Executor is Elden Ring Nightreign’s masked duelist and your go-to for brutal, one-on-one takedowns. But fair warning: this one’s not for the faint of heart.
Their whole deal is high-risk, high-reward. They use a cursed sword that gets stronger the more they deflect attacks, and they’re absolutely cracked at applying status ailments like Bleed, Poison, and Madness thanks to their sky-high Arcane. Once you get a rhythm going, they can melt bosses with relentless pressure and stance-breaks.
The tricky part is you’ve got to be in the enemy’s face. If you aren’t reading your opponent like a book, things go bad fast. So while Executor can be devastating in skilled hands, there’s a steep learning curve. If you’re confident in your timing and love the idea of punishing enemies for daring to swing at you, Executor might just be your new main.
Not sure if this character’s for you? Check out our character tier list for Nightreign.
Best character build for Executor
How to play Executor
Executor’s all about Dexterity and Arcane. Dex helps them get the most out of fast weapons like Katanas, and Arcane cranks up how fast they apply status effects.
Their FP pool is pretty small, but that’s fine. Most of their gameplay is about spacing, deflecting, and punishing, not spamming spells.
You’ll spend most of your time up close, weaving quick slashes between enemy attacks. When you activate their Cursed Sword skill, they draw a special blade that can deflect attacks.
Deflecting not only prevents damage but also builds up charge on the sword. Once it’s powered up, you can launch a brutal dash attack that hits like a truck and deals major stance damage.
The trick is knowing when to stay in Cursed Sword mode and when to back off. You can’t run while it’s out, which can get you killed if you’re caught off guard. But if you can stay cool under pressure and keep deflecting, you’ll ramp up damage fast and break through even the toughest enemies.
Executor really shines in boss fights or one-on-one duels. They’re not great for crowd control until you activate their Ultimate Art, which lets them turn into a hulking beast that wrecks everything in sight. It’s great for clearing mobs or just giving yourself room to breathe.
Executor abilities & attributes
DexertoAbilities
Passive: Tenacity
Kicks in after a status ailment wears off. You get a short burst of extra attack power and faster stamina recovery. It’s not something you’ll plan around, but it’s a solid bonus when it happens. Just keep in mind it only triggers once the effect ends, so with things like Poison or Frostbite, the bar has to drain fully.
Character Skill: Cursed Sword
Draws a cursed blade that can deflect incoming attacks. Each deflection powers up the sword. Once fully charged, you can trigger a high-damage slash that emits a wave of golden energy. You can enter and exit this stance at any time, and the charge sticks around unless you use the attack. Movement is limited while the sword’s drawn, but the trade-off is huge burst damage potential and total dominance in duels.
Ultimate Art: Aspects of the Crucible Beast
Transforms Executor into a massive beast with sweeping melee attacks. You can stay in this form until your gauge runs out, and you get a full heal when you activate it. It’s best for mob clearing, burst damage, or escaping a tight spot.
Attributes
| Stat | Scaling |
|---|---|
| HP | B |
| FP | D |
| Stamina | B |
| Strength | C |
| Dexterity | S |
| Intelligence | D |
| Faith | D |
| Arcane | S |
Best Relic effects for Executor
Boosting Dexterity and Arcane should be your first priority. They boost status effect buildup and attack speed, which is key to Executor’s playstyle.
Relics that increase stamina recovery or give you bonus damage after dodging or deflecting are also strong picks. Anything that helps you stay aggressive without getting punished is a win.
Since their FP pool is small and most of their power comes from weapon skills, don’t worry too much about mana-focused relics. Instead, look for ones that buff your status effects, increase damage against debuffed targets, or give you some added survivability.
Early Game
- Increased Dexterity and Arcane
- Boost to status effect buildup
- Improved stamina recovery
Late game
- Bonus damage against enemies with status effects
- Deflection restores stamina or boosts charge speed
- Increased stance damage with Cursed Sword
DexertoBest weapons
Executor is all about fast weapons that apply status effects. Katanas are their top choice, especially ones that stack Bleed, Frost, or Poison.
Early game
| Weapon name | Effect | Scaling | Level required |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nagikiba |
Unsheathe: Sheathe blade, holding it at the hip in a composed stance. Follow up with a normal or strong attack to perform a swift slash attack. |
63 | 3 |
 Serpentbone Blade |
Double Slash: Perform a crossing slash attack. Repeated inputs allow for up to two follow-up attacks. | 54 | 3 |
 Meteoric Ore Blade |
Gravitas: Thrust the armament into the ground to create a gravity well and pull enemies in. |
62 | 3 |
Late game
| Weapon name | Effect | Scaling | Level required |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rivers of Blood |
Corpse Piler: Forms a blade of cursed blood for repeated, interweaving successive attacks. Follow up with an additional input for further successive attacks. |
87 | 7 |
 Dragonscale Blade |
Ice Lightning Sword: Call down a bolt of ice lightning into the blade and bring it down upon a foe. The ice lightning effect will persist for a while. | 83 | 7 |
 Hand of Malenia |
Waterfoul Dance: Perform a series of one-footed leaps to unleash a swift yet graceful slashing combo. Repeated inputs allow for up to two follow-up attacks. | 85 | 10 |
Check out the best weapons in Elden Ring Nightreign here.
Other build guides
If you’re not super happy with the Executor, you can check out other builds:
