Ironeye is a sharpshooter in Elden Ring Nightreign who supports his team from behind the frontline with a hail of arrows and abilities that provide powerful buffs.
Like Guardian, Ironeye is an excellent Nightfarer for beginners with a smooth learning curve. To get the most out of his abilities, however, learning enemy attack patterns to maintain optimal range is key, as is a general knack for situational awareness.
With exceptional Dexterity and Stamina scaling, Ironeye can consistently stay in the action with very little downtime, dealing sustained damage that adds up over time.
Not sure if this character’s for you? Check out our character tier list for Nightreign.
Best character build for Ironeye
How to play Ironeye
Dexterity, Stamina, and Arcane are Ironeye’s primary attributes, a synergistic trifecta that allows him to always be on the offensive.
While he receives no built-in benefits from using bows like Wylder and Guardian with greatswords and halberds respectively, they should be prioritized above all else. Ironeye’s extremely low HP makes him an ineffective frontline attacker.
From afar, he has a panoramic view of the battlefield, allowing him to direct teammates and provide support where necessary. Should a comrade fall in battle, Ironeye’s ability to revive them from a distance and away from danger is a massive plus.
While his direct damage starts to fall off around late game, Relics and loot that imbue his weapons with status-effect-inflicting elements – scaling with Arcane – keep his offence relevant throughout an entire Expedition. Failing that, his unique abilities alone are more than enough to justify bringing the bowmaster along.
Ironeye Abilities & Attributes
Ironeye’s abilities are all about making life for his fellow Nightfarers easier. Eagle Eye, which requires no upkeep or activation, boosts item drop rates from enemies. Such drops are normally relatively rare, with most loot usually coming from bosses, chests and crates.
Marking causes Ironeye to pull out a dagger and mark an opponent. While active, the marked target takes 10% additional damage from all sources. Repeated attacks will make the mark last longer and trigger a sizable burst of damage if maintained long enough.
Finally, Single Shot is a heavy-hitting arrow loosed from Ironeye’s greatbow that penetrates any obstacle until it finds its target. While it deals respectable damage, Single Shot is best used to disrupt and knock down large groups of enemies.
Abilities
- Passive: Eagle Eye – Increases drop rate of items from defeated enemies for self and allies. Always active.
- Character Skill: Marking – Brandishes a dagger and launches toward an enemy to inflict a temporary weak point. All attacks on a weak point deal increased damage, with each hit extending its duration.
- Ultimate Art: Single Shot – Arrow that pierces terrain, enemies, and buildings, dealing high damage to anything caught in its path.
Attributes
| Stat | Scaling |
|---|---|
| HP | C |
| FP | C |
| Stamina | B |
| Strength | C |
| Dexterity | A |
| Intelligence | D |
| Faith | D |
| Arcane | B |
Best Relic Effects for Ironeye
Ironeye benefits massively from numerous Relic effects. Any that decrease Ability cooldown times or increase the number of uses boost uptime on Marked considerably. Likewise, Stamina-boosting Relics will offset the character’s tendency to run low in prolonged engagements.
Any Relics that imbue Ironeye’s starting weapon with Poison, Frostbite, or Bleed status effects are best-in-slot and can single-handedly transform the character into a top-tier DPS.
While it may be tempting to use Relics that increase his survivability, these should be avoided. Played properly, Ironeye will rarely find himself in the direct line of fire, especially when paired with Guardian or Raider.
Early Game
- Increased Dexterity
- Increased Stamina
- Increased Arcane
- Stamina recovers with each successful attack
Late Game
- Attacks inflict Blood Loss
- Attacks inflict Frost
- Attacks inflict Scarlet Rot
- Flask also heals allies
Unique Relic Effects (Ironeye only)
- Extend Marking duration
- Charging Single Shot grants it a Poison effect
Best Weapons for Ironeye
Bows of any variety are the best choice of weapon for Ironeye. In any given Expedition, you’ll most often be using light or standard bows, with heavy-duty greatbows being a great secondary choice for slower enemies.
Early Game
| Weapon | Base Attack | Level Requirement |
|---|---|---|
 Albinauric Bow |
45 (Physical) | 3 |
 Harp Bow |
44 (Physical) | 3 |
 Horn Bow |
46 (Physical/Magic) | 3 |
 Golem Greatbow |
106 (Physical) | 3 |
Late Game
| Weapon | Base Attack | Level Requirement |
|---|---|---|
 Black Bow |
55 (Physical) | 7 |
 Serpent Bow |
50 (Physical); inflicts Poison | 7 |
 Pulley Bow |
54 (Physical) | 7 |
 Lion Greatbow |
132 (Physical) | 10 |
Check out the best weapons in Elden Ring Nightreign here.
Other build guides
If you’re not super happy with the Ironeye, you can check out other builds:
