How To Defeat Heolstor the Nightlord: Elden Ring Nightreign’s Final Boss Strategy Guide
By FastRead Info | June 24, 2025
The end of Elden Ring: Nightreign, FromSoftware’s latest expansion to its critically acclaimed open-world RPG, delivers exactly what fans expect—intense challenge, intricate lore, and a final boss that will leave even veterans gasping for breath. Meet Heolstor the Nightlord, a towering, relentless shadow-wielding monstrosity who serves as the expansion’s climactic battle.
This two-phase boss fight is widely regarded as one of the hardest encounters in the entire Elden Ring series to date. Whether you’re going solo or coordinating a multiplayer squad, victory requires more than brute strength—it demands patience, precision, and a solid strategy.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down both phases of the fight, dissect Heolstor’s abilities, and offer top-tier strategies for overcoming the dark lord at the heart of Nightreign.
🔥 Overview: Why Heolstor the Nightlord Is So Difficult
Heolstor’s boss battle is designed as a crescendo of everything Nightreign has thrown at you: unpredictable attack patterns, arena manipulation, magical onslaughts, and punishing AoE (area-of-effect) damage.
His fight is split into two distinct phases:
- Phase 1: The Shape of Night – A deceptive warm-up where Heolstor fights in his base form, using deliberate movements and shadowy blade attacks.
- Phase 2: Heolstor the Nightlord – A high-speed, arena-shaking second phase where the true boss unleashes elemental chaos and advanced combos.
Let’s begin with Phase 1.
🌑 Phase 1: Shape of Night – Patience Is Power
👤 Boss Appearance and Behavior
At first glance, Heolstor appears as a looming shadow with vague humanoid features, carrying a massive blade made of darkness. While slower and easier to read than his final form, his attacks can still crush careless players.
⚔️ Notable Attacks in Phase 1:
- Wide Swing: A telegraphed horizontal slash. Easy to dodge by rolling sideways.
- Stab and Slash Combo: A forward thrust followed by a sweeping swing.
- Teleport Slash: Vanishes briefly before reappearing behind you for a surprise hit. Stay mobile and reposition when he vanishes.
- Shadow Pulse: Sends out a ripple of dark energy. Roll through or back away.
⚠️ Phase Transition (At ~33% Health)
When Heolstor’s health drops to about a third, he enters a brief animation:
- Kneels to the ground
- Grows a third arm holding the Dark Moon Greatsword
- Unleashes a massive sweeping AoE slash
💡 Pro tip: Back away as soon as the animation begins. This slash can one-shot unprepared players.
🌌 Phase 2: Heolstor the Nightlord – The True Test Begins
Phase 2 begins with the real Heolstor emerging in full form—cloaked in flowing shadows, wielding twin blades, and infused with elemental power. This phase is much faster, more complex, and requires extreme precision.
🚨 Opening Attack – Greatsword Lunge + Blast
Heolstor always opens Phase 2 with a charging lunge, followed by an explosive slam into the ground.
- Counter: Roll through the lunge (timing is key), then sprint away to avoid the AoE shockwave.
🌩️ Key Abilities to Watch Out For
1. Moonlight Blade Combo
- A high-speed spinning attack that launches magic crescent waves, followed by a delayed thrust.
- Strategy: Dodge the waves as they come. Don’t roll immediately—wait, then dodge the lunging stab.
2. Ground Pound
- Heolstor drives his blade into the earth, sending two successive AoE shockwaves.
- Counter: Roll just as the waves reach you—twice in quick succession.
3. Sky Splitter
- Perhaps his most iconic move, this attack rips the sky open and changes the arena’s elemental environment.
- Heolstor becomes infused with one of several elements:
- 🔥 Fire: Floor erupts in burning lines
- ⚡ Lightning: Delayed bolts crash down
- ❄️ Frost: Slow aura and frostbite buildup
- Arena Effect: The battlefield becomes hazardous, with cracking tiles and element-triggered explosions.
- Counter: Watch the sky color for the element and adjust resistances or talismans accordingly.
