Elden Ring Nightreign Forsaken Hollows DLC brings fresh trials for Tarnished. Among its new content, two powerful Nightlord bosses shine: Balancers and Dreglord. This guide focuses on how to unlock Balancers and Dreglord, their weaknesses, battle phases & tricks, and the great relic drops or rewards you get for beating them.
Elden Ring Nightreign Nightlord Boss Balancers Guide (Forsaken Hollows DLC)
Balancers, also called Weapon Bequeathed Harmonia, are Nightlord-level bosses in the Elden Ring Nightreign Forsaken Hollows DLC. They aren’t a single enemy; instead, they’re a group of seven valkyries in white armor. The fight unfolds in phases, and it gets harder as you go. You must defeat them before you can face Dreglord. Taking them down moves the story forward and gives you valuable relics. Both Balancers and Dreglord have a requirement. You must beat two other Nightlords first before you can face either of these new bosses.
How to Unlock the Balancers Fight?
Starting the Balancers fight needs two main steps. The process is clear, but you must follow the order.
Step 1: Get the New Nightfarers – Scholar and Undertaker
First, find the Small Jar Merchant. Behind him, there’s a hidden chapel. As the story goes on, this chapel will open up. Head to this open chapel, and you’ll get two new DLC Nightfarers: Scholar and Undertaker. This step is a must before you can face Balancers.
Step 2: Defeat Two Nightlords
After getting the two new Nightfarers, your next task is to defeat any two Nightlords. Tricephalos is a good first choice, as it’s often suggested. For the second one, pick whichever Nightlord you’re most comfortable with, based on your strength and experience.
Step 3: Trigger the Balancers Fight
Once you finish the two steps above, go back to the open chapel. There, you’ll receive a second ray of light. This unlocks two things: the Great Hollows Shifting Earth event and the Balancers’ boss expedition. Now you’re ready to take them on.
What Are the Weaknesses of Balancers?
Balancers have one clear weakness: they take extra damage from Sleep effects. This fact is your best tool to beat them. Keep hitting Balancers with Sleep-based attacks, and they’ll fall asleep. While they’re asleep, they can’t move or attack. This is your chance to deal massive damage; critical hits work especially well here. You can also land several quick strikes in a row to drain their health fast. So, get ready before the fight. Equip weapons with Sleep properties first, like the Sleep Longbow. Also, stock up on Sleep Pots. Throw them during the fight to pair with your weapon attacks. This combo will trigger the Sleep effect easily and make the battle much simpler.
How to Beat Balancers Easily in Elden Ring Nightreign Forsaken Hollows DLC?
Balancers fight as a group, and the battle has three phases. Each phase needs a different approach. Level 14 is a good recommended level; you’ll find the fight challenging but fair here. If you want a stiffer test, try fighting them at a lower level, but make sure you’re fully prepared. Below are phase-by-phase tips and key points to remember:
Core Prep: Bring the Scholar Nightfarer
The Scholar is a must-have for fighting Balancers—you’ll struggle without him. His ultimate ability, Communion, links multiple enemies together. This means when you hit one Balancer, all the linked ones take the same damage. This works wonders for keeping a group of enemies in check. The Scholar also has a special skill called Analyze. It puts negative effects on Balancers and gives positive buffs to your allies. But be careful: using Analyze leaves the Scholar open to attacks. Use it only when Balancers are between moves, or when a teammate is drawing their attention.
Phase 1: Fight the Seven Regular Balancers – Spread Out and Dodge
In Phase 1, you’ll face seven Balancers in white armor. All of them use spears, and they rely on close-up hits and area-of-effect (AoE) attacks. They may come in numbers, but their attacks have clear tells; you’ll easily see when they’re about to strike.
Key tips for this phase:
If you’re fighting with a team, spread out. This pulls the seven Balancers apart and stops them from ganging up on you. Getting swarmed will lead to quick death from repeated hits.
