Nightreign Best Class: Nightfarer Tier List and Unlocks

The best class in Elden Ring Nightreign right now is Ironeye for team play, with Undertaker and Executor close behind, while Wylder is still the safest first pick for new players. The game is on app version 1.03.2 with regulation 1.03.5, the hotfix Bandai Namco released on March 31, 2026, and the only update since then was a September 18, 2026 PlayStation security hotfix that added no content. This guide ranks all ten Nightfarers, explains what patch 1.03.2 changed, lists every unlock condition and picks the best character for solo, duo, random squads and Deep of Night.

Checked against Bandai Namco's Nightreign patch notes 1.03.2 and Hotfix 1.03.5 on November 12, 2026.

Kit details (skills, passives, starting stats and unlock steps) come from the official patch notes and the community wikis. The tiers themselves are an editorial judgment of each kit after the latest balance pass. Published tier lists disagree a lot: one launch-week list put Ironeye, Duchess and Wylder in its top tier, while another put Executor alone at the top and Raider near the bottom. Treat any ranking, including this one, as a starting point.

What is the best class in Nightreign right now?

Ironeye gives the most to a team, Undertaker has the best mix of damage and uptime, and Executor has the highest ceiling for players who can deflect. Every Nightfarer can clear every Nightlord, so the gap between tiers matters most in Deep of Night and against Everdark Sovereigns.

Tier	Nightfarer	Why
S	Ironeye	Marking makes a target take 10% more damage from all sources, Single Shot ignores defense and knocks down small and medium enemies, and Eagle Eye adds item drops for the whole team.
S	Undertaker	Confluence lets her fire her Ultimate Art for free whenever an ally uses theirs, and a full-gauge Trance auto-dodges every incoming attack for 15 seconds.
S	Executor	Patch 1.03.2 raised Cursed Sword critical damage, guard strength and deflect stagger, and gave the Beast form a short window where it cannot be critically wounded.
A	Wylder	Sixth Sense dodges one lethal hit per rest, Claw Shot covers ground and closes gaps, and his stats suit almost any weapon.
A	Raider	1.03.2 sped up his heavy weapon attacks, added an attack increase to Fighter's Resolve at low HP and widened Totem Stela.
A	Duchess	Restage repeats recent damage on every nearby enemy, and Finale turns the party invisible for about 10 seconds.
A	Recluse	Huge magic damage and Soulblood Song, which lets the whole team regain HP and FP by hitting marked enemies, but she is fragile.
B	Guardian	Very tanky after the 1.03.2 damage negation increase, and Wings of Salvation revives near-death allies on impact, but his damage is low.
B	Revenant	Strong summons and a 15-second team immortality ultimate, but she needs careful spirit management and dies fast when focused.
B	Scholar	A support character whose items only get strong after they level up twice in a run, so he is slow early and best in a coordinated group.

What changed for Nightfarers in patch 1.03.2?

Patch 1.03.2, released January 15, 2026, is the last balance patch. It helped Guardian, Raider, Revenant and Executor, and made small tweaks to Duchess, Scholar and Undertaker. The notes give no exact numbers.

• Guardian: more damage negation against physical and elemental attacks, and more guard strength while blocking.
• Raider: faster attacks with Greataxes, Great Hammers and Colossal Weapons (not dual-wield or jump attacks), a temporary attack increase from Fighter's Resolve when HP drops sharply, and a larger Totem Stela area.
• Revenant: stronger special attacks from spirits during Immortal March, and in Deep of Night her Summon Spirit allies gain attack and damage negation that scale with depth.
• Executor: with Cursed Sword out, more critical damage, guard strength and deflect stagger, less stamina loss on deflects, and no guard break when stamina runs out after a deflect. Improved Skill Attack Power and Improved Melee Attack Power now apply to weapon arts. The Beast form hits harder (except Roar) and ends at 1 HP instead of killing you if HP hits zero during its skill attack.
• Duchess: the phantom from Restage is easier to see.
• Scholar: Analyse progress against large enemies now uses different distance rules.
• Undertaker: some hammer attacks move a different distance against stationary targets.

The earlier 1.03.1 patch in December 2025 adjusted Duchess's Ultimate Art and Scholar's Bagcraft and Communion, and 1.03 added melee, dash attack and rolling attack passive effects that help Wylder, Raider and Undertaker builds. Full notes are in the updates section.

How does each Nightfarer play?

Each Nightfarer has a passive, a Character Skill on a short cooldown and an Ultimate Art that charges in combat. The table lists the kit and the stats each one scales best with.

