Elden Ring Nightreign DLC Dreglord Best Build & Strategy

This guide breaks down the best team setup, weapon choices, and phase-by-phase strategies to beat the final boss Dreglord in Elden Ring Nightreign The Forsaken Hollows DLC easily.

Elden Ring Nightreign DLC Dreglord Boss Best Build & Strategy

The boss fight relies on coordination between two Undertakers for staggered stun locks plus one flexible third character to support damage or utility, Wylder or Ironeye is recommended. 

Key Dreglord Weakness

The Dreglord is weak to Holy damage. Focus all your attacks and weapons on Holy types to maximize damage and stagger potential.

Undertaker Build for Dreglord 

Undertakers aren’t just good against the Dreglord, they’re the foundation of your victory. This boss’s deadliest moves (like its one-hit combo finishers and Scarlet Rot AOEs) can only be reliably stopped by Undertaker ultimates, which stun the boss and break its attack patterns. Without two well-built Undertakers coordinating perfectly, even high-damage teams will get wiped repeatedly. Below is every detail you need to maximize their effectiveness, from weapons to ultimate timing.

1. Weapon Choices

The Dreglord’s biggest weakness is Holy damage, hits of this type don’t just deal extra damage; they also speed up the boss’s stagger bar (the meter that lets you land a devastating visceral attack). Wasting slots on non-Holy weapons will drag the fight out and make stuns harder to land. 

• Maliketh's Black Blade: It’s a fast-hitting blade that applies consistent Holy damage, meaning you can chip away at the boss while building your ultimate gauge. Its special attack (a spinning slash) is great for grouping damage if the boss is stationary, and it doesn’t leave you open to counterattacks—critical for Phase 2’s aggressive combos.

• Marika's Hammer: A slower, heavier option, but worth it for its raw Holy burst damage. Each slam hits like a truck, pushing the boss’s stagger bar hard and even interrupting its lighter swipes. Use this if your team prefers burst stuns (hitting hard to stagger fast) over sustained damage. Just make sure to dodge immediately after slamming, don’t get greedy, as the hammer’s recovery time is longer.

Pro Tip: Avoid any weapons with Fire, Frost, or Poison damage, They’re useless against the Dreglord and will only waste your build potential.

2. Ultimate Charge Setup

Undertaker ultimates stop the boss’s lethal combos, stun it for critical damage windows, and even grant minor invulnerability while casting. To use them often enough to control the fight, you must stack Ultimate Art Charge +3 (three separate buffs) on both Undertakers. 

• Faster Ultimate Gauge Fill: Each +3 buff cuts the time needed to charge your ultimate by ~25%. With three stacks, you’ll have your ultimate ready every 15–20 seconds (instead of 30+), which lines up perfectly with the Dreglord’s combo cycles.

• Consistent Stun Locking: Phase 2 of the fight requires near-constant stuns to prevent the boss’s Scarlet Rot spam. Without stacked charge, you’ll have gaps where the boss is unstoppable, stacking ensures one Undertaker always has an ultimate ready when the other’s is on cooldown.

3. Ultimate Timing Rule

Even the best Undertaker builds fail if you mess up ultimate timing. The Dreglord has a stun resistance mechanic: if you hit it with two ultimates in quick succession, it ignores the second stun entirely. Follow this exact step-by-step to maximize stun time:

• First Undertaker Cast: Use your ultimate right as the boss starts a combo (you’ll know by its scream or pause). This interrupts the attack and stuns it for 2–3 seconds.

• The 3–4 Second Wait: Count slowly, this lets the boss’s stun resistance reset. Use this gap to hit it with Holy attacks, don’t stand still.

• Second Undertaker Cast: As soon as the first stun ends (you’ll see the boss start to move again), cast the second ultimate. This stuns it for another 2–3 seconds, giving your team 4–6 total seconds of safe damage.

Wylder/Ironeye Build for Dreglord (Support & Damage)

The third slot isn’t about stuns, it’s about adding consistent damage, utility, or heals to keep the fight on track. You don’t need a hyper-specialized build here, but you do need to avoid useless gear (like debuff weapons) that slows you down. Below are the two best picks, with exact setups:

Option 1: Wylder

Wilder excels at sustained, low-risk damage, WHICH IS perfect for picking away at the Dreglord while the Undertakers handle stuns. Stick to gear that keeps you mobile so you can dodge AOEs and deals reliable damage:

For weapon, choose the Envoy's Long Horn. It’s a fast, lightweight staff that casts Holy-infused projectiles, you can hit the boss from a safe distance (avoiding swipes) and even charge up shots for extra stagger. Its special ability (a homing Holy orb) is great for hitting the boss while you’re running from AOEs.

Option 2: Ironeye

If your team struggles with Scarlet Rot or staying alive, Ironeye is the better choice. They’re a hybrid healer/tank that can keep the Undertakers alive through Phase 2’s chaos. Equip a sturdy mace that deals physical damage and lets you block light swipes. Use it to hit the boss when it’s stunned, and block if you’re caught off-guard.

Weapons that apply poison, bleed, or slow might seem useful, but they hinder your team in this fight. The Dreglord is immune to most debuffs—using these weapons means you’re dealing less damage than a basic Holy weapon, and you’ll waste time trying to apply effects that don’t stick.

Elden Ring Nightreign DLC Dreglord Fight Strategy

Phase 1: Fight Against Traitorous Straghess (Dreglord First Boss)

Triggers when you start the fight in the Forsaken Hollows. Boss HP starts at 100%.

Phase 1 Key Details

• Move set: Basic swipes and slams (easy to dodge).

• Critical trigger: At 50%–75% HP left, the boss uses a big AOE attack that inflicts Scarlet Rot.

Phase 1 Strategy

• Prep for Scarlet Rot: Bring items that remove Scarlet Rot, or gear that boosts HP recovery speed (rot resistance helps too). Run away fast when you see the AOE start.

• Interrupt combos: The boss’s combo always ends with a lethal AOE. Use Undertaker ultimates before the combo starts to stop it—this avoids wiping your team.

• Stagger and visceral attack: Spam Holy damage to debuff the boss. Once staggered, have one player land a visceral attack for big damage.

• Final note: When the boss is almost dead in Phase 1, it becomes immune to Undertaker stuns—focus on burst damage to finish the phase quickly.

Phase 2: Fight Against Pure Impulse Straghess (True Final Form)

The boss teleports everyone to a new dimension, and Phase 2 begins. This phase is way harder—timing your ultimates perfectly is non-negotiable.

Phase 2 Start

The boss opens with an AOE attack. Don’t attack until the health bar appears, stay far away to avoid damage.

Phase 2 Move Set

• The boss’s deadliest combo (starts with a scream): Left swipe → right swipe → double slam → medium-range AOE.

• High-damage jump attack: AOE start → jumps up → flies down 2–3 times (targets one player at a time).

Phase 2 Strategy

• Holy damage spam: Keep hitting the boss with Holy weapons to build up stagger and debuffs (even if ultimates are mistimed, this works).

• Ultimate timing: Use the same 3–4 second gap between Undertaker ultimates as Phase 1. Stun the boss during its combo animation to stop it.

• Dodge the scream combo: If you can’t stun it, either use Undertaker’s perfect dodge skill or run away—stay out of the final AOE’s range.

• 50% HP trigger: At 50% HP, the boss enters its final form and uses more AOE attacks that inflict Scarlet Rot. Use ultimates here for invulnerability, or run far away.

Final phase (boss almost dead): The boss uses a giant Scarlet Rot AOE sphere. Sprint away immediately. After this, it becomes super aggressive (swipes + slams nonstop)—spam Holy damage and finish it fast.