In the world of Elden Ring, the bow typically serves as a supportive tool—ideal for drawing enemy attention, softening foes from a distance before engaging with your primary weapon, or strategically eliminating targets like birds for rune farming. However, in Nightreign, the Ironeye class elevates the bow to the core of its gameplay, presenting a unique style distinct from the game's other eight classes and offering the closest experience to a support role in Nightreign. Dive into the exclusive gameplay video below to see the Ironeye in action.
Playing as the Ironeye, you'll quickly realize how vulnerable this class is. While they can wield any weapon, the bow remains crucial for maintaining distance and avoiding direct combat, as the Ironeye can't withstand many hits, especially early in the game. Fortunately, the starting bow is robust, dealing significant damage and equipped with the Mighty Shot skill, which allows for long-range attacks with increased damage and poise impact.
It's important to note that the bow mechanics in Nightreign have undergone significant changes. Bows now shoot faster, and you can move more swiftly while targeting locked-on enemies. Additionally, the need for a constant arrow supply has been eliminated, though you're limited to the arrow type provided by your weapon. This change eliminates the risk of running out of arrows during critical moments like boss fights. Other enhancements include a new animation for shooting arrows mid-roll, the ability to perform acrobatic maneuvers like wall-running and arrow shooting, and the option to aim without switching to first-person view, all while moving faster. The strong attack now launches a spread of three arrows capable of hitting multiple enemies, and you can execute backstabs or visceral attacks on downed enemies using arrows. These updates make the bow a formidable primary weapon in Nightreign, addressing the limitations it had in the base Elden Ring.
When playing as the Ironeye, the bow truly becomes the essence of the class. The Ironeye's main skill, Marking, involves a swift dagger dash that pierces through enemies, marking them for additional damage from all sources. With a short cooldown, this skill can be consistently applied to bosses, enhancing your team's damage output. It also serves as an excellent mobility tool, allowing you to escape dangerous situations by passing through enemies.
The Ironeye's ultimate ability, Single Shot, is a powerful, concentrated shot that amplifies the Mighty Shot's effects. While it requires time to charge, you remain invulnerable during the animation. Once fired, the shot pierces through obstacles and enemies, making it perfect for clearing groups of foes.
The Ironeye excels in team play, particularly with their ability to revive allies from a safe distance. In Nightreign, reviving a downed ally involves depleting a segmented circle above their character through attacks. While most classes must risk close combat or use resources to revive, the Ironeye can do so safely and efficiently from afar. This ability is invaluable, potentially deciding the success of a run. However, reviving becomes challenging if an ally has fallen multiple times, as each faint adds a segment to the circle, and the Ironeye may struggle to clear all parts without using their ultimate.
Although the Ironeye might not match the raw damage output of other classes, their impact on a team is undeniable. Their Marking ability boosts team damage, a passive increases item drops for everyone, their ultimate clears mobs effectively, and their unique revival skill offers unmatched utility among Nightreign's classes.
