Every expedition in Elden Ring Nightreign can go from 20 to 30 minutes of runes farming and boss fighting to achieve enough gear and levels to fight the Nightlord on Day 3. The grind to the boss at the end can be challenging, as players will have to decide the optimal route they should take.
Elden Ring Nightreign Review
A near-perfect merging of FromSoftware game design and roguelike structure, Elden Ring Nightreign is a bold experiment and one of 2025's highlights.
The most important thing about every Expedition is how you start it, and having a poor Day 1 can potentially ruin the run for the whole party. This guide offers information on what players should do first as they drop into the land of Limveld in Elden Ring Nightreign.
Where To Go First In Elden Ring Nightreign
After you begin an expedition—whether playing solo or alongside other online players—you will land near a small camp filled with enemies. These enemies can be quickly dealt with and offer a handful of starting items. Although they do not drop particularly valuable loot, defeating them is essential to reach Level 2. Once you interact with a Site of Grace and level up, your first major objective should be to locate the nearby Churches on your map and make your way toward them. You can place a pin using the R3 button on your controller to mark the location, allowing all players in your multiplayer group to see it.
Head toward the Churches and collect the flask upgrades, which are incredibly important throughout the course of the expedition. As you continue exploring and move toward additional Churches, keep an eye out for any Encampments, Ruins, or Forts nearby, as the bosses within these areas are generally manageable and provide early benefits.
Going For Nightlord's Weakness
After acquiring a sufficient number of flask upgrades, open your map and look for any locations that could potentially drop weapons imbued with the same ailment that the Nightlord of your current expedition is weak against. For instance, if you are on the Tricephalos Expedition, you will need a Holy weapon, as Gladius is particularly vulnerable to that element. Once you identify such a location, you can travel there either by using the Spectral Hawk Tree or simply running to it on foot.
Most Forts and Castles offer a high chance of containing a Stonesword Key, so if you manage to obtain one from any chest in the game, make it a priority to visit these areas as you move toward your next objective. You should also consider visiting any Sorcerer’s Rises you encounter. These do not require you to defeat enemies for entry; however, you will need to solve a specific gimmick to unlock them—some of which may leave you puzzled for a short time.
Should You Attempt The Shifting Earth Events on Day 1 In Elden Ring Nightreign?
After completing the first expedition, you will receive a pop-up stating that The Shifting Earth is now active. This event alters a small portion of the map and introduces both advantages and drawbacks. World Events like these are a great way to level up quickly and obtain valuable blessings that can aid you in future runs. However, it is generally not advisable for players to attempt them on Day 1.
Most of the bosses tied to these events are incredibly powerful and will prove overwhelming if faced while underleveled.
Additionally, navigating the altered terrain within the Shifting Earth can often be confusing, especially if you have never explored it before. If the Night's Tide begins to encroach and the safe zone happens to be on the opposite side of the map, escaping in time can become extremely difficult. In such cases, you risk being caught by the tide and losing all the Runes you are carrying—making it a risky venture early on.
Elden Ring Nightreign
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 78%
- Released
- May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
