Now that Elden Ring Nightreign is officially here, and we've finally had a chance at some deep gameplay with each of the eight Nightfarers, ranking each class is a pretty difficult undertaking. Every Nightfarer has a unique and exciting set of skills that are useful for a range of situations, and the "best" classes are really a matter of preference and playstyle. You can't go wrong with your choice of Nightfarer in Nightreign, and you should try to play with every class to see what they're all about.

That said, based on my experience, there are a few Nightfarers that are simply way more fun to play than others. While Wylder and Duchess are extremely viable and will be some players' top choices, I think classes like Recluse and Revenant offer much more dynamic gameplay, with arguably much more creative and original skills. Overall, every Nightfarer could be a contender for best class, and what you consider the best will largely depend on your playstyle and skills.

8 Wylder: The Perfect Nightfarer For Nightreign Newcomers

Wylder Is More Of A Starter Class Among Nightfarers

Wylder is not a bad character class by any means, but I would argue he is the most basic class in Nightreign and was designed that way intentionally. Wylder is considered the most balanced character for starting off in Nightreign and getting your bearings. He specializes in Greatswords, and his skills are relatively straightforward, with a grappling hook called Claw Shot that can rope enemies in or let Wylder launch in a given direction.

Wylder also has a ive ability, Sixth Sense, that allows him to cheat death a single time, which comes in clutch for beginners especially. And Wylder's Ultimate Art is also relatively basic, albeit extremely powerful. Onslaught Stake launches a single powerful attack with an iron stake that lands with a massive explosion. Overall, while Wylder is great for most occasions, I would argue he starts to feel a little basic after several playthroughs.

7 Duchess: Attack From The Shadows With Nightreign's Assassin Class

Duchess Is Nightreign's Only Real Stealth Character

Once again, Duchess is definitely not a bad option when it comes to Nightfarer choice, but you'll have to be dedicated to a pretty niche playstyle to use her effectively. Duchess is the only real stealth character in Nightreign, which is great in some situations but absolutely useless in others. While her Dodge ability is unmatched, her Restage skill is only really effective if your party is in sync and you plan your timing based on when they deal the most damage.

Restage essentially repeats the previous instance of damage on a target, assuming you trigger it at the right time. Well executed, this is completely devastating, but getting the timing just right to deal the most damage is very tricky if your party isn't reliably dealing a single instance of big damage. Duchess' Ultimate Art, Finale, can make everyone in the party invisible. This can come in very useful, but the rest of your party often won't even realize you've activated it and will end up revealing themselves before an ambush is optimal.

6 Guardian: A Bird-Like Shield-Wielder

Guardian Can Fly Into The Air & Deal Massive AoE Damage

Guardian is an excellent defensive class with an Ultimate Art ability called Wings of Salvation, allowing him to fly into the air and dive down to create a massive area of effect that damages all surrounding enemies. He also has a Whirlwind skill that can possibly throw nearby enemies into the air and knock them prone, setting him up to attack with a sweeping halberd swing to destroy the whole group. Guardian is a shield-based class with a ive ability that increases his guard power, hence the Nightfarer's name.

There can be multiples of the same Nightfarer in each playthrough. In some cases, this can be extremely effective, such as with three Guardians.

I played Guardian through most of my time in the Beta test for Nightreign a few months ago, and had an incredible time. However, compared to the other classes that I've since practiced thoroughly, I simply wouldn't say Guardian is as much fun. That said, Guardian is an excellent addition to the party and can be just as viable as a tank as Raider, who happens to be next on this list.

5 Raider: A Barbarian Tank With A Massive Tombstone

Raider Is By Far The Best Tank Option In Nightreign

Raider is the undisputed best character class for tank lovers in Nightreign, stacked with HP and built for damage absorption and wielding colossal weapons. Raider's ive ability and character skill are dependent on Raider taking damage and using that to his advantage. The Fighter's Resolve ive will increase the potency of Raider's Retaliate skill after he takes any damage, incentivizing a true barbarian style of play.

"Raider is perfect for all your bonking needs."

Of greater importance is Raider's Ultimate Art, the Totem Stela, which summons a giant tombstone that juts out of the ground and can be used by the entire party for cover or to gain advantage. This is particularly useful if Ironeye is in the party, as he will be able to jump on top of the gravestone and snipe enemies with arrows from the high ground. Raider is perfect for all your bonking needs, and he's the best bet for players who want a somewhat straightforward combat experience.

4 Executor: Assume The Form Of A Primordial Beast

Executor Specializes In Great Katanas & Can Morph Into A Beast

Executor is arguably one of the most original Nightfarers that you can play and a likely fan favorite. Executor's Ultimate Art, Aspects Of The Crucible: Beast, is probably the most visually stunning of all the Nightfarer Arts, transforming Executor into a primordial beast that can swipe its massive claw attacks at all enemies. Seeing the primordial beast go up against Nightlord bosses is a sight to behold, especially if you end up actually winning the battle.

Executor is built for Elden Ring veterans, specializing in katanas and featuring parries as the character's primary defense. The Suncatcher character skill allows Executor to parry enemies more efficiently with a cursed sword. Executor's ive is quite useful as well, providing a damage and stamina boost after recovering from a status ailment. This lasts for about 20 seconds as well, which is enough time to deal some serious damage.

3 Ironeye: Resident Archer Of The Roundtable Hold

FromSoft Finally Has A Functional Archer Design

Ironeye is hands-down the best archery experience you'll find in any Souls game, and it's one of my favorite classes to play. Ironeye is an excellent class to have in your party, coming in clutch for reviving allies when the going gets tough. You'll be able to snipe your fellow Nightfarers when they're down without needing to rush across the map and hit them, allowing the other melee characters to focus on fighting as opposed to reviving. Aside from that, Ironeye has a ive that makes enemies more likely to drop items upon death.

Ironeye's Marking skill is extremely useful, debuffing enemies to take more damage from all sources as long as the mark is active. Hitting the mark extends its length, and the initial attack itself deals damage as well. However, the greatest Ironeye feature is the Single Shot Ultimate Art, a ridiculously powerful snipe that pierces through environmental hazards and hits all enemies in its path while also creating a wind tunnel that knocks enemies down.

2 Recluse: Collect Affinity Residues & Mix Magic Cocktails

Cast Various Magic Cocktail Spells With Affinity Residues

Recluse is the dedicated spellcaster in the Roundtable Hold, and she has arguably one of the most interesting combat mechanics of all the Nightfarers. Since Recluse is constantly casting spells, her FP maintenance is very important and can be regenerated by using the Magic Cocktail skill. This works by dealing damage to any enemy and then collecting the residue formed on them, which will look like a circle on the enemy that comes in one of four residues. There are four Affinities in Nightreign, Magic, Fire, Lightning, and Holy.

FP does not regenerate automatically unless you go to a Site of Grace to refresh, which is why Recluse's Magic Cocktail skill is essential.

Depending on what type of damage the enemy received, you'll see the corresponding residue on the target, which can be collected and "mixed" to cast a unique spell based on the cocktail's ingredients. For example, with a Lightning and Fire mixture, you'll turn into a fireball and barrel forward, hitting enemies with Lightning from above. Mixtures can be all the same type, two residue types, or a mix of three different residues, which are typically the strongest spells.

1 Revenant: A Necromancer That Keeps It In The Family

Summon One Of Three Of Revenant's Family To Aid In Battle

Revenant is my top recommendation among Nightfarers for just about any occasion. In particular, if you're attempting to play the game solo, Revenant's summons come in clutch. Revenant is a Necromancer and/or Summoner that raises the dead enemies she kills to fight alongside her. If Revenant gets the finishing blow on any enemy (aside from bosses), they will resurrect and attack any enemies you attack. Additionally, she can summon one of her three different siblings to fight alongside her.

Revenant is not only a beautiful character and the most interesting lore-wise, but she is also ideal for nearly any situation you'll find yourself in during a run. Her Ultimate Art will make the entire party temporarily invincible and able to sustain damage that would otherwise kill them until the effect wears off. Further, this will trigger a unique attack for each of her three summons, assuming they are in the fight. Revenant is a tough choice to beat among the Nightfarers in Elden Ring Nightreign.