Elden Ring Nightreign Tricephalos Boss Guide - How To Beat Gladius

When you first get past the tutorial in Elden Ring Nightreign, you'll be able to challenge a single boss: the Tricephalos. This is the only boss that you can select from the Expeditions menu, regardless of whether you decide to run a solo or multiplayer expedition. If you manage to make it through your first two nights, you'll get to challenge Tricephalos, which goes by the name "Gladius, Beast of the Night" when you get to the boss arena.

If you don't want to die to Gladius and make your expedition run all for nothing, then check out our guide below for tips on how to beat the first boss in Elden Ring Nightreign.

Gladius, Beast of the Night attacks

Gladius, Beast of the Night is a three-headed dog--or Tricephalos-- with several primary attacks that you'll always need to be on the lookout for and a couple of major attacks that can decimate your entire party at any moment. It specializes in fire damage, so that's worth keeping in mind for your resistances and counters.

When your party first heads into the boss arena, Gladius will usually start with its chain attack, where it will uncoil a large whip-like chain from over its head and fire it quickly in a curved line. This attack always targets a single player, but can be initially avoided if you see that the boss is targeting you. However, you need to watch out for the chain's secondary attack, which whips the chain across the arena and damages anyone who's in its way.

After the chain attack is over, Gladius will recall the chain and often start moving around the arena to find a specific player to target with close-range attacks. If the boss doesn't do that, though, it will likely use its sword attack, which is another medium- to long-range move that targets one player. The sword attack is similar to the chain, but the sword moves in a straighter line and at a faster speed. It's easy to predict which player the boss targets with the sword, but you need to be quick to dodge the sword once Gladius swings it at you if you're the one it's targeting.

Those are the two set attacks that Gladius performs with the weapons at its disposal. Of course, Gladius also has attacks that involve melee or using one of its three heads. In between the chain and sword attacks, the boss will target one player and move towards them to try and bite them, lift up its paws to do a stomp move, or swing its tail around to damage any nearby players.

After you have dealt enough damage to Gladius it will unleash its primal form, which involves the boss splitting up into three separate dogs. Each one of these dogs remains large, but only one has a sword that it can use. However, the entire boss arena will be covered in banners that deal area of effect damage throughout this phase, so you want to ensure you're staying far away from the floating orange structures.

You need to deal enough damage to each of the three dogs during this phase for Gladius to return to its normal, three-headed self. Every time Gladius returns to its regular form, you can expect the same attacks as when the fight began. So it's crucial you know the timing and predictability of the chain and sword attacks.

Strategies for Gladius, Beast of the Night

Now that we've gone into the attacks you can expect from Gladius, what are some strategies you and your party can utilize to defeat the boss?

First off, it's highly recommended not to try this boss solo, as the three dog phase alone will usually be enough to overwhelm a single player. Going in with a full three-person party is the best way to defeat Gladius, and there's really no "perfect" party combination to use. However, if you want to see some efficient party combinations in Elden Ring Nightreign, check out our other guide.

Assuming you are in a full party of three, the best opening strategy for Gladius is to have one dedicated player be the "aggro" target for the boss. This player should ideally be running a tanky melee class like the Raider or Wylder, and their job is to consistently grab the attention of Gladius when it's not performing one of its set attacks.

When Gladius is focused on this single player, the other two party members can attack it from range or up close, depending on their chosen classes. The aggro target player can also try to attack, but their primary job is to dodge Gladius' attacks to stay healthy and keep the boss focused on them. Whenever Gladius moves to try to attack another player, the aggro target needs to attack the boss to make it refocus on them.

To effectively deal damage to Gladius, all players need to use their abilities to their fullest extent. Taking larger chunks away from the boss's bar using abilities and perhaps some equipment is the best way to make this fight go by faster. Of course, abilities aren't always available to use, so the players who Gladius isn't focused on need to try and deal consistent damage using their top weapon(s) while the boss is distracted and not using one of its better attacks.

The players Gladius isn't targeting can also try to support the aggro target. This can be done using Warming Stones in the aggro target's range, which heal any character standing in its range, or utilizing their own abilities if the player gets into trouble. For example, the Raider class can summon a large pillar as its ultimate ability, and that can be used quite effectively to save a player who is low on HP or needs to be revived faster.

Unfortunately, a bulk of this strategy goes out the window during Gladius' three dog phase. During this phase, it's best for each player to try to manage one of the three dogs so that the dogs aren't all grouping up on one player, which can lead to a vicious revive cycle. Of course, if one or two players are low on HP, then it might be better to all group up and try to survive the phase together so that one player doesn't take the brunt of the damage.

All in all, Gladius can be a tricky boss to deal with in Elden Ring Nightreign. It has some powerful attacks, a difficult phase that can be triggered multiple times, and a ton of HP that doesn't go down easily. However, as long as your party members are dealing consistent damage, splitting up when necessary, and helping out different players, you should be able to defeat the boss on your first or second try.

If you managed to defeat the Tricephalos in Elden Ring Nightreign, why not take a look at our other boss guide for the Equilibrious Beast, which is unlocked after defeating Gladius. We've also got an Elden Ring Nightreign guides hub, for other tips and tricks.