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Elden Ring Nightreignworks quite a bit differently than the original Elden Ring that it spun off from. While the combat and enemies may seem quite familiar, the way you progress and gain weapons is a dramatically different affair. And the run back to the boss is harsher than it has ever been. Nightreign’s Nightlords are in a league of their own.
The very first of these Nightlords you must defeat is part of the Tricephalos expedition, culminating in a battle against the three-headed Gladius, Beast of Night. Despite being the first guaranteed Nightlord you must battle, the game doesn’t make them easy, either. In fact, you might even find them much harder than those that come later.
Gladius' Strengths And Weaknesses
Gladius doesn’t have the most complex moveset in the world,but they do hit hard. And because of that, you’ll want to come into the fight prepared. To this end, Gladius really only has one major weakness you’re able to exploit, andthat is Holy. ensure to search the map for any areas with the Holy symbol beside them to find a guaranteed item with Holy.
Even if the area is guaranteed to drop a Holy weapon,the weapon itself might not be viable for your build.
Weaknesses
In terms of defending yourself,Gladius will primarily deal in Fire and Slash damage. They have a natural resistance to Fire themselves as well, though they have no particular resistances to Slash or other types of physical damage. To that end, it is worthwhile to pick up any upgrades that boost your physical and elemental resistances.
Recommended Characters
Gladius is a fast enemy, but who is is fairly focused in the moves they use, and they way they traverse the battlefield. And because they can split into three, it is worthbringing along a character that isn’t just support, but can hold their own as well. To that end, Revenant and Recluse are characters to avoid.
Ironeye has potential, but are still a tad too weak in terms of Endurance to survive more than a hit or two in a one-on-one encounter. To that end,Wylder, Guardian, and Raider are the safest bets here. All have high Endurance and Strength, allowing them to tank Gladius' attacks, and can wield weapons that can more effectively stagger them.
Stagger damage dealt to Gladius is carried over across all phases. So if you deal high stagger damage to the combined boss, the three separate forms will be easier to fully stagger.
Executor can also be effective here, especially if you’re able to get your deflections off. However, keep in mind that their HP is middling, andfailing to dodge or deflect accurately can lead to a quick death.
Gladius’s Moveset
Gladius is split across two phases, though they are overall quite similar to one another, with the second phase more of an expanded version of the original than something brand new entirely. The biggest threat is whenGladius splits into three separate enemies.They will typically target a player each, though can potentially hone in on a single one, too. This is the most challenging part of the fight.
Counter
Chomp
Gladius charges forward to bite at you, either from up-close or a distance. Can be chained up to three times.
This is Gladius' standard attack. It can be easily blocked, or just dodge through it.
Blade Swing
Gladius takes the sword on their back and swings it around. This can be chained into an additional swing, and has massive reach.
This will hit everyone if they are anywhere in the arena, near or far from Gladius. Never take your eyes off them, and dodge as the blade comes close. Blocking can work, but be careful your guard isn’t broken in case you are hit by the follow-up swing.
Blade Slam
Gladius holds up their blade before slamming down in a straight line. Very powerful.
This one is well telegraphed. As soon as you see the blade dropping, dodge. Being close to Gladius helps avoid this move.
Grab
Gladius charges at you with a grab attack. Can be caught by any of the three heads.
Separation/Combination
Gladius will split into three, with one retaining the sword. They will target each player individually unless specifically targeted. This separation occurs with a burst of flame. The combination has no such flame attack.
Fire Breath
Each individual Gladius and the recombined one can now breathe fire. This moves as a trail to a good distance ahead of Gladius.
Flaming Blade
All blade attacks can now be coated in flame, and a new attack has Gladius plunge the blade directly ahead of them for massive damage. This of course deals physical and fire damage.
While separated,each individual Gladius is weaker, and only the one with the blade gains access to those moves.
Otherwise, Gladius' sword is the next most dangerous part of the fight. They swing it freely,hitting in every direction, near and far, so it’s better to stay at medium-to-close range, as being too far away will put you at more of a disadvantage.
Tips For Beating Gladius
Overall, Gladius isn’t too difficult if you know what you’re doing. The most important thing to bring into the fight is a team that can handle itself individually. As such,avoid weaker characters in favour of those with higher HP pools. Range in general is poor against Gladius with how fast they move, so focusing on heavier weapons that can deal high stagger damage is preferable to stop Gladius in their tracks.
Blocking can be effective, though dodging is typically safer to handle the follow-up attacks from Gladius.Guardian is the only one who can block safely, so take advantage of this if one is present.
When Gladius splits into three,focus exclusively on just one at a time. They still share the same health pool so they cannot be defeated individually. Instead, hold them off and whittle away what HP you may until they recombine. Focusing on just one, especially if it is targeting you, is much safer than swapping between all three.
Once you finally defeat them, you will be given Traces of Night, andthe ability to fight the next six Nightlords.
