Best Nightfarer Tier List & Who to Pick

How We Rank Nightfarers

Our tier list evaluates every Nightfarer across four criteria, then weighs them to produce a final ranking:

Full Nightfarer Tier List (Patch 1.03)

S Tier — Always Pick These

A Tier — Excellent Picks

B Tier — Solid but Situational

#1 Guardian — The Unkillable Anchor (S Tier)

Guardian is the single most important Nightfarer in Elden Ring Nightreign. In a roguelike where death ends your run, having a character that simply does not die is invaluable.

Why Guardian Is S Tier

• Steel Guardblocks virtually every attack in the game, including Nightlord Heolstor's Phase 4 sweeps that wipe most characters.
• Wings of Salvation(Ultimate) revives downed teammates — the only revive Ultimate in the game. In co-op, this is a run-saver.
• Doesn't depend on specific relics or weapons. Any Greatshield + Holy weapon works. You're effective even with trash RNG.
• Holds boss aggro so your DPS can attack freely. The difference between a team with and without a Guardian is night and day.

#2 Ironeye — The Consistent Carry (S Tier)

Ironeye is the safest DPS in the game. Ranged combat means you rarely take damage, and your Eagle Eye passive boosts Item Discovery for the entire team, making everyone find better loot.

Why Ironeye Is S Tier

• Marking creates weak points on enemies. Your teammates can exploit these for bonus damage, making Ironeye a silent force multiplier.
• Single Shot(Ultimate) pierces all defenses. It deals the highest single-hit damage in the game — perfect for burning through boss health gates.
• Ranged playstyle means you're almost never in danger. While melee characters eat boss combos, Ironeye is safely plinking from max range.
• Eagle Eye's team-wide item discovery boost means better relics for everyone. This compounds over a 3-day run.

#3 Wylder — The Debate King (A Tier)

Wylder is the most hotly debated Nightfarer in the community. Some players swear he's S Tier; others say he's overrated. The truth is somewhere in between.

The Case FOR Wylder

• Sixth Senseis arguably the best passive in the game — a free auto-revive once per Grace. In a roguelike, cheating death is priceless.
• Claw Shot gives unmatched mobility. You can grapple to bosses, escape danger, and reach loot faster than anyone.
• Onslaught Stake deals heavy AoE damage and staggers, making Wylder excellent at clearing mobs and pressuring bosses.
• Easy to play. No complex mechanics — grapple in, smash, get out. Works with almost any Strength weapon you find.

The Case AGAINST Wylder

• Melee-only means you eat more damage than Ironeye. Sixth Sense compensates, but you're burning your safety net just to play normally.
• DPS ceiling is lower than Executor or Duchess when those characters have the right relics.
• Team value is limited — Wylder doesn't buff teammates or provide utility beyond raw damage.

#4 Executor — The Skill Check (A Tier)

Executor is the most polarizing Nightfarer. In the hands of a skilled player, he's arguably the best character in the game. For everyone else, he's a liability.

Why Executor Is Controversial

• Cursed Swordparry has the highest damage ceiling in Nightreign. Perfect parries deal 2–3x the damage of normal attacks. Chain them together and bosses melt.
• Aspects of the Crucible: Beast(Ultimate) transforms Executor into a beast with massively boosted stats — but you need to survive long enough to use it.
• The problem: miss a parry and you eat the full hit with no shield. In a roguelike where death is permanent, this is a massive risk.
• Best solo classin the game. Without teammates to draw aggro, Executor's parry-counter loop is actually easier because attack patterns are predictable in 1v1.

#5 Duchess — The Chain Reaction (A Tier)

Duchess is the queen of Ultimate combos. Her Confluence passive chains team Ultimates together, enabling devastating back-to-back burst windows during boss fights.

• Confluence reduces Ultimate cooldowns for the whole team when you use yours. In coordinated groups, this creates a chain reaction of Ultimates.
• Invisibility provides emergency repositioning, safe revives, and free backstab setups.
• Lower survivability than other A-Tier picks. Duchess is squishy and relies on invisibility to avoid damage rather than tanking it.
• Best in organized co-op. In random matchmaking, Confluence is less reliable because teammates may not coordinate their Ultimates.

#6 Raider — The Reliable Workhorse (B Tier)

Raider is the “you can't go wrong” pick. Simple moveset, good survivability, and Retaliatepassively buffs your team's damage. He's never the best pick but he's never a bad one either.

