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The core gameplay loop ofElden Ring: Nightreign and its Expeditions revolves around preparing yourself for the first and second daysvia exploration. Without a viable loadout or level for your character, things can quickly turn south on the Nightlord bosses.
Thankfully, that’s where a game plan called route planning comes into the equation. If you’re not your team’s most efficient route planner, don’t worry—we all start from somewhere.It’s honestly a must-know side thing to min-max your prep and gain an edge against the Nightlord on the final day.
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I’ll briefly explain and summarise the core essentials behind planning a route on the map for your teammatesin this spinoff, whilst including any tips I’ve learned as a so-called shot-caller myself that may help you speedilyrun along the mapand acquire almost everything your team needs for the closing act.
Explanation Of Each Landmark & Point Of Interest
Before I discuss the optimal map route, it’s imperative that youget an idea of each major point of interest and landmark so you’re able to understand what each location has in storewith its layout and loot. Remember that their pre-determined position and available affinities (Ruins & Camps) can differ slightly in each run or expedition.
Landmark/Point of Interest
You might recognize these as the Churches of Marika from Elden Ring, which had different tears for your Flask of Physick. In Nightreign, these are one of the most essential locations as they upgrade your Crimson Tear Flask charges.
These enemy base camps provide a mob of enemies and different bosses, from a group of Stormveil Banished Knights to even a Lion Guardian.
Central Castle
Aside from one particular Shifting Earth Event, this is one landmark you’ll always find in the centre of the map, hence why I prefer it as the Central Castle. It’s another vital location that cycles between Pot-throwing Trolls, Crucible Knights, and Banished Knights. There’s even a bottom level you may head into for a boss fight that rewards you with a Talisman of your preference.
Much like the ones from the base game, you can find a Stonesword Key from chests in the world and use it here to spawn a field boss for some hefty rewards for your squad.
Great Church
you may find a bunch of enemies here, and a chest at the top of the ruins, which you can get to via parkour. Sometimes, they also have underground catacombs here, where an additional boss fight lurks for extra loot.
Another good and simple location with a bunch of enemies and a boss fight at the top, mostly against a Godrick Knight, which makes for a quick entryway for some boons/weapons.
Run-of-the-mill locations that have underground pathways with item and weapon chests, but most importantly, boss fights in a confined space.
Sorcerer’s Rise
Magical towers with rewards that are great for Mage-based characters like Recluse andRevenant. You’ll need to find a hidden seal around these to break open their locked entrance.
Spiritstream
Remember those blue streams of energy that’d shoot Torrent upwards and away? They’re your main source of traversing to higher-level areas, but this time, if you strategically use them, they can quickly act as fast shortcuts.
Mining Tunnels
Your one-stop source for Smithing and Somber Smithing Stones. I strongly recommend heading straight to the mini-boss or whatever big bad you get here, grabbing the loot, and then heading straight to another worthwhile location.
Field Boss
Although not technically marked in the image above, these field bosses will be denoted by a darkish monster insignia, and defeating them or their stronger variants is worth it for their strong boons/equipment.
How To Plan Your Map Route
Before diving into the technical stuff, I’ll give you the straight answer: the first step to choosing your map route for the expedition begins as soon as you start the first day.Whether or not you get lucky with the landing site, just remember that the churches take immediate priority over anything.
Always stack pin markers on the map to notify your teammates and ping them with your current position by holding △/Y and pressing the left analog stick.
It may also come down towhichever Nightfarer you’re running, becausemage characters might not want to skip out on those Sorcerer Towers. But to give you a deep dive into the exact mindset that I run with for my friends and other coordinated players, I’ve detailed a few locations from the highest priority to the lowest.
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Lastly, I’d like to touch on how choosing your route in Elden Ring Nightreign can be overwhelming at first if you’re with a group of matchmade players. For that,it’s best to head in solofor a session or two and get a feel for each location, since traversing some of them can be confusing with two other players.
If someone else is leading as the shot-caller or route planner, it’s best to study what location they are heading for and whether your other member complies. But practicing can pay off because seeing that wild route you led your team on at the end of the result screen on a successful run feels so satisfying.
If you do manage to get a perfect map route and without running into any unnecessary deaths, you’ll be well-fed enough with runes to reach level 13-14or if you get lucky with an Shifting Earth Event, completing that might let you min-max fully, making the bout against the Nightlord feel a little lighter than usual.
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