Elden Ring shines in enabling diverse playstyles, and my personal favorite revolves around maxing Strength, wielding colossal weapons, and demolishing enemies with staggering jump attacks and charged heavy hits. If that sounds like your style, meet Nightreign's Raider (featured in the video below).

Unlike the Guardian—another tanky class favoring massive weapons but specializing in defense with shield tactics and team-wide damage reduction—the Raider is built purely for offensive dominance.

The Raider’s signature Retaliate ability might appear underwhelming at first—two stomps dealing modest physical and poise damage. The real game-changer? The Raider’s passive prevents knockbacks during Retaliate, essentially granting a risk-free counterattack window. Absorbing heavy enemy hits transforms the second stomp into a devastating punch capable of staggering even towering bosses.

Then there’s Totem Stela, the Raider’s ultimate: a ground-slam summoning a massive totem that damages nearby foes. Like all Nightreign ultimates, this fight-turner excels beyond raw damage—its climbable structure provides tactical high ground for allies while applying a team-wide damage buff. Timing this ultimate early maximizes its party-wide benefits.

Among Nightreign’s classes, the Raider delivered my most exhilarating gameplay moments.

Starting with the fire-infused Greavtaxe (equipped with the "Endure" skill for alternate attack absorption), the Raider handles early-game threats smoothly. Still, upgrading to heavier Strength-scaling weapons becomes essential as difficulty spikes.

The Raider stands out as Nightreign’s most satisfying class—perfectly tailored for head-to-head combat. This aligns with its Remembrances (detailed later) featuring gladiator-style solo boss battles, offering a refreshing pivot from team fights.

This concludes our Nightreign class previews—stay tuned throughout the month for deep dives into game mechanics, developer interviews, and more as IGN First coverage continues.