Class Concept
Wylder is a general-purpose melee fighter best suited for new players. His big pool of health and average stamina allow him to survive in combat, where new players tend to die most of the time.
Stats
Wylder's strengths are his gigantic HP reserves (A-rank) and high Strength (A-rank), so he's highly resistant and effective with heavy equipment. B-rank Dexterity also provides access to a wide range of physical weapons. B-rank Stamina provides him with sufficient reserve for active participation.
Weaknesses like extremely low FP (C-rank) preventing the use of weapon skill and spellcasting. Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane are C-rank too, making magical and holy weapons completely useless.
The number one goal upon landing is to get up to level 2 as soon as humanly possible. This gives a huge boost in health and enables fighting stronger foes.
Abilities
Sixth Sense is a passive ability that allows cheating death once in life. When taking fatal damage, Wylder survives with minimal health. The effect is reset upon respawning or resting at a Site of Grace, so it's invaluable for surviving.
Clawshot is an active skill, with 8-9 second cooldown time. Pulses in small foes to Wylder or pulls him to large foes. Also used to move around terrain. Can shatter shield guards and execute frail foes. Holding the button activates aiming. Critical in closing gap without wasting stamina.
Onslaught Stake is the possible overcharge-type ultimate skill that gets charged up over time and via attacks. Blows out a powerful iron stake with explosion, dealing massive stance damage. Best used against bosses for breaking stance and creating critical hit openings. Can be charged to repeat the effect. Has i-frames but has a high chance of missing mobile bosses.
Recommended Weapons
Prioritize melee weapons with additional effects - scarlet rot and poison, bleed, sleep, or frost. The effects persist even via dodging and repositioning.
Heavy weapons are especially awesome because of the ultimate ability - great hammers, swords, and axes deal colossal stance damage, rendering Wylder a staggering master.
Don't forget shields - the ability to absorb incoming attacks can be a lifesaver in volatile situations, though Wylder is not quite as tanky as Guardian.
Passive Priorities
Survivability over raw damage is more crucial for melee fighters. Prioritize health restoration, physical and elemental damage mitigation, maximum HP and stamina boosts, stamina restoration, and critical hit rate bonuses. If using weapon skills actively, include FP restoration or pool boosts.
Relics
Early status effect relics such as poison or bleed render even low-level weapons lethal. Wylder-specific relics are scarce but extremely potent.
Priorities are stamina, health, damage resistances, Dexterity, and Strength. Found weapon choices need to complement.
Group Play
Wylder is not rigid and is suitable in any group build. Paired with two ranged characters, he is a mobile frontliner. Paired with Guardian or Duchess, he is a straight damage dealer or stance breaker.
If the team does have a tank, play offense and forgo resource investment in shields. If there isn't a tank, Wylder can play in its stead, but his survival is more an issue of aggressiveness and self-healing than blocking.
Conclusion
Wylder is the most beginner-friendly character in Elden Ring: Nightreign with his large health pool and game-saving Sixth Sense skill. His extremely versatile weapons let you pick and choose how you'd like to play every time you begin a new game, whether you're learning the ins and outs or experimenting with fresh builds. Whether you're new to the game or warming up new combos, Wylder's balanced stat build and forgiving toolkit provide the perfect place to start in Nightreign's challenging world.
FAQ
Q1: What makes Wylder the best melee fighter for new players in Elden Ring Nightreign? Wylder's A-rank HP reserves and high Strength make him extremely durable in melee combat. His Sixth Sense passive ability allows cheating death once per life, making him perfect for players learning combat mechanics. The B-rank Stamina provides sufficient reserves for active participation without constant stamina management.
Q2: Which weapons should I prioritize when playing Wylder? Focus on heavy weapons like great hammers, greatswords, and axes that deal massive stance damage. Prioritize melee weapons with status effects such as poison, scarlet rot, bleed, sleep, or frost. These effects persist during dodging and repositioning, making even basic weapons deadly.
Q3: How does Wylder's Clawshot ability work in combat? Clawshot is an active skill with 8-9 second cooldown that pulls small enemies to Wylder or pulls him to large foes. It's critical for closing gaps without wasting stamina, can shatter shield guards, execute frail enemies, and provides terrain traversal. Holding the button activates aiming for better accuracy.
Q4: What are Wylder's main stat strengths and weaknesses? Wylder excels with A-rank HP and A-rank Strength, plus B-rank Dexterity and Stamina. His major weakness is extremely low C-rank FP, preventing weapon skill usage and spellcasting. Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane are also C-rank, making magical and holy weapons completely useless.
Q5: How should I use Wylder's Onslaught Stake ultimate ability? Onslaught Stake charges over time and through attacks, launching a powerful iron stake explosion with massive stance damage. It's best used against bosses for stance breaking and creating critical hit openings. The ability has i-frames for safety but can easily miss mobile bosses, so timing is crucial.
Q6: What passive priorities should I focus on for Wylder builds? Survivability over raw damage is crucial for melee fighters. Prioritize health restoration, physical and elemental damage mitigation, maximum HP and stamina boosts, stamina restoration, and critical hit bonuses. If using weapon skills actively, include FP restoration or pool boosts.
Q7: Which relics work best with Wylder's playstyle? Early status effect relics like poison or bleed make even low-level weapons lethal. Wylder-specific relics are scarce but extremely potent. Priority stats are health, stamina, damage resistances, Strength, and Dexterity. Choose relics that complement your found weapon choices.
Q8: How does Wylder perform in group play compositions? Wylder is extremely flexible and suitable for any group build. With two ranged characters, he serves as a mobile frontliner. Paired with Guardian or Duchess, he becomes a pure damage dealer or stance breaker. His versatility allows adaptation to any team composition.
Q9: Why is reaching level 2 so important for Wylder? The number one goal upon landing is reaching level 2 as quickly as possible. This provides a huge health boost and enables fighting stronger foes. Like other characters, Wylder gets a massive HP increase from level 1 to 2, significantly improving survivability.
Q10: Can Wylder function as a tank without Guardian in the party? If there's no dedicated tank, Wylder can fill that role, though his survival depends more on aggressiveness and self-healing than blocking. Don't forget shields - the ability to absorb incoming attacks can be a lifesaver in volatile situations, even though Wylder isn't quite as tanky as Guardian.
