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

In the expansive world of Elden Ring, bows have traditionally served as a supportive tool, ideal for drawing enemy attention or weakening foes from a distance before engaging with your primary weapon. However, in the game Nightreign, the bow takes center stage for the Ironeye class, offering a unique playstyle that distinguishes it from the other eight classes. The Ironeye class transforms the bow into a vital component, arguably making it the closest to a support role available in Nightreign. Dive into the exclusive gameplay video below to witness the Ironeye in action.

One of the first things you'll notice about the Ironeye class is its fragility. While they can equip any weapon, sticking with a bow is crucial for keeping a safe distance from combat. The Ironeye's starting bow is reliable, dealing significant damage and featuring the Mighty Shot skill, which allows for long-range attacks, increased damage, and additional poise damage.

Bows in Nightreign have undergone a significant overhaul. They now shoot faster, and you can move more swiftly while targeting locked-on enemies. Arrows are no longer a concern as they are automatically replenished, though you're limited to the type of arrows your weapon provides. Additional enhancements include a new animation for shooting while rolling, the ability to perform acrobatic feats like running up walls and shooting mid-leap, faster movement during manual aiming without needing to switch to first-person view, a strong attack that fires a spread of three arrows, and the ability to backstab or use visceral attacks with arrows on downed enemies. These changes make the bow a formidable primary weapon, addressing the limitations it had in the base Elden Ring.

The bow is central to the Ironeye's identity in Nightreign. The class's main skill, Marking, is a swift dagger dash that pierces through enemies and marks them for increased damage from all attacks. This skill has a short cooldown, enabling constant application on bosses and serving as an effective mobility tool to escape dangerous situations.

The Ironeye's ultimate ability, Single Shot, is a powerful, singular arrow that's essentially an enhanced Mighty Shot. It requires some time to charge, but you're invulnerable during the animation. Once fired, it delivers massive damage and penetrates through obstacles, making it perfect for clearing groups of enemies.

The Ironeye's true value shines in a team setting, particularly with their ability to revive allies from a distance. In Nightreign, reviving a downed ally involves depleting a partitioned circle above their character through attacks. While most classes must risk close combat or expend resources to revive, the Ironeye can do so safely from afar without using any resources. This capability can be the deciding factor in a run's success or failure. However, reviving allies who have fallen multiple times becomes challenging for the Ironeye, as they struggle to clear all three parts of the circle without resorting to their ultimate ability.

Although the Ironeye may not match the damage output of some other classes, their utility in a squad is unparalleled. From enhancing damage with their marking ability, increasing item drop rates for the team, clearing mobs with their ultimate, to safely reviving teammates, the Ironeye's support capabilities are unmatched among the nightfarers.