In Elden Ring Night Reign, relics are super important for making your expedition a success and boosting your overall strength.
While people often talk a lot about builds, combo strategies, and luck, looking at what each relic does can help you make your setups better and make sure you get stronger every time you play as a Nightfarer.
In this guide, we’ll check out the best relic effects for all Nightfarers and look at specific setups to help you do your best. Whether you’re playing by yourself or with others, getting good at combining relics is a must with zero leniency.
Why Relics Matter: Power Spikes Through Perfect Combinations
Starting with three relics, even basic ones, makes you way stronger than having none at all.
But not all relic effects are equal.
Having the perfect relic setup that matches your character’s abilities makes each run a lot smoother, helping you fight better and stay alive longer.
A lot of relic effects depend on luck during expeditions, but guaranteed relic drops and buying them from shops let you get consistent results.
The most important thing is knowing which relic effects work best with your Nightfarer’s unique strengths so you can use your resources wisely.
Universal Relic Effects: Must-Have Power Boosters
Attack Power Bonus From Evergaol Prisoners
Out of all the generic relic effects, the one that permanently increases your attack power for each Evergaol prisoner you beat is the most important for all Nightfarers. Here’s why:
- Getting a 5% attack power boost for each Evergaol you finish is pretty generous. But as you keep going, beating more Evergaol gives you even bigger bonuses—10% for two, 15% for three, and 20% for four.
- If you prepare smartly (like starting a run with relics that guarantee yellow Evergaol effects and stone sword keys), you can reliably boost your attack power a lot right from the start. If everyone in your group equips this relic, expeditions focused on beating Evergaol give you amazing damage synergy.
HP Restoration From Post-Damage Attacks
This effect activates a rally mechanic like the Bloodborne healing system, letting characters who fight up close get back some lost HP by attacking right after they take damage.
It helps you survive, especially when clearing smaller enemies early in a run. But this only works for melee weapons, so if you use spells or bows, you’ll have to find other ways to heal.
Class-Specific Relic Recommendations
Wylder
Wylder benefits greatly from versatile relic effects that enhance mobility, offense, and Ash of War usage. Here’s what stands out:
Unique Relic Effects
- Follow-Up Attacks on Grappling Hook Skills:
Offers strong offensive utility by enabling light attacks after grappling hook usage. These attacks also add fire effects to your weapon, causing bonus damage against enemies weak to fire. - Art Activation Spreading Fire:
Creates a patch of fire during ultimate skill usage, delivering solid extra damage against stationary or large enemies. - Art Gauge Charges on Passive Abilities:
Provides around 18% ultimate gauge charge upon triggering “cheat death.” While situational, this effect can help during challenging runs. - +1 Additional Character Skill Use:
Useful for solo exploration, offering faster mobility through grappling hooks. However, this can separate players unnecessarily in multiplayer group scenarios.
Top Generic Effects
- Evergaol Attack Power Boost: Essential for increasing melee damage.
- Old Pocket Watch: FP Restoration From Successive Hits: Allows efficient use of weapons with strong Ashes of War.
- Stamina Recovery: Enhances attack performance and dodging potential.
- Physical Attack Enhancements (+5-10%): Bolsters melee efficacy.
Guardian
Guardian thrives in defensive and support roles with relics that amplify guarding and crowd-control abilities.
Unique Relic Effects
- Increased Duration for Character Skill:
Extends stun-locking capabilities against smaller foes but lacks effectiveness against larger threats like bosses. - Reflect Damage While Guarding:
Inflicts consistent damage to enemies while you block their attacks. Encourages an unyielding defensive “turtle” playstyle. - Restore Allies HP While Art is Active:
Supports team efforts with a mass-heal ultimate during group fights, although it limits offensive capabilities when playing alone. - Whirlwind Effect on Charged Halberd Attacks:
Generally inefficient and impractical for most setups.
Top Generic Effects
- Guard Counter Boost Based on HP: Maximizes damage scaling based on Guardian’s naturally high health pool.
- Improved Guard Counters (+15%): Further amplifies counterattack synergy.
- Threat Generation While Guarding: Complements the defensive playstyle, ensuring focused enemy aggression.
Iron Eye
Iron Eye, being a ranged specialist, benefits from effects that enhance bow damage and defensive capabilities.
