Top Raider & Executor Builds After the Nightreign Update

Nightreign patch 1.03.2 changed the raid meta — here’s how to rebuild fast

Feeling burned by Tricephalos, or unsure whether your Raider/Executor is still raid-viable after Nightreign’s 1.03.2? You’re not alone. The late-2025 Nightreign expansion plus FromSoftware’s early-2026 patch cycle revamped Nightfarer kits, raid event damage mechanics, and relic interactions — and that changes optimal builds for PvE and raid squads. This guide gives player-friendly, actionable Raider and Executor builds that exploit the 1.03.2 buffs: exact stat spreads, weapon and armor picks, talismans, Ashes of War choices, and role-specific tips so you can jump into raids and clear faster with confidence.

Quick patch context: what 1.03.2 actually did

Before we dive builds, here’s the most important context to save you trial-and-error time. Patch 1.03.2 (released in late 2025 / early 2026) focused on quality-of-life raid fixes and two Nightfarer buffs that directly affect our builds:

• Raider: improving damage output and bleed/pressure mechanics on several Raider-class Nightfarer weapons and skills — making high-mobility bleed burst playstyles more consistent in raid damage windows.
• Executor: buffed heavy strike multipliers and Guard/crit follow-up timing, making Executor’s single-target boss damage and stagger potential much stronger in coordinated raids.
• Environmental raid tuning: decreased continuous damage and better visibility during Tricephalos and Fissure in the Fog events — less forced downtime and more room for aggressive DPS plays.

"Decreased the continuous damage received during the 'Tricephalos' Raid event. Adjusted visibility during the 'Tricephalos' Raid event." — patch notes summary (1.03.2)

2026 raid-meta trends that matter to these builds

Two high-level trends in 2026 shape how you should spec Raider and Executor:

• Speed-clear meta — raid teams increasingly favor short, high-intensity DPS windows rather than long attrition fights. That benefits burst-oriented Raiders and heavy-hitting Executors who can exploit stagger windows.
• Hybridization — mixing bleed/poison/physical opens more raid opportunities as relic caps increased; builds that hybridize physical and status damage or pair summons and burst are dominating leaderboards.

Raider build (PvE & Raid) — fast bleed burst, mobility-first

Overview

The patched Raider build is your go-to for raid phases that reward quick target swaps and sustained pressure. 1.03.2 helped stabilize bleed proc timing and increased weapon-skill follow-up damage, making Raiders more reliable in both solo PvE and 4-player raids.

Role

Primary DPS and pressure application. Surgical target swaps, bleed application on weak points, and kiting during environmental hazards.

Core stats (target at level ~125–150 — adjust to your progression)

• Vigor: 40 — survivability in raid hazards and stagger windows.
• Endurance: 30 — equip light/medium armor and maintain agility; stamina to chain dodges and weapon arts.
• Dexterity: 60 — primary scaling for Raider weapons and weapon skills.
• Strength: 18–24 — meet weapon requirements for versatile options; avoid overinvesting.
• Arcane: 25–35 — boosts bleed buildouts and some Nightreign weapon effects; optional if you want higher proc consistency.
• Mind: 10–12 — minimal, unless using weapon arts that consume FP.

Weapons (primary & alternates)

• Primary — Curved Sword / Twinblade with bleed affinity: Seek weapons with high Dex scaling and bleed proc. After 1.03.2 these weapons saw more consistent bleed stacks. Infuse with bleed/Arcane scaling if possible.
• Alternate — Piercing dagger + off-hand rapier: For quick critical windows and backstab swaps in raids where mobility matters.
• Ranged parity: Keep a light bow or Nightreign-specific ranged Nightfarer skill for stagger-starting adds.

Ashes of War & skill choices

• Use Keen infusion if you prioritize raw Dex scaling and weapon skill speed.
• Choose an Ash of War that gives a rapid multi-hit skill or a gap-closer; the 1.03.2 Raider skill follow-ups now land more consistently in stagger windows.
• Prioritize mobility skills (backstep combos, slide attacks) to exploit the reduced environmental damage in Tricephalos events.

Armor (balance mobility + protection)

• Light-to-medium sets: Aim for weight <30% equip load for fast roll i-frames. Mix with pieces offering bleed resist or physical poise depending on raid.
• Example: light chest, medium greaves, and a helmet that improves critical damage or Arcane scaling.

