The curtain is drawn on the Elden Ring Nightreign’s Everdark Sovereign Nightlords, at least for now, as we explore the current lineup of available expeditions.
While anticipation builds for future updates from FromSoftware or enhancements to Heolstor, today we shift our focus to the upgraded Gladius, known as the Beast of Night, found within the Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos expedition.
This charming three-headed canine has received impressive enhancements, living up to the reputation of being one of the latest formidable bosses introduced in the game.
Recommended Team Composition
Continuing with our tradition of providing strategy guides, we’ve outlined the optimal Nightfarers to accompany you, along with insights on their effectiveness both in Duos and Trios.
For Duos, a combination of Ironeye and Raider proves to be a robust choice, making quick work of the encounter thanks to the favorable balance of this mode.
- Ironeye: Despite having low health, Ironeye excels with his high tracking damage against Gladius’s erratic movements. Coupled with an optimal relic setup, you can leverage two character skill charges, effectively using them for evasion thanks to the invincibility frames (I-frames).Securing a Holy affinity bow or the Erdtree Bow enhances your run significantly.
- Raider: Gladius’s swift and devastating attacks become manageable with a capable Raider, whose tankiness and character skills allow for robust defense against high-damage strikes. A powerstance weapon build further synergizes with Ironeye’s weakening marks, enabling substantial damage output.
- Guardian: With the fierce nature of Gladius’s attacks, having a Guardian on your team can be invaluable. His Ultimate Art can revive teammates at critical moments, and with proficient stamina management, he can effectively absorb damage using a Greatshield, redirecting attention from more vulnerable allies.
Key Differences With Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos
The distinctions between the standard Gladius and his Everdark variant can be summarized as a more powerful iteration, akin to the Everdark Sovereign Darkdrift Knight.
Gladius begins the battle in his split form and transitions into his enhanced guise upon dropping below 70% HP.
This boss doesn’t introduce unique mechanics or gimmicks; the main difference lies in the intensity of his new attacks, featuring a fiery sword combination and unpredictable split attacks that can reach players across the arena.
Be alert for an attack reminiscent of Heolstor’s devastating AOE ground blast, as it can easily eliminate characters with low health if not avoided.
How To Prepare For Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos
The primary weakness of Gladius in his Everdark form is his vulnerability to Holy affinity attacks.
Players can find Holy-affinity bows at designated locations, offering Ironeye significant advantages. Meanwhile, Raider boasts a versatile arsenal, possibly including holy-affinity Ash of War options.
Furthermore, it’s advisable to acquire items that increase your fire damage resistance to mitigate the effects of Gladius’s fiery offensive.
As with much of the game, randomness plays a role; obtaining reward boons that enhance your affinity-based weapon damage or grant additional I-frames during evasions can be greatly beneficial.
Regarding the Shifting Earth Event, my team focused on the Crater to elevate our weapons to Legendary status while the Noklateo City Shifting Event serves as an excellent alternative for securing an auto-revive buff in critical situations.
Prepare with holy damage weapons to efficiently tackle this boss and apply status effects that may help stagger him during combat.
Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos Moveset
Here’s a concise overview of Gladius’s moveset; I had to review this multiple times to ensure accuracy, so let’s dive in.
| Moveset | Description |
|---|---|
| Fissure Discharge | Gladius ignites himself and targets a player with multiple lunges, culminating in a large AOE explosion. It’s advisable to maintain distance for effective observation before dodging the explosion. This also signals his transition into the Everdark phase. |
| Lunging Bite | A straightforward attack in which Gladius lunges towards you; a well-timed dodge roll suffices for evasion. |
| 4-hit Combo | A new combo involving a downward chainsword slam, a leaping strike, a 360-degree sweep, followed by a swift ground slash. The final hit can be deceptive, so be ready to evade swiftly. |
| Volcanic Triple Sweep | Gladius unleashes three rapid fiery sweeps with his chainsword. Timed dodges are crucial for avoiding this attack. |
| Double Chain Spin | A basic but effective spinning attack with the chainsword, executed in a full 360-degree rotation. |
| Split-Up Attacks | Major split-up moves include a volcanic sweep followed by a running and leaping attack. These positions offer chances for damage if you evade correctly. |
| Comet Dash | Gladius separates by dashing away, with each clone launching long-range fireball attacks, followed by a wave-like blast. All can be dodged effectively by managing aggro. |
How To Beat Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos
First Phase
The initial combat phase involves facing Gladius’s split forms, which will immediately target a random teammate. It’s essential to conserve resources and maintain healing flasks. If your team efficiently damages the clones, you should force Gladius into his Everdark transformation within a minute.
The clones can quickly overwhelm you with their attacks, but they are manageable until the real confrontation begins.
Second Phase
As the battle intensifies, watch for Gladius’s violent charging—a clear warning to evade. He will focus on a player first and unleash his infamous Fissure Discharge attack afterward.
Your survival hinges on dodging Gladius’s assaults while your allies concentrate on dealing damage.
While team diversity may be tempting, I highly recommend including tank-like characters such as Raider and Guardian for defensive play.
Ironeye provides consistent damage but be cautious, as Gladius’s new strikes are capable of one-shotting squishy characters like Recluse.
Utilize Ultimate Arts strategically during high-damage moments to potentially stagger Gladius and capitalize on damage opportunities.
Maintain a defensive strategy during the split phase, especially in Duos, as Gladius can present lethal attacks during this time.
Overall, the balance of the fight is relatively fair; success or struggle may depend on your loadout. Stay vigilant, and if communicating with teammates, signal when Gladius splits to manage aggro effectively.
Rewards
Upon successfully completing the Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos expedition, return to the Roundtable Hold to visit the Collector Signboard merchant and{“”} acquire the newly added Dark Night of the Beast relic, which is an excellent addition for any Raider’s relic setup.
Leave a Reply