Elden Ring: Nightreign - Ironeye Hands-On Preview - IGN

In Elden Ring, the bow traditionally serves as a support weapon, used to draw enemy attention, weaken foes from a distance, or even to farm runes by causing creatures like birds to plummet to their demise. However, in the game Nightreign, when you choose to play as the Ironeye class, the bow transforms from a mere support tool into the very essence of your gameplay. Unlike any of the other eight classes in Nightreign, Ironeye's playstyle is distinct, offering the closest experience to a support class within the game. Dive into the exclusive gameplay video below to see the Ironeye in action.

One of the first things you'll notice when playing as the Ironeye is their vulnerability. While they can wield any weapon they come across, the bow remains their primary tool, allowing them to stay out of harm's way. This is crucial because Ironeye can't withstand many hits, especially in the early stages of the game. Thankfully, their starting bow is quite effective, delivering solid damage and featuring the Mighty Shot skill. This skill enables attacks from an impressive distance, inflicts additional damage, and also increases poise damage.

Nightreign has significantly revamped the mechanics of bows. They now fire at a faster rate, and you can move more swiftly while targeting a locked-on enemy. A key improvement is the elimination of the need for arrows, although this means you're limited to the arrow type your bow comes equipped with. This change removes the worry of running out of arrows during crucial moments like boss fights. Other enhancements include a new animation for shooting arrows while rolling, the ability to perform acrobatic maneuvers like running up walls and shooting arrows in mid-air, and the option to aim without switching to first-person view, which allows for quicker movement. The strong attack now releases a spread of three arrows capable of hitting multiple targets, and you can even execute backstabs or visceral attacks on downed enemies with an arrow. These updates make the bow a formidable primary weapon in Nightreign, addressing the limitations it had in base Elden Ring.

The Ironeye class centers around the bow, and their main skill, Marking, complements this focus. Marking involves a swift dagger dash that pierces through enemies, leaving them marked to receive extra damage from all sources. With a short cooldown, this skill can be nearly always active on bosses if you're attentive to the debuff's duration. It also serves as an excellent mobility tool, enabling you to navigate through enemies to escape tight spots.

The ultimate ability of the Ironeye, Single Shot, lives up to its name by delivering a potent single shot. This enhanced version of Mighty Shot requires some time to charge but grants full invulnerability during the animation. Once released, the shot pierces through everything in its path, making it ideal for clearing groups of enemies.

What sets the Ironeye apart in team play is their exceptional ability to revive allies from a distance. In Nightreign, reviving an ally involves emptying a partitioned circle above the downed player by attacking them. Most classes must risk close combat or use resources like mana or ultimate skills to revive, but the Ironeye can do so safely from afar without expending any resources. This capability can be the deciding factor between a successful and failed run. However, each time an ally faints, an additional partition is added to the circle, making it challenging for the Ironeye to revive an ally who has gone down multiple times without using their ultimate ability.

Although the Ironeye may not match the raw damage output of other classes, their utility within a squad is unparalleled. From their marking ability that boosts team damage, to their passive that enhances item discovery for everyone, to their effective crowd-clearing ultimate, and their unique, resource-free revival method, the Ironeye class brings invaluable support to any team in Nightreign.