Guardian Character Guide

Guardian is Elden Ring Nightreign's defensive specialist. His high Strength and Health Pool make him proficient at keeping damage away from his allies. This Guardian character guide gives you all you need to know to jump into the game's defensive specialist, as well as how to use his tank-oriented playstyle to take the Nightlords out!

Use defense-oriented relics to ensure you stay healthy in the fight. Look for effects like HP Recovery From Successful Guarding or Items confer effect to all nearby allies. The latter keeps your allies topped up and healthy. Additionally, use the relic Night of the Fathom, which is received when killing the Augur Nightlord for the first time. It gives a huge 100 health bonus and also has support-oriented passives. Lastly, for your final Relic slot, use a defensive Relic based on which Nightlord is selected. Also, for a more in-depth explanation on how Relics work, check out our Relic and Relic Rites Guide.

Teardrop Scarabs can be found throughout Limveld, and always drop a Talisman when killed. Guardian uses shields and thrusting weapons, thus making the Greatshield Talisman one of the best for him. Increasing your Guard Boost makes you receive less stamina damage when blocking. Look for other talismans that provide defensive boosts like Pearldrake Talisman or Dragoncrest Shield Talisman.

Guardian's Passive Steel Guard greatly improves guard boost at the cost of mobility. This makes shields a must for him. Guard Boost is a stat on all shields, and determines how much Stamina damage you take when successfully blocking. The higher this value, the less Stamina damage you take. Certain weapons are usable from behind a shield, so maximizing your Guard Boost is very important as it facilitates better damage output.

Shields

All shields in Elden Ring Nightreign reduce all physical damage on a successful block. However, Tower Shields boast the highest Guard Boost, as well as the best elemental damage negation stats, making them the best option. The Fingerprint Stone Shield is the best shield for this playstyle.

Thrusting Swords

Thrusting Swords and Heavy Thrusting Swords are the best weapon types for attacking while blocking. Stamina management is very important, as taking an attack that would take you to below zero stamina causes a Stance Break on Guardian, leaving him open to take heavy damage. Thrusting Sword attacks do not cost very much stamina, making managing your stamina much easier to manage. Look for the Godskin Stitcher for its high range and damage or the Antspur Rapier which can apply Scarlet Rot.

Halberds

Halberds can also be used to attack from behind a shield. They have much higher range and high damage, but they cost much more stamina to use. This causes Guardian to be Stance Broken much more often. Use Halberds until you find a better thrusting weapon. Notably, the Commander's Standard is an incredibly powerful item due to its Weapon Skill Rallying Standard. This buff raises attack power and damage negation for you and your allies. Use it before fights to gain a huge advantage!

Spears

Spears and Great Spears are the only other weapon type that can be used for this playstyle. They serve as a happy medium between Halberds and Thrusting Swords, but should only be used when transitioning to either of those. However, if you do find a Rotten Crystal Spear, be sure to use it. Scarlet Rot is a very powerful, damaging Status Ailment that helps tremendously in longer fights.

Weapon Passives

All equipment found has a passive effect, most of which are active regardless of whether the item is equipped or not. For Guardian, take items that give Damage Negation. The equipment doesn't have to be weapons typical to the character; on Guardian, a Bow's passive is just as strong as a Shield's passive. Additionally, take passives that give a defensive bonus which helps against the selected Nightlord. There are only six equipment slots, so use them wisely. If a passive effect has this hand symbol, that means it is only active while you are using the weapon.

This passive applies while wielding the weapon.

Guardian is a close-ranged tank character. Get in the fight and keep damage off your allies. His passive allows him to stay up close and personal without taking much damage at all. Pair this with relics that provide defense-oriented passives for best results. Guardian aims to keep enemies away from his allies and take the brunt of the damage, so they don't have to.

Abilities

Guardian's Passive Steel Guard drastically improves Guard Boost, making any shield capable of blocking large boss attacks. The higher the base Guard Boost, the better this effect is. Whirlwind is Guardian's Character Skill. This skill excels in knocking larger enemies back and smaller enemies into the air. The associated stagger gives an opportunity for heavy damage. Lastly, Guardian's Ultimate Art is Wings of Salvation. This does an initial amount of damage, however, its true strength lies in holding the ultimate down. This shields nearby allies from damage for as long as you hold the Ultimate or until the Art gauge runs out.

Damage Negation Aura

Summary

Guardian has a highly defensive, supportive, and tank-oriented playstyle. He excels in keeping his allies out of danger and keeping the team healthy, as well as giving his team a global damage negation boost with his Wings of Salvation Ultimate Art. If you like this character, but want to try something a bit more complex, check out our Raider Character Guide!

Credits

Written by: Sirfreeforall
Reviewed by: IBoilerUp