The best Executor build in Elden Ring Nightreign, like any build in the game, is restricted partially by the game's roguelike randomized elements. But if you know what to look for in expeditions, and can put together a solid starting build with powerful relics, the best Nightreign Executor build will quickly prove to be an enormous asset to any team comp – or a powerful solo slayer.
Elden Ring Nightreign: Best Characters Tier List
These best classes in Elden Ring Nightreign bring synergistic abilities, party utility, or massive damage to any team composition.
This guide details four aspects of the best Executor build in Nightreign to help players learn what to prioritize in each run. Use this guide to learn the best relic choices, the best specific weapons for Executor, which weapon bonuses you should keep an eye out for, and boss passives that can significantly empower what is already one of the strongest classes in Nightreign.
Best Weapons For Executor Builds
Because the Executor has high Dexterity and Arcane stats, he benefits the most from weapons that scale well with these two stats, which tend to be Katanas and other fast, status-effect-inflicting weapons.
Though the Executor's favored weapon is the Katana, he can effectively wield most Dexterity weapons in the game, especially those that inflict status effects. Keep an eye out for any of these best weapons for the best Executor build in Nightreign:
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Executor's Blade (default weapon)
- Applies Bleed by default
- Can add targeted boss weakness status effects by equipping specific Relics
- Get a Smithing Stone +1 and a Smithing Stone +2 to bring this up to Epic quality for the final boss
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Nagakipa
- An exceptionally long Katana with a further reach than any other in the weapon category
- Perfect for dual-wielding with another Katana in your main hand with a powerful Weapon Skill
- Often drops with elemental affinities or status effects
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Rivers of Blood
- Applies Bleed on hit
- Corpse Piler skill is still overpowered
- Only Katana with Arcane scaling
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Eleonora's Poleblade
- Twinblade with high Bleed output
- Scales with Arcane
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Bloodhound's Claws
- High Bleed damage
- Can be dual-wielded by two-handing the Claws
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Any second Katana for your off-hand
- Dual-wielding means faster Bleed (and other status) procs
- Can still activate Cursed Blade when dual-wielding
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Any Dexterity weapon with a status effect
- The Executor can effectively wield just about every Dex weapon (daggers, curved swords, twinblades, etc)
- Don't forego a weapon upgrade just because it's not a Katana – any Dex weapon, especially a status effect-inflicting one, could be an upgrade
You should also keep an eye out for Scarabs, which can drop Talismans, for any Talisman that increases your Dexterity, benefits from fast or chain attacks, or increases your power when status effects are procced nearby.
Best Executor Build Weapon Passives
Every armament in Nightreign drops with a randomly rolled passive effect, which remains active while in any of the six slots of your inventory. You don't need to equip each associated weapon to activate the weapon's passive unless the icon has a hand symbol on it.
Elden Ring Nightreign: Hardest Nightlords Tier List
The hardest Nightlords in Elden Ring Nightreign present a significantly higher challenge, and more mechanics, than the easiest bosses in the game.
Keep an eye out for these six most powerful Executor passive weapon bonuses in Nightreign from item drops, chests, and boss rewards you find in your run:
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The Executor's Grief
- Raises the Executor's main stats (Arcane and Dexterity)
- Can typically be found on the red, dead bodies of other Executor players found throughout the world
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Attack Up when Wielding Two Armaments
- Increases all damage output when dual-wielding, which the Executor should do often
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Successful Guarding Ups Dmg Negation
- The perfect deflect of the Cursed Blade counts as a Guard, so it benefits from any Guard passive you can find
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Improved Guard Counters
- After a perfect deflect, you can Guard Counter to deal extra Stance damage with R2/RT just as you would when you block a hit with a shield
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Successive Attacks Negate Damage
- Because you should try to dual-wield Katanas, which will have a very fast attack speed with the Powerstance moveset, this lets you negate damage while chaining attacks together
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Improved Guarding Ability
- If you mis-time a perfect deflect with the Cursed Blade, this weapon passive will reduce the Stamina and HP loss from your regular block
Best Vessel & Relics For Executor Builds
Before you start a run, you can equip relics into your current Vessel to gain bonuses that persist through your run. When you finish expeditions, Remembrance quests, or purchase them from the Small Jar Bazaar, you will get relics that can be equipped via the Relic Rites table next to the expedition table.
