How to Beat Gladius, Beast of Night In Elden Ring Nightreign

TL;DR

  • Gladius is the first Night Lord with three-phase mechanics requiring precise dodging and positioning
  • Raider and Iron Eye excel due to tanking capabilities and ranged pressure respectively
  • The boss splits into three wolves at 70% HP – damage any wolf to reduce main health pool
  • Critical weakness to frost damage and vulnerability during transformation animations
  • Flame Sword Explosion at 30% HP can wipe parties – requires immediate evasion

Gladius, Beast of Night serves as the inaugural Night Lord encounter in Elden Ring Nightreign, presenting a formidable barrier that must be overcome to access subsequent content. This three-headed monstrosity commands the Tricephalos expedition and effectively controls progression through Nightreign’s core challenges. Gladius exhibits relentless aggression patterns, ranking among the most demanding Night Lords in the entire game experience.

If you find yourself repeatedly failing against this adversary, this comprehensive guide provides the strategic framework necessary to secure victory against Gladius, Beast of Night.

Gladius Beast of Night Chain Sword Attack in Elden Ring Nightreign
Image Credit: FromSoftware (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

Before engaging Gladius in combat, thorough understanding of its attack sequences and defensive vulnerabilities proves essential for survival. The boss employs a diverse moveset that escalates in complexity as its health diminishes.

  • Chained Sword Assault: Gladius utilizes its segmented blade to execute broad arcing strikes covering substantial area. The weapon’s trajectory extends behind the creature, necessitating evasion even when positioned outside direct targeting parameters.
  • Projectile Ignition: The mounted beast periodically launches incendiary orbs from its elevated position, requiring spatial awareness and timing-based dodging.
  • Tripartite Division: At approximately 70% maximum health, Gladius separates into three distinct lupine entities temporarily. Harm inflicted upon any individual canine manifestation directly diminishes the primary health reservoir.
  • Mandible Seizure: When health drops below the 50% threshold, Gladius initiates a biting maneuver utilizing all three cranial appendages. The jaws emit distinctive violet luminescence preceding an attempt to capture all party members simultaneously. Successful seizure typically results in immediate fatality for characters with limited vitality pools.
  • Inferno Blade Detonation: Gladius secures its blazing weapon within the central oral cavity, accumulates energy within the armament, and unleashes a forward-facing conflagration with extensive reach. This offensive capability can eliminate players instantly if their character possesses inadequate health reserves. During testing phases, this technique decimated complete teams, demanding immediate evasive action.
Gladius Beast of Night Splits Up into three wolves
Image Credit: FromSoftware (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)
Gladius Beast of Night Bite Attack in Elden Ring Nightreign
Image Credit: FromSoftware (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)
Gladius Beast of Night Flame Sword Explosion attack
Image Credit: FromSoftware (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

Raider and Iron Eye represent the premier combatants for confronting Gladius, Beast of Night. Raider’s exceptional durability and resistance to displacement during ability activation significantly enhance his capacity to withstand Gladius’s unpredictable assault patterns. Raider’s Ultimate technique functions as a strategic asset, creating secure zones for resurrection procedures or defending against incoming offensive maneuvers.

Iron Eye constitutes a reliable selection across diverse combat scenarios. His proficiency with archery equipment enables consistent damage application against Gladius from safe distances while minimizing risk exposure. Iron Eye’s Ultimate ability additionally serves as a tactical advantage, enabling interruption of Gladius’s attack sequences through stun mechanics.

Beyond these specialists, Wylder maintains viability against most boss encounters owing to his adaptable combat methodology. The Executor, conversely, presents substantial execution difficulty. However, mastering deflection timing with this character renders Gladius considerably more manageable. This Nightfarer’s Ultimate proves effective for both damage dealing and ally revival operations.

Best characters for Gladius Beast of Night in Elden Ring Nightreign
Image Credit: FromSoftware (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

Proper preparation dramatically influences success probability against Gladius. Ensure your character meets minimum statistical requirements and possesses appropriate equipment before initiating engagement.

Essential consumables include maximum healing potions, stamina regeneration items, and frost-enhancement applications. For optimal performance against Gladius’s specific attack patterns, consider consulting our comprehensive Weapons Unlock guide to acquire weapons with inherent frost damage properties.

Statistical benchmarks recommend minimum 40 vitality for survivability against one-shot mechanics, 25 endurance for evasion stamina management, and weapon-specific attribute investments.

How to prepare for Gladius Beast of Night in Elden Ring Nightreign
Image Credit: FromSoftware (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

Implementing methodical combat approaches significantly enhances victory consistency against Gladius. The encounter progresses through distinct phases requiring adaptive tactical responses.

Phase 1 (100%-70% HP): Maintain mid-range positioning to avoid chained sword sweeps while remaining close enough to capitalize on attack recovery windows. When Gladius prepares fireball projectiles, utilize the brief charge animation to reposition or initiate offensive actions.

Phase 2 (70%-30% HP): During the wolf transformation, prioritize damaging a single canine rather than spreading attacks. Each wolf possesses approximately 15% of Gladius’s total health, making focused assault more efficient.

Phase 3 (30%-0% HP): Remain exceptionally vigilant for the Flame Sword Explosion telegraph. The middle head will glow intensely orange before the attack, providing a 2-second window for evasion to the boss’s flanks.

How to Beat Gladius Beast of Night in Elden Ring Nightreign
Image Credit: FromSoftware (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

Action Checklist

  • Upgrade primary weapon to +6 minimum and stock frost enhancement items
  • Allocate stats to meet 40 VIT, 25 END minimum requirements
  • Practice dodging chained sword patterns in initial phase
  • Memorize Flame Sword Explosion telegraph (middle head orange glow)
  • Coordinate with team for wolf phase focus fire and ultimate ability sequencing

No reproduction without permission:Tsp Game Club » How to Beat Gladius, Beast of Night In Elden Ring Nightreign Master Gladius Beast of Night with comprehensive weakness analysis, character strategies, and battle tactics