In the world of Elden Ring, the bow has traditionally served as a supportive tool, often used to draw enemy attention, soften them up from a distance, or strategically dispatch creatures like birds for rune farming. However, when you dive into the Ironeye class in Nightreign, the bow transforms into the core of your gameplay, offering a unique playstyle distinct from the other eight classes in the game. This class comes closest to embodying a support role within Nightreign. To see the Ironeye in action, check out the exclusive gameplay video below.
One of the first things you'll notice about playing as the Ironeye is their vulnerability. While they can equip any weapon, sticking to a bow is crucial for maintaining distance and avoiding the fray, as they can't withstand many hits, especially in the early stages. Thankfully, the starting bow is quite effective, delivering solid damage and equipped with the Mighty Shot skill, which allows for long-range attacks with enhanced damage and poise impact.
It's important to note that the mechanics of bows in Nightreign have been significantly revamped. Bows now shoot faster, and you can move more swiftly while targeting enemies. Moreover, the need for a constant supply of arrows is gone, although you're limited to the arrow type of your equipped bow. Other enhancements include a new animation for shooting while rolling, the ability to perform acrobatic feats like wall-running and shooting, quicker movement during manual aiming without switching to first-person mode, and a powerful strong attack that fires a spread of three arrows. Additionally, you can now execute backstabs or visceral attacks on downed enemies using arrows. These changes make the bow a formidable primary weapon in Nightreign, addressing the limitations it had in the base Elden Ring.
As the Ironeye in Nightreign, the bow is not just a weapon but the essence of the class. Their primary skill, Marking, is a swift dagger dash that penetrates enemies, marking them for increased damage from all sources. With a short cooldown, it's almost always available for use on bosses, and it doubles as an excellent mobility tool to escape tight spots.
The Ironeye's ultimate ability, Single Shot, is a potent, single-arrow attack that enhances the Mighty Shot's power. It requires some time to charge but offers complete invulnerability during the process. Once fired, it pierces through multiple enemies, making it ideal for clearing groups.
What truly sets the Ironeye apart in a team setting is their ability to safely revive allies from a distance. In Nightreign, reviving a downed ally involves depleting a segmented circle above their character through attacks. While most classes must risk close combat or use precious resources like mana or ultimate abilities, the Ironeye can perform this task from afar without expending any resources, which can be crucial for mission success. However, reviving an ally with multiple segments is challenging for the Ironeye due to their limited long-range damage output, unless they use their ultimate for the revival.
Although the Ironeye may not match the damage output of some other classes, their overall impact on a team is profound. From boosting team damage with their marking ability, to increasing item drops for everyone, to clearing mobs with their ultimate, and providing safe revivals, the Ironeye's utility is unmatched among Nightreign's classes.
