have.

Ironeye has Eagle Eye (more item drops from foes), Marking (a dagger cut that creates a temporary weak point) and Single Shot (a powerful arrow that ignores any defense). Patch 1.03.2 applied distance drop-off to status ailment buildup, Ultimate Art gauge charging and near-death gauge depletion for ranged attacks, and it reduced the "Improved Bow Attack Power" and "Improved Attack Power with 3+ Bows Equipped" relic effects to fix a 1.03 bug. Both changes hit a long-range archer directly.

Official launch trailer from Bandai Namco Entertainment America, published May 27, 2025. It predates The Forsaken Hollows DLC and every patch covered in this tier list.

05Solo vs Trio: How the Rankings Shift

Nightreign supports solo, two-player and three-player expeditions; two-player expeditions arrived in Patch 1.02, which also scales game balance to the number of players. Kits that rely on allies change value depending on your party size.

• Best solo picks: Revenant (her summoned spirits fight alongside you), Wylder (Sixth Sense is a built-in extra life) and Executor (deflects and the Beast form's new 1 HP safety window reward solo mastery).
• Weaker solo: Undertaker loses Confluence's ally trigger and has to rely on dodging darkness-imbued attacks, Guardian's protective area has no one else to shield, and Scholar's ally healing through Communion goes unused.
• Best trio anchors: Scholar and Revenant are force multipliers, Guardian climbs to A tier, and Undertaker becomes S-tier-adjacent when teammates chain their Ultimate Arts into her Loathsome Hex.
• Ranged in trios: Ironeye's Marking still helps the whole party, but stay at mid range since 1.03.2's drop-off also slows ranged revives.

Picking a Nightfarer in five steps

1. 1Solo players should lean on self-sufficient kits like Revenant, Wylder or Executor, while trios get more from Scholar, Guardian and Undertaker.
2. 2Check the target's weakness before you set out and favor a Nightfarer and weapon drops that can exploit it.
3. 3Pair a stagger dealer like Raider or Executor with a support such as Scholar or Revenant instead of stacking three of the same role.
4. 4Equip character-tagged relic effects, such as the Executor or Undertaker relics buffed in patch 1.03.2, on the Nightfarer they are written for.
5. 5Learn Cursed Sword deflects or Analyse timing in normal expeditions before taking a new Nightfarer into The Deep of Night.

06What Changed in Recent Official Patch Notes

These are the changes from the official Bandai Namco patch notes that shaped this list, newest first.

• Hotfix 1.03.5 (March 31, 2026): Regulation Ver. 1.03.5. Fixed performance degrading for all players when specific actions were repeated in multiplayer. No Nightfarer balance changes.
• Patch 1.03.2 (January 15, 2026): Changes to Duchess, Guardian, Raider, Revenant, Executor, Scholar and Undertaker; relic rebalancing including bow relic reductions; distance drop-off for ranged status and gauge effects; purchase limits on Fire Pots and Throwing Knives in shops.
• Hotfix (December 24, 2025): App Ver. 1.03.1 / Regulation Ver. 1.03.3 added the Salvation's Standard-Bearers Balancers to The Deep of Night for DLC owners.
• Patch 1.03.1 (December 17, 2025): DLC content added to The Deep of Night plus a long list of Scholar, Revenant and Recluse bug fixes.
• Patch 1.03 (December 3, 2025): Support for The Forsaken Hollows, broad melee buffs through passive and relic effects, and fixes for Ironeye's Marking, Raider's Retaliate, Recluse's residues and Executor's parry stagger.

Patch 1.03.2 has been released for #ELDENRING #NIGHTREIGN. This update brings balance changes, quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes and more. Read the full patch notes: bnent.eu/NR_Patch1032 Thank you for your enduring patience, Nightfarers.

— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING), January 2026 on X

07How to Unlock Scholar and Undertaker

Both DLC Nightfarers need The Forsaken Hollows. According to Bandai Namco's official unlock guide, you must defeat Tricephalos, then return to Roundtable Hold and speak with the Iron Menial, who has a message from the Small Jar Merchant. Unlocking both is also one of the requirements for the Balancers expedition. DLC targets only appear in The Deep of Night when every player in the session owns the DLC.

“We intentionally designed the game so that you’ll need to adapt and evolve your strategies along with the changes that happen in the game.”Junya Ishizaki, Game Director, FromSoftware (PlayStation Blog interview, May 2025)

FromSoftware's director framed that adaptability as the point of the game, which is the best reason not to lock yourself into one tier. Learn one S-tier kit well, keep one A-tier backup for boss weaknesses, and check the official Nightreign site for the next balance patch before you trust any list, including this one.