4. Night Rain
- He kneels, channels energy, and releases homing projectiles from above.
- Counter: Sprint in wide circles to avoid the tracking orbs. Use your Ultimate Ability here if available—it can interrupt the cast.
💥 Best Strategy for Victory
🛡️ Exploit His Weakness: Holy Damage
Heolstor is highly susceptible to Holy attacks, which makes this fight manageable with the right build.
Top Holy Weapons & Items:
- Executor’s Cursed Blade (Nightreign Legendary)
- Sacred Relic Sword
- Holy Grease
- Lightning/Fire/Holy-resistant talismans, depending on his element in Phase 2
⚔️ Infuse weapons with Holy Ashes of War if possible.
🧙 Team Composition for Co-Op Players
If you’re taking Heolstor down with allies, here’s an optimal squad:
1. Raider (Melee Tank)
- Wields heavy Holy-infused weapons
- Focuses on staggering Heolstor
- Draws aggro with taunt incantations
2. Duchess (Support Mage)
- Casts healing spells and Resurrection Circles
- Buffs team with Holy Weapon or Blessing of the Erdtree
- Keeps distance and avoids AoE zones
3. Ironeye or Revenant (Ranged DPS / Summoner)
- Uses Spirit Ashes like Black Knife Tiche or Latenna for distraction
- Rains down consistent damage from a safe distance
💡 Communication is key—call out Sky Splitter elements and healing needs.
🧍 Solo Play Tips: Precision Over Power
- Use Light Armor + High Mobility. Dodging is more effective than tanking in this battle.
- Equip Quick Cast Incantations for healing, like Blessing of the Earth Tree (short cast).
- Make use of Mimic Tear or Black Flame Monk Amon summon—they help manage crowd control.
🎯 Positioning & Patience: The Golden Rules
- Never overcommit. Heolstor’s combos often bait greedy players.
- Only attack after dodge windows. He always has a brief pause after AoE spells and large combos.
- Learn the rhythm. His attacks follow musical pacing—roll to the beat, not the animation.
- Rotate the arena. Stay away from walls where elemental effects tend to linger longer.
🧪 Recommended Build Setup (Solo or Co-op)
Weapon: Sacred Relic Sword / Blasphemous Blade (Holy-infused)
Armor: Crucible Knight Set (for defense) or Night’s Mercy Robes (for speed)
Talismans:
- Erdtree’s Favor
- Haligdrake Talisman (Holy boost)
- Green Turtle Talisman (Stamina regen)
- Shard of Alexander (Skill power-up)
Flask Mix:
- Holy-Shrouding Cracked Tear
- Crimsonwhorl Bubbletear
📜 Lore Notes: Who Is Heolstor the Nightlord?
For lore enthusiasts, Heolstor is a fallen Erdtree Apostle who once served the Moonlight Court. Consumed by despair after witnessing the collapse of the Haligtree, he surrendered to the dark void and became the Nightreign’s final manifestation of sorrow.
He embodies the fusion of forgotten gods and the void between Eras—his elemental transformations symbolize the fading legacy of Elden Ring’s great powers.
“In the realm of forgotten stars, he waits—not to conquer, but to weep in endless night.” — In-game lore description
🏆 Victory Rewards
Defeating Heolstor grants:
- Remembrance of the Nightlord – Can be exchanged for:
- Moonlight Devourer Greatsword
- Night Rain Incantation
- 150,000 Runes
- Cinematic Ending specific to Nightreign
Unlocks a new NG+ variant with Heolstor’s younger self appearing earlier in the game timeline.
🧠 Final Thoughts: Strategy and Grit Beat the Darkness
Heolstor the Nightlord isn’t just a boss fight—it’s a test of your understanding of Elden Ring’s core mechanics. With calculated aggression, strong holy builds, and adaptability during his elemental shifts, players can bring down even this avatar of darkness.
The key to winning lies not in brute force but in reading the battle like a dance: dodge when the beat shifts, strike during silence, and always keep your resolve sharp.
Heolstor may be the embodiment of despair—but with the right strategy, you will overcome the night.