Watch their spears closely. When a spear glows, or they pull back to swing, an attack is coming. Roll sideways right away to avoid it. Don’t get greedy for extra hits; safety first.
Use the Scholar’s Communion ability. Once you activate it, focus all your attacks on one Balancer. The shared damage will hurt the others too, helping you wrap up Phase 1 faster.
Phases 2 & 3: Focus on the Pink-Winged Balancer – Track the Special Target and Avoid Sync Attacks
When you take down the seven regular Balancers in Phase 1, they’ll all come back to life to start Phase 2. This time, one of them will have pink wings—this is your main target for the rest of the fight. In Phase 3, the pink-winged Balancer gets even stronger attacks, but the way to fight it stays the same.
Key tips for Phases 2 and 3:
Focus fire on the pink-winged Balancer first. This special one hits harder, has more moves, and will even fix its attention on one Nightfarer to chase. If you take it down first, the other six Balancers go back to their Phase 1 moves. This cuts the fight’s difficulty in half.
Watch out for their synchronized AoE attack. This is the special Balancer’s most dangerous move. You’ll know it’s coming when the pink-winged one flies up and the other six vanish. Run to the edge of the area right away, and stay far from the center. Once the attack ends, go back to attacking.
Keep using Sleep attacks. Don’t stop with the Sleep weapons and Sleep Pots in Phases 2 and 3. Aim them at the pink-winged Balancer, especially. Putting it to sleep lets you unleash a flurry of attacks and take it down quickly.
Before and After the Balancers Fight
Before you start: If you haven’t accessed the Forsaken Hollows DLC yet, finish the related main story quest first. This usually means talking to a specific NPC or reaching a key area. Once you do that, you can enter the DLC map and start the steps above.
After the fight: Beating Balancers lets you face the next new Nightlord, Dreglord—also known as Traitorous Straghess. Dreglord is much stronger. We suggest equipping the Will of the Balancers relic and fine-tuning your build before you challenge it.
Elden Ring Nightreign Balancers Relic Rewards
When you beat Balancers, you’ll get a core relic from the DLC: The Will of the Balancers.
The Will of the Balancers Relic Effects:
Boosts melee attack power
Boosts skill attack power
Restores FP continuously
All three effects are extremely useful. The melee and skill attack boosts work for most character builds. The constant FP restoration lets you use skills and spells more often. This relic will help you a lot, whether you’re moving on to fight Dreglord or exploring other parts of the DLC.
Elden Ring Nightreign Nightlord Boss Dreglord Guide (Forsaken Hollows DLC)
Dreglord, also known by its true name Traitorous Straghess, is a Nightlord-level boss and the second major challenge in the Forsaken Hollows DLC. It is no ordinary creature; this horror takes the form of a “corpse fiend,” a tangled mound of countless bodies, broken bones, and discarded junk fused together. Its existence is fueled by shared resentment of the dead, a force so strong that it twists and heals even when torn apart or crushed. This unnatural makeup makes it a relentless opponent that finds ways to survive almost any attack. As a Nightlord, Dreglord appears as the final boss of its own expedition. Unlike Balancers (a group fight), Dreglord is a single, massive foe with two distinct phases: Traitorous Straghess (Phase 1) and Pure Impulse Straghess (Phase 2). Each phase brings new attacks, and its defenses stay consistent throughout—an attack that deals 50 damage in Phase 1 will hit just as hard in Phase 2. To win, you need to learn its move patterns and coordinate with your team if fighting in a squad.
How to Unlock the Dreglord Fight?
While exact details once remained unclear, experience from Tarnished adventurers confirms a clear path to Dreglord. This boss acts as a follow-up challenge to Balancers, meaning you must first overcome the seven valkyries of Balancers to face it.
First, complete all steps to unlock and defeat the Balancers. This means unlocking the Scholar and Undertaker Nightfarers, beating two prior Nightlords (including Tricephalos), and claiming the second ray of light from the chapel behind the Small Jar Merchant.
