You can accidentally doom your Elden Ring Nightreign team by attacking its newest enhanced boss at the wrong time

Ever since Elden Ring: Nightreign was released, I’ve been battling it. I’ve slain ice dragons, aerial centaurs, even a deity resembling a jellyfish. I can’t fathom why subduing a three-headed hound would pose any challenge now.

Surprisingly challenging, it seems, is the revamped version of Nightreign’s initial boss. This battle is undoubtedly one of the toughest encounters in the game. When he isn’t brandishing a sword, he transforms into three aggressive dogs and pursues you across the arena. If you aren’t vigilant, striking him at the wrong moment can bolster his strength.

It turns out that Everdark Gladius’ attacks were causing me confusion, even after I had defeated him. Sometimes his attacks would barely touch my health, but other times they would instantly wipe me out. As Zullie the Witch explained, this is due to a sneaky move of his that entices you into taking more damage than usual.

Zullie refers to this move as a taunt, during which Gladius stays in place and flashes red whenever players attack him. This taunt gives Gladius a damage boost, with each occurrence increasing his strength by 7.5% up to a maximum of three times. The buff lasts for an impressive 18 seconds. Characters less powerful than Duchess or Revenant might struggle to endure normal attacks when Gladius is temporarily 22.5% stronger than his regular self.

In battle, this subtle tactic of Gladius can be hard to spot. There are no distinct sound cues or visual animations indicating he wants to be attacked, making it particularly tough on Ironeye when they keep firing their arrows excessively. Unless a team is coordinated and strategizing well, it’s challenging to dodge this trick.

As a gamer, let me tell you, Everdark Libra remains as tough as ever for me. I’d take on Cerberus 2 any day over getting clobbered by three copies of my squad and a goat man in combat! Everdark Gladius gives Everdark Libra a run for its money when it comes to difficulty, but that’s mostly due to one specific mechanic. The new moves he’s got aren’t all that tough if you’ve already conquered the almost identical ones wielded by Nightreign’s final boss.

Despite Gladius cheating, I’m willing to forgive him because he’s typically the first boss that Nightreign players face, and dealing with countless opponents for months could make anyone want a bit of retribution. Still, I can’t help but feel frustrated by his underhanded tactics.

This paraphrase attempts to maintain the original meaning while making it more accessible to readers by using simpler language and a friendlier tone.

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2025-08-27 00:02