There are eight classes that players can choose from in Elden Ring Nightreign, Wylder being the "default" class most players will be drawn to first – especially because he is who you play as in the tutorial section. Wylder may be balanced and beginner-friendly, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's easy to play.
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Wylder is among the best melee characters in Nightreign thanks to his very powerful character skill and useful, boss-interrupting ultimate. Grab a Greatsword and follow this guide to find out how to play Wylder and what his special abilities do, understand Wylder's relic and gear priority, and learn some advanced Nightreign tips for playing this surprisingly complex character.
Nightreign Wylder Playstyle & Class Overview
How To Play Wylder In Nightreign, Explained
A young man long in pursuit of the Nightlord.
This swordsman has defied death at every turn with his stunning sixth sense for combat.
He swore to avenge the Night in the name of his massacred tribe.
Wylder is a melee-oriented character who boasts high HP, Stamina, Strength, and Dexterity, effectively making him the Nightreign quality build. He is the most balanced of all Nightfarers in Nightreign with decent scaling and stat improvements as he levels up, and though he favors the Greatsword, he can wield a variety of melee weapons effectively.
In Nightreign, Wylder is a class that rarely stays out of melee range, always staying in close quarters with a Greatsword in hand, ready to let loose a powerful Onslaught Strike – or ready to close the distance to his target with a Claw Shot.
Though he is not as defensive as Guardian or Raider, he more than makes up for it with a flexible, versatile moveset that should serve as a decent first character to pick for Nightreign players.
Wylder Character Skills & Ultimate Art
Sixth Sense, Claw Shot, and Onslaught Strike
Wylder Passive: Sixth Sense
- Cheat death a single time
- If an attack would have killed Wylder and put him in a downed state, he instead deflects it and leaps backward
- One charge, which restores when you are revived by another player or pass by a Site of Grace
Wylder Skill: Claw Shot
- Launch a grappling claw to rope foes in or move swiftly by retracting
- When used against small enemies, it will be pulled to Wylder. Against large enemies, Wylder pulls himself toward his target.
- Can also be used out of combat as a movement skill when aimed at the ground in front of Wylder
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Wylder Ultimate Art: Onslaught Strike
- A powerful single attack that launches an iron stake with a great explosion
- Deals massive AoE damage at close range, staggering most enemies and bosses
- Can be charged to improve damage and reduce recoil. Without charging it, using Onslaught Strike will launch Wylder backwards
Best Wylder Relics In Nightreign
Relic Bonuses Wylder Benefits From Most
Stat Upgrades: Strength, Dexterity, Vigor
Wylder's balanced melee stat arrangement and skills make Strength, Dexterity, and Vigor relic bonuses a high priority, especially when first starting the game. You shouldn't replace a relic that grants Wylder a more impactful skill, but if you don't have anything else to slot, look for relics with these stats to get a decent boost to your damage and HP.
Claw Shot Follow-Up Attack & Ultimate Art Spreads Fire
The two best Wylder-specific relic bonuses are Claw Shot Follow-Up Attack and Ultimate Art Spreads Fire. You will get these relic bonuses randomly from expeditions or from Wylder's Remembrance quest, and they are worth hunting down.
Claw Shot Follow-Up adds a powerful new attack that imbues your Greatsword with flame at the end of your grapple, while Ultimate Art Spreads Fire leaves a pool of Fire damage after using your Onslaught Strike ult.
Character Skill Reduction
One of the best relics for Wylder is the Character Skill Reduction bonus. With this, you will be able to use the Claw Shot ability much more often. When combined with other relic bonuses listed above, you will be able to sling yourself around the battlefield and keep your Greatsword practically always enwreathed in Fire damage.
Best Wylder Weapons
Wylder Favored Weapon: Greatswords
The best Wylder weapons are Greatswords. They tend to scale well with his stat arrangement, he attacks faster when wielding Greatswords, and several of the best Wylder relic abilities only proc when using a Greatsword. For example, the Claw Shot Follow-Up Attack relic will only work if you trigger the follow-up with a Greatsword equipped.
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One thing Wylder has over other characters in Nightreign is the ability to wield just about any melee weapon effectively, not just Greatswords. Though it is definitely helpful to have a high-level Greatsword to benefit from relic bonuses, if you find a weapon that has significantly higher damage than your Greatsword, it's still an upgrade for Wylder.
Keep an eye out for these weapon bonuses in particular, which are rolled randomly on all armament drops. You do not have to wield a weapon to get its bonuses; simply slot these in one of your six equipment slots, and the bonuses will apply (and stack) passively:
- Improved Attack Power When Two-Handing
- Improved Guarding Ability
- Improved Stance Breaking
- Improved Damage Negation At Low HP
- Improved Damage Negation At High HP
- Improved Fire or Physical Attack Power
- Dmg Negation Up While Charging Attacks
Advanced Tips For Wylder In Nightreign
How To Get Better At Playing Wylder
Greatswords Are Great, But Not Irreplaceable
Wylder benefits the most from Greatswords because it's his favored weapon and several relic bonuses only work with a Greatsword equipped – and his stat arrangement is suited perfectly for the weapon type. But because Wylder can wield just about every melee weapon, and deal good damage with it, you shouldn't pass up a major damage upgrade to keep using a Greatsword.
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However, if a boss is weak to Fire damage, you should keep a Greatsword on hand and plan to upgrade it as you progress through each night. The Follow-Up Attack relic will give your weapon Fire damage temporarily after activation, which can be your way of taking advantage of the boss' Fire weakness if you did not find anything better.
Onslaught Strike Can Interrupt Almost Every Boss Attack
Some of the most useful ultimate abilities in Nightreign are those that can interrupt enemy attacks. These are essential to survive certain major boss and Nightlord attacks, as they are the only way to prevent the boss from following through with an overwhelming attack.
Wylder's ultimate Onslaught Strike is one of these interrupt abilities: stay close to a boss at all times during a fight with your Ultimate at the ready, and if it goes to perform a special move, let it loose. Oftentimes, this is enough to stun all but the most hardy bosses, allowing you to get a Critical Hit.
Plus, if you have a Duchess on your team, she can use her character skill to replay your Ult damage – just be sure to communicate with your partner to get the timing right.
Jump At The End Of Claw Shot For Extra Distance
When playing as Wylder, Nightreign players can use the Claw Shot skill to speed up open-world navigation. Simply aim at the ground far in front of you and watch as Wylder zooms forward ahead of the pack. If you time it well, you can jump just at the end of the Claw Shot ability to leap slightly further upward, extending the distance Wylder travels.
The extra distance is minor, but it is a very fun mechanic to engage with. Plus, it is does help when it comes to closing the distance to fast bosses or for getting ahead of squishy caster teammates when you come across a random field boss.
Elden Ring Nightreign
- Released
- May 30, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- 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
