How to unlock Duchess in Elden Ring Nightreign

Elden Ring Nightreign unlock Duchess: A close-up shot of the Duchess with her left hand raised to her head to remove a mask. — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

No doubt one of the coolest-looking Nightfarers, Duchess's unexplained absence from the character selection screen is a little bizarre when you begin your war against the Nightlords in Limveld. All but two Nightfarers are available from the get-go, so it's important you know how to unlock Duchess in Elden Ring Nightreign if you want to collect the full roster.

The Duchess is a high dexterity and intelligence Nightfarer, focused on staying light on her feet while performing quick combos with daggers. Using her Restage skill, you can dump massive damage into targets in a very short amount of time. The downside is that she's very much a glass cannon, so don't get caught.

How to unlock Duchess in Elden Ring Nightreign

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Elden Ring Nightreign unlock Duchess: Guardian talking to the Priestess, choosing whether to give the Old Pocketwatch to her or not. — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

To unlock Duchess, you need to beat the Tricephalos expedition to earn the Old Pocketwatch relic. With the hard work done, you just have to give this item to the Priestess in the Roundtable Hold—she's next to the titular round expedition table at the centre of the area.

While the Old Pocketwatch is guaranteed to drop when you beat Gladius for the first time, there is also a random chance that you will earn the item from failed runs, potentially unlocking Duchess early.

The Duchess

Elden Ring Nightreign legendary weapons list: A shot from behind of Duchess standing with her dagger pointing downwards in her right hand next to the Roundtable. — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Magnificent Pose (Passive): Attack and dodge optimally, dodging repeatedly when necessary.

Restage (Skill): Repeat recent damage done against opponents.

Finale (Ultimate Art): Obscure self and surrounding allies to hide from foes.

Scaling: Strength D, Dexterity B, Intelligence A, Faith B, Arcane C

I won't spoil the actual events, but giving her this quest item triggers a short cutscene that reveals the Duchess. Afterwards, you can swap to the Duchess like any other character by visiting the shrine next to the expedition table.

If you're taking her on an expedition, be sure to use our Elden Ring Nightreign Duchess build to pick up some handy tips and tricks. She's also the backbone of many of the best Nightreign team compositions.

Though Tricephalos is the first expedition you'll have access to, that's not to say it's easy; it'll take you a good few tries and quite a bit of luck to come out victorious. On the bright side, ticking off this (cruel) introductory expedition introduces you to tons of new features, from shifting earth events to the two unlockable characters, Duchess and Revenant. Check out how to unlock Revenant in Elden Ring Nightreign to finish your collection of classes.

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