Talisman picks (must-haves)

• Lord of Blood’s Exultation — increased damage when near bleeding enemies; pairs perfectly with Raiders.
• Green Turtle Talisman — stamina regen for chaining weapon skills and dodge windows.
• Winged Sword Insignia — boosts successive attack power in sustained windows.
• Shabriri’s Woe or a damage-specific offensive talisman if you need to force agro manipulation.

Playstyle & rotations (raid-tested tips)

• Open with a ranged stagger (summon or bow) and combo into rapid bleed application. 1.03.2 increases bleed consistency, so prioritize stacking during initial windows.
• Use mobility to cleanly swap targets: apply bleed, roll out, let an Executor or heavy to take aggro if needed, then re-enter.
• In environmental raids like Tricephalos, use the visibility/time windows to apply stacks; the reduced ongoing damage means you can stay aggressive longer.

Rune Arc & upgrades

• Weapon at +25 (max upgrade) is still the baseline for raids in 2026 — aim for fully upgraded primary and a backup at +20+ for swapping.
• Use Blood-affinity or Arcane-infused stones to tune bleed thresholds.

Executor build (PvE & Raid) — heavy stagger, boss-kill machine

Overview

The Executor got a targeted buff in 1.03.2 to heavy strike multipliers and Guard-followups, which makes Executor the raid’s single-target anchor. Executors excel at staggering bosses and delivering devastating counter windows.

Role

Primary single-target damage and stagger. Executor holds ground, punishes missteps, and cleans adds when required.

Core stats (level ~125–150)

• Vigor: 50 — you want to tank through telegraphed raid mechanics and survive heavy hits.
• Endurance: 40 — heavy armor and high equip load demand stamina and poise capacity.
• Strength: 70 (primary) — maximize Strength scaling for colossal weapons and heavy skills.
• Dexterity: 12–18 — meet swing speed where needed; not a priority.
• Mind: 10–14 — only if using a few weapon arts that cost FP.

Weapons (primary & alternates)

• Primary — Colossal Sword / Great Hammer: Choose a weapon with very high base damage and stagger potential. The 1.03.2 buff made Executor heavy strike multipliers more reliable in critical windows.
• Alternate — Halberd / Polearm: For reach in add-clear phases while maintaining heavy damage output.
• Shield option: Use a medium-to-heavy shield with high guard boost if you’re taking the role of tanking heavy boss swings.

Ashes of War & skill choices

• Favor Heavy infusion to maximize Strength scaling and stagger. If your weapon has a built-in Nightreign skill that buffs criticals/guard, keep it.
• Pick an Ash of War with an armored heavy strike or shield counter; 1.03.2 improved follow-up windows for Executors so parry/counter plays are more consistent.

Armor (heavy + poise)

• Full heavy sets (Bull-Goat tiers) to push equip load above 70% and maximize poise for uninterrupted attacks.
• Balance resistances: pick pieces with high physical and strike resist for raid bosses like Tricephalos.

Talisman picks (must-haves)

• Great-Jar’s Arsenal or equivalent that raises heavy attack potency (use the strongest physical damage talisman available in your patch environment).
• Starscourge Heirloom (or similar) to boost Strength if you need more reach to hit soft caps faster.
• Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman for block damage reduction during tank windows.

Playstyle & rotations (raid-tested tips)

• Hold single-target focus: stay anchored on the boss, using slow overheads between phase telegraphs. Executer heavy hits pair very well with raid debuff windows triggered by other players.
• Exploit the buffed follow-up windows in 1.03.2: block/parry into a heavy counter for massive damage and a guaranteed stagger.
• Coordinate with Raiders: let a Raider apply bleed stacks and then execute a heavy finisher when the boss is staggered for maximized damage.

Rune Arc & upgrades

• Primary weapon at +25 for raids; keep a secondary weapon infused for phase-specific resistances.
• Consider a heavy infusion plus a Strength-boosting consumable for peak windows.

PvE and raid role synergy — how Raider + Executor pairs win fights

In 2026 raid teams the optimal synergy is clear: let Raiders open and pressure with status, while Executors anchor and execute when staggered. Here’s a common rotation for coordinated squads:

1. Raid leader opens with ranged stagger or crowd control.
2. Raider dives in, applies bleed and hops out to conserve health and position for adds.
3. Executor holds boss, uses heavy hits and blocks to build stagger. When the boss stagger threshold breaks, Executor unloads a hard combo while Raider uses follow-up criticals/bleed to maximize damage.
4. Healers or faith casters top off, and the cycle repeats.

