How to play Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign

Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign is one of the eight playable Nightfarer characters in the co-op title. It is a melee-combat focused build that has a playstyle more similar to Sekiro than Souls games. He fares best in one-on-one encounters and is focused on the Dexterity and Arcane stat. Thus, getting familiar with him will take some time.

This article guides you on the basics of playing the titular Nightfarer in the co-op game.

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Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign: Character Basics

Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Passive Ability: Tenacity

Receive boost after recovering from status ailments. Effect boosts attack and stamina recovery speed.

Character Skill: Cursed Sword

Draw a cursed sword that can deflect enemy attacks. Repeated deflections reveal blade, enabling powerful attacks with the living sword. Cannot run while at ready with the enchanted blade.

Ultimate Ability: Aspects of the Crucible - Beast

Assume the form of the primordial beast. Use unique attacks in the beast form that drain the Ultimate Art gauge. Activate again to quickly undo the transformation.

The Tenacity passive ability won't always come in handy, but it can provide much-needed boosts after you recover from a debilitating status effect. Furthermore, there is a way to activate it on command. If you can find a suitable weapon and then commit Seppuku to activate Blood Loss, Tenacity will start its effect as well.

Executor's Character Skill is the lynchpin of the class. Activating it will cause the Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign to unsheathe his katana and two-hand it.

With the skill in action, you'll receive some movement debuffs, you won't be able to sprint with it, and your dodge will be changed to an inferior hop. At the same time, however, you'll gain a few new abilities. The main mechanic of the Cursed Sword is deflection.

Press the block button just before being hit, and you'll parry the attack, dealing poise/posture damage. Repeated deflections will "reveal" the sword, making it glow and activating certain buffs: Deflections will deal more posture damage, and attacks will deplete more HP. You'll also gain access to a powerful strike that deals more damage to the enemy's poise and health the brighter the sword glows.

If you block too early, you'll stop the strike but it will consume too much stamina, breaking your guard in the same or the next hit. Thus, it's best to use the skill when fighting singular enemies.

Executor's Ultimate ability aims to fill the gap left by its Character Skill. Activating it turns you into a primordial beast. You'll gain a new set of light and heavy attacks with a wide range.

The beast can also use a weapon skill, but doing so will immediately end the Ultimate. Thus, use it when your time as the monster is close to being over. As the beast, you'll also gain hyper armor, meaning your attacks won't get stopped by enemy strikes. However, you'll still take damage, so keep an eye on your HP.

You'll also slowly start recovering your health. Thus, the Ultimate is best used when low on HP and fighting swarms of enemies, as a temporary heal, or trying to quickly revive allies. You can also end it quickly by pressing the activation button again to conserve some charge.

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Best Relics, weapons, and Talismans for Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign

Finding the best equipment (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Relics

Here are some of the best Relic passives to look for when playing as Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign:

• Dexterity boost
• Vigor boost
• Arcane boost
• Slowly restore HP for self and nearby allies when HP is low
• Roaring restores HP while Art is active
• HP Recovery From Successful Guarding
• Stamina recovers with each successful attack
• Arts gauge charged from successful guarding
• Improved guard counters
• Rune discount for shop purchases while on expedition

Also check: Relic Rites in Elden Ring Nightreign, explained

One of the best Relics to look for is Golden Sprout, Executor's Remembrance Relic.

Weapons

Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign scales with Dexterity and Arcane. Light weapons like katanas, daggers, and curved swords will be optimal. You can also make a build focused around status ailments since Arcane governs how fast they build up.

For example, you can wield one weapon on both hands, like a Katana and a Wakizashi. When dual-wielding, you can press the guard button to swing the two weapons at once. If both inflict the same status effect, you can proc the ailment on an enemy twice as fast.

Here are the weapon passives you should search for:

• Successive attacks negate damage
• Successive attacks improve attack damage
• Improved guarding ability
• Improved parry counters
• Improved poise from successful guarding
• Taking damage restores FP (if you have a weapon art that procs a status effect)
• Defeating enemies restores HP
• FP restoration on attacks (if you have a weapon art that procs a status effect)

Talismans

Here are the best Talismans you need to look out for as Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign:

• Bull-Goat's Talisman
• Erdtree's Favor
• Godskin Swaddling Cloth
• Gold Scarab
• Greatshield Talisman
• Green Turtle Talisman
• Lord of Blood's Exultation (if you have a bleed weapon)
• Millicent's Prosthesis
• Silver Scarab
• Viridian Amber Medallion
• Winged Sword Insignia

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Tips and tricks for playing Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign

Some things to keep in mind while playing Executor (Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment)

1) Practice at the Roundtable Hold

Executor introduces many unique mechanics of his own. Thus, it's better to get familiar with him at the training grounds of the Roundtable Hold before entering Limveld. Although his deflection timing is more lenient than Sekiro's, getting a feel for the Cursed Sword and learning about the deflection timings will help you get accustomed to the Nightfarer.

2) Know when to use the Character Skill

Mastering the Cursed Sword isn't the solution for handling all enemy encounters when playing Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign. Its movement debuffs often put you at a significant disadvantage. You should find a balance between using regular weapons and the Cursed Sword. You can activate and deactivate your Character Skill almost instantly, so don't focus on staying in one mode for too long.

3) The Cursed Sword switching animation also counts as a parry

The animation that follows after activating the Character Skill will parry any attack that hits you during the duration. This allows you to seamlessly switch to the Cursed Sword. Also, note that you can Guard Counter when pressing RT/R2 immediately after parrying or blocking an attack with the Character Skill.

That concludes the guide for Executor in Elden Ring Nightreign.

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Check out our other articles on the game:

• Is Elden Ring Nightreign a DLC?
• How many expeditions does Elden Ring Nightreign have?
• Elden Ring Nightreign trophy list: All achievements and how to unlock
• How to emote in Elden Ring Nightreign