The Duchess is a fast and sneaky character in Elden Ring Nightreign. She is great at using quick weapons like daggers and also knows how to use magic spells that scale with Intelligence (INT). She can move quickly in and out of fights, hit enemies fast, and deal a lot of damage before they can react.
But, she is not easy to use at first. Her health is low, and she runs out of stamina quickly. So, she is best for players who are used to dodging, planning attacks, and staying safe in battle. If you like quick characters that rely on smart movement and timing, the Duchess is a great choice.
This guide will show you the best way to build the Duchess, including the right weapons, magic, items, and tips to play her well.
Best Weapons for the Duchess
The Duchess works best with daggers. These weapons are very fast, and she has a special combo with her light attacks that gives her two extra hits. This means she can build up status effects (like Bleed or Rot) very quickly and hurt enemies a lot over time.
You should also carry a magic staff in your off-hand (your second hand). This lets you cast spells when you’re not attacking. You can roll away from danger, then cast magic to keep pressure on the enemy.
Good weapon types to look for:
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Daggers that cause Bleed or Scarlet Rot
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Light swords with magic damage
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Katanas with Bleed effects
Even if you can’t find perfect daggers early in the game, you can still use light or magic swords until you find better ones later.
Best Weapon Passives to Use
Passives are special effects on your weapons that give you bonuses. For the Duchess, look for passives that:
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Boost attack power when hitting many times in a row
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Help reduce damage when attacking
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Restore FP (magic points) when you hit enemies
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Make you cast spells faster
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Reduce how much FP spells cost
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Make your magic spells stronger
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Deal more damage to enemies weak to your type of attack
Weapon Arts That Work Well for the Duchess
Weapon Arts are strong special attacks that use FP. For the Duchess, the best ones are fast and help build up status effects like Bleed or Rot.
Great Weapon Arts for Duchess:
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Quickstep – Helps you dodge fast and reposition
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Repeating Thrust – Fast forward stabs that deal lots of damage
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Reduvia Blood Blade – Throws a blade of blood that causes Bleed
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Blade of Death – Powerful magical attack
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Corpse Piler – Great for Bleed builds and fast combo hits
Best Weapons to Look For
Here are some of the best weapons to use with the Duchess:
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Reduvia – A great Bleed dagger with a good Weapon Art
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Wakizashi – A fast dagger that can be used with other weapons
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Rivers of Blood – A katana with Bleed and a strong Weapon Art
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Scorpion’s Stinger – Inflicts Scarlet Rot
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Crystal Knife – Light and magical dagger
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Black Knife – Has a unique magic attack
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Glintstone Kris – Magic-focused dagger
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Hand of Malenia – Strong katana (if you get it later)
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Albinauric Staff – Great staff for Intelligence builds
Best Relics for the Duchess
Relics are items you get after finishing missions. They give your character permanent bonuses. The ones you get are random, but you should always try to get Relics that match your build.
First, try to complete the Duchess’s Remembrance Quest. You’ll get two special Relics that help her a lot.
Relics that work best with the Duchess:
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Make her dagger combo hurt nearby enemies
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Boost damage from her character skill
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Increase attack when killing enemies with Ultimate Art active
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Increase Dexterity and Intelligence
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Make it easier to cause Bleed, Poison, or Rot
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Lower cooldown time for skills
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Break enemy stance faster when using two weapons
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Heals the whole team when you drink a Flask
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Raise max health (HP), magic points (FP), and stamina
Best Talismans for Duchess
Talismans are special items that give you strong temporary buffs. You can only get them by defeating glowing scarabs in Nightreign. Even though they’re random, some are much better for the Duchess than others.
Look for Talismans that:
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Boost Dexterity and damage from quick attacks
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Help you recover stamina faster
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Restore health over time or from Flasks
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Increase magic power and reduce spell cost
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Improve status effect damage (Bleed, Rot)
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Help with critical hits and combo finishers
Best Talismans List:
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Milicent’s Prosthesis – More DEX, stronger combos
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Erdtree’s Favor – More HP and stamina
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Crimson Seed Talisman – Better healing from Flasks
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Green Turtle Talisman – Faster stamina regen
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Blessed Dew Talisman – Slow HP recovery over time
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Lord of Blood’s Exultation – Boosts damage near Bleed
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Kindred of Rot’s Exultation – Boosts damage near Rot
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Twinblade Talisman – Stronger combo enders
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Cerulean Amber Medallion – More FP
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Dagger Talisman – Better critical hits
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Graven-School Talisman – More magic damage
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Magic Scorpion Charm – Boost magic attack
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Radagon Icon – Faster spell casting
Tips for Playing the Duchess
1. Use Her Starting Dagger Early On
Her first dagger might seem weak, but if you add a magic upgrade to it, it becomes very strong. It hits fast and builds status effects. Find another dagger quickly and use both for more damage.
2. Go Dual Daggers If You Don’t Like Magic
If you don’t want to use magic, just carry two daggers. The Duchess moves fast and hits quickly, so dual-wielding works great. Add her Restage skill to double the damage from recent hits.
3. Save Your Ultimate Art for Revives
Her Ultimate makes you and your team invisible. If you attack during it, enemies will see you again. Instead, use this time to safely revive your teammates during boss fights. It can save your whole run.
4. Sync Restage With Your Team
The Restage skill repeats the damage you and your team did a few seconds ago. If everyone attacks at the same time and you use Restage right after, it can deal huge extra damage. This works really well with characters like Ironeye, who can weaken enemies before you strike.
Final Thoughts
The Duchess is fast, deadly, and full of style but only if you can survive with her low health. She’s perfect for players who like dodging, striking fast, and mixing magic with melee.
With the right weapons, Relics, and Talismans, she can become one of the most powerful characters in Elden Ring Nightreign.
Do you want a guide for another Nightfarer character? Let me know, and I’ll write one up!