Nightfarer	Passive	Character Skill	Ultimate Art	Best stats
Wylder	Sixth Sense	Claw Shot	Onslaught Stake	STR A, DEX B
Guardian	Steel Guard	Whirlwind	Wings of Salvation	STR B
Ironeye	Eagle Eye	Marking	Single Shot	DEX A, ARC B
Raider	Fighter's Resolve	Retaliate	Totem Stela	STR S
Recluse	Elemental Defense	Magic Cocktail	Soulblood Song	INT S, FAI S
Executor	Tenacity	Cursed Sword	Aspects of the Crucible: Beast	DEX S, ARC S
Duchess	Magnificent Poise	Restage	Finale	INT A, DEX B, FAI B
Revenant	Necromancy	Summon Spirit	Immortal March	FAI S, INT B, ARC B
Scholar	Bagcraft	Analyze	Communion	ARC S
Undertaker	Confluence	Trance	Loathsome Hex	STR A, FAI A

Ironeye

Marking is a dash with invincibility frames that puts a weak point on the enemy; that enemy then takes 10% more damage from everyone, and breaking the weak point deals burst and poise damage. Single Shot fires through any number of enemies and terrain, and you are invincible while charging it. He starts with only 200 HP, so stay at range.

Undertaker

Trance raises running speed with no stamina cost, adds poise and defense, and turns your dodge into a quickstep. Four hammer hits grant an enhanced attack. Loathsome Hex is a long-range flying strike that doubles as a gap closer and can carry you to a downed ally. Pair her with a Duchess: Restage repeats the damage from a Hex.

Executor

Cursed Sword has no cooldown and deflects attacks while you hold block. Roughly three deflects charge a dashing slash, and the Beast form adds a roar that hits groups and can revive distant allies. Tenacity grants about 20% more attack for roughly 20 seconds after you recover from a status ailment, according to wiki testing.

Wylder, Raider and Guardian

Wylder starts with 240 HP and a greatsword plus small shield. Sixth Sense is restored only by resting at a Site of Grace or respawning, not by a revive. Raider (260 HP) takes reduced damage during Retaliate and cannot be knocked down while using it; after he survives enough damage he starts steaming and his next Retaliate is larger. Guardian (280 HP) can hold block and press dodge to enter a stance that multiplies shield guard strength by five.

Recluse, Duchess, Revenant and Scholar

Recluse collects affinity residues from enemies and combines three of them into Magic Cocktail effects. Duchess's Restage repeats 50% of the damage enemies took in the last three seconds, or 60% with a skill attack power relic. Revenant raises fallen enemies as temporary phantoms and summons Helen, Frederick or Sebastian. Scholar's Communion links enemies so each takes 20% of the damage dealt to the others, which is strong against groups and multi-boss fights.

How do you unlock Duchess, Revenant, Scholar and Undertaker?

Six Nightfarers are available from the start. Duchess and Revenant unlock through the Roundtable Hold, and Scholar and Undertaker need The Forsaken Hollows DLC.

Nightfarer	How to unlock
Wylder, Guardian, Ironeye, Raider, Recluse, Executor	Available from the start
Duchess	Beat Gladius in the Tricephalos expedition to get the Old Pocketwatch, then show it to the Priestess at the Roundtable Hold
Revenant	After Duchess, buy the Besmirched Frame from the Small Jar Bazaar for 1,500 Murk, then find the ghostly figure by the sparring grounds and defeat Revenant and her summons
Scholar and Undertaker	Own The Forsaken Hollows, beat Gladius with any Nightfarer, then speak to the Iron Menial at the Roundtable Hold

The Forsaken Hollows launched on December 4, 2025 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam, and the wiki lists its price at $15. It is part of the Deluxe and Collector's editions.

Which Nightfarer should you pick for solo, duo, randoms and Deep of Night?

Pick for the situation: survivability for solo, team value for random squads and scaling for Deep of Night.

Situation	Best picks	Reason
First runs	Wylder, Ironeye	Sixth Sense forgives one mistake per rest, and Ironeye fights from a safe distance
Solo	Executor, Wylder, Undertaker	Deflects, a built-in death save, and Trance's auto-dodge keep you alive without a teammate to revive you
Duo (added in patch 1.02)	Undertaker with Duchess, or Ironeye with any melee	Restage repeats Loathsome Hex damage; Marking raises a melee partner's damage
Random squads	Ironeye, Guardian, Recluse	Ranged revives, Wings of Salvation revives and Soulblood Song healing help teams that do not coordinate
Deep of Night	Revenant, Executor, Undertaker	Revenant's spirits and Executor's Beast form now scale with depth

Solo players should also know that Raider survives a lethal hit at 1 HP if it lands during Retaliate, and that Guardian's Wings of Salvation used uncharged costs only half the Ultimate gauge. Your relics change each Nightfarer's strength more than tiers do, so revisit your relic setup when you switch characters. Once you have a main, the Nightlord bosses guide lists which damage types to bring against each target.

Related guides

• Elden Ring Nightreign beginner guide: how a run works
• Nightreign bosses: all Nightlords, weaknesses and order
• Elden Ring Nightreign hub