After defeating Balancers, return to the chapel or the main DLC hub. The game will now make the Dreglord expedition available. You can select this expedition from the mission menu to enter the boss arena.
Note: Before Dreglord itself appears, you may face a random set of smaller Night Bosses in the expedition. These act as “warm-up” fights. Common foes in this pool include Death Knight (on Night 1 of the expedition) and either Knight Artorias or Divine Beast Dancing Lion (on Night 2). Clear these first to reach Traitorous Straghess.
Weaknesses of Dreglord
The first thing to know about Dreglord is that it has no obvious elemental weaknesses. Fire, frost, lightning, and magic all deal standard damage—no single element will give you a big edge. It also shows no clear resistance or immunity to common status effects at first glance, though Phase 2 brings twists involving Scarlet Rot (which it uses against you, not the other way around).
That said, Dreglord’s weakness lies in its attack patterns, not its elemental defenses. Every move it makes has clear tells. If you learn to read these tells and dodge or reposition correctly, you’ll create plenty of openings to strike. Additionally, while unconfirmed, many Tarnished report that Dreglord can be stunned briefly with heavy attacks—focusing fire on one area (like its torso) may break its poise and let you land a critical hit.
How to Beat Dreglord in Elden Ring Nightreign Forsaken Hollows DLC?
Dreglord’s fight splits into two phases, with Phase 2 adding more dangerous attacks (many involving Scarlet Rot). No exact recommended level exists, but most players find success after reaching Level 16–18 (and having the Balancers’ reward relic, The Will of the Balancers, equipped). Below is a breakdown of each phase, key attacks, counters, and strategies for melee and ranged users.
Core Prep: What to Bring
Scarlet Rot Cure Items: Phase 2 is full of Scarlet Rot attacks. Stock up on Preserving Boluses and Flask of Wondrous Physick with the Scarlet Rot Cure tear.
Heavy Hitting Weapons: Since elemental damage doesn’t shine, use weapons with high raw damage (like greatswords or colossal weapons) for melee, or powerful sorceries/incantations for ranged.
Scholar Nightfarer (Again): The Scholar’s Communion ability can link Dreglord to any remaining small foes (from the expedition’s warm-up fights) and share damage. His Analyze skill also adds small debuffs to Dreglord, which helps over time.
Team Coordination: If fighting in a squad, spread out. Many of Dreglord’s attacks hit wide areas—staying grouped will get everyone hurt.
Phase 1: Traitorous Straghess – Learn the Swings
In Phase 1, Dreglord uses basic physical attacks with its massive hand and hooked staff. All moves have slow wind-ups; watch closely for these tells.
Key Attacks & Counters
Quick Swipe: Dreglord pulls back its left hand, then swipes fast toward the center. Counter: Either step back out of melee range or roll forward to its left side. This puts you behind it—strike while it recovers.
Double Swipe: Its left arm lights up, then swipes forward, followed immediately by a backhand. Counter: Dodge left to avoid the first swipe. Stay behind the boss—this lets you avoid the backhand and hit it quickly.
Swinging Staff Slam: It grabs its staff with both hands, steps right, then swings wide and slams the staff into the ground. Counter: Move to its left side and stay close. Roll behind it as it swings—you’ll avoid both the swing and slam, then can attack while it’s down.
Staff Grab: It crouches, slams the staff’s hook into the ground, and drags it back. Counter: Roll through the initial slam, then sprint behind it to avoid the drag. Hit it once the move ends.
Double Staff Slam: It holds the staff with two hands, walks forward, and slams it twice. The first slam is fast; the second has a short wind-up. Counter: Circle left toward its rear. Stay behind it—both slams will miss. Attack during the slow recovery after the second slam.
5-Hit Staff Combo: It drags the staff and swings five times quickly. Counter: Hug its right side and roll toward it to get behind it (safe from the first swing). Back up a little for the next four swings, then roll toward it again to avoid the final sweep. After the combo, it kneels—this is your big chance to land multiple hits.