Tuning for specific Nightreign raid scenarios (Tricephalos & Fissure in the Fog)

Patch 1.03.2 lowered continuous environmental damage in key raid events and improved visibility — so you can be more aggressive. Here’s how to tweak builds:

• Tricephalos: Your Raider can stay longer in the damage cone to stack bleed. Executors can time one or two overheads during lower visibility transitions without being forced out. Use anti-burn consumables and deploy summons when you notice the fire dogs’ phase markers.
• Fissure in the Fog: The reduced hail and blind windows mean Raider mobility is safer; push for bleed stacks while Executor times heavy hits after the fog clears. Keep a lantern or visibility consumable on-hand for emergency windows.

Solo vs co-op adjustments

If you’re running solo, favor hybrid survivability and slightly higher Arcane on Raider builds to guarantee bleed without relying on teammates. Executors should take a shield and higher Vigor if solo. In co-op, you can swap points into primary damage stats because teammates will cover heals and aggro.

Advanced strategies and 2026 meta tricks

• Burst-stack timing: Because 1.03.2 made bleed and heavy follow-ups more consistent, plan your consumables (damage buffs, bleed-enhancing food) to align with boss vulnerability windows instead of spamming them from the start.
• Relic rotation: Some relics were rebalanced in late-2025. If your raid leader times a relic-triggered vulnerability, Executors should hold their strongest striking abilities for that second to guarantee stagger break.
• Latency-aware plays: In 2026 cloud and crossplay raids, latency matters for heavy follow-ups. Executor players should delay charged strikes slightly to sync with server-side stagger windows and avoid clipping.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Overinvesting in Strength for Raiders — you lose critical Dex-scaling speed and agility. Keep Str to meet requirements.
• Ignoring stamina regen — both builds need enough stamina to chain dodges and attacks. Never drop Endurance under 30 for Raiders or under 40 for Executors at late levels.
• Poor upgrade parity — don’t bring an underleveled weapon. Raid windows demand +25 primaries.

Equipment checklist before joining a Nightreign raid

• Primary weapon fully upgraded (+25), backup at +20+
• Two talismans for your primary role; swap based on phase (bring an extra resist talisman)
• Consumables tuned to fight (antiburn, visibility, damage boosts)
• At least one summon or ranged tool for opening staggers

Why you should re-roll or respec now (2026 perspective)

Because the raid meta shifted: teams now favor short, high-damage phases and reliable status mechanics. Patch 1.03.2 made Raiders more consistent and Executors more threatening; if your current build is stuck in pre-Nightreign assumptions (slow clears, attrition), respecing into one of these builds will shave minutes off raid clears and dramatically improve your co-op value.

Actionable next steps

1. Pick which role you enjoy: mobility & status (Raider) or tank & burst (Executor).
2. Respec toward the stat spread guides above (aim for the midpoints then adjust).
3. Fully upgrade primary weapon to +25 and test on target dummies or low-risk bosses.
4. Join a 2–4 player raid run and run the rotation once with coordination — use voice or quick chat to call bleed stacks and stagger windows.

Closing: adapt and dominate the Nightreign raid meta

Patch 1.03.2 didn’t just tweak numbers — it changed how raids flow. The reduced environmental punishment in Tricephalos and Fissure in the Fog plus the Raider and Executor buffs mean aggressive, coordinated plays win out in 2026. Use the Raider build for rapid, mobile bleed pressure and the Executor build to lock down single-target damage and stagger. Both are raid-meta-ready when you pair them with the talismans, armor choices, and playstyle pivots listed above.

Try these builds out in your next Nightreign raid, then share your clear times and tweaks. Join our community Discord or drop a comment with screenshots of your stat sheet — we’ll publish a player builds roundup with the best real-world results from the first week after patch 1.03.2.

Call to action

Test one build tonight: respec, upgrade your primary weapon, and post a short clip of a successful raid phase on our Discord. Want a visual walk-through? Subscribe for our step-by-step video build guides and weekly raid meta reports — we’ll keep the loadouts fresh as Nightreign evolves through 2026.

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