Elden Ring Nightreign Recluse guide: all magic combinations, stats, and abilities

If you want to use one of the most interesting – and complicated – characters in Elden Ring: Nightreign, then Recluse is the natural choice. Recluse is clearly a spellcaster that will become an essential damage dealer on the backline, but Recluse is much more interesting than you might think, with some unique abilities that can make her more fearsome than any weapon in the game.

In this guide we’re breaking down Recluse’s attributes, abilities, best weapons, and every single Magic Cocktail combination possible.

Recluse attributes breakdown – ER Nightreign

A character’s attributes tell you two things: what their starting stats will be in terms of health, stamina, magic pool, and strength, and what weapons they’re most comfortable with. The highest possible stat is an S, followed by A, B, C, D, and E as the lowest. 

Here’s what each stat means: 

• HP - How large your health pool is.
• FP - How large your mana pool is.
• Stamina - How large your stamina gauge is. 
• Strength - How much physical damage you can deal, scaling with colossal weapons. 
• Dexterity - Proficiency with daggers, bows, katanas, and other fast weapons. 
• Intelligence - Your magical potency, impacting the power of sorceries. Scales well with weapons such as the Moonveil katana and Fallingstar Beast Jaw. 
• Faith - How effective your healing and holy incantations are. Scales with weapons such as Golden Epitaph and Erdtree Greatbow. 
• Arcane - Holy damage and death blight negation. Increases blood loss buildup for bleeding weapons. Scales with weapons such as Serpent Bow and Rivers of Blood. 

Here are Recluse’s attributes: 

• HP - D
• FP - A
• Stamina - C
• Strength - D
• Dexterity - C
• Intelligence - S
• Faith - S
• Arcane - C

Recluse abilities breakdown, all Magic Cocktail combinations – ER Nightreign

Recluse’s abilities all revolve around recovering FP, and this can lead to either helpful buffs or devastating attacks to launch at foes. Recluse’s Character Skill just might be the most complicated skill in the entire game.

Passive Ability: Elemental Defense

Using an element on a foe will reveal affinity residue, which can be absorbed and turned into FP using the Character Skill. Residue will also be visible on allies.

Character Skill: Magic Cocktail

This is the complicated one. Using Magic Cocktail to absorb affinity residue will allow you to store three affinity charges. You can absorb Magic, Fire, Lightning, and Holy affinity residues, and the combination of three will result in a different final magic spell as a result of using Magic Cocktail. Consistent use of Magic Cocktail to replenish FP and unleash new attacks is vital to Recluse’s playstyle.

These are the Magic Cocktail combinations:

Single combinations:

• Only Magic = Magic encircles the target and periodically strikes. Good for accessing more Magic affinity residue.
• Only Fire = A short-range Fire projectile, flames stay on the ground for a time. Usually underwhelming.
• Only Lightning = Turns your dodge into something resembling Bloodhound Step for a short period.
• Only Holy = Increase poise and damage negation for the team for a short period.

Double combinations:

• Magic + Fire = A slow fire projectile follows foes until contact.
• Magic + Lightning = Ranged attack with a magic blade, similar to the Moonveil’s weapon skill.
• Magic + Holy = Fully conserves FP for all nearby allies for a short period.
• Fire + Lightning = You become a projectile, firing at an enemy before detonating into lightning.
• Fire + Holy = A temporary torch that raises max HP and reduces status ailments for nearby allies.
• Lighting + Holy = A lightning shield parries enemy attacks for a short time.

Triple combinations:

• Magic + Fire + Lightning = Summons gravity orb that pulls in foes before detonating. Incredibly powerful.
• Magic + Fire + Holy = Unleashes a holy fire that heals allies and damages foes.
• Fire + Lightning + Holy = Summons a lightning rod that will attract strong lightning after a short time.
• Magic + Lightning + Holy = Summons a large, damaging cold storm, during which you become invulnerable inside an ice block.

Ultimate Art: Soulblood Song

Brand nearby foes with a Blood Sigil. Attacking foes afflicted with Blood Sigil with magical attacks will restore your HP and FP.

Recluse’s best weapons – ER Nightreign

As Recluse can constantly absorb FP, along with S-rank Intelligence and Faith, she should be used to wield magical staffs and relevant Faith incantations. As with most characters, it’s also a good idea to have an off-hand bow ready as a back up. 

Recluse’s ability to constantly absorb FP and combine it into different attacks and buffs puts her in a unique position to repeatedly use some of the most powerful sorceries in the game. If you find the right sorceries and staffs, this could make Recluse the biggest damage dealer in the party by far. Just make sure to hang back, absorb residue often, and keep unleashing magical attacks.