Phase 2: Pure Impulse Straghess – Watch for Rot
Phase 2 starts when Dreglord’s health drops to roughly 50%. It doesn’t change appearance much, but it adds Scarlet Rot to many attacks and uses new wide-area moves. Stay calm—its tells are still easy to spot if you pay attention.
New Phase 2 Attacks & Counters
Overhead Sweeps: It rushes forward a few steps, then does two wide overhead sweeps. Counter: Roll toward it with each sweep to stay on its side. After the second sweep, land 2–3 quick hits.
Rotting Staff Grab: A repeat of the Phase 1 Staff Grab, but now it inflicts Scarlet Rot on nearby players. Counter: Roll forward toward it during the initial slam to get behind it. This avoids both damage and Rot. Attack as it finishes.
Flesh Explosion: Its left hand glows, forms a ball of flesh, and slams it down for a big explosion. Counter: Sprint away to escape the blast, or roll just as the flesh hits the ground. If you can stun it while it’s charging this move (with heavy attacks), the explosion stops—hit it hard while it gets up.
Exploding Fissures: Its staff glows, then it slams the ground three times, making cracks that shoot outward. The cracks explode after a short delay. Counter: Back up and dodge sideways each time it slams. Stay away from the cracks until they blow. After the third slam, it recovers slowly—use this to attack.
Three-Hit Combo: It swings the staff twice, then slams it down. Counter: Roll toward it during each swing to get behind it. The slam will miss you here—hit it while it’s recovering.
Pools of Blood: It summons a flesh ball that explodes, leaving blood pools. The pools erupt sometimes and spawn Putrid Corpses. Counter: Move away when its hand glows to avoid the explosion. Never step in the blood pools. Kill the Putrid Corpses quickly (or bait Dreglord into hitting them) so they don’t distract you.
Blood Sphere: It forms a flesh ball that oozes Scarlet Rot, then throws it (causes a small explosion on impact). Counter: Sprint away as soon as it starts making the ball (avoids Rot buildup). Dodge toward it after it throws the sphere—this lets you attack while it’s open.
Strategy for Melee Users
Stay close but not too close. Your goal is to hit Dreglord 2–3 times after each attack, then back off. Focus on its torso—this is the largest target and where most of your damage will land. Use heavy attacks to try breaking its poise (look for it to stagger). When it uses wide swings (like Overhead Sweeps), roll toward it to get behind—this is your safest spot. In Phase 2, keep a Preserving Bolus ready and use it as soon as Scarlet Rot starts to build.
Strategy for Magic/Ranged Users
Keep your distance, but don’t stand too far—Dreglord has long-range attacks (like Blood Sphere). Use fast-casting spells (like Glintstone Pebble) to chip away health between its moves. Save powerful spells (like Comet Azur) for openings after long recoveries (like after the 5-Hit Combo or Exploding Fissures). In Phase 2, move constantly to avoid blood pools and fissures. Use the environment (like pillars, if present) to block its line of sight when you need to heal or drink a Flask.
Elden Ring Nightreign Dreglord Relic Rewards
Defeating Dreglord gives two main rewards—one unique relic and a set of random relics. The unique relic, The Night of Dregs, is a powerful item that boosts your combat ability in clever ways. The Night of Dregs focuses on status ailments (like Rot) and turning them to your advantage. This relic works especially well for builds that use status effects. You can manage it and all your relics through the Relic Rites menu in Roundtable Hold; relics used here don’t get consumed, so you can reuse The Night of Dregs in future fights.
The Night of Dregs Relic Effects:
Status Ailment Gauges Slowly Increase Attack Power
Attacks Inflict Rot when Damage is Taken
Rot in Vicinity Causes Continuous HP Recovery
Along with The Night of Dregs, you’ll get a few random relics. These can include items that boost FP recovery, increase defense against physical attacks, or enhance specific spell types. The exact relics vary each time you beat Dreglord, so you can replay the expedition to get different rewards.