Elden Ring Nightreign's Ironeye Lets a Niche Weapon Shine

Summary

Bows have traditionally been overlooked in Soulsborne games due to lower damage output and limited utility.
Elden Ring Nightreign's Ironeye class focuses on archery, making bows essential and elevating them from niche to core gameplay.
The Ironeye class in Elden Ring Nightreign may pave the way for future Soulsborne games to prioritize and highlight the use of bows.

While a major contributor to the popularity of Soulsborne games is the challenge they pose, even to veteran players, perhaps even more so is their approach to build diversity and playstyle experimentation. Thanks to this emphasis, every Soulsborne game has an ever-changing meta that evolves with the community as they experiment with different builds, many of which work better in certain situations than in others. This ensures almost every weapon and armor piece in a Soulsborne game gets used at some point. That being said, not all weapons and armor are created equal, and Elden Ring Nightreign looks poised to give one rather niche weapon its heyday.

Unlike other Soulsborne games that offer a more open-ended approach to character customization, Elden Ring Nightreign has predefined character classes called "Nightfarers," on account of its status as a co-op game. Upon its release, Elden Ring Nightreign will feature eight different Nightfarers for players to choose from, so there are certainly plenty of options. However, one Nightfarer in particular, Ironeye, is especially unique for its weapon choice, as it utilizes a weapon that has been considered niche and generally overlooked in Soulsborne games.

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By Emma Neeson

Elden Ring Nightreign's Ironeye Lets the Bow Shine

Bows Have Traditionally Been Considered Secondary in Soulsborne Games

Historically, bows have been considered a secondary weapon in Soulsborne games — a luxury Elden Ring Nightreign's Ironeye doesn't have, as it places the bow at the front and center of its gameplay. In comparison to other weapons, bows generally have lower damage output, which automatically lowers them a few rungs on the meta ladder. PvE boss fights in Soulsborne games also often require high burst damage, which bows struggle to provide, and they're usually unreliable in PvP due to slow draw speeds and tracking limitations.

Unlike melee weapons or magic, bows also require arrows that are finite and must be found, bought, or crafted.

All of this said, bows have served their purpose, which is ultimately why they are considered niche rather than obsolete. Firstly, bows excel at drawing individual enemies away from larger groups, which can prove to be extremely helpful in a Soulsborne game. Secondly, players can use them to inflict debuffs on enemies using hit-and-run tactics until they are in a weakened state and are therefore more manageable when confronted directly. Finally, certain Greatbows are helpful due to their knockback potential, as players can use them to knock enemies off of cliffs and avoid fights altogether.

The Ironeye Is a Dedicated Archer-Sniper Class

Despite their uses, bows are still typically overlooked and underutilized in Soulsborne games, but that's precisely why the Ironeye may stand out as one of the more popular classes in Elden Ring Nightreign. The Ironeye is a dedicated archer-sniper class, which means all of its power has been poured into its bow. One of its unique abilities even allows players to summon a rock pillar, which they can then use to gain elevated positions and snipe enemies from long range. Needless to say, the Ironeye effectively transforms the bow from a niche tool with some helpful benefits into an essential part of the player's arsenal when they're playing an Ironeye.

By making archery its core mechanic, Elden Ring Nightreign's Ironeye class gives the bow its long-awaited heyday and makes it more than a mere support tool. Of course, traditional melee and magic classes are likely to remain popular with certain crowds in Elden Ring Nightreign, but it's likely the bow will finally get the attention it has missed out on for many years now, thanks to the Ironeye. Perhaps Elden Ring Nightreign's Ironeye will even be the start of something for future Soulsborne games, seeing the bow elevated to a place of prominence once and for all.

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