Elden Ring: Nightreign - Ironeye Preview - IGN First

In the world of Elden Ring, the bow typically serves as a support weapon, useful for drawing enemy attention, weakening foes from a distance, or causing strategic falls for rune farming. However, in Nightreign, the Ironeye class transforms the bow into the core of its playstyle, offering a unique experience unlike any other class in the game. This makes Ironeye arguably the closest Nightreign has to a support class. Experience the Ironeye in action through the exclusive gameplay video below.

One of the first things you'll notice when playing as the Ironeye is their vulnerability. While they can wield any weapon, the bow is crucial for maintaining distance and avoiding damage, which is vital given their low health, especially in the early stages of the game. Thankfully, the starting bow is effective, dealing solid damage and equipped with the Mighty Shot skill, enabling long-range attacks, increased damage, and additional poise damage.

It's important to note that the mechanics of bows in Nightreign have been significantly revamped. Bows now fire faster, and players can move more swiftly while targeting locked enemies. The need for a constant arrow supply is eliminated, although you're limited to the arrow type your bow comes with. This change ensures you won't run out of arrows during critical moments like boss fights. Additional enhancements include a new shooting animation from a roll, the ability to perform acrobatic maneuvers like wall-running and jumping shots, and the option to aim without switching to first-person mode, all while moving faster. 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 arrows. These updates make the bow a formidable primary weapon, addressing the shortcomings found in the base Elden Ring.

As the Ironeye in Nightreign, the bow is not just a tool but the essence of the class. The Ironeye's main skill, Marking, involves a swift dagger dash that passes through enemies, marking them for increased damage from all sources. With a short cooldown, you can almost always keep this debuff active on bosses, enhancing your mobility and tactical positioning.

The Ironeye's ultimate ability, Single Shot, is a potent single arrow attack, essentially an enhanced version of Mighty Shot. It requires a brief charge time, during which you're invulnerable, and upon release, it pierces through enemies and obstacles, ideal for clearing groups of foes.

The Ironeye truly excels in team play, particularly with their ability to revive allies safely from a distance. In Nightreign, reviving an ally involves filling a segmented circle above the downed character by attacking them. While most classes must risk close combat or use mana and ultimate skills, the Ironeye can achieve this from afar without expending resources. This ability can be crucial in turning the tide of battle. However, reviving becomes challenging when multiple segments need clearing, as the Ironeye lacks the necessary damage output at range, unless using their ultimate solely for revival.

Despite not being the highest damage dealer, the Ironeye's impact on a squad is significant. From enhancing damage through marking, boosting item discovery for the team, clearing mobs with their ultimate, to safely reviving teammates, the Ironeye offers unmatched utility among Nightreign's classes.