Elden Ring Player Solos Nightrider Pre-Nerf

Elden Ring Nightreign's Patch 1.01.1 is now live, specifically targeting the single-player experience to potentially reduce the difficulty for those attempting to complete the new FromSoftware title alone. However, one determined player chose not to wait for these adjustments and successfully defeated every Nightlord solo before the patch could ease the challenge.

The difficulty of single-player mode in Elden Ring Nightreign has been a major topic of discussion since the game's launch. Many players have voiced their frustration, feeling that playing solo is significantly more challenging compared to playing in a trio. Here’s an excerpt from IGN's Elden Ring Nightreign review on the subject:

"This isn't to suggest that solo play is completely unachievable; I have personally completed a few successful runs alone. However, the balancing for solo gameplay feels incomplete. Consequently, the frustration of playing by myself outweighed any sense of accomplishment, diminishing my desire to continue without a team."

This widespread feedback led Bandai Namco and FromSoftware to announce a patch, released today, aimed at alleviating the pressure on solo players. For many, this update will be a welcome change.

Meanwhile, on the r/Nightreign subreddit, a user named "Valseran" posted proof of their solo victories against each Nightlord, from the initial expedition to the final boss. Their motivation was simple: "I wanted to complete them before the nerf."

Managed to Solo all Nightlords before the nerf
byu/Valseran inNightreign

This is a remarkable achievement. While there were rumors of other players tackling large portions of the game solo, and content creators like YouTuber Ongbal have shared their solo wins against specific Nightreign bosses, Valseran's dedicated effort to clear all content before the patch is both impressive and perfectly timed.

The clear times displayed on the right show a steady progression, with bosses being defeated in the days leading up to the update, as if they were racing against the impending patch. It appears these victories were primarily achieved using the Ironeye character, with the Duchess and Executor making brief appearances earlier on. Fortunately, Valseran provided additional insights in the comments, offering more than just a single screenshot.

When asked for Ironeye tips, Valseran advised: "Focus less on finding a perfect bow and more on stacking weapon passives in your other equipment slots. Bonuses like increased ranged damage, two-handed damage, and damage at full health can stack, leading to incredibly high damage output. Any high-quality purple bow will perform well with the right passives. Also, while the dash ability deals great damage, I often save it as an evasion tool against hard-to-dodge attacks. I use the character's special Art for similar reasons during boss fights, prioritizing its invincibility frames over the damage it deals."

Although Valseran primarily used Ironeye, the ranged archer among the Nightfarers, they mentioned a preference for melee combat against certain bosses. They even equipped melee weapons on Ironeye for a few encounters. According to this solo specialist, some bosses are "just a nightmare solo" without the option for ranged attacks. They ranked the final boss as the most difficult but admitted dying most frequently to the centaur boss, Fulghor, Champion of Nightglow.

Securing extra lives was also a high priority, a logical strategy when you lack teammates for revival. Valseran stated they prioritized purchasing extra lives from merchants, and some field bosses would drop them depending on the expedition. "In one boss fight, I entered with four extra lives," Valseran noted. "But at a minimum, always try to get one early on."

Providing an extra life during boss encounters is one way Patch 1.01.1 assists solo players. The new "Automatic Revival Upon Defeat" effect, which allows a single revival per night during a night boss battle, has been added to solo expeditions, effectively granting a free second chance. Valseran believes this extra life will be "kinda substantial" for solo play. Since stacking extra lives is already a key strategy for single-player, receiving a free one is a beneficial bonus.

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So while solo Nightfarers may now find some of Elden Ring Nightreign's toughest fights more manageable, at least one player has secured significant bragging rights. For everyone else, Elden Ring Nightreign is available now, offering a slightly reduced burden for lone wolves and awaiting more players to take on its challenges.

We offer a wealth of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you defeat all eight Nightlord Bosses. If you're curious about unlocking the two initially locked Nightfarer Classes, check out our guides: How to Unlock the Revenant, How to Unlock the Duchess, and How to Change Characters.