Elden Ring: Nightreign - Recluse tips and tricks

6 tips for using Recluse’s skills and ultimate art

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Wondering how to play as Recluse in Elden Ring: Nightreign? For those who like to mix and match magic in the search of superb spells, Recluse is the only class in Nightreign to fit the ticket. This pointy hat-wearing witch is also one of the most complicated characters in the game, with a main ability known as Magic Cocktail that requires mastering an entirely new magic system different from any previously featured in base Elden Ring .

While it’ll take some time to make the most of Recluse’s capabilities, those who embark on a few expeditions with her may find themselves the most powerful members of a Nightfarer party. In this guide, we’ll present tips for playing as Recluse in Elden Ring: Nightreign, with an eye towards helping you master her potential with Magic Cocktail and managing her FP.

6 tips for playing as Recluse in Elden Ring: Nightreign

The Recluse is a spell-focused character, and her most important attributes are Mind, Intelligence, and Faith. She ranks near the middle of our Nightfarer tier list , though don’t take this to mean that she’s middle-of-the-road. Rather, she has a complex skillset that requires a steep learning curve to master, and while you’re studying her abilities, you’ll have to contend with low survivability. In order to make the most of the Recluse, take the following 6 tips to heart:

1. Understand the different colours of Elemental Defense

Pay attention to the targeting circle, and you can see that this foe has been tagged with a Fire affinity residue. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Recluse’s passive, Elemental Defense, lets her see affinity residues - fragments of magic left behind in an enemy or an ally after they are hit with an elemental attack. You’ll need to absorb these affinities to utilise Magic Cocktail, and there are four different types corresponding to the elemental energies in Nightreign: Fire, Magic, Lightning, and Holy.

You can tell which affinity residue is embedded within a foe (or friend) by using lock-on targeting and paying attention to the colour of the targeting circle. The circle will be Blue for Magic, Gold for Holy, Yellow for Lightning, and Red for Fire.

2. Experiment with elemental attacks to find your favourite Magic Cocktail

Fire/Fire/Fire gets you this massive array of flames. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Once you’ve hit a target with an elemental attack and left an affinity residue embedded in them, use the Magic Cocktail skill to absorb that residue. Upon absorbing three residues, the trinity of orbs around Recluse’s Magic Cocktail icon at the bottom of the screen will light up. This means that she can use the three residues to whip up an entirely new spell combination that doesn’t cost FP.

We have an extensive guide on all of the 14 Magic Cocktail combinations in Elden Ring: Nightreign, so check it out if you want the specifics. Know that it’s easiest to gather three residues of the same elemental type - for example Fire/Fire/Fire, but the more powerful combination spells utilise two or more residues. Try equipping two weapons in each hand, each with different elemental attacks, in order to make it easier to slap multiple affinities on foes. My personal favourite Magic Cocktail combo is Magic/Lightning/Holy, which summons an AoE ice storm and encases the Recluse in a crystal, shielding her from damage.

3. Consistently use Magic Cocktail to regain FP

If you run out of FP while playing as Recluse, you’re in a bad place. Always find a reason to use Magic Cocktail. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Replenishing FP in Nightreign is a tad harder than doing so in base Elden Ring, but the Recluse has a special way of maintaining her mana. Aside from manifesting entirely new spells, Magic Cocktail regains a chunk of Recluse’s FP as soon as it is used. Thus, a good Recluse player must balance FP recovery with figuring the most efficient method of blasting foes with the right elemental magics in order to create a preferred cocktail. It’s a delicate dance that requires practice, and the Recluse isn’t the best character for solo play in Nightreign, since you’re at a greater risk of running out of FP when you’re alone. She functions best when she can stand from the sidelines and regularly utilise Magic Cocktail without worrying about enemies attacking her.

4. Collect Starlight Shards for additional FP regeneration

Shards are very handy for getting back your FP, but these trees aren’t bad either. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

For those moments when Magic Cocktail’s FP recovery isn’t enough, use Starlight Shards. They can be found in chests and loot crates across the map, and you can hold two Starlight Shards per consumable slot, for a maximum of 8 shards. It’s also worth purchasing the inventory expander pouch from a merchant to allow yourself to carry up to 10 Starlight Shards.

Refer to our guide on how to restore FP in Elden Ring: Nightreign for alternate methods of replenishing your magical powers if you’re having trouble collecting Starlight Shards. In the beginning of an expedition when the map hasn’t started shrinking yet, it’s relatively easy to do so via a Site of Grace or one of the blue, glowing FP-recovery trees on the map.

5. Save Soulblood Song for critical moments during boss fights

Once these red spirals land on an enemy, you’ll see a blood sigil pop up on the screen. Then it’s time to get started attacking. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Soulblood Song is Recluse’s ultimate, and it’s a visually neat attack that makes her unleash a forbidden blood chant. All nearby enemies will be branded with blood sigils that increase the amount of damage they take and restore the HP and FP of all attackers.

While it certainly looks cool, Soulblood Song doesn’t last long at all. Thus, it’s best saved for critical moments in boss fights, like the midpoint when a Nightlord’s HP bar is halfway depleted or their Stance has been broken. If you pop Soulblood Song as soon as a boss’ weakness has been exploited, you’ll have an extended chance for your comrades to jump in, deal extra damage, and replenish a large majority of their stats in the process.

6. Complete Recluse’s Remembrance quests to get class-specific rewards

Recluse’s Vestige of Night gives her a useful increase to magic power, plus the Terra Magica sorcery. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Each class in Nightreign has Remembrance quests that deepen their personal storylines and unlock class-specific rewards. The quests typically require you to complete a short objective or defeat a boss. Recluse’s quests begin in the second chapter of her journal, and usually open up after completing three to four expeditions with her.

The three unique rewards you’ll obtain by finishing Recluse’s Remembrance quests include the Recluse’s Chalice, the Vestige of Night, and the Bone-Like Stone. The Recluse’s Chalice has three relic slots, letting you equip a yellow, green, and one additional relic of any colour. The Vestige of Night - the most useful reward, in my book - gives Recluse’s Magic Attack Power a +2 boost and activates the Terra Magica sorcery whenever you collect affinity residue. And finally, the Bone-Like Stone boosts Recluse’s Intelligence by +3 and raises her Max HP when activating Soulblood Song. It also increases Soulblood Song’s power but makes the Recluse suffer blood loss, so that’s a bit of a trade-off.

And that finishes our rundown of the best ways to make use of Recluse’s magical prowess. For more on tackling all of the challenges that await in Limveld, see our guides on how to play multiplayer , how to increase Flask Charges , and how to change your appearance . If you want more characters to play with, we’ve also got guides on how to unlock the Duchess and how to unlock the Revenant .

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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