Best Elden Ring: Nightreign weapons for every character

After extensive testing, here are our picks for the very best weapons across all 8 character classes in Nightreign

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

What are the best weapons to pick up during an Elden Ring: Nightreign run? Given that Nightreign has taken the bulk of its content from Elden Ring itself, there’s an absolutely colossal number of Nightreign weapons that you can come across during an Expedition. What’s more, the majority of those weapons can appear in different rarities, with different passives, skills, and scaling attributes which make them better for certain character classes than others. It’s a dizzying amount of information to keep in your head.

So, we’ve cut through all the noise for you with this guide. After hundreds of hours’ worth of runs, we’ve narrowed those 400-odd weapons down to the very best Nightreign weapons for each character . Below you’ll find tables of key weapons to watch out for during your Expedition as each character, along with our picks for the very best weapons (and weapon types) to use across all 8 classes.

Best Elden Ring: Nightreign weapons

Picking the best weapon in Elden Ring: Nightreign almost always depends on which Nightfarer you’re playing. There are very few weapons which are essential no matter who you’re playing as, and generally those weapons still are far better suited to some characters than others.

Some of the best weapons in the game include powerful Legendary armaments such as the Starscourge Greatsword, Mohgwyn’s Sacred Spear, Marika’s Hammer, and the Grafted Blade Greatsword - mostly because they have phenomenal Weapon Skills or Legendary Passive effects. But these weapons still scale with specific attributes, so if you want to deal the most damage with them, they’ll need to be placed in the right hands.

Below you can read our opinions on the very best weapons to use for each of the 8 character classes in Nightreign. For each character, we’ll go over their preferred weapon types, followed by a table selecting 10 of the best weapons we always like to use during a run; and finally, we pick out one or two of the absolute best weapons in the game which we consider essential for that Nightfarer if you happen across them during an Expedition.

Here are the best weapons in Nightreign for each character:

• Best weapons for Wylder
• Best weapons for Guardian
• Best weapons for Ironeye
• Best weapons for Duchess
• Best weapons for Raider
• Best weapons for Revenant
• Best weapons for Recluse
• Best weapons for Executor

Best weapons for Wylder

Wylder starts with Strength “A” and Dexterity “B”, making him a balanced “Quality” class able to wield most weapon types successfully. But he excels with Greatswords in particular, as he has access to a unique moveset with them, and his unique “Slate Whetstone” Relic “Slate Whetstone” Relic (unlocked via his Remembrance questline) only works with Greatswords.

Greatswords are therefore easily the best weapons for Wylder, but you can also happily wield faster weapons like Straight Swords and Flails , or heavier weapons like Colossal Weapons , Greataxes , and Hammers whenever needed.

My personal recommendation for most Wylder runs would be the simple Forked Greatsword - or indeed another Greatsword with Bleed, such as the Flamberge or the Sword Of Milos. Combining the power of the Slate Whetstone with a Bleed weapon makes for an extremely solid option that can give you a good chance against most Nightlords.

Alternatively, the Rotten Battle Hammer is another excellent pick that’s seen me through many an Expedition. Rot is universally powerful against almost every foe in Nightreign, including Nightlords - and the Rotten Battle Hammer packs a hell of a punch on Wylder as well.

Best weapons for Guardian

Guardian is another balanced “Quality” class character, with a “B” in Strength and a “C” in Dexterity. In a pinch he can use pretty much any weapon quite well, although I’d steer clear of using very advanced weapons like Daggers and Katanas, which only scale well with high Dex.

Guardian’s favourite weapon class is the Halberd , with which he can perform a unique charging guard counter with a heavy attack after blocking with his shield. For this reason, although he can use many different “Quality” weapons like Axes and Great Spears effectively, the Halberd should always be your preference as Guardian.

For Guardian particularly, it’s also important to equip a strong Shield - preferably a Greatshield , which has greater hardness than the other shield types, and gives you an easier time performing Guard Counters even against bosses.

My ideal weapon with the Guardian will always be the Vulgar Militia Saw , one of my preferred weapons from Elden Ring itself. As a Halberd, it enables the Guardian’s special charged guard counters, while also sporting a great-feeling moveset and the all-important Bleed, which is strong on any character.

If Halberds aren’t your thing, then Vyke’s War Spear is probably the best pick in the game on Guardian, as the one and only weapon that’s guaranteed to apply Madness to enemies.

Best weapons for Ironeye

Ironeye’s strongest attributes are Dexterity (“A”) and Arcane (“B”), which makes him very good at wielding fast weapons that can apply status effects such as Bleed and Poison very quickly. Obviously, though, Ironeye’s preferred weapon is the Bow , which he can fire much faster than any other character class.

Still, it’s useful to have a melee weapon as a backup. Of these, we’ve had great success using Katanas , Thrusting Swords , and Daggers with Ironeye, owing to their high Dexterity scaling, good speed, and the quantity of those weapons which can naturally apply some sort of status effect.

Ironeye works well on just about any Bow, but it’s always a good time when you get your hands on a Serpent Bow for easy Poison application.

