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There is a lot to take in when playingElden Ring Nightreign. In the original game, map markers were few and far between, with your line-of-sight determining where you went next. If an area looked interesting, that is where you would go. With the night quickly closing in on you this time around, you have to be a bit more tactical about where you go.
Nightreign helps to remedy this with the introduction of landmarks, and a rough idea of what can be found in each area before you even get there. That said, it can still be worth knowing what is unique about each area so you can find all of its secrets. You’ll need every advantage you can get to defeat the Nightlord of your expedition.
What Are Landmarks?
Landmarks make up the bulk of your playtime in Elden Ring Nightreign. Rather than just running around willy-nilly and fighting any enemies you come across, you need to plan your day. Time is limited in Nightreign, and you need to make the most of it if you want to survive. To that end, you need to learn about landmarks, and what they do for you.
On the map, you’re able to find a great variety of areas on the map. These areas typically also have a smaller square beside them, indicating the primary element of the items you will find there. This refers to the items and upgrades you can acquire from beating the boss of this landmark, and as such should be what you aim for first.
Always remember to pin on the map the landmark you want to go to so you companions can plan around you. This is done by pressing on the right stick.
However, some landmarks may be beyond your ability, on the first night especially. You should focus on easier ones to start with, such as Great Churches and Encampments. After defeating the boss of a landmark, an orb will drop from them, the colour indicating the highest rarity of the weapons and upgrades within. A Site of Grace will also appear, allowing you to level up and restore your HP, FP, and Flasks.
Excluding Townships, Churches and Sorcerer’s Rises, all Landmarks will have a boss within them, and excluding tunnels, they will all also have a Site of Grace appear after defeating the boss there. Always take the chance to heal and level up before heading out again. Even a single level can make a massive difference.
Each Landmark And What They Do
There are 11 primary Landmarks in Nightreign, and all of them are guaranteed to appear in every Expedition. However, the number and location of them is not set. Certain Landmarks, like Castles, will always be in the very middle of the map and there will only ever be one. Churches on the other hand can often vary in number, and will sometimes be clustered close together, or on opposite ends of the map.
As such, while you may memorise the layout of a particular Landmark, you must always check the map to see where it is located this time. Here all all of them in the game, and what you may expect to find at each:
Fort
Filled with soldiers and interiors.
Typically have staves, and a room containing a map that reveals nearby Talismans and hidden treasure.
Often have upper areas with rare items, and Sacred Seals.
Have tall towers with bows and the like.
Ruins
Destroyed ruins that can be filled with many different types of enemies.
Have many small underground passages with plenty of chests and treasure.
Tunnels
Underground mines that typically have multiple underground entrance.
Contain many Smithing Stone [1]’s, and a boss enemy that will drop a Smithing Stone [2].
Castle
A large complex layered with difficult enemies that can be approached from multiple angles.
Can contain multiple bosses, and have a high chance of dropping Talismans and Stonesword Keys from chests.
Field Boss
These are bosses that appear in the world regardless of being at a specific landmark.
They are typically much stronger than the average boss, so only challenge them on Day Two.
Evergaol
Areas that hold a random boss inside that is not revealed until opened. Requires a Stonesword Key to open.
Have more guaranteed drops, such as a large number of Runes of the ability to gain more Runes from enemies.
Township
Rare areas that contain no enemies, only merchants that you can buy from.
The merchants here will have unique items that other merchants in Limveld will not have.
Church
Churches around the map that are typically accompanied by a Site of Grace and no enemies.
The altar inside a Church will give you an additional Sacred Flask during this match.
Sorcerer’s Rise
A tower locked by magic that must first be unlocked before entering.
Will always contain some form of magical item, making them ideal for characters like Recluse and Revenant.
On top of these, there are a few other smaller landmarks to keep in mind. These don’t have enemies, but are rather other symbols that are important to keep in mind. These include:
A final helpful aspect of the map can be accessed by pressing Triangle/Y on the controller. This will highlight certain items that can be found in landmarks on the map. This will include if a Merchant and Smithing Table is nearby, if weapon racks with Bows or Staves are in the area, and so on. Use this when planning your journey.
Which Landmarks Should You Prioritise?
Each expedition in Nightreign is somewhat randomised, meaning you can’t follow the same route every time. And with your time limited, you can’t waste time running across vast swathes of the map, either. So to that end, you need to prioritise which Landmarks you tackle so you can make the most of the day before night falls.
Once landing in Limveld, immediately bring up your map and travel to the nearest Landmark with a boss. Most other areas will be very hard to take on at level one or two, and the area you land closest to is typically the easiest. After this Landmark has been completed, you should then start planning a journey on the map. Check which Landmark is closest, and try to plan where you will go after that one as well. Try to plan two Landmarks in advance.
By the end of the first day, you will want to be around level six or seven on average, so always try to fit in a good number of Landmarks with bosses. However, Sacred Flasks are just as important, so if a Church is in your path, don’t be afraid to make a slight detour to get it. The Spectral Hawks exist to bring you to certain areas of the map quickly, though you should only use these when necessary as they only move in a single direction. Putting yourself far off-track for a single Landmark is often a bad idea.
Remember that areas do not reset at the beginning of the second day. Any areas you missed can be reached on the second day, and any damage you dealt to undefeated bosses will be retained.
After beating the boss of the second night, you will be given an extra Sacred Flask for free, so don’t worry too much if you’re able to’t reach every Church during your run. Just ensure you’re taclking every Landmark as you pass it to make the most efficient use of time, but don’t be afraid to run away if the challenge is taking too long. Wasting five minutes defeating a single boss is not worth it if you could have taken down two or three at a different Landmark in the same period of time.