For Executor, relics that grant status effects to the starting armament are especially powerful, as his default Katana can carry you through the whole run and serve as a source of boss weakness damage – if you find Smithing Stones, that is.
Elden Ring Nightreign: Best Team Comps
The best team comps in Elden Ring Nightreign balance damage, utility, and ability synergies to create the most powerful parties.
Keep an eye out for these relic effects to create a solid foundation for the best Executor build in Nightreign before you even enter the run:
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Any relic that grants a status effect or boss weakness element damage to your starting weapon
- You can only apply one status effect to a weapon with relics, but you can get relics that grant Weapon Skills like Chilling Mist that will also imbue your weapon with elemental damage temporarily
- Make sure to swap your equipped relic to your targeted boss weakness – this way, your base Executor's Sword will be ready to take on your targeted Nightlord with a few upgrades
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HP Recovery From Successfully Guarding
- Because the Executor's perfect deflect counts as a Guard, relics that grant this effect will proc when you deflect enemy blows, allowing the Executor to remain aggressive in close combat
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Any relic with Poison & Rot in Vicinity Increases Attack Power
- If you choose relics that grant Poison onto your starting weapon, this is one of the best Executor relics for increasing your Attack Power reliably
- You can also find relics that grant an increase Attack Power for other status effects such as Bleed and Frostbite, which are equally useful for Executor
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Any relic that benefits from dual-wielding
- Increased damage while dual-wielding or improved Stance Damage while dual-wielding are both powerful relics for the Executor
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Increased Katana Damage or effects that proc from Katana attacks
- Self-explanatory, these relics will increase your prowess with the Executor's favored weapon, the Katana
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Draw Enemy Attention while Guarding
- Executor serves as a great tank for the party if you can draw enemy aggro to your Cursed Blade - this relic bonus draws enemy attention while you guard with any weapon, including the Cursed Blade deflect stance
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Night of the Lord
- Switching weapons adds Affinity and boosts Attack Power
- Swap between your equipped Katanas (and activate your Cursed Sword) to continuously benefit from this passive set of bonuses
The best Executor Vessel is the Executor's Urn – though any vessel with colors that match your relics with the best bonuses for Executor in Nightreign should be used instead. The Executor's Urn comes with a red slot and two yellow slots by default, which suits most of his best relic options.
However, because relic rolls are random, you may get a useful Executor relic passive on a green or blue relic. In this case, simply swap to a different vessel that matches your relic's color.
Best Boss Reward Passives For Executor
When you defeat any of the game's Night Bosses you will be awarded with a choice of three powerful passive effects. For the Executor, it's a good idea to get effects that proc when walking, effects that proc when dealing damage in quick succession, and anything that enhances your ability to Guard or procs whenever you successfully Guard against an attack.
Complete Elden Ring Nightreign Achievement Guide
Follow this guide to all Nightreign achievements to learn how to get every achievement and earn the Nightreign Platinum Trophy.
Keep an eye out for these six particular boss rewards when you defeat a Night boss on Day 1 or Day 2, as all can be extremely powerful boons for the best Executor build in Nightreign:
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HP Restoration Upon Successive Attacks
- Heals you for a small amount of HP when you perform at least two attacks in a row.
- Thanks to the fast moveset of the Katana weapon, you should proc the healing effect virtually every time you go in to slash at an enemy.
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Improved Dodging
- Adds i-frames to the default evasion window, an enormous boon for the short dash for the Cursed Blade skill
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Any Dormant Power that grants enhanced status effect buildup or elemental damage
- Executor's unparalleled ability to inflict status effects is one of his biggest strengths, so take advantage of this and pick up boss rewards that enhance the rate status effects build
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Poison & Rot in Vicinity Increases Attack Power
- Executor can get relics that apply Poison, Rot, and other status effects onto his base Katana, so be sure to pick this up if you have such relics or weapons equipped
- Other boss rewards that grant similar abilities for other status effects are also useful, but make sure you have a way to proc each effect
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Any Dormant Power that grants a special effect while walking
- Because you walk with the Cursed Blade active, you will be able to trigger these effects repeatedly throughout a fight
- The Violent Deluge of Star Rain ability is the most useful as it will continue to build a boss' Stagger meter and because it deals more damage than other options
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Any Dormant Power that procs from successfully Guarding
- Because the deflect counts as a Guard, you should pick up any passive bonus that grants an increase to your Attack Power, Poise, or other stats while guarding
Elden Ring Nightreign
- Released
- May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC