7 Ways to Level Up Quickly In Elden Ring Nightreign
Make the most of your time.
While it might sport the same name, Elden Ring Nightreign is a drastically different experience from the main game. The latter is a slow, methodical open-world exploration game, while Nightreign is a multiplayer title focused on speed and split-second decisions that will maximize your run. The game explains very little, so it’s hard to even know where to go and what to do without a lot of trial and error. Luckily, our suffering is your benefit, as we can give you some guidance on how to make the most of each and every match.
Don’t Get Hung Up on All the Little Enemies
While there are plenty of enemies to take down, Nightreign is most effectively played as a kind of boss rush.
When you first drop into the map, you should beeline for the nearby camp, take out all the enemies, and quickly gain a level. But one of the tricks the game plays on you is to try and get you to focus on taking out every enemy you see, when that’s actually not the most effective way to level up.
Taking out bosses yields drastically more experience and also gives you a new bonus or weapon. To that end, it’s better to treat each match as a kind of boss rush, where you zip between locations, take out the boss, and move on. This is even true when the first ring starts to close; if you’re quick, you can run past all the enemies, slay the boss, and pop out before the fire hits. You should be maximizing your time in every possible way.
So while you should still be taking out some basic enemies, don’t get too hung up on them. Instead, the best thing to do is quickly plan a route at the start of the match. A voice chat with a friend is ideal, but if you’re playing with randos, you can use the ping system to point out where you’re going.
Keep an Eye Out For Relics that Boost Rune Acquisition
Relics have a variety of effects, but prioritize ones that give permanent boosts, like extra runes.
This one’s a little harder to do, as the Relics you receive from winning matches are random. Eventually, however, you should get a Red Relic that boosts the amount of runes acquired by you and your allies. This is one of the most useful relics you’ll get, and it highlights a hard fact about Nightreign: level is everything.
The more runes you get and the more levels you gain, the better your chances will be. Yes, you want to exploit the final boss’ weakness as well, but you should be at least level 11 if you want any chance of surviving, and your odds only go up from there.
While Rune boosts are only on Red Relic, you can actually buy new Chalices at the Jar Shop in Routable Hold, which will let you put different colors of runes on your characters. Mix and match these purchases to get the biggest benefit.
Know Where to Find Stonesword Keys
The destroyed churches, with this icon, are where you’re most likely to find Stonesword Keys.
One of the earliest tricks you’ll learn is to grab Stonesword Keys, which you can use at any Evergaol to summon a boss. Beating this boss gives you a choice of rewards, one of which will always be an extra 10,000 or 20,000 Runes.
Stonesword Keys are found in the grey metal chests that pop up in enemy bases, and there’s one kind of base in particular where you’ll almost always find one: the temple-like base highlighted on the map above.
Check behind these altars
In the main area near the boss you’ll see a kind of church altar, and there are items hidden behind it. If it’s just crates, you’ll only find generic items, but if one of those grey chests is there, you’ll always find a Stonesword Key. You can also occasionally find a Stonesword Key in chests at the castle in the center. Getting these keys nets you a nice rune boost, and the difference of even a single level can be the deciding factor in a run.
Find a Merchant and Make a Deal
While you can find generic merchants in every match, a special merchant that looks like a big, cloaked figure on the map will occasionally appear. These cryptic merchants require you to make a sacrifice for a deal, like reducing your maximum HP to get an extra flask.
Sometimes, one of their offering will be a way to earn more runes. They’ll put a ghostly mimic chest on your head that constantly drains your HP, but significantly boosts the runes you earn. The mimic is equipped like a talisman, so you can drop it from your inventory at any time if the health drain is getting to be too much. And even if you don’t find that specific deal, the merchant typically has something well worth your time and sacrifice.
Make Liberal Use of Spectral Hawk Travel Points
Spectral Hawks are basically fast travel in Limveld.
Once again, speed and careful planning are absolutely everything in Nightreign. But if you want to grab an extra flask from a Church across the map, you don’t always have to hoof it.
If you bring up the map you’ll see a handful of ethereal turquoise trees, and of course, the game gives no hint as to what these do. These are perches where you can grab a Spectral Hawk and fly to the other side of the map: the wind trail line on the map is the exact path the hawk will take, but you can also jump off mid-flight wherever you want. Using Spectral Hawks will help you get around the map much faster while hitting more locations and bosses.
Completing Shifting Earth Events Is Usually Worth It
Shifting Earth events literally change the face of Limveld, requiring you to alter your strategies.
After defeating two of the Night Lord bosses, you’ll start to unlock what the game calls “Shifting Earth” events. These are major map-altering events that quite literally change the face of Limveld. The first one drops a giant, fire-spewing volcano in the middle of the map, while later ones will drop in things like a massive ice mountain or a mysterious city.
The catch is that each of these Shifting Earth events holds a secret that can tremendously benefit your party in the long run. For example, defeating the dragon on the icy peak not only grants you experience, but a bonus that reduces frostbite damage, which can be pivotal for beating the “Fissure in the Fog” boss.
These events are also filled with enemies and bosses, so taking the detour to get the bonus will almost always pay off with more experience. Just make sure your team is all on the same page if you decide to tackle one.
Tackle the Castle on the Second Day
The Castle is the perfect place to rack up levels, but your team needs to be ready for a challenge.
While it’s tempting to jump straight into that imposing castle in the center of the map, it’s better to leave that entire area for your second day. The castle is typically filled with incredibly tough sub-boss enemies, not to mention two actual bosses: one on the roof and one in the sewers.
In our experience, devoting most of the second day to the castle is the best way to gain levels. For one, you get a ton of experience simply by taking down all the tough enemies, enough to gain three whole levels if you clear everything out. Each sub-boss enemy will also drop a reward cache, meaning you can get four or five in this single location.
There’s an extra little bonus you can nab too, if you don’t run back out after you beat the sewer boss. Instead, head through the door that’s unlocked and follow the stairs up into the castle hold. Here you’ll find a treasure chest that rewards you with a choice of one talisman — a vital piece of equipment that can give you a crucial edge.
