A good Elden Ring Nightreign Executor build is flexible and more accommodating for random weapon drops than you’ll find with some other, demanding characters. However, getting the hang of their unique character skill may take a lot of practice and patience, depending on how strong your guard timing is.
Our Elden Ring Nightreign Executor build guide explains how to play the Executor, along with their best weapons, relics, and Talismans.
Elden Ring Nightreign Executor build and guide
Executor abilities
The Executor has a broad set of skills, including a basic art that makes them exceptional at one-on-one combat, assuming you have good timing with your parry, and an ultimate that lets them cover large distances fast and take down tough enemies and mobs alike. Their passive encourages risky playstyles, so it’s not always the best choice unless you have the right items on hand.
Executor passive: Tenacity
- The Executor gets a parameter boost after recovering from status ailments, such as frostbite or scarlet rot. Using boluses to cleanse an effect counts as recovering from an ailment
Executor character skill: Cursed Sword
- The Executor sheathes their current weapon and draws a katana that can deflect enemy attacks and trigger perfect guards more efficiently. Cannot sprint or dash while Cursed Sword is active – doing so sheathes the blade and gives the Executor their normal weapon again – and the skill has no cooldown timer.
Executor ultimate art: Aspect of the Crucible – Beast
- The Executor temporarily transforms into a giant beast who can use swift claw attacks and heavier slashing attacks. Both have a chance to stagger enemies. You can manually turn into the Executor before the timer runs out by pressing the ultimate buttons again.
- R1/RB: Standard attack
- R2/RT: Strong attack
- L1/LB: Roar attack
- L2/LT: Crucible skill
How to use the Executor’s Cursed Sword
The Cursed Sword’s in-game description isn’t the most descriptive, but the way it works it that it basically extends the timing window for pulling off a perfect guard. That’s when you guard just before an enemy’s attack lands, which reduces the amount of stamina you lose. Successfully using a perfect guard three times activates the sword’s latent power. You’ll see it glow with a golden light. Press L2/LT when this happens to use a powerful horizontal slash that, similar to the Ironeye’s marking skill, sees the Executor rush past their target.
Pressing L2/LT when the Cursed Sword isn’t ablaze with golden light also has the Executor use a slashing attack, but it’s not as strong and has a lower chance of breaking an enemy’s stance.
There is, seemingly, no time limit for how long you have before the sword’s ability activates and when you actually use it, so if there’s not a strategic opportunity for using it immediately, you’re fine to sheathe it, reposition, and activate the ability at the right time.
Bear in mind that the Executor can’t sprint or run with the Cursed Sword out. You can only walk slowly, which makes getting in the right spot for hitting a fast-moving boss rather challenging. However, it does lend itself well to the passive effects that activate only when you walk, such as the falling stars spell or the buff that causes flames of madness to erupt from your footsteps.
Best weapons and magic for Executor
Nightreign’s Executor has high dexterity and arcane scaling, the latter of which means they applies status ailment buildup faster than someone with a lower arcane stat. Your starting weapon is a katana that inflicts blood loss, and with the Executor’s high arcane, blood loss usually occurs after roughly three or four hits.
Almost every enemy, including Night Lords, is vulnerable to blood loss, so upgrading your starting katana is a viable strategy if you can’t find other weapons. Something like Rivers of Blood, any Nagakiba, or Moonlight Veil would be perfect for the Executor. However, with high dexterity and decent-enough strength, they can also see good results with most straight, curved, and thrusting swords, along with claws and whips, though the latter two are a little awkward to get a good handle on. Claws have a short range, and whips are slow.
High dexterity scaling makes bows and daggers work well with the Executor, so while a katana with an elemental affinity is ideal, you can make a strong Executor build with almost anything.
Best relics for Executor
The Executor has a handful of guaranteed relics that suit their style well, including one you can purchase from the Small Jar Bazaar after defeating enough Night Lords.
Grand Burning Scene
- Executor] Roaring restores HP while ultimate art is active
- Dexterity +2
- Arcane +2
Blessed Flowers
- [Executor] While character skill is active, activating Cursed Sword restores HP
- Dexterity +3
Golden Sprout
- [Executor] Roaring restores HP while ultimate art is active
- Recover HP from successful guarding
- Slowly recover HP for self and nearby allies when HP is low
For that last one, “nearby” means “almost literally right next to you,” the same as with other relics that have party-wide recovery effects.
Best Talismans for Executor
Nightreign has no katana-specific Talismans and only one that’s tied to dexterity, but there are a few others you’ll want to pick up if you’re lucky enough to come across them.
- Millicent’s Prosthesis: Increases dexterity and raises attack with successive hits
- Green Turtle Talisman: Increases stamina recovery speed
- Assassin’s Crimson Dagger: Critical hits restore HP
- Crimson Medallion: Increases maximum HP
Tips for playing Executor
The Executor is pretty straightforward compared to some classes in Nightreign. However, there are still a few important tips to keep in mind as you learn how to use them well.
Don’t overextend – most of the time
The Executor’s skills are primarily designed for single targets. They’re useful for baiting bosses and mitigating their attacks, but if you’re facing more than one tough enemy, you’ll be in a bit of trouble. The exception is when your ultimate art gauge is full, as the Executor’s Crucible Beast form is fantastic for crashing into tough fights and throwing the enemy into confusion. The beast is still vulnerable, but they can handle multiple enemies more safely than the Executor can in their standard form.
The other exception is if you’re really good at perfect guard timing and can just negate every hit coming in from multiple enemies.
Don’t over-rely on the Cursed Sword
Sure, the Cursed Sword is kind of the Executor’s main thing, but don’t rely on it too much during boss fights until you’re comfortable with attack patterns. It’s easy to misjudge timing in the heat of the moment and fail to block, take damage, or have your stance broken. Dodging might not power up the Cursed Sword, but it does keep you from dying and gives your team a chance to take down a Night Lord.
Make some noise
Don’t forget to use the beast’s roar attack – and not just when you have relics that restore HP when you roar. Roar attacks stun most small enemies and have a wide area of effect, making them perfect for quickly dealing with enemies in ruins or camps and potentially even slowing down less formidable enemies such as the Leonine Misbegotten.
Get nasty
The Executor’s high arcane stat and easy access to a wide variety of weapons makes them the best character in Nightreign for applying status ailments that aren’t just blood loss. If you get a weapon with poison, scarlet rot, frostbite, sleep – any ailment – and that weapon isn’t some massive hammer or otherwise unsuitable armament, stick it on your Executor. It doesn’t even have to be their main weapon. However, it’s worth pulling out on occassion to apply the ailment before switching back to your main weapon.
For more Nightreign help, check out our Raider build and Revenant build guides, and get familiar with all the map events in Nightreign’s version of the Lands Between.