Elden Ring Nightreign Gladius: Weakness and Boss Strategy

Elden Ring Nightreign Gladius, Beast of Night, is the Nightlord at the end of the Tricephalos expedition, the first one the game offers. He is a giant fire-wreathed hound, and at 75% health he splits into three separate wolves. Bring holy damage: it is his clear weakness and it staggers him.

Gladius at a glance

Expedition	Tricephalos
Weakness	Holy (takes about 35% extra holy damage)
Resists	Fire (about 50% negation)
Statuses that work	Sleep, poison, scarlet rot, blood loss, frostbite
Immune to	Death blight
Difficulty	Medium
Reward	Night of the Beast relic, Old Pocketwatch

Leave fire weapons in your inventory for this one. Half their damage is lost.

Phase 1: one beast

Gladius opens slowly: sword slams and fire breath. Both are telegraphed, and this is the phase to build damage while the fight is still simple.

• Sword slams and spins. The spin covers a full circle, so roll through it toward his body rather than backwards out of it.
• Fire breath. Move to his flank; standing in front of him during the breath is the most common way to lose a big chunk of HP early.

Attack	What it looks like	How to avoid it
Three-headed bite	Charges at a target and bites	Roll to either side at the bite, then counter once
Side-to-side sword swing	A head swings the chained sword one way, then back	Roll forward-left for the first, forward-right for the second
Triple bite	All three heads wind up; the third bite is delayed	Strafe left and roll forward-left; stay behind for the third
Sword sweep	Raises a head and swings the chain in a circle	Roll left if close; run out of range if not
Pounce	A straight-line leap	Roll to either side; it tracks poorly
Fire breath	A cone of fire	Roll sideways as the fire starts
Vertical slash	Rears up, throws the sword, slams it down	Rush in and stay close, or roll on impact
Sword fury	Pounces, then spins the chained sword	Stay close; only the first spin needs a dodge
Volcanic burst	Plunges the sword in and rips it out with a torrent of flame	Roll a split second after the sword comes out

Most of his sword attacks reach furthest at mid range. Staying close is generally safer than backing off.

Holy damage does more than hurt him. It also applies a debuff that lowers his damage and defence for a short time, which is why a holy weapon or incantation turns this fight around.

Phase 2: three wolves

At about 75% health Gladius splits into three hounds, one for each Nightfarer. The attacks now come from three directions, and red markers show which player a wolf is targeting.

• Kill the red-eyed wolf first. Focusing one wolf at a time is what keeps the pack manageable.
• Holy staggers the split wolves easily. Save a holy skill or ultimate for this phase if you can.
• Watch for your marker. When a wolf has locked on to you, stop attacking and get ready to dodge.

The hounds use bites, a double bite (roll away from the first, toward the second to counter), a running bite that circles and leaps for a second snap, and a scorching flame breath you avoid by moving to the hound's side. The sword-carrying wolf leads the pack.

The split does not last forever: after roughly 45 seconds the wolves reform into a single beast. Solo players can simply survive until then.

After the wolves reform

The reformed Gladius adds fire-heavy moves:

• Flaming sword: he impales the ground and drags the sword back, sending a wave of fire. Dodge toward him as he pulls, then roll through the wave.
• Flame blast: he turns orange and releases a small blast around himself. Step back; the radius is small.
• Sword slam blast: he jumps and drives the sword down, setting off explosions around the arena. Time your rolls through each blast, or get behind him while he is in the air.

Strategy

Solo. The split is the hard part, because all three wolves come for you. Keep moving, fight at the edge of the pack, and pick off one wolf at a time. Wylder's grapple and Executor's deflects both handle this well.

Trio. Each player tends to draw a wolf. Call out the red-eyed one and focus it together, then the next. A Guardian's Whirlwind can pull wolves together for area damage.

Preparation on Days 1 and 2.

• Look for at least one holy weapon or incantation.
• Pick up sleep items if you find them. Sleep works on him and buys time in the split phase.
• Avoid relying on fire.

Rewards

• Night of the Beast relic.
• Old Pocketwatch, which unlocks the Duchess when you give it to the Priestess in the Roundtable Hold. See how to unlock every character.
• Beating Tricephalos is also the requirement for the DLC characters and for buying the Goblet vessels at the Small Jar Bazaar.

Gladius also has an Everdark Sovereign version, a stronger variant with new moves; see Everdark Sovereign. Every other Nightlord and their weaknesses are on the all bosses page.