• Retaliateboosts the entire team's damage after Raider takes a hit. This makes Raider deceptively valuable in co-op.
• Simple kit means low skill floor. Perfect for new players learning boss patterns.
• B Tier because his damage ceiling is lower than A-Tier picks, and his team utility is less impactful than Guardian or Duchess.

#7 Recluse — The High-Roll Mage (B Tier)

Recluse has some of the highest damage potential in the game — when you find the right relics. The problem is that in a roguelike, you can't guarantee finding them.

• On a “high-roll” run with Intelligence-boosting relics, Recluse can outdamage every other character. Her sorceries hit like trucks.
• On a “low-roll” run, Recluse feels terrible. Without key relics, your damage is mediocre and you're squishy.
• This inconsistency is why Recluse is B Tier. A character that's S Tier 30% of the time and C Tier 70% of the time averages out to B.

#8 Revenant — The Untapped Potential (B Tier)

Revenant's summoner fantasy is cool but the execution falls short. Summon AI is inconsistent, and the build is heavily relic-dependent.

• Summons draw boss aggro, giving your team breathing room. When they work, it's great.
• The problem: summon AI often gets stuck, walks into AoE, or targets the wrong enemy. You can't rely on them in tight situations.
• Revenant has the most potential for improvement in future patches. If FromSoftware buffs summon AI, Revenant could jump to A Tier.
• Currently, Faith-scaling incantations are your real damage source. The summons are a bonus, not a primary strategy.

Tier List by Game Mode

Rankings change based on whether you're playing solo, co-op with friends, or speedrunning.

Solo Tier List

Co-op Tier List (Organized Team)

Speedrun Tier List

The Great Debate: Wylder vs Executor vs Undertaker

The Nightreign community is fiercely divided on three characters that play very differently but compete for the same “best melee DPS” slot:

Wylder Mains Say:

• “Sixth Sense makes Wylder the most forgiving melee character. You literally get a free life every Grace.”
• “Claw Shot mobility is unmatched. I can explore faster, reach chests faster, and escape danger faster than anyone.”
• “Consistency > ceiling. Wylder is always good. Executor is only good if you never miss a parry.”

Executor Mains Say:

• “Executor has the highest damage in the game, period. If you can parry, nothing comes close.”
• “Sixth Sense is a crutch. Learn to not die instead of relying on a safety net.”
• “Every Nightlord world record is done with Executor. That tells you everything.”

Undertaker Mains Say:

• “Undertaker's death mechanics are underexplored. The Grave Oath passive lets you deal more damage the lower your HP — it's a high-risk, high-reward playstyle.”
• “People sleep on Undertaker because the playstyle is unintuitive. You're supposed to stay at low HP.”
• “Once the community figures out the optimal Undertaker rotation, he'll jump to A Tier.”

Best Team Compositions

In 3-player co-op, team composition matters. Here are the most effective trios:

Who Should YOU Pick?

Tier lists are general guidelines. The best character is the one that matches your playstyle. Use this flowchart:

• Want to never die?→ Guardian
• Want safe, consistent damage?→ Ironeye
• Want easy melee with a safety net?→ Wylder
• Want to flex your skills?→ Executor
• Want to enable your team?→ Duchess
• Want simple and effective?→ Raider
• Want to gamble on a god run?→ Recluse
• Want to summon an army?→ Revenant

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change Nightfarers mid-run?

No. Once you start an expedition, you're locked into your Nightfarer for the entire 3-day run. Choose wisely at the lobby screen.

Does team composition matter in random matchmaking?

Yes, but you can't control it. In random co-op, play whatever you're best at. A skilled Raider is worth more than a bad Executor. That said, if you see your teammates pick two DPS characters, switching to Guardian is always a smart move.

Will this tier list change with future patches?

Absolutely. FromSoftware regularly balances Nightfarers. We'll update this page after every major patch. Bookmark it and check back.

Is Undertaker secretly S Tier?

Not yet. Undertaker has untapped potential, but the current meta doesn't favor low-HP playstyles. If a broken interaction is discovered (or if FromSoftware buffs Grave Oath), Undertaker could jump tiers. For now, he's a fun niche pick.

Related Guides

• Detailed Builds for Every Nightfarer — Weapons, relics, and stat priorities
• How to Get Legendary Weapons Fast — Farming routes and drop rates
• How to Beat Heolstor — Full boss guide with every phase
• Beginner's Guide — New to Nightreign? Start here