Elden Ring Nightreign Builds: How Relics, Vessels and Loot Fit Together

Elden Ring Nightreign builds work differently from the base game. There is no stat allocation and no respec: levelling up during a run raises your stats automatically according to your Nightfarer. What you control is three layers, and a good build lines all three up.

1. The Nightfarer you pick, with fixed stat growth and abilities.
2. The relics you equip before the run, in your vessel's slots.
3. The loot you pick up during the run: weapons, affinities and their passive effects.

This page explains each layer and gives a starting point for every character.

Layer 1: the Nightfarer

Each character has stat grades from S to D that decide how their stats grow as they level. A weapon that scales with Dexterity is wasted on a character with a D in Dexterity, however good its base damage looks.

So the first rule of any build: pick up weapons that scale with your character's best stats. The in-game character screen shows the grades, and the individual guides list them: Executor (Dexterity and Arcane S), Guardian (Vigor S, Strength B), Ironeye (Dexterity A).

Layer 2: relics and vessels

Relics are the only part of a build you set before the run, and they persist between runs.

Relic colours

Every relic has one of four colours, and it can only go into a vessel slot of the same colour.

Colour	Name
Red	Burning
Blue	Drizzly
Yellow	Luminous
Green	Tranquil

Grey slots are wildcards and accept any colour.

Relic size and effects

A relic carries one to three effects. Random relics from expeditions roll anywhere from one to three. A relic cannot carry the same effect twice, and several effect categories, such as flat attack power boosts, do not stack with each other across relics. Read the wording before assuming two relics double up.

Vessels: urn, goblet, chalice, grails

A vessel decides which colours of slot you have. Each Nightfarer starts with an Urn. More vessels unlock over time:

Vessel	How to get it	Notes
Urn	Starting vessel	One set of three coloured slots
Goblet	Small Jar Bazaar, after defeating Tricephalos	A new colour set
Chalice	That character's Remembrance quest	Includes a grey wildcard slot
Grails (three)	Small Jar Bazaar, after 4 Nightlords, 7 Nightlords and Heolstor	Slots of a single colour

More vessels mean more colour combinations, which means more of your best relics fit on the character at once. The Chalice's wildcard slot is why the Remembrance quest is the first thing to finish on a new main.

You equip relics at the Relic Rites station in the Roundtable Hold, which also lets you save loadouts.

Where relics come from

• End of every expedition, win or lose. Harder expeditions give more and better relics.
• Nightlord kills, which give unique relics.
• Remembrance quests, which give relics built for that character.
• The Small Jar Bazaar and Collector Signboard, which sell fixed-effect relics.
• Scenic Flatstones bought with Murk, which turn into a random relic. The Grand Scenic Flatstone always rolls three effects.

Deep relics

Deep relics drop in the Deep of Night mode and only fit in their own exclusive slots. They can carry stronger versions of normal effects, often offset by a negative effect. They are for players already comfortable in Deep of Night, not for a first build.

Layer 3: loot during the run

Everything else comes from the map. Three things matter when you choose what to carry:

• Weapon type that suits your character. The official descriptions are a good guide: Guardian "prefers halberds", Duchess "prefers daggers", Raider "favours enormous weapons".
• Scaling that matches your character's best grades, as above.
• Passive effects on the weapon. Weapons in Nightreign can carry extra effects such as elemental or status damage. A modest weapon with the right passive often beats a stronger one without.

Carry a second damage type. Nightlords resist different things, and a backup weapon with a different affinity saves the Day 3 fight when your main one turns out to be resisted.

A starting build for every Nightfarer

Nightfarer	Look for in the run	Relic priorities
Wylder	Greatswords and other heavy melee	General attack power, HP on hits
Guardian	Halberds, greatshields	Whirlwind duration, HP on attacks, Vigor
Ironeye	Bows, backup dagger	Weak point duration, bow attack power
Duchess	Daggers	Restage and dodge effects
Raider	Colossal weapons	Retaliate and stagger effects
Recluse	Staves for her sorceries	FP recovery, spell power
Executor	Katanas with bleed	HP on skill use, Dexterity and Arcane
Revenant	Anything that lets her fight from behind her summons	Summon and spirit effects
Scholar	Consumable items, Arcane scaling	Item and Analyse effects
Undertaker	Strength and Faith weapons	Ultimate art gauge effects

Treat this as a starting point. The Remembrance relics for each character are usually the best first equip, because they are designed around that kit.

Building as a team

In a trio, builds should cover each other rather than overlap:

• One player handles aggro. Usually Guardian or Raider.
• One player multiplies damage. Ironeye's mark or Scholar's Communion.
• Mixed damage types, so no Nightlord resistance blanks the whole team.

For which characters combine best, see the character tier list, which ranks everyone separately for solo and team play.

Common build mistakes

• Carrying the highest-damage weapon regardless of scaling. A good weapon in the wrong stat is a bad weapon.
• Stacking effects that do not stack. Two flat attack power relics often give you one bonus, not two.
• Ignoring the Chalice. Finish the Remembrance to unlock the wildcard slot.
• Only one damage type. Keep a backup affinity for resistant bosses.

Selling surplus relics for Murk is covered in how to sell relics.