Unique Relic Effects
- +1 Additional Character Skill Use: Allows for flexible application of marks across multiple targets and offers additional defensive usage through extended i-frame windows.
- Boost Thrusting Counterattacks After Art Activation: Increases damage potential of timed counterattack mechanics following ultimate activation.
- Instant Poison Status on Art Activation: Great for applying poison to vulnerable enemies.
- Extended Weak Point Duration: Offers minor improvements but pales in comparison to the versatility of added character skill uses.
Top Generic Effects
- Evergaol Attack Power Boost: Universal utility for all characters.
- Improved Bow Attack Power (+6%): Maximizes ranged proficiency.
- HP Restoration Effects on Thrusting Counters: Supports survivability.
- Elemental Affinity Bonuses on Weapon Swapping: Enhances flat damage outputs and adaptability.
Duchess
Duchess relies on finesse and fast daggers to deliver devastating chain attacks.
Unique Relic Effects
- Improved Character Skill Attack Power:
Directly improves restage mechanics from 50% to 60%, offering a 20% boost to the most powerful aspect of Duchess’s kit. - Dagger Chain Attack Reprise Events:
A mini version of restage triggers after completing a dagger combo, offering strong synergy when power-stancing daggers. - Defeating Enemies During Art Boosts Attack:
Grants situational value by offering 15% increased attack power for 30 seconds after killing an enemy. - Backstab Stealth Effect:
Highly niche with limited practical application.
Top Generic Effects
- Evergaol Attack Power Boost: Crucial for melee damage increases.
- Old Pocket Watch FP Regeneration: Optimizes Ashes of War duration.
- Status Affinity Enhancements: Adds utility to quick attack chains for applying bleed or chill effects.
Raider
Raider is all about maximizing offensive pressure during character skill activations.
Unique Relic Effects
- Improved Attack Power and Stamina After Skill Use:
Gives 10% extra damage and 20% stamina, which works perfectly with Raider’s aggressive parry style. - Extended Ultimate Art Duration:
Makes the totem stay active longer, giving more bang for your buck but not as important as other effects.
Top Generic Effects
- Evergaol Attack Power Boost: Staple relic effect for all melee-focused builds.
- Poise Buffs: Supports colossal weapon setups.
- Increased Character Skill Cooldowns: Maximizes parry opportunities.
Revenant
Revenant uses summons for offense, applying relic effects that increases magic and summon synergy.
Unique Relic Effects
- Strengthen Allies During Ultimate Activation: Gives 25% damage increases for summons allies, serving as a strong team boost option.
- Power Buffs While Fighting With Family:
Grants minor effects like HP recovery or damage increases based on which summon is active.
Top Generic Effects
- Evergaol Attack Power Boost: Important regardless of combat strategy.
- Starting Wraith Calling Bell: Highly efficient damage-to-FP ratio and sustainable magic attack options.
- FP Pool Boosts: Optimized through sovereign sigil relics.
Recluse
Recluse balances magic damage with FP efficiency through affinity-based relic effects.
Unique Relic Effects
- Automatic Terra Magagicka Activation:
Boosts magic damage a lot whenever affinity residue triggers during normal gameplay. - Self-Bleed Upon Art Activation:
Creates teamwork if using bleed-based setups or health-recovering abilities
Top Generic Effects
- Evergaol Attack Power Boost: Universal priority.
- FP Pool Optimization: Sovereign sigil relic for maximum sustained damage.
Exeggutor
Exeggutor specializes in devastating status-based builds and melee chaining.
Unique Relic Effects
- Exeggutor’s character-specific special effects unfortunately rank lower across setups due to inefficiencies. Most strong builds rely on general effects.
Top Generic Effects
- Evergaol Attack Power Boost: Essential relic.
- Status Affinity Enhancements: Applies bleed, poison, or frost setups efficiently.
Conclusion
Elden Ring Night Reign gives you many different special powers that work well with each Nightfarer’s own way of playing.
By balancing general effects like Evergaol attack boosts with tailored special items that amplify specific character traits, you can overcome challenges across expeditions and unlock the full potential of your setups.
With this guide, use the power of special item combinations to become stronger, run smoother expeditions, and face any challenge ahead with confidence.