If you want a melee backup option, then the Nagakiba is a universally excellent Katana that works well with Ironeye’s stats, and has a great balance of range, speed, and damage.

Best weapons for Duchess

Duchess again has fairly high Dexterity scaling (“B”), but an even higher scaling in Intelligence (“A”), making her a very good choice for using Staffs and Sorceries. Because she doesn’t have an innate ability to restore FP, however, Staffs should be considered a secondary armament to her melee choice: the Dagger.

Duchess has a unique moveset with the Dagger , which allows her to land more hits in the same amount of time than any other character. This makes her very strong at applying status effects, just like Ironeye. Her scaling in Dexterity does allow her to use other advanced weapons such as Katanas , Whips , and Claws in a pinch - but really, the Dagger should remain your first choice as Duchess.

Surprisingly, the default Duchess’ Dagger is a very strong choice, with its Magic-inflicting Skill offering great damage in the early game that can scale pretty well into Day 2. But if you can, I’d upgrade to a top-tier Dagger like the Glintstone Kris or Reduvia (and preferably dual-wield Daggers for maximum status effect application).

Best weapons for Raider

Raider has the highest Strength scaling of any character (“S”), and a unique moveset with Colossal Weapons , Greataxes , and Great Hammers . So naturally, you can’t go far wrong by simply equipping Raider with one (or two) of the most oversized weapons you can find in a run.

Colossal Swords are also decent on Raider thanks to their massive Strength scaling - just bear in mind that they’re different from Colossal Weapons, and therefore you won’t get Raider’s unique moveset with a Colossal Sword.

Raider isn’t picky when it comes to weapons, as long as they’re gigantic. But my pick for the best weapon on Raider is probably the Grafted Blade Greatsword , if you’re lucky enough to find it. The stat boost it gives you is incredibly strong in any run, and it deals truckloads of damage to boot.

If you want to stick with the weapon types that offer Raider’s unique moveset, then I’d recommend equipping two Rusted Anchors for maximum damage, or perhaps a a Great Omenkiller Cleaver for some extra Bleed proc.

Best weapons for Revenant

Revenant, unlike most Nightfarers, gains no unique moveset with any weapon type. She enjoys an “S” rank in Faith - the highest rank of any character - and so you should primarily be using Sacred Seals to inflict the bulk of your damage as Revenant.

A “B” scaling in Arcane also makes her decent at applying status effects such as Bleed where necessary, although with a “C” in both Strength and Dexterity, there are no melee weapons she’ll excel at using relative to the other Nightfarers. On the other hand, this means she can wield most weapons at a similar level of skill, freeing up your options.

Revenant’s ideal Sacred Seal depends largely on the randomly assigned secondary spell, but the Frenzied Flame Seal is always phenomenal thanks to its very high Incant scaling and inherent Madness buildup.

As for melee weapons, my ideal pick is the Inquisitor’s Girandole - I’ve had some great runs with this Bleed and Fire weapon as Revenant, and its reach helps out a lot when you’re a low-HP character like her. Alternatively, if you’re lucky enough to find one of the weapons which scales purely with Faith (the Cipher Pata or Coded Sword ), then absolutely pick them up.

Best weapons for Recluse

Recluse again has no unique movesets with any weapon types, just like Revenant. She is the most dedicated spellcaster in the roster, with an “S” scaling in both Intelligence and Faith - so Glintstone Staffs and Sacred Seals should both be your most sought after weapons.

Technically, with a “C” in Dexterity and a “D” in Strength, Recluse is better suited to more advanced weapons. Really though, we’d recommend picking a dependable melee weapon that can keep enemies at a distance from you - Spears and Straight Swords are good options here.

Recluse should quite simply pick the Glintstone Staff that gives her the best spell options. Lusat’s Glintstone Staff is a particular one to look for, owing to its guaranteed Stars Of Ruin - a fantastic damage-dealer and a great option for reviving teammates.

For melee options, strange as it sounds, I’ve found the Pike to be great on the Recluse. It’s not the most damaging option out there, but it’s the longest-reaching melee weapon in Elden Ring, and if you can get a variant that applies Magic or some other affinity, it’s a great (and safe) source of renewal for your powers.

Best weapons for Executor

Executor has best-in-class Dexterity scaling (“S”), and a unique moveset with Katanas , so they are the weapon type you should gravitate towards during an Executor run. He also has phenomenal Arcane scaling (“S” again), which makes him the very best of the group when it comes to applying status effects. Yet another reason to use Katanas, since many of them apply Bleed by default.

If you can’t use Katanas for whatever reason, then any weapon with a high Dexterity scaling and status effects will suit Executor well. Daggers , Thrusting Swords , and even Bows can be used to great effect with this character.

The best weapon on the Executor in our opinion is the Dragonscale Blade . It features very high base damage, and its Ice Lightning Skill adds a startling amount of flat damage on top, along with Frostbite application.

However, Executor is of course also very well-suited to old favourites such as Moonveil and Rivers Of Blood . Both have exquisite long-ranged Skills that are handy in any situation, whether for faster farming or high damage against difficult bosses. Honestly, any Katana will do for him.

Elden Ring: Nightreign

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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