Elden Ring: Nightreign can be difficult, particularly with all the areas to explore and bosses to battle. If you’re embarking on your first journey or simply want to enjoy an easier beginning, being aware of where to go at the start can make a significant difference. In this guide, we will take you through the places to go first so that you can stock up your equipment and level up in no time.
Where To Go First In Nightreign
Most expeditions in Elden Ring: Nightreign take about 20 to 30 minutes, during which you’ll be farming runes and fighting bosses to equip and level before encountering the Nightlord on Day 3. The biggest part of any expedition is the beginning.
Churches
Once you level up at a Site of Grace, your next priority is to locate the Churches close to you which are pointed out on your map. Go towards them first, these places typically have upgrades for your flasks, which are really helpful to you on your journey. And as you continue exploring and travel towards more Churches, be sure to look out for Encampments, Ruins, and Forts in between. The bosses inside these locations aren’t that difficult early on.
Camps
Most camps in Nightreign region have a merchant where you can purchase a normal Smithing Stone. This allows you to upgrade your starting weapon or other basic equipment you’re using.
Mines
If you want to upgrade your weapons past +1, you’ll need to go into the mines and collect the proper materials. But remember, these mines differ slightly from those in Elden Ring. There’s no clear-cut endpoint. Instead, every mine is linked to another entrance somewhere on the map. It gets rather confusing in there, and because the map’s circle is constantly shrinking, it’s easy to be trapped or lost. If you do get lost, you’ll die and lose both your runes and a level, so tread warily when exploring.
Enemy Camps
If you see an enemy camp highlighted with a green sphere on your map, you should avoid them. These are invasion points, where a batch of enemies will spawn and attack you, mimicking your team’s composition. They are typically way stronger than you unless you’re level 10 and above, and engaging with them early can be very difficult. That aside, if you do succeed in defeating them, you’ll be rewarded with three rare items.
The Shifting Earth
Once you complete your first expedition, you’ll receive a notice stating the Shifting Earth event is active. This event alters a section of the map, introducing both new possibilities and new dangers. World Events such as these are wonderful for leveling up quickly and gaining useful blessings that you can use to your advantage during subsequent runs.
Be cautious, though, as most of the bosses that are associated with these events are quite difficult and can quickly overpower you if you’re not high enough level. The changed environment that you find in the Shifting Earth can also be somewhat difficult to navigate, particularly if this is your first time there.
Night Lord
Every Night Lord in Nightreign also has an elemental weakness that you can review in the expedition menu prior to selecting who to battle. In preparation, attempt to go to spots on the map that are more likely to drop gear with that elemental category. It’s not guaranteed, you could end up with a weapon that isn’t really suited to your build, but it’s worth a shot. Having the proper elemental gear makes a great difference in combat.
