Elden Ring Nightreign Tricephalos Boss Guide – How To Beat Gladius

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Once you complete the tutorial in Elden Ring: Nightreign, you’ll have the opportunity to face a solitary boss – the Tricephalos – directly from the Expeditions menu. Whether you opt for a solo or multiplayer adventure, this is the only boss you can choose. After surviving your initial two nights, you’ll then confront the Tricephalos, known as “Gladius, Beast of the Night,” in the boss arena.

Gladius, Beast of the Night attacks

As a gamer, I’ve come face-to-face with the fearsome three-headed hound called Gladius, Beast of the Night. This Tricephalos is no joke, always ready to unleash primary attacks that demand constant vigilance, and major ones capable of wiping out my entire party in an instant. It’s a fiery foe, so I always need to be mindful of its preference for fire damage when planning my resistances and counterstrategies.

As soon as your group enters the battlefield against Gladius, it often initiates with a chain assault, where it releases a long, whip-like chain from above its head and swiftly launches it in an arced trajectory. This attack consistently selects one player, but can be dodged if you notice that the boss is aiming at you. However, keep a close eye as the chain’s secondary attack sweeps across the arena, causing harm to anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path.

Once the chain assault concludes, Gladius will typically retract the chain and begin navigating the arena in search of a particular player to attack with short-range attacks. If the boss doesn’t behave this way, it might resort to its sword attack, a medium to long-range maneuver that focuses on one player. The sword attack is similar to the chain, but the sword moves in a more linear fashion and at a quicker speed. It can be anticipated which player the boss will target with the sword, but swiftness is required to dodge the sword if you’re the chosen one when Gladius swings it towards you.

As a devoted fan, I’d like to share my insights on Gladius’ combat style. Not only does it unleash those two specific attacks using its weapons, but it also gets physical in melee and uses each of its three heads for unique moves. In the midst of the chain and sword assaults, the boss will single out a player, charging towards them with an attempt to chomp or trample (with a stomp move), or even whip around its tail to inflict damage on those close by.

Once you inflict sufficient harm on Gladius, it transforms into its primal form – a three-part canine boss. Each part remains large, but only one wields a sword. Yet, be mindful that during this phase, the entire arena is adorned with banners that periodically unleash area damage. Therefore, it’s crucial to maintain a safe distance from the floating orange structures.

In this stage, make sure you inflict sufficient damage on all three dog entities. Once you manage to do so with each one, Gladius will revert back to its original three-headed form. Keep in mind that when it transforms, it resumes the same attack patterns as at the start of the battle. Therefore, understanding and anticipating the sequence of chain and sword attacks is vital for your success.

Strategies for Gladius, Beast of the Night

With Gladius’s attacks now explained, could we discuss some effective tactics for your party to use when trying to vanquish this boss?

In a group of three players, it would be beneficial to designate one as the “tank” for Gladius encounters. This player should preferably choose a melee class with high durability such as Raider or Wylder. Their role is to regularly draw Gladius’ attention away from the other party members when it isn’t executing its predetermined attacks.

When Gladius zeroes in on a sole player, the other two teammates can opt for either ranged or melee attacks based on their selected roles. The player targeted by Gladius might attempt to counterattack, but their main responsibility is to dodge Gladius’ strikes to maintain health and keep the boss fixated on them. If Gladius attempts to attack another player, the targeted player should retaliate against the boss to prompt it to refocus its attention.

In order to inflict significant damage on Gladius, everyone should utilize their abilities to maximum potential. By chipping away larger sections from the boss’s health bar with abilities and possibly some strategic equipment, you can expedite the battle. However, it’s important to remember that not all abilities are always available for use. When Gladius isn’t targeting you, try dealing consistent damage with your best weapons as the boss may be distracted or using a less powerful attack.

Players not being targeted by Gladius can also lend aid to the main target by employing various strategies. For instance, they could deploy Warming Stones near the aggro target, which heal any character within its vicinity. Alternatively, they can rely on their own unique abilities to help out if they find themselves in a difficult situation. For example, the Raider class possesses the ability to summon a massive pillar as an ultimate move, which can be instrumental in quickly reviving or boosting the health of a player in dire straits.

During Gladius’ three-dog phase, the strategy tends to unravel because each player should ideally focus on controlling one of the dogs to prevent them from attacking a single player excessively. This could lead to a brutal cycle of revives. However, if some players are near death, it might be more advantageous for everyone to gather together and attempt to survive the phase collectively, so no one player absorbs too much damage.

In essence, facing Gladius in Elden Ring Nightreign can prove challenging due to his potent attacks, a tough phase that may recur frequently, and an abundant health pool that diminishes slowly. But if your team members are consistently dealing damage, strategically splitting up when required, and offering assistance to fellow players, you’ll likely conquer the boss on your initial or subsequent attempts.

If you successfully conquered the Tricephalos in Elden Ring: Nightreign, consider exploring our guide on the Equilibrious Beast as well. This boss is accessible once Gladius has been defeated. We’ve also curated a comprehensive hub of guides for Elden Ring: Nightreign, offering additional advice and strategies.

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2025-05-30 01:53